Our society focuses so heavily on educating minds that we sometimes forget the value of educating the heart. This 16-week character-education course was created to educate and inspire young hearts to blossom into their best version of themselves. Students will explore 15 different virtues in class and practice embodying them in their daily lives.
Each week we will read a book that emphasizes our weekly virtue. After the story, we will discuss our reading as a group, define our virtue of the week, and share stories and examples of how we have embodied the virtue in the past, how we can practice it in the future, and reflect on people in our lives who we feel possess this quality.
Each week will vary, but students will engage with the virtues in a variety of ways including journaling, meditation, art, creative expression, and games. Homework will be given each week to take their learning outside of the classroom. Parents can refer to the homework section for more details.
Weekly Schedule
Welcome to Class: Group Introductions, Classroom Expectations, and Introduction to Virtues.
Book: Mason’s Greatest Gems
Virtue: Kindness
Book: How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids.
Virtue: Empathy
Book: You, Me, and Empathy
Virtue: Presence
Book: What Does It Mean to Be Present?
Virtue: Responsibility
Book: The Lumberjack’s Beard
Virtue: Patience
Book: The Very Impatient Caterpillar
Virtue: Perseverance
Book: The Little Engine That Could
Virtue: Integrity
Book: The Empty Pot
Virtue: Gratitude
Book: Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
Virtue: Compassion
Book: Hey Little Ant
Virtue: Forgiveness
Book: Forgiveness Garden
Virtue: Tolerance
Book: The Only Way is Badger
Virtue: Fortitude
Book: I Can Handle It!
Virtue: Cooperation
Book: The Tallest Treehouse
Virtue: Service
Book: The Giving Tree
Virtue: Love
Book: Listening With My Heart
Course Materials
Students will need a journal for this course and should have it with them during each class. Sketch diaries work great so your child has a space to write and draw freely. Students will engage in creative journaling both in and outside of class. This journal will be your child’s canvas to explore the virtues through writing, drawing, etc.
Students should also bring writing and drawing materials to each class (Your choice of markers, colored pencils, crayons, gel pens, etc.).
Parents are welcome to buy any of the 16 books that will be read throughout this course, but this is not a requirement. The books are widely available at popular book retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.