Activity time: 7 minutes Materials for Activity Story 1, "The Honorable Joha, Mula Nasruddin Hodja, and the Donkey Story" Preparation for Activity Read the story. Photocopy Story 1, "The Honorable Joha, Mula Nasruddin Hodja, and the Famous Donkey Story," one for each participant. Description of...

Activity time: 5 minutes Description of Activity Introduce the session by giving its title, "Doing Your Good Side." Say that when you talked about showing your good side a moment ago, you meant "your best physical side." Add that most people really do not need to worry about their best physical...

Haidt, Jonathan. The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom (New York: Basic Books, 2006). A book that explores the evolutionary bases of morality. Wade, Nicholas, "Is 'Do Unto Others' Written Into Our Genes?" New York Times, September 18, 2007. This article reviews of the...

Meet with your co-leaders after the session to reflect on how it went. How was your mix of discussion and action? Have you successfully found ways to involve all youth fully in your sessions despite any limitations they might have? Do youth understand that showing and doing their good side is a...

Activity time: 3 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Taking It Home, one for each participant Preparation for Activity Create a handout from Taking It Home that is specific to the activities used in this session. Description of Activity Briefly summarize what you have done in this session....

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity 11" x 14" sheet of paper for each youth Washable markers Preparation for Activity Prepare tabletops or counters so they are suitable for making silhouette drawings. Description of Activity In this activity, youth make silhouette drawings of their...

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Conundrum Corner poster/banner A small mirror Chalice and matches Optional: Newsprint, markers and tape Optional: Recording of "Amazing Grace" and music player Optional: Nametags and markers Optional: Decorative cloth for Conundrum Corner Preparatio...

In the days before you present this session, explore your own two sides. Can you identify them? How do you keep yourself on the virtuous, rightful paths you set for yourself?...

ACTIVITY MINUTES Opening 5 Activity 1: Good Sides, Bad Sides 5 Activity 2: Story – The Honorable Joha, Mula Nasruddin Hodja, and the Famous Donkey Story 7 Activity 3: Ethics Play 15 Activity 4: Ethics Obstacle Course 20 Activity 5: Five Phrases 5 Faith in Action: Your Own Good Side 10 Closing 3...

Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody. — Mark Twain Session 13 discussed ethical and character conflict in terms of two inner wolves. This session examines how each of us has a "good" and a "bad" side to our character and personality and explores external barriers...

This physical game actively demonstrates the relationship between temptation, impulse, action, and conscience. This is a variation of freeze tag, in which one person who is "It" chases and tries to tag others inside the boundaries of a defined space. Anyone tagged must stop and stand in a...

Participants play a game replicating real-life situations involving ethical decisions.  At the end of the game, ask where they saw that Star’s good character seeds had been nurtured, and where did they see Star’s negative seeds at work? How could Star have used these situations to nurture their...

A discussion around negative and positive self-talk, rooted in the science of neuroplasticity.  Ask youth what they know about how their brain works.Our brain receives information from our senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell—and from our memories of previous experiences, and interprets...

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint from Activity 3 with traits compiled from group work Small pieces of paper or card stock, pens or markers Optional: a selection of costumes and props 

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity A sheet of poster board as a background (one per group) Colored paper, especially in earth tones, tape, glue, scissors, markers, other craft supplies such as popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, crepe paper, fabric 

Activity time: 10 minutes Description of Activity This “spectrum” activity allows a bit of movement as participants respond to ten character traits. Give instructions like these: I am going to read ten statements. If you believe the statement represents a positive or wholesome character trait...

Activity time: 10 minutes, Materials for Activity, Story: "Seeds in the Mind-Garden", Preparation for Activity, Read the story. Optional: Copy the story, "Seeds in the Mind-Garden," for volunteers to read aloud

 The website for Plum Village, a monastic community in France founded by Buddhist Monk and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, details his life story. His book, Understanding Our Mind (Parallax Press, 2006), is an examination of Buddhist psychology that shows how the quality of our...

Youth apply the metaphor of the seeds to taking action toward the positive outcomes they want to see in the world. They identify the tools that help them and others nurture good character.