Builders
Building Character, Discovering Careers
The Builders program is the seventh- and eighth-grade program. It begins
Learning for Life's career preparedness emphasis, while reinforcing character,
relationship building and citizenship.
The resources for the Builders Program include:
Teacher's Guide
Each grade has its own guide with 44 age appropriate lesson plans. Youth
learn to ascertain the need for having a job and being employed, to recognize
obstacles, how to make mature and ethical decisions, and how to deal responsibly
with their decisions.
The lessons are divided into 4 sections.
- Character Education Lessons: focus on 4 traits.
- Respect: with lesson on empathy and peer pressure
- Responsibility: the focuses on concepts like Decision Making and
Perseverance
- Honesty/Trust: works on commitment
- Self Discipline: exposes students to Courage and anger management
- Building Relationships Lessons: develop understanding of concepts like
Prejudice, problem solving, communications and family dynamics
- Citizenship Lessons: discuss freedom, liberty, laws and diversity
- Career Education Lessons: show students work related skills like Time
Management, Job Traits, and Goal Setting while also helping them investigate
careers that they have may process an aptitude.
Community Role Models
The Learning for Life seventh- and eighth-grade program is designed to
provide community role models to motivate and interact with the youth. Role
models meet with a specific class (e.g., English, social studies, and math) and
discuss the relationship of that subject to a work situation. These role models,
with backgrounds similar to those of the youth, share their personal paths to
success, including the pitfalls and the high points.
Resource people from the community serve as mentors and role models and give
the youth insight into personal decisions, educational goals, and career
choices.
Life Choices: A Character Game
A computer interactive game that gives students opportunities to practice
ethical decision making skills. A series of situations is presented where the
student must make a choice. The computer gives the student immediate feedback by
providing a consequence of the choices made while playing the game. Reports are
given at the end of the game, summarizing how the student performed in some key
elements of character. Life Choices is included with the 8th Grade Teachers
Edition.
See an
online demo of this game.
A Time To Tell Youth Protection Video
A Time to Tell Youth Protection DVD is included with the latest edition of
the 8th grade teacher's edition. This presents different scenes that help youth
see strategies that are needed to keep them safe. The DVD can play in English or
Spanish. A meeting guide for A Time To Tell which can be used with youth
ages 11 thru 14. Guide is available at the below link in English and Spanish.
www.learningforlife.org/pubs/av/46-181
Student Workbooks
For both the 7th and 8th Grade Builders program, a Student Workbook is
available. Each workbook come with the lesson plan activities printed on
perforated paper, ready to be used in the classroom. Student workbooks can be
ordered from your local Learning for Life Office.
Builders' Program (7th and 8th Grades)
The Builders' Program is a comprehensive, four-tier blend of elements
focusing on Character Education, Career Education, Building Relationships, and
Citizenship for students in the 7th and 8th grades. Lesson plans in both the 7th
and 8th grade books are designed to reinforce social, academic, and career
education skills in various areas, such as critical and creative thinking,
conflict resolution, decision making, interpersonal relationships, practical
life skills, self-esteem, writing and language arts, citizenship, and personal
fitness. There are 44 lesson plans in each of the Builders' Books, ranging in
topics from "Peer Pressure: Who Can I Trust," to "Self Assessment of Skills and
Abilities," to "Problem Solving: The Intricacies of Relating to Others." The
lessons are action-oriented and uses teaching techniques such as role-playing,
small group discussions, and reflective and moral-dilemmas exercises. In
addition, many of the same value-added features included with the Seekers',
Discoverers', and Challengers' Programs are also part of the Builders' Program,
including community speakers, mentors, outdoor experiences, field trips, and
teacher training. |