"What Do You Stand For?" Character Building Activities
We love activities centered around teaching kids what it means to have character and to stand up for what you believe in. It's so important to instill these values in children when they are young. So when we came across Barbara's activity ideas based on Imogene's Last Stand we had to share!
Be sure to grad a copy of Imogene's Last Stand to read together as a class so your kiddos can experience Imogene's perserverence and patriotism! Then choose from the list of enrichment activities below:
- Discuss the historical figures Imogene quotes throughout the book. Have your kiddos pick their favorite quote and write about what it means for them today (and perhaps even what it may have meant to Imogene).
- As a class visit a local museum or historical society and spend time talking about the items on display.
- Encourage your students to create a family tree. Have them talk about how stories are preserved and passed down through their families. Invite your students to create their very own family crest - make sure they explain what they included in the crest and why.
- Talk about what it means to hold a peaceful protest. Brainstorm ways a person could hold a peaceful protest and reasons why they might feel compelled to do so. This would be a great time to talk about a current event that may lead to the development of a protest!
- Discuss what names mean as a class. What's in a name? Have students create acrostic poems using their first (and possibly even last) names.
- Find out what your class thinks of the phrase "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." Use this as a time for students to reflect on what character traits they believe they possess and perhaps what they may see in other people (classmates, family, teachers, etc).
Barbara really hit the nail on the head when she said, "character is who you are when nobody’s watching AND what you’ll stand for when everybody is." Use a study of Imogene's Last Stand to instill this belief in your students!