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.

1. 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
2. Building Relationships Lessons: develop understanding of concepts like Prejudice, problem solving, communications and family dynamics
3. Citizenship Lessons: discuss freedom, liberty, laws and diversity
4. 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.

Samples