Planning and Assessment
1. Character Education Does Work When Done Effectively
2. Classroom Ways to Meet Youth Needs Planning Chart
3. LaCharacter Components, Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education, 4-H Materials and School Character Development Components Chart
4. LaCharacter Guide for Integrating Character Development into School Activities
5. LaCharacter Youth Needs Assessment and Development Guide
6. More of, Less of Behavior Identification Worksheet
7. Sample Elementary Character Test and Pre- and Post-Test Packet
8. School Character Development Methodology Planning and Assessment Guide
9. Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support and LaCharacter Guide
10. Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Student Tiers and Youth Development
Critical Elements Planning Chart
11. Creating an Elementary Classroom Culture of Character Guide
Lessons and Other Resources
12. A Tool Box of Ideas for Helping Elementary Students Exercise Character in School
13. A Tool Box of Ideas for Helping Secondary Students Exercise Character in School
14. Cafeteria Character
15. Character Critters
16. Character Quotes
17. Exercising Character in the Community Lessons
18. Exercising Character in School Lessons
19. LaCharacter Character Traits Detailed Definitions
20. LaCharacter Character Traits Rubric
21. LaCharacter Character Traits Summary Definitions
22. LaCharacter Service-Learning Handbook
23. LaCharacter Youth Project Guide
24. LEAP into Character Lessons
25. Principal’s Principles
26. School as a Caring Community Profile II Survey
27. School Bus Character
28. Student Character
29. Sports Ethics Handbook
30. Showing Character in Livestock Projects and Exhibiting
31. Words of the Week and Character Trait of the Month
33. Workplace Ethics
LaCharacter is a Louisiana 4-H character development program that provides training and
research-based educational materials to Louisiana schools and communities.
Contact your local Extension/LSU AgCenter office, the state 4-H office or visit the
Louisiana 4-H Web site for information. (Web site: louisiana4h.org, state 4-H office: 225-578-2196)
Material Descriptions
Planning and Assessment
1. Character Education Does Work When Done Effectively
Summary of recent research that demonstrates character education does work when done effectively and can prevent problem behaviors and improve academic performance. Also included are the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse character education guidelines, the Character Education Partnership research-based Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education and the 4-H Eight Critical Elements of Youth Development.
2. Classroom Ways to Meet Youth Needs Planning Chart
Planning chart and reference information for identifying ways to meet youth’s belonging, independence, generosity and mastery needs in a classroom setting.
3. LaCharacter Components, Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education, 4-H Materials and School Character Development Components Chart
Planning chart for creating a comprehensive character development program that uses the 20 LaCharacter school model components, the Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education related to each component and Louisiana 4-H character development materials as resources.
4. LaCharacter Guide for Integrating Character Development into School Activities
Guide for integrating character development into schoolwide, classroom, extracurricular and school-to-career activities.
5. LaCharacter Youth Needs Assessment and Development Guide
Guide and reference information for identifying a youth’s belonging, independence, generosity and mastery needs and for developing a plan to meet them.
6. More of, Less of Behavior Identification Worksheet
Worksheet for identifying behaviors you want more of and less of in a school group or area of a school. Behaviors are divided into LaCharacter character trait categories.
7. Sample Elementary Character Test and Pre- and Post-Test Packet
Sample elementary character test and pre- and post-test packet for evaluating knowledge gained.
8. School Character Development Methodology Planning and Assessment Guide
Guide for assessing a school’s character development methodology for program planning and development and a tool for assessing a school’s methodology for a school year.
9. Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support and LaCharacter Guide
Guide provides a snapshot chart of SWPBS, a chart that shows the SWPBS components complemented by LaCharacter and an overview of the LaCharacter school model.
10. Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Student Tiers and Youth Development Critical Elements Planning Chart
Planning chart and reference information for developing a youth needs development approach for character development and meeting the belonging, independence, generosity and mastery needs of SWPBS Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 students.
11. Creating an Elementary Classroom Culture of Character Guide
Guide provides ideas for creating an elementary classroom culture of character through integrating a character-trait focus into lessons and creating a climate which supports the traits.
Lessons and Other Resources
12. A Tool Box of Ideas for Helping Elementary Students Exercise Character in School
Collection of successful ideas and activities for integrating character development into elementary school activities.
13. A Tool Box of Ideas for Helping Secondary Students Exercise Character in School
Collection of successful ideas and activities for integrating character development into middle and high school activities.
14. Cafeteria Character
For elementary, middle and high school students, a summary of LaCharacter behaviors expected of students in a school cafeteria.
15. Character Critters
Target audience is pre-school and kindergarten. Lessons are taught with storyboards with pictures and the story on the front. The story is also on the back of the boards for presenters to reference. Roy the responsible rabbit and Tommy the trustworthy turtle are two of the critters.
16. Character Quotes
Listing of quotes for each of the LaCharacter character traits – trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
17. Exercising Character in the Community Lessons
Target audience is schools and youth organizations. Age groups are 4-6, 6-9, 9-11, 11-13 and teenagers. Activity-based lessons with a community theme.
18. Exercising Character in School Lessons
Target audience is schools and youth organizations. Age groups are 4-6, 6-9, 9-11, 11-13 and teenagers. Activity-based lessons with a school theme.
19. LaCharacter Character Traits Detailed Definitions
Detailed definitions of the LaCharacter character traits – trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
20. LaCharacter Character Traits Rubric
Rubric of the LaCharacter character traits with three levels of performance. Level 1 contains character traits that represent being irresponsible. Level 2 represents a level when an individuals are responsible for themselves but not others. Level 3 involves practicing collective responsibility which consists of being responsible for oneself, others, the school and community.
21. LaCharacter Character Traits Summary Definitions
Summarized definitions of the LaCharacter character traits – trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
22. LaCharacter Service-Learning Handbook
Handbook for use with service-learning projects. Contains overview of service-learning, integrating character education with service-learning, project identification form, project planning form, project tasks sheet, action plan form, team member reflection form, parent reflection form, community partner and adult supervisor reflection form, service-learning primer with project examples for elementary, middle and high schools, service project ideas and possible funding sources.
23. LaCharacter Youth Project Guide
Character development youth project guide for use with SWPBS Tier 2 and 3 students or any youth. Guide provides a structured experience for youth to explore and research a topic of interest to them. Activities include answering project questions, research, interviewing subject-matter experts, reflection, an oral presentation and a service activity – individually or as a member of a group.
24. LEAP into Character Lessons
Target audience grades 4-8. Weekly lessons with a short activity and assignment.
25. Principal’s Principles
For elementary, middle and high schools. Provides principals with a daily character lesson for use with morning announcements. The lessons are related to the Words of the Week and character trait of the month recommend by 4-H.
26. School as a Caring Community Profile II Survey
Survey for evaluating students', school personnel and parents' perceptions of a school as a caring community.
27. School Bus Character
For elementary, middle and high school students. Summary of the LaCharacter behaviors expected of students who ride school buses.
28. Student Character
For elementary, middle and high school students. Summary of the LaCharacter behaviors expected of students at school and when representing the school away from the campus.
29. Showing Character in Livestock Projects and Exhibiting
Target audience is youth livestock exhibitors, their family members and others in the livestock community. Interactive, activity-based lessons with a livestock project focus.
30. Sports Ethics Handbook
Target audiences are physical education classes, school sports and community sports programs. Provides information on gamesmanship and sportsmanship and how to model the LaCharacter character traits in sports.
31. Words of the Week and Character Trait of the Month
Target audience is elementary, middle and high schools. Schedule of character traits to focus on for each month and words for each week to support the character traits.
32. Words of the Week and Character Trait of the Month
Target audience is schools and youth organizations.
33. Workplace Ethics
Target audience is schools and workplaces. Interactive lessons for teaching work ethics and decision making. Included are ways the LaCharacter character traits can be integrated into policies, procedures, interviews, performance appraisals and daily work practices.