Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
generationOn
Unit Purpose:
Learners experience an opportunity to practice self-discipline, and they compare and contrast discipline and self-discipline. They become familiar with vocabulary and concepts associated with self-discipline and examine the correlation between self-discipline and maturity. They learn about Benjamin Franklin's personal accomplishments and his contributions to the common good, and examine his wisdom about self-discipline. The learners investigate the importance of self-control and self-motivation through analyzing examples of self-discipline. They set a personal goal and describe self-discipline steps to meeting the goal. They select quotations and reflect on their relevance to achieving their goal.
Focus Question: What role does self-discipline play in relationships and life success? How can developing self-discipline equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?
Unit Objectives:
The learner will:
- participate in an experiment that demonstrates delayed gratification and impulse control.
- define discipline, self-discipline, delayed gratification, and impluse control.
- discuss and define skills and attitudes of self-discipline.
- agree or disagree with a quotation and apply it to themselves.
- examine the life and wisdom of Benjamin Franklin related to self-disciplne.
- document three acts or examples of self-discipline.
- analyze examples of self-discipline as self-control and/or self-motivation.
- brainstorm three personal self-discipline goals.
- set a personal goal and determine the self-control and self-motivation needed to achieve the goal.
- relate motivational quotations to efforts to meet a goal.
Service Experience:
This character education mini-lesson is not intended to be a service learning lesson or to meet the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice. The character education units will be most effective when taught in conjunction with a student-designed service project that provides a real world setting in which students can develop and practice good character and leadership skills. For ideas and suggestions for organizing service events go to generationon.org.
School/Home Connection:
In Lesson Three the students are asked to watch for times when they or others (friends, classmates, teachers, family members) use self-discipline and to write down at least 3 examples to bring to the next class session.
Notes for Teaching:
In this discussion of self-discipline, be sensitive to the needs of your students. Some students may not have the self-discipline to accomplish specific tasks.
State Curriculum and Philanthropy Theme Frameworks:
See individual lessons for benchmark detail.
Lessons Developed By:
Barbara Dillbeck
Director
Learning to Give
Betsy Flikkema
Associate Director
Learning to Give
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
