A Lesson on Heroism

When we think about the role of heroes in our lives, many of us look to famous, popular or very influential people. Some of these people may very well be heroes, but the most important heroes are those that directly influence our lives. The dictionary defines a hero as “a person of distinguished courage or ability … admired for brave deeds and noble qualities … role model, ideal …” (excerpts, Webster, Unabridged, 2nd edition, 2001). Sometimes a hero can simply be a person of integrity, someone who is compassionate and possesses moral courage, or someone who does what he or she knows is right.

How can we be heroes ourselves? How can you encourage your students to be heroes? Our lesson plan this month will help you and your students share existing thoughts and ideas about heroes, explore heroic qualities and construct a plan to become someone's hero.

Click here to view this month's lesson - “A Lesson on Heroism."

To learn more about how to empower your students to realize their own potential to effect positive change and for additional resources on the power of positive role models, visit www.myhero.com.

Have you used our lessons in your classroom? Please click on “Comment” below to tell us all about it!

A Lesson on Appreciation

The word "appreciation" means to be thankful and express admiration, approval, or gratitude. It also means to grow or appreciate in value. As you appreciate life, you become more valuable — both to yourself and others. As students study the art of appreciation during this lesson, they will develop the skills to practice an attitude of appreciation in their lives, while also exploring ways to show appreciation for others, themselves and the world around them.

Click here to view this month's lesson - “A Lesson on Appreciation."

Earth Day Education

Since its inception on April 22, 1970, Earth Day has been an annual event for people around the world to celebrate our planet and renew our commitment to maintaining a safer, healthier and cleaner world for all of us. Earth Day provides the perfect backdrop to discuss important environmental issues with our students and help them to adopt earth-friendly habits early on in life.

The goals of this month’s lesson are to spark creative ideas in your students for reusing everyday products, spur their interest in using recycled products and construct new products of their own. We are pleased to provide you with a lesson plan that is tailored toward the age of your students.

Click Here to view this month's lesson - “Earth Day Recycling." You will be asked to login using the password you received via e-mail at the time you subscribed to CYLC Leadership Link.

Did you use this lesson plan with your students? Please share some of your classroom experiences with using this lesson plan or share suggestions with your teachers on ways you adapted this lesson plan to work for you.

There is a wealth of Earth Day resources for you to use in your classroom available on the web. Here are a few I thought you might enjoy:

• Many of you already use Scholastic.com for classroom resources. Their Earth Day resources are available here.
• The Franklin Institute has an Earth Day math quiz here.
• The Earth Day Network (www.earthday.net) provides environmentally themed lesson plans here.

Read Across America Day

Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that students who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school. Read Across America Day is an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association as an observance of Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2nd.

Click Here to view this month's lesson - “Read Across America." You will be asked to login using the password you received via e-mail at the time you subscribed to CYLC Mentor Newsletter.

Did you use this lesson plan with your students? Please share some of your classroom experiences with using this lesson plan or share suggestions with your teachers on ways you adapted this lesson plan to work for you.

Appreciating Diversity in the Classroom

Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black History Month." February is a time for us to celebrate the great achievements and contributions of African Americans. Use the following lesson plan to help your students to identify and articulate the skills, traits and abilities that make their classmates and themselves unique, and to explain the elements of character of historical Americans.
Click Here to view this month's lesson - “Appreciating Diversity." You will be asked to login using the password you received via e-mail at the time you subscribed to CYLC Mentor Newsletter.

Did you use this lesson plan with your students? Please share some of your classroom experiences with using this lesson plan or share suggestions with your teachers on ways you adapted this lesson plan to work for you.

Help Your Students LEAP into the New Year!

"Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement."- Brian Tracy

A new year causes many of us to go through a process of looking back, reflecting on the past year and considering what the next year will bring. It is often a time for resolutions for improvement in some area of life. Instead of approaching the New Year with resolutions, your students will create goals that are attainable by the end of the school year. Use the following lesson plan to help your students create “LEAP” goals – goals that are a set Length, use Exact language, state specific Actions and are Possible to attain given their ability and length of time.

Click Here to view this month's lesson - “LEAP” goals. You will be asked to login using the password you received via e-mail at the time you subscribed to CYLC Mentor Newsletter.

Did you use this lesson plan with your students? Please share some of your classroom experiences with using this lesson plan or share suggestions with your teachers on ways you adapted this lesson plan to work for you.

Kindness and Altruism All Year Long

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the creative light of altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life's persistent and most urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'"Martin Luther King, Jr.

The months of November and December are often referred to as the “season for giving,” as we are more inclined to be kinder or do something without expecting something in return. What would happen if we approached kindness as the norm rather than the exception? Use the following lesson plan to help demonstrate to your students that there isn’t only one season in which to be kind. By showing random acts of kindness and “paying it forward” to others, they can see the need for the “season of giving” to become a yearlong event.

Click Here to view this month's lesson - Lesson on Kindness and Altruism. You will be asked to login using the password you received via e-mail at the time you subscribed to CYLC Mentor Newsletter.

Did you use this lesson plan with your students? Please share some of your classroom experiences with using this lesson plan or share suggestions with your teachers on ways you adapted this lesson plan to work for you.

Celebrate National Bill of Rights Day on December 15th!

The Bill of Rights became part of the Constitution of the United States on December 15, 1791. In 1941, on the 150^th anniversary of this event, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed December 15^th to be Bill of Rights Day. His goal was to make Americans aware of their rights and to remind them of their duties as citizens of the United States.

The Bill of Rights Institute has provided lesson plans, videos and other resources to help you to bring the Bill of Rights to life in your classroom. Click here to access your classroom resources.

Celebrating Tradition in Your Classroom

As autumn turns to winter, we begin planning for many annual traditions, both at home and in the classroom. We don’t just celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving in the fall; it is also common for high schools and universities to host homecoming activities during October and November. Homecoming traditions often include football games, dances, pep rallies, etc. – all activities designed to enhance a sense of community and school pride. Use this lesson plan in your classroom to help your students consider traditions involving their families, school, community or culture.

To access this lesson plan, go to www.cylc.org/leadershiplink and enter the password educate.

Scholars Address Former Members of Congress

This fall, some 10th, 11th and 12th graders attending the National Young Leaders Conference (NYLC) had the honor of participating in The Civics Connection, a series of webcasts broadcast to classrooms nationwide, designed to help students understand the inner workings of the United States Congress. The Civics Connection is a partnership between the United States Association of Former Members of Congress and the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government. During each webcast, the scholars pose questions and interact with former members of congress, as they discuss political issues in today’s society.

The September webcast topic was "Choosing Congress: Pursuing Public Service on the National Stage." You may view the September webcast by clicking here.

The October webcast topic was "So You Got Elected. Now What?” View the October webcast with your students by clicking here.

The final fall webcast,“How a Bill Really Becomes a Law,” can be viewed live on Wednesday, November 11th at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. You will hear the representatives answer NYLC students' questions about the mechanics of policy making, how the congressional committee system works and what that means in the context of representation. If you would like to view the webcast live, click here to register.