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26 Character-Building Activities for Middle School

character-building activities for middle school

June 23, 2022 //  by Jill Webb

Alongside literacy, mathematics, and civics, learning how to be a good person is one of the most foundational things we can be teaching our middle school students. Character education is more than just encouraging someone to return a lost wallet; it encompasses all aspects of learning to live as a community.

These 26 activities will give parents and teachers a variety of resources for building character education in daily life.

1. Gratitude Journal

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Students can show gratitude with these creative writing prompts. The site contains a colorful bundle for grades in middle school that focuses on show gratitude - gratitude for nature...for others..and much more!

Learn More: Very Special Tales

2. Word Ring

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This adorable word ring focuses on vocabulary character traits. Add different words each week that reflect positive values - like grit, flexibility, and responsibility - and have students find quotes to write on the back that reflect the trait. If you teach ELA, you can also use these words when doing character analysis activities!

Learn More: Meaningful Mama

3. Oak vs. Palm

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This activity compares two different trees to teach a lesson. The oak is large and sturdy, but falls hard, while the palm tree bends with the wind. It teaches a lesson on flexible thinking and that being flexible is good quality!

Learn More: Get Self Help

4. Types of Respect

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Use this puzzle to have students match action scenarios with respectful actions. It will help students to determine what is respectful vs. disrespectful behavior.

Learn More: The Responsive Counselor

5. Growth Mindset 

Teach the concept of perseverance and growth mindset with a video and fun activity! Watch the video, then play a game using mini marshmallows and cups. A series of questions follow for class discussions.

Learn More: Counselor Keri

6. The Forgiveness Project

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Why do people forgive? Students will look at real people and their situations to see why people forgive. The lesson includes a reading, video, and student booklet with a graphic organizer.

Learn More: The Forgiveness Project

7. Guided Meditation

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Teach self-control to your middle schoolers with guided mediation. Each video has a different mediation with varying lengths of time and walks students through the process.

Learn More: Pullman Schools

8. Fairness

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This blog post gives an activity idea where students read "New Shoes" by Susan Lynn Meyer and learn about the concept of fairness. It then has an activity about "being in someone else's shoes" and reflects on unfair situations that we will all encounter.

Learn More: Sunny Day Family

9. Drawing and Patience

Drawing can be a difficult skill for many students. Challenge students with these "how to draw..." videos. They are a great circle time or morning meeting activity as they need only a pencil and paper and they don't take up a great deal of time.

Learn More: Art for Kids Hub

10. Finding Joy

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Using tokens with numbers, students will pick a token and whichever correlates to the mat, they will answer a question. All of the questions are meant to spark joy - like talking about your best memories and favorites.

Learn More: Joy In 6th

11. Friendship

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In Middle School, students do a lot of friendship building, so it is important they understand what real friendship looks like and how to be a good friend. This activity will help with building healthy relationships.

Learn More: Pinterest

12. Teaching Cooperation

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The squiggly line drawing is an excellent resource to teach cooperation. Students will need to learn to work respectfully with their peers and this super easy activity will challenge them to do so.

Learn More: Teacher Vision

13. Honesty Game

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Honesty is an important character trait for students to learn. This game uses dice and a playing board to have students share their experiences with honesty.

Learn More: Counselor Chelsey

14. Social Language

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Strengthen emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationships by teaching your class about social language. It looks at body language, communication, and more...as it teaches students how to be more socially aware.

Learn More: Pinterest

15. Role Play

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These discussion cards get students talking through role play! It teaches about a variety of character traits and is low prep! Just have students pick a card, act it out, and let the discussion begin!

Learn More: Pinterest

16. Acts of Kindness

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A fun activity to do at recess or PE is making chalk messages of kindness. Teach students that a simple message can often brighten someone else's day! You can also push students to do this outside of your class like leaving messages for others on post-its or in their community.

Learn More: Coffee Cups And Crayons

17. Online Character Development

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These real-world scenarios look at difficult concepts like intervening in situations and what role effective communication plays in relationships. The lessons are fun and grade-level appropriate.

Learn More: Everfi

18. Personal Development Day

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Have a development day, whether in the school or your classroom in stations! The site provides a list of workshops that build character such as yoga, kindness rocks, helping hands, and more! Have students rotate or pick the area that they need to work on!

Learn More: BHBL

19. Grit

TED Talks are great for middle school! This video with Angela Duckworth is short enough to keep students' attention and is engaging as it focuses on grit and determination. An inspirational video!

Learn More: TED

20. Integrity vs. Reputation

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This activity teaches about the meaning of integrity through quotes. It has students review different quotes and then analyze them through writing.

Learn More: Tarheel State Teacher

21. Circle of Control

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Self-control is great for all students; especially middle school-age students who often lack it! In this simple activity, they are cards with different scenarios on them. Students identify if they are in their control or out of their control.

Learn More: The Responsive Counselor

22. Character Building Journal

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Use these journal prompts as a weekly activity. It includes a variety of topics for middle school students, including the concept of citizenship, respect, fairness, and more!

Learn More: Journal Buddies

23. Growth Mindset with Khan

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Khan Academy has a section dedicated to Growth Mindset. The students go through the online tool which has a reading, videos, and tips for them to be successful!

Learn More: Khan Academy

24. Teach Digital Citizenship

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Digital citizenship is an aspect of character building, which is super relevant now with social media posts, podcasts, videos, etc that students post. It teaches students perspective and how to be an upstander or an ally.

Learn More: Common Sense Education

25. Change Your Words

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Another growth mindset activity that can be used in any classroom is "Change Your Words...Change Your Mindset".  It has several negative sayings and students must rephrase them into positive ones using sticky notes.

Learn More: Making Learning Super

26. PE Character Education

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A character-building game that focuses on sportsmanship, respect, and teamwork, Character Cool is great for middle school PE. Students will have to work together to do different activities and learn character building as they do!

Learn More: School Specialty

Related posts:

40 Inclusive and Kind Thanksgiving Books for Kids
27 Phonics Activities for Middle Schoolers
35 Christmas-Themed Science Experiments for Middle Schoolers

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