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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Another growth mindset activity that can be used in any classroom is “Change Your Words…Change Your Mindset”. Together you can take some negative sayings and rephrase them into positive ones, then give your kiddos this free printable and let them have a go at it themselves! They’ll be masters of positive thinking in no time!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
26. PE Character Education
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
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