Activity |
Page |
Description |
Lesson Focus |
Core Curriculum Requirement |
| The "I Want Bias" |
12 |
A demonstration involving a weighted cookie tin to illustrate the effect of bias on matter, forces and energy and to provide a perspective from which to discuss the effect of desire providing the motivation, (i.e.. energy and forces) that move us to make the choices we do. |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences |
Science: Apply forces to objects (e.g. inertia, gravity, friction, push and pull, and observe the objects in motion.) Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on fact and decisions based on opinion |
| Snow White Optical Illusion |
16 |
An optical Illusion in which students can watch the wicked queen place the apple in Snow White's hand |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences and the resulting consequences |
Personal Development: Evaluate consequences of decisions; Identify factors that influence wants and needs |
| Snow White Wants It All |
17 |
Story of Snow White with discussion of why a beautiful woman would turn herself in to an ugly old hag and why Snow White failed to heed the warnings of her dwarf friends. |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences and the resulting consequences |
Reading Comprehension: Connect plot, ideas and concepts to personal experience; Personal Development: Identify factors that influence wants and needs; Evaluate consequences of decisions |
| Who Am I? Jesse James & Alexander Graham Bell |
96 |
A fascinating comparison of the different lives of these two contemporaries and the consequences of their differing choices |
Choices- Facing the consequences |
Reading Comprehension: Connect plot, ideas and concepts with personal experience; Personal Development: Demonstrate an awareness of personal responsibility for achieving and setting goals; Civic: Examine meaning of citizenship; |
| Daddy My Nose Itches |
67 |
Biographical sketch of Ben Carson, a young African American boy who went from a failing elementary student to a world renown brain surgeon and the influences that brought about this change in his life |
Choices- How influenced by our attitudes |
Reading: Connect plot, ideas and concepts with personal experience; Personal Development: Assess how they learn best and use additional learning strategies |
| About as Smart as a Carrying Jackass Upside Down |
69 |
The Aesop fable "A Man, His Son and Their Donkey" retold in verse with a discussion of what influenced this foolish man and his son to make such unwise choices |
Choices- How influenced by our attitudes |
Reading Comprehension: Connect plot, ideas and concepts with personal experience; Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on fact and those based on opinion; Identify factors that influence wants and needs; Evaluate consequences of decisions |
| Lenny |
159 |
A biographical sketch of Lenny Bias, the college basket ball star who died of a drug overdose while celebrating his signing with the Boston Celtics |
Choices- The devastating effect of cupidity on one person's life |
Reading Comprehension: Establish connection between text and personal experience; Personal Development: Healthy Choices: Demonstrate an awareness of personal responsibility for achieving and setting goals; Demonstrate understanding necessary to make informed, healthy choices that positively affect the health and well being of themselves and others |
| Two Little Pigs |
95 |
Take off on story of the "Three Little Pigs" to explore the need for care in making choices |
Choices- Facing the consequences |
Reading Comprehension: Connect plot, ideas and concepts with personal experience; Personal Development: Demonstrate an awareness of personal responsibility for achieving and setting goals |
| Teresa's Tricycle |
91 |
Whimsical story of a girl who leaves her tricycle in the street and, with her mother, enjoys watching cars jump over it as they drive by leading to a discussion of what's wrong with this picture |
Choices- Facing the consequences of poor judgment |
Reading: Connect plot, ideas and concepts with personal experience; Science: Demonstrate understanding of matter, motion, and forces of energy; Personal Development: Demonstrate an awareness of personal responsibility for achieving and setting goals |
| Grimey Griswald |
91 |
Whimsical story of a man who robs the bank on a regular basis and retains a friendly relationship with bank employees, the police and members of the community leading to a discussion of what's wrong with this picture |
Choices- Facing the consequences of poor judgment |
Reading Comprehension: Connect plot, ideas and concepts with personal experience; Personal Development: Demonstrate awareness of personal responsibility for achieving and setting goals; History: Examine meaning of citizenship; |
| Magazine Advertisements |
31 |
An examination of various magazine advertisements to identify ways in which advertisers attempt to influence buyers |
Choices- How advertisers try to influence |
Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on fact and those based on opinion; Evaluate consequences of decisions |
| Scrap Book |
31 |
Small group activity for students to collect and organize advertisements from newspapers and magazines into a scrap book with a look at advertising tactics |
Choices- How advertisers try to influence |
Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on fact and those based on opinion; Evaluate consequences of decisions |
| The Dog Without a Bone |
23 |
The Aesop fable "The Dog and the Bone" retold in verse with a discussion of how and why the dog lost the bone. |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences |
Reading Comprehension: Connect plot, ideas and concepts to personal experience; Personal Development: Identify factors that influence wants and needs; Evaluate consequences of decisions |
| O Man of the Sea |
26 |
A retelling of Grimm's "The Old Man and the Sea" involving a discussion on wants, needs, and happiness; accompanied with a "Plague of My Life Worksheet" |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences |
Reading Comprehension: Connect plot, ideas and concepts to personal experience; Personal Development: Identify factors that influence wants and needs; Evaluate consequences of decisions |
| One-Foot Balance |
12 |
Demonstration of the effect of bias & how it can throw us off balance mentally just as a weight can throw us off balance physically. |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences |
Science: Apply forces to objects (e.g. inertia, gravity, friction, push and pull, and observe the objects in motion.) Personal Development: Evaluate consequences of decisions, Differentiate between decisions based on fact and decisions based on opinion |
| What Do Smokers Want? |
13 |
Demonstration of unpleasant health problems associated with smoking and discussion of the psychology of why people would voluntarily submit themselves to the potential of experiencing these problems. |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences |
Personal Development: Explain relationship between positive health behaviors and . . . tobacco; Making Decisions: Seek information and base decisions on evidence from reliable sources; Science: demonstrate understanding of how different parts of body work together |
| The Strange Sad Tale of the "I-ME" |
15 |
A quizzical story of a creature who believed the only way he could be happy was by getting everything he wanted, even at the expense of others. |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences and the resulting consequences |
Reading: Connect plot, ideas and concepts to personal experience; Personal Development: Identify factors that influence wants and needs |
| The Goose that Laid Eggs of Gold |
20 |
A retelling of the Aesop fable in verse with a discussion of what influenced this foolish man to make such an unwise decision |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences and the resulting consequences |
Reading Comprehension: Connect plot, ideas and concepts to personal experience; Personal Development: Identify factors that influence wants and needs; Evaluate consequences of decisions |
| The Problem With Stink'n Think'n |
10 |
Worksheet matching thoughts or ideas with likely consequences |
Choices- How influenced by our attitudes |
Reasoning and Problem Solving: Identify patterns and make connections. Reading: Analyze, interpret, and make connections between different parts of text and personal experiences in and out of school |
| The Price is Right |
25 |
An activity in which students estimate the price of various goods leading to a discussion of the exchange between labor, money, and goods and services and why we make these exchanges |
Choices- How influenced by our attitudes |
Personal Development: Making Decisions: Identify factors that influence wants and needs, Use economic reasoning |
| Paper Bag Puppet |
73 |
Art activity in which students prepare puppets of various animals made from paper bags and recite a little verse for each illustrating the influence of attitudes on one's perspective |
Choices- How influenced by our attitudes |
Arts: Use art forms to communicate; Reading: Connect plot, ideas and concepts with personal experience; Personal Development: Identify indicators of intellectual, social, and emotional health |
| Old Wives Tales |
36 |
True/False test on "Old Wives Tales" |
Choices- Why opinions may not be a reliable basis for making |
Communication: Listen actively and respond to communications; Use verbal and non-verbal skills to express self effectively; Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on fact and those based on opinion; Evaluate consequences of decisions |
| Fact or Fancy in Animal Lore |
37 |
True/False test on common beliefs concerning various creatures from the animal world |
Choices- Why opinions may not be a reliable basis for making |
Communication: Listen actively and respond to communications; Use verbal and non-verbal skills to express self effectively; Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on fact and those based on opinion; Evaluate consequences of decisions; |
| The First Balloon Accent |
38 |
Benjamin Franklin's account of the first balloon accent he witnessed in France and the unfortunate, but humorous result |
Choices- Why opinions may not be a reliable basis for making |
Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on fact and those based on opinion; Evaluate consequences of decisions; Communication: Listen actively and respond to communications; Use verbal and non-verbal skills to express self effectively |
| Take a Test Run |
51 |
Assignment for students to talk to a respected adult regarding a decision they need to make |
Choices- Exercise in using 7C skills to make difficult choices |
Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on fact and those based on opinion Making Decisions: Evaluate consequences of decisions |
| The CT Team at Work |
43 |
Situations requiring decisions and an exploration of how each of the seven c skills can help in making these decisions |
Choices- Why the 7 C skills are important in making |
Reasoning and Problem Solving: Use reasoning strategies to solve complex problems |
| Daddy Dear |
89 |
Story, told in verse, of girl who wanted a puppy but did not want to take care of it after she got it |
Choices- Influence of attitudes in making |
Reading: Connect plot, ideas and concepts with personal experience; Personal Development: Demonstrate an awareness of personal responsibility for achieving and setting goals |
| Mac & Zach Bird in Air |
136 |
Another Mac and Zach story in which Zach nurses back to health a bird that had been shot by his brother Mac with a BB-gun |
Choices- Influence of attitudes in making |
Reading Comprehension: Establish connection between text and personal experience; Personal Development: Healthy Choices: Demonstrate an awareness of personal responsibility for achieving and setting goals |
Grades 5-9 |
Activity |
Page |
Description |
Lesson Focus |
Core Curriculum Requirement |
| Don't Pay Too Much for Whistle |
19 |
Personal experience from the writings of Benjamin Franklin which led him to conclude that, "a great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by the false estimates they have made of the value of things." |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences and the resulting consequences |
Reading Comprehension: Read for meaning; Demonstrate understanding, Explore connections between text and life experiences; Personal Development: Identify indicators of intellectual, physical, social and emotional health |
| How Much Land Man Need? |
21 |
Story and worksheet adapted from Leo Tolstoy's short story in which a man dies in his attempt to reach at too much |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences and the resulting consequences |
Reading Comprehension: Read for meaning; Demonstrate understanding, Explore connections between text and life experiences; Personal Development: Identify indicators of intellectual, physical, social and emotional health |
| What Does Mother Nature Say? |
40 |
A True False quiz requiring students to look at assumptions they may have that are not accurate with regard to natural phenomena |
Choices- Why opinions may not be a reliable basis for making |
Science: Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the world around them; Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on opinion and those based on fact |
| Magnetic North |
22 |
A physical demonstration of bias as applied to a compass followed by a discussion of the influence of bias in personal decision making |
Choices- How influenced by cupidity and prejudice |
Science: Apply forces to objects, (e.g.. Inertia, gravity); Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on fact and those based on opinion, evaluate the consequences of each |
| Observation Report |
4 |
Students assigned to report on sightings of EPT agents at work, i.e.. instances of Error-Prone Thinking they observe, either in themselves or others |
Choices- How influenced by faulty thinking |
Science: Use scientific method to investigate, describe, and explain phenomena; Reasoning: Ask critical evaluation questions that judge the quality of evidence |
| Which EPT Agent |
5 |
Students asked to identify EPT agents characterized in excerpts from Poor Richard's Almanac |
Choices- How influenced by faulty thinking |
Reading Comprehension: Read for meaning; Demonstrate understanding, Explore connections between text and life experiences; Active listening: Respond through discussion, writing, and art forms; Personal Development: Identify indicators of intellectual, physical, social and emotional health |
| EPT Agents at Work |
15 |
A series of 5 different activities involving a worksheet and writing and discussion assignments in which students identify and examine different examples of error-prone thinking. |
Choices- How influenced by faulty thinking, Consequences of |
Reading Comprehension: Read for meaning; Demonstrate understanding, Explore connections between text and life experiences; Problem Solving: Use reasoning strategies, knowledge and common sense to solve problems; Personal Development: Identify indicators of intellectual, physical, social and emotional health |
| Really Watching TV |
14 |
Students are assigned to watch a variety of TV programs and identify the influence of EPT agents on the thinking and actions of various TV characters |
Choices- Influence of faulty thinking in making |
Science: Design and conduct a variety of investigation projects; Personal Development: Differentiate decisions made based on opinion vs. fact |
| Advertising's Best Friends |
14 |
Students are assigned to look at a number of different TV advertisements and take notes on how advertisers try to get people, especially young people, hooked on their products |
Choices- How advertisers try to influence |
Science: Design and conduct a variety of investigation projects; Personal Development: Differentiate decisions made based on opinion vs. fact |
| Quoth Poor Richard |
20 |
Quotes from "Poor Richard's Almanac" which relate to the above story |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences and the resulting consequences |
Reading Comprehension: Make connections between text and life experiences; Reasoning Identify patterns and connections (underlying concepts); |
| So Convenient to be a Reasonable Creature |
24 |
A story from the writings of Benjamin Franklin in which he recounts an experience from his youth where he learned how one's wants can bias one's thinking |
Choices- Example of how cupidity influences and the resulting consequences |
Reading Comprehension: Read for meaning; Demonstrate understanding, Explore connections between text and life experiences; Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on fact and those based on opinion, evaluate the consequences of each |
| Helen Keller Quiz |
73 |
A fun quiz related to the Helen Keller story on page 75 demonstrates how careless most of us are in following directions |
Choices- Experience consequences of failing to employ 7C skills |
Reading Comprehension: Read for meaning; Demonstrate understanding; Problem Solving: Use reasoning strategies, knowledge and common sense to solve problems; |
| Scrooge Revisits Fizziwig |
80 |
Scrooge experiences Christmas Past and realizes of how far he has strayed from his beginnings |
Choices- Influence of cupidity and consequences of |
Reading Comprehension: Read for meaning; Demonstrate understanding, Explore connections between text and life experiences; Active listening: Respond through discussion, writing, and art forms |
| Natural Killers |
41 |
A True False quiz requiring students to look at assumptions they may have that are not accurate with regard to natural phenomena |
Choices- Why opinions may not be a reliable basis for making |
Science: Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the world around them; Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on opinion and those based on fact |
| Quoth the Philosopher |
42 |
Quotes from various individuals regarding the tendency to favor opinion over fact in viewing the world |
Choices- Why opinions may not be a reliable basis for making |
Reading Comprehension: Read for meaning; Demonstrate understanding, Explore connections between text and life experiences; Personal Development: Differentiate between decisions based on opinion and those based on fact |
| The Happiness or Real Good of Man - Dialogue |
58 |
Readers Theater presentation of an excerpt from "Dialogues Concerning Virtue and Pleasure" written by Benjamin Franklin in 1730 in which Philocles teaches Horatio that "the happiness or real good of man consists in right action, and right action cannot be produced without right opinion..." |
Choices- Why opinions may not be a reliable basis for making |
Reading Comprehension: Read for meaning; Demonstrate understanding, Explore connections between text and life experiences; Personal Development: Making informed decisions; Evaluate approaches for effectiveness and make adjustments |
| What Does it Cost? |
18 |
Math problems involving financial transactions and a look at the cost/benefit ratio |
Choices- Consequences of |
Math: Add, subtract, multiply and divide without calculators; Problem Solving: Use reasoning strategies, knowledge and common sense to solve problems; |
| Who Is Showing Respect? |
142 |
Several paired situations in which young people make very different choices and students are asked to decide which of the different choices are better and why |
Choices- Influence of attitudes in making |
Active listening: Respond through discussion, writing, and art forms; Speaking: Use verbal skills to express oneself effectively; Writing: Connect ideas to life experience |
| Heavy Duty Dilemmas |
158 |
Several dilemmas in which students are asked to decide what they think the best course of action is for the different individuals involved |
Choices- Examination of the consequences of different choices |
Reading Comprehension: Read for meaning; Demonstrate understanding, Explore connections between text and life experiences; Active listening: Respond through discussion, writing, and art forms; Speaking: Use verbal skills to express oneself effectively; |
