Grade Levels: 3 - 5

Subjects: Language Arts, Character Education, Social Studies, Theatre, Music

Learner Outcomes:
Students will determine the main idea of a story.
Students will participate in discussion and problem solving.
Students will list characteristics of good leaders and characteristics of poor leaders.
Students will list words that show respect and consideration for others.

Duration of Lesson: Two 1 hour sessions

Materials: Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss, assorted items for simulation activity, crown, scepter, robe (see Teacher Note #2), a hammer, several real nails, several paper "nails" (see Teacher Note #3) for each student, markers, Yertle the Turtle song (can be printed from this site), My Character Counts Thinksheet

Technology Tools/Courseware: Enough Is Enough! Simulation Teacher Information Sheet (can be printed from this site), overhead projector, Sticks & Stones PowerPoint Presentation, Yertle the Turtle Song

Teacher Notes:
1. Be familiar with simulation activity before using with students. Collect items to be use in the activity and place in one area of your classroom.
2. Have available a crown, scepter, and robe. (Burger King crown, foil covered stick, and a pillowcase will suffice unless you have other props available).
3. For paper nails, draw or trace the outline of several nails on a sheet of 8½ x 11" paper. Nails should be about 5 or 6 inches long and 1 or 2 inches wide. Make copies of the pattern on gray construction paper. Each sheet should/could contain 4 to 5 nails.

Procedures:
1. Conduct Enough Is Enough! Simulation activity. Discuss the activity with students when simulation concludes.
2. Read Yertle the Turtle aloud to students. Relate the theme of the story to the simulation activity. Sing Yertle the Turtle Song.
3. Have one student volunteer to be "king for the day". Ask that student to come to the front. Give him/her a crown and a scepter. (See Teacher notes.) Move a large chair to the front and center of the room. Have the king sit on the "throne". Ask the king to look out over his kingdom, the classroom. Ask the king what he would like to do as king for the day. Have the "king" make several suggestions/commands/requests. Have the other students discuss the king's wishes. Ask them how it feels to have a "ruler". Allow other students to play the role of king.
4. Brainstorm famous leaders with the class. List student responses on overhead projector. Initiate brainstorming by sharing names like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., etc. Ask students to list characteristics that made these people good leaders. Record these characteristics on overhead projector or chart paper.
5. Share with students that not all leaders are remembered for the good things they did. Give a brief overview of the reign of Adolph Hitler. Be sure to emphasize that, like Yertle, Hitler wanted to rule over everything he could see. Tell students that one of Hitler's goals was to rule the whole world. If appropriate to students' age and ability level, share with students that Hitler killed people that he did not like and people that disagreed with him. Encourage students to list characteristics of poor leaders. Record these on overhead or chart paper.
6. Get the hammer and several nails and display to students. Ask students to explain the function of these "tools". Guide them to see/state that hammers and nails are for "building up", for "construction". Tell students that often our words can "build up" others. Share with students an example you've noticed in the classroom. Tell how one student's words made another student feel better. Share with students that good leaders use their words to build others up. Have students brainstorm words or phrases that would build others up..."hammer and nail" words. Give students paper nails and markers. Have them write one of the words or phrases inside each nail. Have students cut out nail shapes. Post on a wall or bulletin board with the heading "Building Words".
7. Show Sticks & Stones PowerPoint Presentation and discuss.
8. Complete the My Character Counts Thinksheet for Lesson 5.
9. Review each part of the My Character Counts Thinksheet to provide an overview of the Character Boost with Dr. Seuss unit.

Modifications:
1. With older students, 4th or 5th grade, the teacher might take the role of king and declare: "no recess", "more homework" etc. Have students share their feelings about this situation. Explore situations from American history that relate to this theme: King George/England's taxes on American colonists and their rebellion; European settlers never getting "enough" of the land which was inhabitated by Native Americans; etc.
2. For Procedure #5, use Yertle as the example of poor leadership. Discuss with students how he "stepped" on other turtles, used the other turtles, did not listen to the feelings of the other turtles, thought only about himself, etc.

Enrichment Activities:
1. 4th and 5th grade students may do independent, small group, or teacher-guided class research on rulers discussed in Procedures # 4 and  #5.
2. Challenge your class to be "Undercover Carpenters". Ask them to use "nail" words as often as possible to "build up" other students, staff, and visitors in the school. Let other school staff know what your students will be working on for a specified amount of time (2 - 4 weeks). Ask other staff to let you know when one of your students has been respectful to other students, staff, or visitors. Every time you receive a compliment about one of your students, add a nail to a jar, or better yet, use your hammer and a scrap of wood and actually pound a real nail into the block. Make sure you do this in front of your students. Remind students that they are not to "ask" other teachers to report compliments. Remind them that they are "undercover". At the end of the specified time, reward the class with candy, an extra minute of recess for each nail, etc. Encourage them to continue their "undercover" work.

Evaluation and Assessment:
Check student participation in simulation and discussion activities.
Check student participation in role play.
Check student responses on paper nails.
Record student use of compliments for others.

West Virginia Instructional Goals and Objectives:
Language Arts - 3.2, 3.3, 3.15, 3.16, 3.24, 3.27, 3.35, 4.3, 4.13, 4.19, 4.20, 4.26, 4.29, 4.43, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14, 5.15, 5.21, 5.23, 5.51
Social Studies - 3.10, 3.11, 3.39, 4.3, 4.6, 4.40, 5.7, 5.8, 5.54
Theatre - 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.7, 3.8, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5
Music - 3.4, 4.4, 5.2

National Standards
 

References:
Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss