Tips for Grades 3-6/7 (Songs #1-7)

Look Closer
A song produced specifically for public schools that are required to address the problem of gang violence. We first introduced this song at an MC2 assembly program for a group of 5th and 6th graders during their observance of School Violence Awareness Week. It went over quite well and the Principal was indeed happy with its relevance to what needed to be addressed during that week.
Gang violence is a growing problem that needs to be addressed on may fronts. The schools play an important part but realistically more of a supportive role to that of effective parenting.
Gang violence is a lose lose situation. Therefore we must do everything we can to keep our children involved in their education and to focus them on setting positive goals and working towards them. That is paramount to eliminating the problem. We must remain connected to them so as to guide them toward achieving short term and long term positive goals . Educating them to respect themselves and others is where it all begins..

MC2’s 134th Dream (The Perfect World Dream)
… “I see smiles on faces in thousands of places, and friends in embraces I see “ It couldn’t get any better than this , could it?
In the song it just gets better from there . The question is ….Is any of this possible?
The answer is Yes. Just because we haven’t experienced the world we would all like to see and live in doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to make it as perfect as we can.

The first nationally observed Earth Day in 1970 actually was 8 years in the making. In 1962, Senator Gaylord Nelson was concerned that the environment was beginning to shows signs of neglect and abuse and the public was oblivious to it all. He worked as hard as he could to create awareness for the American people to start thinking about how they could show care and concern for the earth and by 1970 the first Earth Day was observed.

There is no doubt that many things have changed for the better. People are more earth friendly The 3 R’s – (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle) are practiced and have become the law of the land in most of these United States. Do we have a long way to go?
Yes, and we should inspire our children to continue that effort to make the world the best place it can be for all of us to live in. We can only hope that “The Age of Fossil Fuels” will be an historical footnote due to the efforts of the youth of today working toward their elimination. Again, it will be through our inspiration that they will achieve these and many other 21st century possibilities.

Be Yourself
A basic concept that seems so difficult for many of our young people to grasp. No one need to try too hard to please or try to control others in order to gain a sense of belonging.
Developing a positive attitude and acting in a manner that reflects that positive attitude is going to win more real friends than any other method one could apply.
The song may be put to use best by using it to foster a discussion on what is very important to young people ( being accepted and liked for who they are).
You hear the phrase “Be Yourself” used often in any context where one would try to give reassuring advice on how to act in a given situation. The ambiguity on what that actually means is what is confusing to young people.
They need to understand that they are unique and their uniqueness is what is wonderful about them. They don’t need to dress like, or act like the latest teen idol that all their peers admire .They need to find their own positive niche and run with it. By doing that they should discover that “Being Yourself” can be pretty awesome.

One Chance
…..A song for the environment. The song was written long before the British Petroleum “Horizon” Gulf of Mexico disaster. that has wreaked havoc on all life forms in the Gulf of Mexico. That single event underscores the message of the song.
We cannot continue to have “accidents” like this one and survive with a quality of life that we all would desire .
The 20th Century should have been “the last hoorah” for fossil fuels used as the world’s major source of energy. We have the technology in the 21st century to do better and it is time to put that “do better” technology on the fast track.
Solar , wind and geothermal technologies are already available although somewhat price prohibitive for the time being.
Only a total clean energy focus and a demand that we all work toward making it happen will bring results. The commitment has got to be complete and total and get the attention of all the fossil fuel based corporations involved. Then there will be change and not before. The focus toward that change must be seen as what needs to be done for our very survival.

“It is time for you to stand up. The world demands you take a stance.” One Chance

MC2 uses a professionally designed video in its Character Power show that relates to the song One Chance. There are scenes of natural beauty, man made environmental destruction and scenes that can only be defined as hope.
We truly have “One chance to make it all go well”.
Let us make sure our children understand the importance of making choices that will have positive consequences for the earth.

The Kindness Cycle
The concept of a cycle conjures up a feeling of completeness,(something coming full cycle) with a beginning and within its completion has the ability to continue on and on again and again.
The Kindness Cycle is a very real phenomenon worthy of serious discussion with your students.
We encourage and prod students to “be nice” but rarely do we break it down and discuss why it is a good idea.
When I taught a character education program to 5th and 6th graders (. 45 minutes 1X/week) one of the weekly topics was Kindness.
You would not have believed the number of students who provided input with anecdotes that confirmed that; 1) “The Kindness Cycle”* is a workable truth that they experienced and for the most part never thought much about its dynamics…..and………
2) It works !!
As they searched their memory banks, countless examples were cited that the “kindness cycle” made sense , ergo, it seemed like a good idea to be proactive in creating kindness and making it part of their everyday behavior.

For many it was an “Oh Yeah” moment that they really never thought about but some great discussion put them face to face with with a great concept.

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The Kindness Cycle

Kindness initiated

Kindness Returned       Kindness Given

Kindness received (internalized)

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The main part of understanding the concept is that there is an “inititator” and s/he is key to seeing how the Kindness Cycle works
If a person waits for others to be nice to them, there is a possibility they may be waiting a long time.
The Kindness Cycle needs someone to “kick it into gear”.
Body language is also important “You can’t do it with your arms crossed.”
Students need to be made aware that “The Kindness Cycle” is an unmentioned, seldom discussed reality in the 21st century. Actually, it has existed throughout human history.
If nothing else happens by spending some time discussing the concept, you may have planted many seeds in your students’ fertile minds as to why it might be a good idea to initiate kindness more often in their lives.

*The term “ Kindness Cycle” is an original MC² term

World Character
A song that attempts to bring out the idea that we all appreciate witnessing the results of character development in other parts of the world.
The media seems to focus on the worst aspects of human behavior. That is not new.
A collective “If it bleeds, it leads “belief that that is what the people want to be informed about, puts us at a disadvantage for knowing that there is some pretty awesome character development taking place all over the planet..
Sometimes a true to life event in another part of the world can be a great character development motivator.

I recounted a story told to me by my father when I was a small boy that impressed my students as well. He (my dad) had been on a beach in the former Yugoslavia and found a wallet lying on the sand. Wanting to do the right thing he picked up the wallet and took it to the closest police station.
Expecting nothing more than a “Thank you,” for displaying his honesty, he instead was sternly rebuked for not leaving the wallet on the beach in the exact spot where he found it.
The police told him that person who lost it would return to that spot looking for his wallet and he should’ve left it there for him to retrieve.

To think that there could be a nation where 100% of its citizens are honest is an awesome concept.
It can be especially appreciated when we live in a society where we are always locking up everything and worry about being scammed in some way either by computer crime , identity theft or other business dealings
Witnessing (or learning about) well grounded universal values in other cultures (World Character) , can only reflect on our own desire to make those things happen in our own country. If we can do better , then let’s work on doing better!
Character development to our young people is not “Do what I say , not what I do.”
It is “Carefully observe my positive examples when dealing with others (what I do)and feel free to emulate them, trusting that my positive choices will work for you as well.
Every choice has a consequence. Good choices produce good consequences.
Poor choices produce poor consequences.
Reading stories about positive value systems in other countries, reinforces the idea that we are not alone in our character development efforts.

Inclusion
In our Character Power show we have a skit that we use upon request, if it is brought to our attention that there are a number of students who have trouble “fitting in”.
We request that the teachers ask their students ( anonymously) to write a few sentences on what they believe is “loneliness” or what they think feeling lonely is like.
We select a few of the more heart wrenching entries and while one band member is centrally positioned on stage with an acoustic guitar singing “One is the Loneliest Number” the other two are reading some of these perles of wisdom to the audience.
They are so insightful and the audience is listening and learning.
If one is not lonely it may be difficult to understand the pain and anguish of someone who is lonely

We all need to feel inclusion!

To be included makes us feel like we belong. We are honestly getting what we feel we deserve. Everyone is unique and special. To include others and be included by others, makes us feel like we belong..
To include others and be included by others gives our lives special meaning.
It doesn’t take much effort to reach out to someone who may need the feeling of inclusion.
We need to have students understand the negative ramifications of loneliness.
If we can get the message across that some of their peers truly suffer from it, then we are more likely to have them become more aware, and offer the remedy of inclusion to assist those peers.
Knowledge is everything. Acting on that knowledge will produce rewards for the “includees” as well as the “includers”.

 

We hope you enjoy the songs on The Color of Character and that they are able to provide assistance to your character development efforts.

Tips for Grades K-2 (Songs # 8-11)

Smile
An upbeat song that stresses the power that one has by determining s/he will use a smile in her/his daily routine. As mentioned in the song a smile does have the ability to brighten someone’s day, and/or make someone feel at ease.
It also sends a message to someone that there may be an opening for friendship,and that there is a good possibility the person behind the smile has an attitude which is always nice to experience Any discussion related to the contents of the song has to be a winning one. Children may not realize the power of the smile and that they control that power.

Peace
An instrumental with a lesson at the end. At the end of the song the MC2 Kid’s Choir says the word “Peace” in many different languages. The obvious message is that the word is important enough to include in every human language in existence.
Peace is definitely taught to the young. as is its opposite (being overly aggressive) .
If we desire a peaceful cooperative society going forward then we must take steps and set examples that our youth can emulate in our character development programs.
Nothing else needs to be said here except a great big “Thank You” to The MC2 Kid’s Choir for doing a great job navigating the pronunciations of many different languages.

Kindergarten Character Strut
A Character education activity for the Kinder-“youngsters” that we hope they will enjoy.. As the man says in the beginning of the song
“All you have to know is a little about Respect and Responsibility for your actions and we’re good to go.” We hope they will enjoy it. Please visit our website and let us know if it goes well with them (or not). MusicConnectingCharacter.com.

Wise Beyond His Years
A song that was written as if looking through the eyes of a small child who is building a relationship with his grandfather. Grandparents are very special to their grandchildren and they are also fragile. Their advanced age and most likely decreased energy levels is a concept that is not likely to be understood well by the very young. The song tries to cover this special relationship with a new outlook ;that can be a springboard for a discussion about grandparents/elderly guardians and the young ones they dearly love.