Composed of 11 separate guides, the Sourcebook provides full descriptions, supporting research, and engaging examples of the Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education, a seminal document for the character education movement.
Chappelle, S., Bigman, L., & Hillyer, F.(1998). Diversity in Action: Using Adventure Activities to Explore Issues of Diversity with Middle School and High School Age Youth. New York: Simon and Schuster.
This book is full of experiential activities for building diversity-appreciation skills in teenagers.
Covey, Sean (1998). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. New York: Simon & Schuster.
This popular self-help guide is the adolescent version of the smash bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, written by the author’s father, Stephen Covey. It offers engaging examples of good habits and includes many activities for extending this lesson.
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1997). Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life. New York: Basic Books.
Written by one of the leaders of the Positive Psychology movement, this prescriptive guide shows how to become actively engaged in learning rather than to be overcome with anxiety, boredom, or—even worse—apathy.
Deci, Edward L. (1995). Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation. New York: Penguin Books.
What motivates people may vary from person to person, but all of us have a need for autonomy (having voice and choice), a sense of belonging, and competence. By documenting over 20 years of research on human motivation with undergraduate students, Deci’s small but powerful book provides rich food for thought and suggestions as to how educators can actively engage students in learning. This is an excellent read for a professional learning community.
Dweck, Carol S. (2000). Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development. Philadelphia: Psychology Press.
This short book is a fascinating read for anyone who has ever wondered about what makes learning fun and worthwhile for some but not for others. Dr. Dweck’s extensive research with students across the United States provides substantial backing for her far-reaching theories.
Ekman, Paul. (2003). Emotions Revealed: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life. New York: Times Books.
Dr. Ekman, a renowned psychologist and expert in nonverbal communication, provides a thorough exploration of the seven basic emotions, their behavioral manifestations, how to distinguish one emotion from another, and the effects of emotions on our lives. The photographs of facial expressions are available on CD–ROM at www.paulekman.com/.
Fisher, R., & Ury, W. (1991). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving In. New York: Penguin Books.
This national bestseller provides a straightforward method of negotiating personal and professional disputes without getting angry or being taken advantage of.
Gardner, Howard (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. New York: Basic Books.
Dr. Gardner’s re-conception of what it means to be smart and competent has greatly changed the face of education. Part II, Educating the Intelligences, suggests how MI theory can be applied in the classroom; Chapter 9 provides specific examples in high school settings.
Gardner, Howard (1999). Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. New York: Basic Books.
Dr. Gardner updates his theory by adding an eighth intelligence (naturalistic) and exploring a possible ninth intelligence (spiritual or existential).
Goldstein, Arnold P., Reagles, Kenneth W., & Amann, Lester L. (1990). Refusal Skills: Preventing Drug Use in Adolescents. Chicago: Research Press.
Arnold Goldstein is a pioneer in behavioral-skills training, which he terms psychological-skills training. While the book focuses on drug-abuse prevention, it offers good strategies and supporting research for teaching general refusal skills to adolescents.
Goleman, Daniel (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. New York: Bantam Books.
This national bestseller provides an excellent overview of how our brain processes emotions and how we can become masters at managing negative emotions and developing positive emotions to achieve greater success in life. Chapter 16, Schooling the Emotions, targets what schools can do to help develop students’ emotional intelligence.
Goleman, Daniel (1998). Working with Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
A sequel to Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (1995), this book teaches the secret of success in the workplace—how to get along with others, develop self-mastery, and learn from mistakes. Chapter 7, provides an explanation of “social radar” and illustrates why this particular set of skills is important to succeeding in life.
Graham, Stedman (2000). Teens Can Make It Happen: Nine Steps to Success. New York: Simon and Schuster. (Chapter 3)
Businessman and author Stedman Graham offers teens strategies for identifying their strengths, setting goals, and realizing their vision.
Lickona, T. & Davidson, M. (2005). Smart and Good High Schools: Integrating Excellence and Ethics for Success in School, Work, and Beyond. Cortland, NY: Center for the 4th and 5th Rs (Respect and Responsibility).
This engaging book by two leading character educators reports on a national study of exemplary and promising character education initiatives in American high schools and offers a vision for the future.
Langer, Ellen J. (1989). Mindfulness. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.
Drawing from her own and others’ research, Dr. Langer explores the mindsets that limit us as human beings. Chapter 9, Decreasing Prejudice by Increasing Discrimination, highlights the benefits of focusing on people’s unique differences rather than on labels.
National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. (2002). Community Programs that Promote Youth Development. Committee on Community-level Programs for Youth. J. Eccles & J. A. Gootman (Eds.) Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
This collaborative effort of renowned researchers is an excellent resource for understanding the theories, strategies, and, evaluation findings supporting positive youth development programs.
Nichols, Michael (1996). The Lost Art of Listening: How Learning to Listen Can Improve Relationships. New York: Guilford Publications.
Early in the book the author says, “Most of us think of ourselves as better listeners than we really are.” He proceeds to show how offering advice, trying to talk others out of their negative feelings, and diverting the conversation to one’s own experiences can shut down communication and understanding. This book will help you truly listen to and understand the perspective of your students, colleagues, friends, and loved ones.
Palmer, Parker (1998). The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
An invaluable resource for teachers seeking to reflect on their “teaching self,” become more engaged in their craft, and develop a better rapport with their students.
Perlstein, Ruth, & Thrall, Gloria (2001). Ready-to-Use Conflict Resolution Activities for Secondary Students. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
A readable guide that details the terms, strategies, and psychology of effective conflict resolution, and provides guidelines for setting up a peer mediation program in middle and high schools.
Schouwenbury, Henri C., Lay, Clarry H., Pychyl, Timothy A., & Ferrari, Joseph R. (2004). Counseling the Procrastinator in Academic Settings. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
This more technical book surveys the research on helping students who have a habit of procrastinating in academic settings, and outlines several frameworks for class sessions on the topic.
Seligman, Martin (1998). Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. New York: Pocket Books.
Considered the founder of the Positive Psychology movement, Dr. Seligman compares and contrasts the effects of negative and positive thoughts on our behavior and attitudes. This national bestseller includes a self-assessment tool to determine how optimistic and pessimistic you are under different conditions.
Seligman, Martin E.P. (2002). Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. New York: Free Press.
This popular self-help book provides testimony to the beneficial effects of positive emotions.
Weinstein, Claire Ellen, & Hume, Laura M. (1998). Study Strategies for Lifelong Learning. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
This guide provides an overview of the three categories of learning strategies introduced in the Background Information above. Chapter 2 includes a section entitled Rehearsal Strategies for Basic Learning Tasks which addresses memorization strategies.
Zimmerman, Barry J., Bonner, Sebastian, & Kovach, Robert (1996). Developing Self-Regulated Learners: Beyond Achievement to Self-Efficacy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
This “how to” manual uses the Academy Model for teaching students to set academic goals, monitor their progress, and adjust their strategies. Chapter 5, Developing Test Anticipation and Preparation Skills, provides a detailed overview of review processes.
Zins, J.E., Weissberg, R.P., Wang, M.C. & Walberg, H.J. (2004). Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning: What Does the Research Say? New York: Teachers College Press.
This compilation of articles provides a rich overview of outcome studies linking social and emotional learning with academic achievement.
Achieve Inc. and the National Governors Association. (2005). An Action Agenda for Improving America’s High Schools. Washington D.C.: Achieve, Inc.
This report chronicles the challenges of today’s high schools and poses research-based recommendations.
Benard, B., (1991). Fostering Resiliency in Kids: Protective Factors in the Family, School and Community. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
In this groundbreaking report about risk and protective factors, Bernard summarizes research findings suggesting that youth who exhibited autonomy, social competence, problem-solving skills, and sense of purpose/future were more likely to be resilient in the face of challenge. Dr. Benard also has a new book available - Resiliency, What We Have Learned.
Catalano, R.F., Berglund, M.L., Ryan, J.A.M., Lonczak, H.S., & Hawkins, J.D. (2004). Positive youth development in the United States: Research findings on evaluations of positive youth development programs. Annals of the Academy of Political and Social Science, 591, 98-124.
This article is a concise summary of a more extensive, in-depth study of positive youth development programming, theories, and outcomes.
Dweck, C. (2007). The perils and promises of praise. Educational Leadership, 65, 2, 34 – 39. (Click for full article)
Psychologist Carol Dweck shares insights from 35 years of researching student motivation and achievement. She suggests students and adults fall into one of two categories: 1) a fixed mind-set, the belief that intelligence is more or less fixed at birth, or 2) a growth mind-set, the belief that intellectual abilities can improve with effort and education. In this article, Dweck discusses the negative consequences of praising students’ intelligence and recommends instead that parents and educators acknowledge students’ effort and improvement.
Greenberg, M. T., Weissberg, R.P., O'Brien, M.U., Zins, J. E., Fredericks, L., Resnik, H., & Elias, M. J. (2003). Enhancing school-based prevention and youth development through coordinated social, emotional, and academic learning. American Psychologist, 58(6/7), 466-474.
This article presents the research-base supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) and a summary of positive findings related to SEL interventions.
Nansel, T.R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R.S., Ruan, W.J., Simons-Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying behaviors among U.S. youth: Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, 2094–2100.
Nansel and colleagues share findings about the percentage of students who report bullying others or being bullied in school and the negative consequences of both.
The Power of Apologies. University of Colorado–Boulder Ombuds Office. Available at http://www.colorado.edu/Ombuds/Apologies1.pdf.
This short piece explains how to make an effective apology and discusses why an apology can be such a significant step toward repairing a damaged relationship.
Resnick, M.D., Bearman, P.S., Blum, R.W., Bauman, K.E., Harris, K.M., Jones, J., Tabor, J., Beuhring, T., Sieving, R.E., Shew, M., Ireland, M., Bearinger, L.H., & Udry, J.R. (1997). Protecting adolescents from harm. Findings from the national longitudinal study on adolescent health. Journal of the American Medical Association, 278, 10, 823–832.
This landmark study explains the importance of students feeling connected to school and at least one caring adult.
Wentzel, K.R. (1991). Relations between social competence and academic achievement in early adolescence. Child Development, 62, 1066–1078.
This study of 12- and 13-year-old students highlights the connection between social competence and peer status and students’ grades. It presents a compelling argument for helping students develop social and emotional skills and meaningful friendships in school.
Wilson, D.B., Gottfredson, D.C., & Najaka, S.S. (2001). School-based prevention of problem behaviors: A meta-analysis. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 17, 3, 247-272.
Wilson and colleagues found that intervention efforts were most effective when implemented school-wide and used self-control or social competency promotion strategies.
Miller, Mark A., & Rahe, Richard H. (1997). Life changes scaling for the 1990s. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 43, 279–292.
This is an update of the earlier work by Richard Rahe and T. Holmes on the effects of life-change events on health.
Slaby, R.G., & Guerra, N.G. (1988). Cognitive mediators of aggression in adolescent offenders: 1. Assessment. Developmental Psychology, 24, 580–588.
Guerra, N.G., & Slaby, R.G. (1990). Cognitive mediators of aggression in adolescent offenders: 2. Intervention. Developmental Psychology, 26, 269–277.
Dr. Slaby and Dr. Guerra are well-known researchers in the field of youth-violence prevention. These companion articles underline the connection between automatic thoughts and aggression in teens.
Center for Social and Emotional Education (CSEE)
CSEE is devoted to educating school and parent leaders to make social, emotional, and academic learning an integral part of children's school experience.
Web stie: http://www.csee.net
Center for the 4th and 5th R’s
Led by Dr. Tom Lickona, this organization provides character education resources, training, and evaluation services.
Web site: http://www.cortland.edu/character
Character Education Partnership (CEP)
The CEP web site provides an extensive database of character education resources and professional development opportunities.
Web site: http://www.character.org
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
CASEL is a research and advocacy organization committed to promoting coordinated, evidence-based social, emotional, and academic learning in schools grades preK through high school.
Web site: http://www.casel.org
Committee for Children (CfC)
CfC develops and disseminates violence-prevention and social and emotional learning programs for elementary school – middle school/junior high. Kathy Beland, lead author of School-Connect, authored the first and second editions of their award-winning Second Step program.
Web site: http://www.cfchildren.org
Community of Caring
Community of Caring offers supports to schools (K–12) in implementing comprehensive, school-wide character education programs.
Web site: http://www.communityofcaring.org
The George Lucas Foundation
Click “Project-Based Learning” to access an array of options for exploring the topic of project-based learning: videos of high school classrooms, teacher interviews, articles, and recommended books.
Web site: http://www.edutopia.org