Confusius: To see right and not do it is a want of courage.
Marie Curie: Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
It takes courage to stand up for our own convictions and not buckle under peer pressure, rather than go along with what everyone else is doing. It takes courage to express oneself even when others may not agree. It takes courage to tell the truth, face fears, and to know the difference between being brave and being reckless. There are times when being brave and having courage is in saying, NO, rather than doing something that is wrong or may end up hurting us.
Suggested Stories:
Eugene the Brave, by Ellen Conford: Younger
Eugene is a opossum who is afraid of the dark. With his sister trying to help, he tries to escape his fear and sleep through the night.
Mr. Washington, by Les Brown: Older Third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul
It takes courage for a young man to get through school with his learning difficulties. Mr. Washington, a teacher, helps to inspire this young man (Les Brown), and he shows great courage in continuing forward. (Teasing is only slightly touched on in this story. It is a good point to discuss; Les Brown says he was use to being teased).
(Story can be found at http://www.inspirationalstories.com/cgi-bin/printer.pl?191)
Art Activity: Cherry Tree of Sacrifice
In Japan, one of the meanings behind the cherry tree is that it stands for sacrifice. Brave men and women show courage and work in fields of sacrifice every day. Some of these men and woman are in the armed services, police officers, and fire fighters just to name a few.
(For Younger children, make one large tree out of a large shopping bag and have each child add a couple of blossoms. Twist trunk once and tie with a string while working on the tree). Use a lunch size paper bag and open it so it can stand on its own. Just above the seam (carefully hold bottom of bag), twist several times. I unfold the bag to cut branches, others cut while the bottom is twisted. Using scissors cut strips from the top of the bag, down to where the twisted section is, or will be if you have unfolded the bag. There should be about 30 strips of paper in all (twist back truck if unfolded). Three strips at a time, twist sections together to form branches. If there is an uneven number of strips left at the end, make one branch with 2 or 4 strips of paper. Cut small pieces of white or pink tissue paper and glue on the branches of the tree for cherry blossoms.
More Activities:
Draw a picture about courage; standing up for yourself or someone else, saying no to doing something unhealthy, or wrong (such as teasing someone or saying No to drugs).
Brainstorm ways to show courage, or jobs that show courage.
Brainstorm the difference in having courage and being reckless.
Write about: Your friends are teasing/bullying someone, what do you do and why? Or, write about a time you went along with the crowd even though you knew it was wrong; how did it make you feel?
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