“Character County!”  Study Guides
Artist: Patti Snyder
Artist’s Background: Patti Snyder received BS Ed. and MA Ed. degrees from Western
Carolina University and is a songwriter and self-taught musician in flute, piccolo, guitar,
bass, banjo, mandolin, various wind pipes/whistles and auxiliary percussion instruments.
She has taught and entertained children’s groups since 1966 and is also a former educator
in South Carolina public schools. In addition to writing the songs and scripts for the
“Character County!” series, she has written songs for special events and programs
including the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Patti is married to Louis and they reside
with their four children in Marietta, GA.
Curriculum Connections: Character Education, Language Arts,
Music, Social Studies:
Character Education: Character County! shows supplement the character education
curriculum in elementary schools.
Language Arts: New words, as related to character education, are defined and used.
Spelling is a large part of one song from each show.
Music: Several different styles of music are used and many of the lessons taught are
conveyed in the lyrics.
Social Studies: Several true stories and quotes from historical figures around the world
support the social studies curriculum.
Program Objectives :
A. To be an artistic, educational assembly program in character education for students in
grades K-5.
B. To reinforce character education already in progress by expounding on character
words currently being taught.
C. To educate students as to why character is important.
D. To entertain and instruct in character education using various art forms including, but
not limited to: music, drama, storytelling and puppetry arts.
E. To use real life examples in stories to illustrate character qualities being taught.
Overview of Art Forms: Art forms used in these programs include various styles of
music / lyrics, the use of large, full-body hand puppets, storytelling and drama.
Pre-Performance Questions:
A. What do we mean when we say that someone has “good character”?
B. How can you tell what a person’s character is like?
Post-Performance Activities:
A. Name 3 qualities of good character.
B. Give one example of how you’ve seen good character displayed at home/ at school.
C. Draw a picture of yourself acting out one good character quality.
D. Name one part of your character that you will try to strengthen.
E. Tell another classmate one good character quality that you have seen in them.
Resources: 20 Teachable Virtues, Barbara C. Unell and Jerry L. Wyckoff, Ph.D.
Teaching Your Children Values, Linda and Richard Eyre
“Welcome to Character County!” Definitions / Quotes
Program Summary: In this assembly program, the artist will interact with nine large,
full-body puppets in lively songs, eye-opening stories and humorous dialogue explaining
why character is important and then teach the qualities of empathy, respect, manners,
courage, honesty, responsibility and excellence. The colorful props, puppets and fastpaced, entertaining format holds the attention of the audience throughout the 45-minute
program. Each character quality has its own song that describes that quality in depth. The
songs are upbeat and a variety of styles of music make this show fun while key character
concepts are taught. There are opportunities for whole audience participation and several
children will be invited on stage during one segment in each show.
Vocabulary Words:
character: the distinctive qualities of a person. “What you do, what you say, the way
you behave when no one else is looking shows what your character is really like.”
empathy: feeling what other people feel and caring about their feelings. “Empathy is
just a fancy word that means caring about how others feel!”
respect: honor, esteem, consideration, regard. “We should treat each other the way
we want to be treated ourselves.” “If it’s not yours, don’t touch it.”
courage: to meet a challenge without giving in to fear. “Be the YOU that you were
meant to be!”
honesty: truthfulness and sincerity. “Don’t just tell things that are true. Always tell
the TRUTH.” “If you’re honest honest with yourself; if you’re honest honest with
others and don’t try to fool them, you build good character and a good name for yourself.
But the fastest way to lose your good character and your good name is to lose your
honesty.”
responsibility: owning up to your own words and actions. “Being responsible means
you do your work BEFORE you play…and you own up to your own actions. If you make
a mistake, you simply admit that you made a mistake and you don’t go around saying
things like “well, he made me do it” or blame others.
excellence: an unusual good quality or feature. “Excellence is not perfection.
Excellence is doing whatever you can, with whatever you have, whenever you can!”
“Down Home in Character County!” Definitions / Quotes
Program Summary: In this assembly program, the artist will interact with eleven large,
full-body puppets in lively songs, eye-opening stories and humorous dialogue teaching
eight different character qualities. The colorful props and puppets capture the audience
and the fast-paced, entertaining format holds their attention throughout the 45-minute
program. The qualities taught include punctuality, attitudes, kindness, diligence,
perseverance, discipline, patriotism and cooperation and each word has its own song that
describes that quality in depth. The songs are upbeat and a variety of styles of music
make this show fun while key character concepts are taught. There are opportunities for
whole audience participation and several children will be invited on stage during one
segment in the show.
Vocabulary Words:
punctuality: promptness; “being where you are supposed to be at the appointed
time.” “…when you’re late, you make others wait on you. Being late basically shows
you’re selfish because you’re thinking only of yourself and what you need or want.”
attitudes: a way of thinking, acting or feeling. “…only 10% of your life is what
happens to you…and 90% of your life is your reaction to what comes true.” “ …you
cannot change the time, but you can change your mind and your troubles quickly fade.
And when life gives you lemons then the best you can do is just make lemonade!”
kindness: the quality of doing good, being friendly or being sympathetic. “…if all
the world was just like you, not better or worse, but just like you, what kind of world
would we live in?”
diligence/perseverance: consistent attention to quality work/ working hard without
giving up. “If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, tell me, when are you
going to have time to do it over again?”
discipline: training, especially training of the mind or character. “There are some rules
that we all need to know…they help us follow the way we should go…it takes practice
and lots of mistakes…but if we try, we’ll soon have what it takes. Discipline. Discipline.”
patriotism: respectful devotion to one’s country. “Be proud of your heritage, but
equally proud of this country, America, that you now call ‘home’. Like a beautiful flower,
you should bloom where you’re planted and help make this nation stronger by being the
best YOU that you can be!”
cooperation: working together for a common purpose. “When we cooperate, we build
a team and T.E.A.M. really means ‘Together, Everyone Accomplishes More!’
“Getting Along in Character County!” Definitions / quotes
Program Summary: In this assembly program written for the older elementary school
age students, the artist will interact with eleven large, full-body puppets in upbeat songs
and eye-opening stories / dialogue teaching six different character qualities. This show is
more serious than the “Character County!” shows for K-3rd, but it maintains an element of
fun without “talking down” to the older students. The character lessons taught include
helpfulness, friendships, tolerance, bullying, peacemaking, and flexibility. Of particular
interest are the true stories and situations applicable to older students and opportunities
for whole audience participation makes this show engaging and fun.
Vocabulary Words:
helpfulness: to provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need.
Dr. Martin Luther King’s quote: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are
you doing to help others?”
friendship: the state of a person being attached to another by feelings of affection or
personal regard. “It’s very important who we choose as our closest friends because we
become like the people we hang around.” “If you lie down with dogs, you’re going to get
up with fleas.”
tolerance: a fair and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ
from one’s own. “Just because someone is different from you doesn’t necessarily mean
that they’re wrong…different just means … different!”
bullying: being quarrelsome, overbearing and badgering or intimidating smaller or
weaker people. (Four bullying “rules” are discussed and repeated by the audience.)
peacemaking: the actions of a person, group or nation bringing about freedom from
war, strife, commotion, violence or disorder. “…and knowing that a ‘win-win’ solution
is better than to ‘win at all costs’.”
flexibility: susceptible to adaptation, easily bent, adaptable. “We need to be
flexible…if you’re one of those people who always has to have his own way, you’ll break
from the stress.”
“Learning to Live in Character County!” Definitions / Quotes
Program Summary: In this assembly program written for the older elementary school
age students, the artist will interact with the audience while using numerous unique visual
illustrations. Part of the illustrations include the use of full-body puppets for role playing
with much of the program being supported by an upbeat musical underscore appealing to
older kids. This show is more serious than the “Character County!” shows for K-3rd, but
it maintains an element of fun without “talking down” to the older students. The
character lessons taught include loyalty, honor, obedience, coping and communication.
Of particular interest are the true stories and situations applicable to older students and
the opportunities for whole audience participation make this show engaging and fun.
Vocabulary Words:
loyalty: being faithful and true to one’s family, friends, community and
government; doing what you say you will do; constant.
honor: a source of credit or distinction; high respect as for worth, merit or rank;
special recognition, respect.
obedience: the state or quality of being submissive to authority; the act of readily
complying with the wishes, instructions or commands.
coping: facing or dealing with problems calmly and adequately. “Don’t sweat
the small stuff…most of the time, it’s all small stuff.”
communication: the interchange of thoughts, opinions or information by speech,
writing or signs.