Performance Character
APPLIED
What is Performance Character?
Performance character consists of
all those qualities that enable us to
achieve to our highest potential in
any performance environment
(such as the classroom or
workplace).
What is Performance Character?
Values/Traits:
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Determination
Organization
Creativity
Perseverance
Diligence
Self-discipline
Curiosity
Teamwork
Skills:
• Goal-setting
• Time-management
• Collaboration
Performance Character and the
Framework
Students Acquire
• Imagine students develop a growth mindset
regarding academic achievement.
• They commit to the diligent efforts necessary to be
outstanding persons of purpose and virtue.
• Students build habits of excellence through
meticulously executed routines that operate
consistently inside and outside of school
Performance Character Applied
• Through studying the lives of individuals with
excellent performance character (role models).
• Through student goal-setting, diligence, and
reflection
Imagine Schools Character Essay
Contest
• Imagine Schools’ Seventh Annual Contest
• Help students practice critical thinking and writing
skills.
• Highlight values that are important to productive
and satisfying lives.
School Site Contest
• Each student in grades 3-12 is eligible to write an
essay on the chosen maxims. Maxims will be shared
in early January. Maxim authors have been shared.
• Essays should be maximum of 500 words for grades
3-6 and 1,000 words for 7-12.
• Provide teachers with resources on how to teach
writing an essay on a maxim (resources available on
Inside Imagine).
• Have a judges on the school site chose only ONE
winner per grade level.
• Celebrate these winners at the school site.
Third & Fourth Grade Maxim Authors
Third Grade
• Albert Einstein, 1879 - 1955
• George Washington Carver, 1864 - 1943
• James Bryant Conant, 1893 – 1978
Fourth Grade
• Ben Carson, b. 1951
• René Descartes, 1596 - 1650
• Isaac Asimov, 1920 - 1992
CCSS
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to
demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to
the text as the basis for the answers.
Specifically, we want students to connect biographical
information they read to how the person demonstrated
performance character. We are asking students to connect
their knowledge of performance character to biographical
information about person. Students must first understand
performance character before they can recognize it in
someone else. This understanding undergirds an
application of performance character to their own lives. It
also prepares students to write about quotes from these
individuals during the essay contest.
Bloom’s Taxonomy Applied
Bloom’s Level
Level of Understanding of Performance
Character
Knowledge
Know definitions of performance character
virtues; recite definitions
Comprehension
Find examples of performance character in
text or within biographical information
about a person (in this case a famous
scientist)
Application
Demonstrate performance virtues in their
own lives; can write how they will
demonstrate these virtues.
Sample Lesson – 3rd Grade George Washington Carver
• Hook/Anticipatory Set:
• Show students a bag of peanuts (or a picture of peanuts if
you have peanut allergies in your class). Ask students to
help you list all the different things a peanut can be used to
make (e.g. peanut butter, topping for ice cream, etc.)
• Your students might not be able to list many
options. After they have exhausted their ideas, show
a picture of George Washington Carver and tell
them that he created 300 uses for peanuts.
Expository or “I do” section of lesson
Values/Traits
Check here if George
Washington Carver
demonstrated this
virtue in the text
Determination
Organization
Creativity
Perseverance
Diligence
Self-discipline
Curiosity
Teamwork
Provide evidence from
the text that he
demonstrated this
virtue. Explain your
thinking.
Expository or “I do” section of lesson
Share the list of Performance Character virtues with
your students. Model how to fill in the chart by
reading a section of the text and then filling in one
section.
Value/Trait
Determination
Check here if George
Washington Carver
demonstrated this
virtue in the text
X
Provide evidence from
the text that he
demonstrated this
virtue. Explain your
thinking.
“He is best known for his
research on peanuts and
his commitment to
helping poor Southern
African American
farmers.”
The word commitment
shows me that he stuck
with something and kept
doing things for poor
farmers which means he
was determined.
Guided Practice
• Ask students to read the first page and fill in the
graphic organizer.
• Have one student share their example and
explanation.
• Discuss this example with the class.
Independent Practice
Ask students to read the rest of the section
independently or with a partner and fill in the graphic
organizer.
Closure
• Ask students to share which performance character
virtues George Washington Carver demonstrated.
• Ask students to share evidence from the text for each
statement.
• Exit ticket question: Which of the performance character
virtues that Carver demonstrated do you demonstrate?
Or, are their virtues that Carver demonstrated that you
would like to grow in?
• Option: You could ask students where they might locate
other information about George Washington Carver.
They could continue to fill out their graphic organizer
after reading another book/source about him.
Online Resources
• Biography.com
• Pbs.org
• Scientistsforkids.org
• Library of Congress Kids Site:
• http://kids.usa.gov/science/scientists/index.shtml
• http://kids.usa.gov/teens-home/science/scientists/
Framework Connections
How does studying the lives authors of character essay
contest quotes help us implement the Framework?
Students Acquire
• Imagine students develop a growth mindset regarding
academic achievement.
• They commit to the diligent efforts necessary to be outstanding
persons of purpose and virtue.
• Students build habits of excellence through meticulously
executed routines that operate consistently inside and outside
of school
Studying Essay Contest Quote Authors
• Supports implementation of the CCSS. How?
• Supports implementation of the Framework. How?
• Supports students’ literacy abilities. How?
• Supports students’ character development. How?
Celebrations and Shout Outs
Regarding Performance Character efforts
SMART Goals at Imagine Weston (FL)
“I Can” Statements
Coming Up
• Optional December Webinar on Student Goal
Setting: Wednesday, December 11th
• We will also discuss how performance character is
embedded in:
• Character Counts!
• Core Virtues
• Kids at Hope
• Responsive Classroom
Attendance
• Please say your Imagine campus name when your
state is called.
• Please wait until attendance is complete to exit the
webinar.