Seekers/Discoverers/Challengers Programs - Starting Out Right

The Seekers program is for kindergarten through second grade youth. Grades three and four are part of the Discoverers. Students in fifth and sixth grade are in the Challengers program.

There is curriculum for each grade level. Each specific grade curriculum is contained in a Teacher's Edition that consists of 61 lesson plans. These lessons are designed by educators to reinforce social, ethical, and academic skills in areas such as critical and creative thinking, ethical decision making, interpersonal relationships, practical living skills, building self-worth, writing and other language arts, and participating citizenship. A Student Workbook for each grade with activities for each lesson plan is also available.

Seekers' Program (Kindergarten—2nd Grades)

The Seekers' Program offers an integrated approach to character development designed for kindergarten through 2nd grade youth. The program blends character development, life skills, academic learning, and outdoor experiences into a comprehensive program geared help students successful handle the complexities of contemporary society, reinforce social skills, critical and creative thinking, ethical decision making, conflict resolution, and build their self-esteem. The 8 core character traits promoted in the Seekers' Program are: 1) Respect, 2) Responsibility, 3) Honesty/Trust, 4) Caring/Fairness, 5) Perseverance, 6) Self-Discipline, 7) Courage, and 8) Citizenship, A group of Life Skills lesson plans with themes like Safety and Classic Literature are also included..

Curricula books for each grade level consists of 61 lessons plans, all age-appropriate and grade specific. Lessons focus on themes such as "Accepting Consequences," "Gangs," "Meeting Deadlines," "Respecting Differences," and "Sticking to What's Right." Through reflection activities in each lesson, students engage in analyzing their behaviors. Lessons are easily integrated into core curricula subjects. Each lesson plan also includes a "Home/Family Activity Worksheet" which teachers send to the student's parent/guardian as an extension activity to reinforce the lesson plan in the home environment.

The Seekers Program has its own recognition plan that includes honor charts and 15 colorful stickers for student participation

Other valued-added features of the Seekers' Program includes: outdoor experiences, community speakers, field trips, and teacher training.

Safety Seekers is value added program book filled with many individual and group activities that review the four rules of personal safety. The book can be used in any instruction setting. or sent home to be used by parents. The four rules include:

• Check with a parent
• Go with a friend
• It's your body
• Tell a trusted adult

An English and Spanish version is available and can be ordered from your local office.

Discoverers' Program (3rd—4th Grades)

The Discoverers' Program combines character development, life skills, academic learning, and outdoor experiences specifically designed for 3rd and 4th grade youth. It mirrors the Seeker's Program by providing an integrated approach to character development. The age appropriate, grade specific lesson plans focus on the same 8 character traits as the Seekers' Program: 1) Respect, 2) Responsibility, 3) Honesty/Trust, 4) Caring/Fairness, 5) Perseverance, 6) Self-Discipline, 7) Courage and 8) Citizenship. Life Skills with topics on Youth Protection, Hobbies and Art lesson plans are also part of the Discoverers Program.

Each of the 3rd and 4th grade books has 61 lessons plans focusing on many of the same themes as the Seekers' Program; however, lesson plans progress in difficulty and cognitive level. Lessons focus on critical thinking, conflict resolution, perseverance, courage, interpersonal skills, and ethical decision making. A "Home/Family Activity Worksheet" is included which each lesson to the lesson plan at the home.

To further enhance the Discoverers' Program, each book contains an interactive CD-Rom game for students titled "SuperSafe." The game presents a series of six age-appropriate scenarios where students have to make choices about safety issues. The six scenarios are: Internet Safety, Nonviolent Strategies, Verbal Abuse, Bullying, Youth Protection, and Unsupervised Children. The game also provides information that can be sent home to parents. The information details issues that are being addressed in the SuperSafe CD-Rom game and shows ways parents/guardians can help their child's development. See the online demo of this game.

The Discoverers Program also has a unique recognition plan that includes honor charts and 15 colorful stickers.

Other valued-added components of the Discoverers' Program includes: community speakers, mentors, outdoor experiences, field trips, and teacher training.

Challengers' Program (5th—6th Grades)

Specifically designed for the cognitive and developmental levels of 5th and 6th grade students, the Challengers' Program continues Learning for Life's character education emphasis by integrating components of both the Seekers' and Discoverers' Program. The Challengers' Program focuses on the same 8 character traits as Seekers' and Discoverers: 1) Respect, 2) Responsibility, 3) Honesty/Trust, 4) Caring/Fairness, 5) Perseverance, 6) Self-Discipline, 7) Courage, and 8) Citizenship. Life Skill themes such as Money Management and Fire Safety are an added feature.

The 61 age appropriate, grade specific lesson plans in each of the Challengers' books focus on topics such as "Being Responsible," "Making Good Decisions," "Code of Ethics," "Empathy," etc. The lesson plans are geared to a higher-level of cognitive and developmental learning than the Seekers' and Discoverers' lessons. Teachers can send to the student's parent/guardian the "Home/Family Activity Worksheet" which is included with each lesson. It can be used as an extension to reinforce the character trait in the home environment.

The Challengers' Program, like the Discoverers' Program, also comes with a "SuferSafe" CD-Rom game for students. However, the game for Challengers' is completely different from the Discoverers' game, and offers more difficult scenarios to enhance their critical thinking skills. See the online demo of this game.

Like the Seekers and Discoverers Program, Challengers have a set of 15 stickers and honor charts specific to the program.

Other value added features in the Challengers' Program are: community speakers, mentors, outdoor experiences, field trips, and teacher training.

Lesson Plans

Lesson plans feature themes such as Accepting Consequences, Conservation, Ethnic Heritage, Meeting Deadlines, Gangs, Never Give Up, What Is Freedom?, Respecting Differences, Violence Prevention, and Sticking to What's Right. The themes instill in youth the importance of respecting the rights of all people and prepare youth to participate in and give leadership to American society.

A Home/Family Activity is part of each lesson plan.

Supplemental Programs can include:

The Drugs Abuse Prevention Education lesson plans for Kindergarten through Grade 6

Celebrate Character

KidServe

Student Workbooks are available for each Teacher's edition for K-Grade 6: each book comes with all the activities and Home/Family Activity from each lesson. The book is printed on perforated pages for easy classroom use.

Spanish Translations are available! The teacher's edition and student workbooks are available in a Spanish translation for the Seekers program (K-Grade2)!

View the following sample lesson plans in PDF format:

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