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“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 fast-paced, 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.

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