Character Development

ACTIVITY DETAILED MANAGEMENT PLAN (sample)

Manners Skits

Activity Leader Dan Teller/Staff
Activity Type School/Classroom
Activity Title Manners Skits
Aim of Activity Encourage grace and courtesy

How it works

Children will work in small groups to prepare simply skits that enact specific aspects of good manners, grace, and courtesy, both at home and at school. Teachers will help children prepare by:
1. Identifying topics for skits.
2. Forming small groups.
3. Allowing class time for skit planning.
4. Encouraging the children as necessary.

The children will perform the skits for each other at a special “Manners Assembly.” The principal will lead and facilitate the assembly. Kindergartners will be invited to participate as part of the audience.

Who’s Involved First to Fourth grade children and teachers; principal

Resources required and provided by whom
Classroom supplies for skits.
Manners books for children to use as reference.

Sample skits:
Food Manners
1. Eat with your mouth closed.
2. Don’t talk while you eat.
3. Sit up straight while you eat. Don’t stand and eat.
4. Cleaning up after yourself.
5. At home: how to ask politely for something to be passed, and how to say thank you.
6. At school: how to say thank you at the moment you are served food (like pizza, a birthday treat).

Talking Manners
1. How to wait your turn to speak (don’t’ interrupt).
2. How to raise your hand and be called on before speaking in a group at school.

Adult Meeting Manners
1. How to knock at the door when adults are meeting in a room and ask permission to enter.
2. When adults are having a conversation in a hallway, how to walk around them.
3. How to walk quietly when adults are meeting.

Door Manners
1. If you are approaching a door and someone else is also approaching it, you hold the door and let them pass through first.
2. If someone holds the door for you, say “thank you.”
3. If you are near an adult and need to pass through the door, tell the adult, “you first,” and let the adult pass through first.
4. If you are in a line of people passing through a door, as you go through, briefly hold the door until the person behind you has their hand on it. The person behind should say “thank you.”