Every Child is Special – Character Development – Unit 3

Challenges are a part of life, but how we respond to them helps us grow stronger. In Conquering Challenges with Character, students will explore how self-discipline, reflection, kindness, and gratitude help them face challenges, stay positive, and keep trying.

Each lesson gives students simple strategies for handling tricky moments, whether at school, with friends, or when working toward a goal. Through fun activities, real-life examples, and chances to think and share, students will learn that challenges aren’t roadblocks — they are opportunities to grow and succeed.

• Lesson 1: Getting to the Mountain Top- Students make a plan for how they will use self-discipline to overcome challenges.
• Lesson 2: Create a Superhero- Students create a Superhero to reinforce understanding of how self-discipline helps you grow over time.
• Lesson 3: Replay the Day- Students learn and practise reflection strategy, Replay the Day, to overcome challenges
• Lesson 4: Personal Growth Timeline- students reflect on where they are now, where they were, and how they got there.
• Lesson 5: Kindness Detective- Students overcome challenges using kindness.
• Lesson 6: Compliment Circle- students use kindness to give compliments to others.
• Lesson 7: Gratitude for All Gameplay boardgame.
• Lesson 8: Collage of Gratitude.

Features

• Animated flipbook
• Audio and video clips
• Animations

Real Life Exemplars

• Alyssa Azar (Lesson 1)
• Superheros (Lesson 2)

Lessons

• 9 Week Unit
• Lessons are 20 minutes and delivered once a week for eight weeks.
• Week 9 – Personal Reflection is completed by students.

Resources

• Lessons x8
• Instructional Teaching Guide
• Student Workbook
• Unit Overview
• Personal Reflection
• Instruction Posters
• Professional Learning Modules

Challenges are a part of life, but how students respond to them helps them grow stronger.
In Powering Past Problems, students will learn how self-discipline, reflection, kindness, gratitude, passion, curiosity, belief, and grit help them keep going, even when things feel tricky.

Each lesson gives students simple ways to stay calm, be kind, work hard, and keep trying — whether they are learning at school, playing with friends, or working toward a big goal.
Through fun activities, real-life examples, and chances to think and share, students will discover that problems aren’t stop signs – they are opportunities to grow, learn, and build strength.

• Lesson 1: Getting to the Mountain Top- Students apply the ways Cathy O’Dowd showed self-discipline and reflection to overcoming challenges at school and home.
• Lesson 2: Olympic Discussion- Students apply the ways Australian Olympians showed self-discipline and reflection to grow in their own lives.
• Lesson 3: Kindness and Gratitude Casefiles- Students overcome challenges using kindness and gratitude.
• Lesson 4: Compliment Circle- students use kindness and gratitude to give compliments to others.
• Lesson 5: Toothpick Towers- Students use passion and curiosity to build a tower with toothpicks and playdough.
• Lesson 6: Toothpick Towers Part 2- Students give a go at building their toothpick tower a second time to see how curiosity and passion help you grow over time.
• Lesson 7: What Would Ash Barty Do- Students answer questions that show how Ash Barty showed belief and self-discipline.
• Lesson 8: Belief/Grit Poster- Students make a poster that reminds them of their grit and belief in themselves.

Features

• Audio and video clips
• Animations

Real life exemplars

• Cathy O’Dowd (Lesson 1)
• Australian Olympians- Jessica Hull, Patty Mills, Arisa Trew, Kenneth To and Cathy Freeman (Lesson 2)
• Famous inventors (Lesson 5)
• Thomas Edison (Lesson 6)
• Ash Barty (Lesson 7)
• Cathy Freeman (Lesson 8)

Lessons

• 9 Week Unit
• Lessons are 20 minutes and delivered once a week for eight weeks.
• Week 9 – Personal Reflection is completed by students.

Resources

• Lessons x8
• Instructional Teaching Guide
• Student Workbook
• Unit Overview
• Personal Reflection
• Instruction Posters
• Professional Learning Modules

Challenges are a part of life, but how we respond to them determines how much we grow. In Thriving Through Obstacles, students will explore how key traits—self-discipline, reflection, kindness, gratitude, passion, curiosity, belief, grit, time, and effort—help them overcome difficulties, stay motivated, and build resilience. Each lesson focuses on practical strategies for navigating challenges, whether in learning, friendships, or personal goals. Through engaging activities, real-world exemplars, and self-reflection, students will develop a mindset that allows them to persist, adapt, and find opportunities in adversity. By the end of this unit, they will understand that challenges are not roadblocks – they are stepping stones to growth and success.

• Lesson 1: Drawings with self-discipline and reflection.
• Lesson 2: Ripple Effect simulation with a sheet or a parachute to show how kindness and gratitude can help overcome challenges.
• Lesson 3: Floating Boat challenge – create foil boats that hold blocks without sinking.
• Lesson 4: Zone game – sit in comfort zone, or stand in learning or growth zone to apply pictures shown to their own experiences.
• Lesson 5: Power of Yet maze – transform negative statements into positive ones with the word ‘yet’ to progress through a video maze.
• Lesson 6: Freeze-frame growth story – act out stages of growth, culminating in success.
• Lesson 7: Time and Effort Challenge – discuss personal goals while trying to beat the sound monitor.
• Lesson 8: Future Me – give advice from your future self to you now on how to grow in an area you end up good at.

Features

• Animated flipbook
• Audio and video clips
• Animations

Real Life Exemplars

• Albert Namatjira (Lesson 1)
• Adam Goodes (Lesson 2)
• James Naismith (Lesson 5)
• Sam Kerr (Lesson 6)

Lessons

• 9 Week Unit
• Lessons are 20 minutes and delivered once a week for eight weeks.
• Week 9 – Personal Reflection is completed by students.

Resources

• Lessons x8
• Instructional Teaching Guide
• Student Workbook
• Unit Overview
• Personal Reflection
• Instruction Posters
• Professional Learning Modules

This unit helps students explore how key strengths support growth and leadership in challenging situations. Through real-life examples, engaging activities, and reflection, they will develop their understanding of self-discipline, kindness, gratitude, passion, curiosity, belief, grit, time, effort, service, and leadership. Students will learn how these qualities help them overcome obstacles and continue growing over time. By applying these strengths in different contexts, they will build confidence in their ability to navigate difficulties and take on leadership roles.

• Lesson 1: Cup Jump Challenge – using two cups and rubber bands to make one cup jump.
• Lesson 2: Picture observation and making pin-pricks of light in dark paper.
• Lesson 3: Match the Passion to celebrities and guess each other’s lesser-known passions, written anonymously.
• Lesson 4: Snakes and Ladders game while reflecting on how belief and grit help you overcome challenges in your own life.
• Lesson 5: Sticky Note Tower Challenge – persist to build the highest tower you can with 15 sticky notes.
• Lesson 6: Leaders Serve Challenge – think of a school or community problem to solve, then create a Mind Map to consider solutions.
• Lesson 7: Identify a new way to serve and think through the steps involved. Visualise with a paper plane display.
• Lesson 8: Leadership Qualities Card Game – match the scenario to the quality being grown through it.

Features

• Animated flipbook
• Audio and video clips
• Animations

Real Life Exemplars

• Eddie Jaku (Lesson 2)
• Hedy Lamarr (Lesson 3)
• Turia Pitt (Lesson 4)
• Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop (Lesson 6)
• John Flynn (Lesson 7)

.Lessons

• 9 Week Unit
• Lessons are 20 minutes and delivered once a week for eight weeks.
• Week 9 – Personal Reflection is completed by students

Resources

• Lessons x8
• Instructional Teaching Guide
• Unit Overview
• Personal Reflection
• Snakes and Ladders Game Board
• Leadership Qualities and Scenario Cards
• Professional Learning Modules