The BHASD guidance/school counseling program addresses the academic, career, personal/social and emotional needs of students in grades K-12. The program is committed to helping student eliminate obstacles that may inhibit their success. This is done through individual counseling, small group counseling, classroom lessons, consultation and collaboration with school faculty/staff, parents, and the community.
Grade 4 Description
In grade 4, students are exposed to different situations, lessons, and activities in a variety of settings throughout their school days where they are able to learn and develop the skills that are needed to become a contributing member of today’s society. The program focuses on the 3 domains of the American School Counselor Association’s national standards for students. These domains include Academic Development, Career Development, and Personal/Social Development.
Grade 4Units:
- Being a Bucket Filler
- Character Education
- Social Skills
- Bullying
- Career Awareness
Subject:
Guidance / Grade:
4 / Suggested Timeline:
full school year
UnitTitle:
Being a Bucket Filler
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
In being a bucket filler, students are taught what the term means, how they can apply it to their everyday life, and how relating and living up to the concept will make them a better person. They are exposed to a variety of lessons and activities that help them understand and practice the concept. The concept is utilized and carried over into every part of their school day.
Unit Objectives:
The students will know that:
- being a bucket filler means you are doing and saying nice things
- that if you are being mean, you are being a bucket dipper
- if someone is dipping into your bucket, you must get out your lid
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit: (ASCA National Standards for Students)
PS:A1 – Acquire Self-Knowledge
PS:A2 – Personal/Social Development, Acquire Interpersonal Skills
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit:(ASCA National Standards for Students)
PS:B1 – Self-knowledge Application
Misconceptions:
N/A
Concepts/Content:
- be a bucket filler
- don’t dip
- use your lid
- be nice to others
- if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all
- when someone is being mean to you, stop, think, and then make the best choice of how to react
Students will listen to the reading of Have You Filled A Bucket Today, practice filling their peers buckets, make determinations of bucket filling and bucket dipping, do self-reflections, and have opportunities for their bucket filling skills to be recognized and rewarded
Assessments: observations of the students, and self-evaluation
Interdisciplinary Connections:
N/A / Additional Resources:
Subject:
Guidance / Grade:
4 / Suggested Timeline:
full school year
Unit Title:
Character Education
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
In grade 4, students are exposed to many different positive character traits. These traits include, but are not limited to responsibility, respect, trustworthiness, caring, fairness, and citizenship. The students will learn that the choices they make will determine the kind of character they will be. The bucket filling program serves as a catalyst in teaching and instilling these traits in the 4th grade student body.
Unit Objectives:
The students will:
- Have an understanding of the importance of good character
- Have an understanding of what good character traits are
- Identify the good character traits they have
- Identify the character traits they can improve upon
- Have an understanding that the choices they make determine their character (cause and effect)
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit: (ASCA National Standards for Students)
A:A1 – Improve Academic Self-concept
A:A3 – Achieve School Success
C:A2 – Develop Employment Readiness
PS:A1 – Acquire Self-knowledge
PS:A2 – Acquire Interpersonal Skills
Ps:B1 – Self-knowledge Application
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit: (ASCA National Standards for Students)
PS:C1 – Acquire Personal Safety Skills
Misconceptions:
N/A
Concepts/Content:
- Good Character Traits
- Decision Making
- Good Choices
- Bucket Filling
- Define each character trait
- Identify personal positive traits
- Identify personal traits that may need improvement
- Decision making
- Making a good choice
- Understanding of the Bucket Filling Program and how being a bucket filler makes you a good person
The students will participate in a variety of character lessons, these lessons identify a character trait and teach the student how to enhance it in themselves. They will participate in decision making activities, including a variety of role-playing opportunities. They will map out cause and effect to the choices they make.
Assessments: observations of the students, self-evaluation, completion of assigned tasks
Interdisciplinary Connections:
N/A / Additional Resources:
Charactercounts.org
Subject:
Guidance / Grade:
4 / Suggested Timeline:
full school year
Unit Title:
Social Skills
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
In grade 4, students are exposed to different types of social skills. They have ample opportunity to learn and practice these skills on a daily basis. These skills are taught through classroom lessons and practiced on a regular basis in a variety of settings. The social skills that are emphasized are communication, problem solving, nonverbal communication, expressing your feelings, managing conflict, listening, standing up for yourself, caring about yourself and others, and being part of a group. The school wide Bucket Filler Program promotes all of these skills.
Unit Objectives:
The students will:
- Have an understanding of what each of these skills entail
- Have an understanding of what it means to possess each of these skills
- Be able to demonstrate each skill in an appropriate manner
- Recognize when they need to utilize one of these skills
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit: (ASCA National Standards for Students)
A:A2 – Acquire Skills for Improving Learning
A:A3 – Achieve School Success
C:A1 – Develop Career Awareness
PS:A1 – Acquire Self-knowledge
PS:A2 – Acquire Interpersonal Skills
PS:B1 – Self-Knowledge Application
PS:C1 – Acquire Personal Safety Skills
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit: (ASCA National Standards for Students)
A:C1 – Relate School to Life Experiences
Misconceptions:
N/A
Concepts/Content:
- Communicating
- Problem solving
- Nonverbal communication
- Expressing feelings
- Managing conflict
- Listening
- Standing up for yourself
- Caring about yourself and others
- Being part of a group
- Bucket Filling
- Identify each skill
- Demonstration of each skill appropriately
- Recognition of when the skill should be utilized
- Understanding of how being a bucket filler means utilizing many of these skills in a positive manner
The students will participate in a variety of lessons and activities where social skills are taught, learned, and applied. Students will discuss the skill, review examples of the skill, and work in small and large groups to exercise the skill. Students will identify times when they will need to utilize this skill in their everyday life. The students will be very familiar with the bucket filling program, and practice the concept using appropriate social skills.
Assessments: observations of the students, self-evaluation, completion of assigned tasks
Interdisciplinary Connections:
N/A / Additional Resources:
N/A
Subject:
Guidance / Grade:
4 / Suggested Timeline:
full school year
Unit Title:
Bullying
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
In the 4th grade Bullying Unit students review what bullying is, how it is reported, and what they can do to minimize it from happening. The Bucket Filling Program is utilized in conjunction with the Bullying unit, as an anti-bullying campaign. The students participate in a wide variety of lessons/activities, that teach them about similarities/differences, strengths/weaknesses, accepting others, and conflict resolution.
Unit Objectives:
The students will:
- Be able to recognize what bullying is
- Have an understanding of the definition of bullying
- Know the reporting process
- Identify the different signs of bullying, and identify the different types of players
- Participate in role-playing activities
- Identify strengths and weaknesses
- Identify similarities and differences
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit: (ASCA National Standards for Students)
PS:A1 – Acquire Self-knowledge
PS:A2 – Acquire Interpersonal Skills
PS:B1 – Self-knowledge Application
PS:C1 – Acquire Personal Safety Skills
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit: (ASCA National Standards for Students)
N/A
Misconceptions:
N/A
Concepts/Content:
- Bullying
- Bucket Filler
- Positive Self-concept
- Similarities/differences
- Conflict-resolution
- Acceptance of others
- Define bullying
- Understanding of bucket filling vs. bucket dipping
- Knowledge of self-worth
- Knowledge of self-uniqueness
- Knowledge of different ways of handling a conflict
- Knowledge of the importance of accepting others
Students will be exposed to what Bullying really is, and how it is identified. They will participate in activities that help them recognize it, and utilize strategies to stop it. They will be taught the reporting process. The students will participate in the bucket filling program, which will teach them a more positive way of treating others. They will be able to identify strengths/weaknesses, and similarities/differences through different lessons and activities. The students will be taught different conflict-resolution strategies and how to apply them.
Assessments: observations of the students, self-evaluation, completion of assigned tasks
Interdisciplinary Connections:
N/A / Additional Resources:
Stopbullying.gov
Subject:
Guidance / Grade:
4 / Suggested Timeline:
full school year
Unit Title:
Career Awareness
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
In the 4th grade Careers Unit students will be made aware of how many different types of careers there are, have an awareness of the factors that will help them determine the best career choice, and have an understanding of the choices they make now will have an impact of their career path.
Unit Objectives:
The students will:
- Brainstorm different careers and job opportunities
- Be introduced to the different types of careers
- Have an awareness of their personal traits, abilities, interests and values
- Learn how to work cooperatively as a team member
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit: (ASCA National Standards for Students)
A:C1 – Relate School to Life Experiences
C:A1 – Develop Career Awareness
C:B1 – Acquire Career Information
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit: (ASCA National Standards for Students)
C:B2 – Identify Career Goals
C:C1 – Acquire Knowledge to Achieve Career Goals
Misconceptions:
N/A
Concepts/Content:
- Different types of careers
- Personal traits
- Interests
- Abilities
- Values
- Working as a team
- List different types of careers
- Identify personal traits
- Identify interests
- Identify abilities
- Identify values
- Work as a team
Students will brainstorm different jobs/careers, explore the different types, and work in groups. They will identify their own personal traits, interests, abilities and values through different types of activities, questionnaires and inventories.
Assessments: observations of the students, self-evaluation, completion of assigned tasks
Interdisciplinary Connections:
N/A / Additional Resources:
Kids.gov