Courage climbs - Teachers Guide

By Forest Moss | Forest Fables: Virtue SeriesVirtue Focus: CourageThemes: Emotional regulation, peer pressure, bravery, self-doubt, problem-solving, empathy

📘 About the Story

Charlie and the Climb tells the poetic tale of a timid goat who must face his fear of heights to rescue a stranded lamb. With vivid forest imagery, layered characters, and emotional depth, the fable gently unpacks what it really means to be brave—even when you're scared.

🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

• Define and describe different types of courage (physical, emotional, moral, social, and intellectual).

• Analyze how character actions reflect internal growth.

• Practice self-regulation tools (e.g., breath counting) in response to fear or anxiety.

• Engage in critical discussion about empathy, leadership, and peer influence.

• Identify poetic elements such as rhyme, meter, repetition, and figurative language.

📚 Curricular Connections

Area	Connection
SEL (CASEL Core Competencies)	Self-awareness, Self-management, Responsible Decision-Making
ELA	Character analysis, rhyme, poetic structure, oral fluency
Ethics & Virtue Education	Courage, empathy, perseverance, humility

🧠 Discussion Questions

🔍 Comprehension & Reflection

1. Why was Charlie so afraid to climb?

2. How did the other animals respond to the lamb’s danger? Were their reactions helpful?

3. What did Milo the Mouse do that helped Charlie the most?

4. What do you think Charlie meant when he said, “Fear walked with me—step by step”?

💬 Social-Emotional Deep Dives

5. Can you think of a time you were scared but did the right thing anyway?

6. What’s the difference between being brave and being reckless?

7. Why is it important to try—even when others expect you to fail?

8. Who showed courage besides Charlie in this story?

🛠️ SEL Toolkit Connections

Tool	Application
Breath Counting (1–2–3–4)	Teaches students a concrete calming strategy like Charlie used before his climb
Self-Talk Mantras	“I am brave. I persevere.” – Encourage students to create their own mantras
Peer Encouragement Roleplay	Practice how to support friends in scary or difficult moments, like Milo did

✏️ Literary Focus Activities

🪶 Poetic Form Exploration

• Identify rhyme schemes in different stanzas (AABB, ABAB).

• Find examples of repetition (e.g., “Courage climbs—even with the shakes”).

• Discuss figurative language:

  “Leaves burst like a forest parade” (simile)“Her fear like tide that flows and ebbs” (metaphor)

🗺️ Character Map

Create a chart of each animal:

• What did they do?

• What did they say?

• Did they help or hinder?

• Did their attitude change?

🖍️ Creative & Cross-Curricular Extensions

🎨 Art: “Courage Portrait”

Have students draw a moment when they were scared—but tried anyway. Add a speech bubble of what they said to themselves (self-talk strategy).

🐾 Drama: Forest Freeze Frame

Reenact key scenes in “freeze” poses—e.g.,

• Charlie pausing on the cliff

• Milo touching his hoof

• Maple honking her doubtsDiscuss each character’s thoughts in the moment.

✍️ Writing Prompt:

“Courage means…” — Write a paragraph or poem inspired by Charlie’s journey. Use the phrase “Even with the shakes…”

🔔 Exit Ticket:

One thing I learned about courage is: __________One way I can be more courageous: __________

🪺 Closing Reflection Circle Prompt

“Courage doesn’t mean being fearless. It means doing the right thing even when you feel afraid." Invite each student to share:

• One thing that scares them a little

• One thing they’d like to try anyway

🌟 Courage Pillar Analysis

A Deep Dive into Poetic Courage in Practice

🧗‍♂️ 1. Physical Courage

Definition: The ability to take action despite bodily fear, discomfort, or danger.Core Traits Modeled: Risk-taking, pain tolerance, environmental awareness, bodily control

🔍 In the Fable:

Charlie must scale a real cliff with sharp edges, gusting winds, and unstable footing. His fear is not abstract—it is visceral and physical:

• Body responses: trembling legs, cold sweat, rapid heartbeat

• Bodily risk: “One false step here would cost more than time…”

“His hooves went clack-clack on brittle stone;Jagged edges beneath cut straight to bone.”

The poem captures kinesthetic tension, showing that his body reacts with total fear. Still, he keeps climbing—step by shaking step.

🎓 Classroom Insight:

Younger children often associate “bravery” with physical feats (firefighters, superheroes). This story takes that image and roots it in realism.Message: Courage isn’t leaping—it's enduring discomfort with purpose.

💔 2. Emotional Courage

Definition: Facing inner vulnerability—fear, shame, grief, doubt—without running away.Core Traits Modeled: Self-awareness, emotional regulation, resilience, healing from past pain

🔍 In the Fable:

Charlie’s fear is not just the cliff—it’s his past. He’s slipped before. He’s afraid of failure, of shame, of being “the goat who didn’t try.”

“He’d slipped before, and wore the scar,But fear of shame cut twice as far.”

We see him:

• Talk to himself with affirmations

• Use grounding strategies like visualization and breath counting

• Express fear openly: “I can’t… I can’t…” before regaining control

This is SEL gold: Charlie shows children how to process overwhelming emotions and still choose the hard thing.

🎓 Classroom Insight:

Students often shut down from fear of failure or ridicule. Charlie’s pause-and-breathe moment teaches tools for self-regulation, modeling:

• Mindfulness under stress

• Allowing fear without surrendering to it

⚖️ 3. Moral Courage

Definition: Choosing to do what’s right, even when it’s dangerous, unpopular, or hard.Core Traits Modeled: Ethical reasoning, empathy, responsibility, value-based action

🔍 In the Fable:

Charlie isn’t told to climb. There is no applause waiting. He chooses to act because it’s the right thing to do—even if he’s scared, even if others mock him.

“This choice is mine,” he whispered, steady and clear.“To save little Lina—she’s worth the fear.”

This moment is the ethical climax: a character acting not for recognition, but for conscience.

He sees that:

• No one else will act

• Lina’s life is in danger

• Silence is complicity

“But if we all just stand and stare...”He couldn’t finish—couldn’t bear.”

🎓 Classroom Insight:

Moral courage is the foundation of character education. This story makes it real—showing a peer (not an adult) make the hard call for someone else's safety.

Message: Doing the right thing might be lonely, but it matters most.

👥 4. Social Courage

Definition: Willingness to risk embarrassment, rejection, or group disapproval to stand up, speak up, or be different.Core Traits Modeled: Confidence, independence, identity strength, peer resistance

🔍 In the Fable:

Before Charlie even moves, others label him:

• “You’ll fail.”

• “You’ll be mocked.”

• “Go ahead—be the goat we laugh at.”

This anticipatory ridicule is social danger—which often feels worse than physical threat to children.

“Maple fluffed her feathers, voice turned grave:‘I judged too quick… but you were brave.’”

Later, the forest reverses its stance. But Charlie didn’t know that would happen when he began. He risked reputation, respect, and self-worth—and did it anyway.

🎓 Classroom Insight:

Social courage is especially important in middle elementary and preadolescence, when peer acceptance becomes central. This fable models:

• Choosing values over approval

• Acting on principle, not popularity

🧠 5. Intellectual Courage

Definition: Thinking independently despite pressure, questioning the group, and acting with thoughtful reasoning.Core Traits Modeled: Critical thinking, curiosity, problem-solving, mental integrity

🔍 In the Fable:

The group says “It’s too steep. Don’t bother.” Charlie doesn’t just disagree—he thinks through the options:

• Bug can’t lift.

• Owl freezes.

• Beaver doubts.

• No one else is going.

He makes his own plan:

“He charted cracks, plotted each span:‘One hoof here… another… I can.’”

He imagines risk, calculates steps, and commits. This is strategic courage—not reckless bravery, but measured action despite risk.

🎓 Classroom Insight:

Many children fear being “wrong.” Charlie shows that reasonable, independent thinking is courageous—even if no one agrees at first.

🌈 Integrated Impact: Why It Works So Well

Unlike many stories that show one kind of bravery, Charlie and the Climb braids all five courage types into one believable decision. This allows students to:

• See courage as layered and personalized

• Reflect on their own strengths and fears

• Access real strategies for real emotions

🧠 Suggested Activity:

Courage Profile Chart

Pillar	What Charlie Did	What I Might Do
Physical	Climbed the cliff	___________________
Emotional	Used breath counting	___________________
Moral	Chose to help Lina	___________________
Social	Ignored Maple’s teasing	___________________
Intellectual	Made his own plan	___________________