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LESSONPLANSELEMENTARYSCHOOLS–PRIMARYANDSECONDARY

HOWTOBETRUSTWORTHYBEHONEST: Don'tlie,cheat,orsteal.BEDEPENDABLE: Keepyourpromisesandfollowthroughonyourcommitments.BEBRAVE: Dowhatisright,evenwhenitseemsdifficult.BEAGOODFRIEND: Trustcantakeawhiletobuildup,butcanbelostinaninstant.GENERALQUESTIONSABOUTTRUSTWORTHINESS:

1. Howdoyoufeelwhensomeonetellsyoualie?

2. Doyouthinkthatlyingcanruinafriendship?Explain.Hasthateverhappenedtoyou?

3. Ifyoutelljustonelie,doesthatmakeyoualiar?Howmanyliesdoyougettotellbeforeyouarealiar?

4. Wouldyoutrustsomebodywholies?Whocheats?Whosteals?Why,orwhynot?

5. Howdoyouknowifyoucantrustsomeone?

6. Doyouconsideryourselftobeanhonestperson?Why?

7. Whatdoestrustworthinessmeantoyou?Whatisatrustworthyperson?

8. Doyouconsideryourselfatrustworthyperson?Inwhatwayareyouatrustworthyperson?

9. Doyourparentstrustyou?Whatcouldyoudothatwouldmakeyourparentsstoptrustingyou?What

wouldbebadaboutthat?

10. It’sbeensaidthatcheatingisjustanotherformoflying.Doyouagree?

11. Describeatimewhenyoulied,cheated,orstolesomething.Whathappened?Howdidyoufeel?What

weretheconsequences?

12. Howcansimplybeinghonestmakelifealoteasier.Haveyoueverexperiencedthisinyourownlife?

13. Howimportantistrustinyourrelationshipswithfriendsandfamily?Howwouldtheserelationshipsbe

affectedifyoufoundoutsomeonewaslyingtoyou?

14. Isitokaytolieifyou’rehelpingsomeoneelseout?

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STUDENTACTIVITIES:

1. Thetopofthislessongivesfourspecifictrustworthinessbehaviors.Writethesebehaviorsontheboard.Havethechildrenthinkofasmanyexamplesofeachbehaviorastheycan,andwritethemontheboard.Cantheythinkofanyothertrustworthinessbehaviorsthatshouldbeaddedtothelist?Haveaclassdiscussionaboutthesebehaviors.Havethechildrenmakepostersofthesebehaviorstoputuparoundtheschool.

2. Havethestudentskeepan"Honesty-Dishonesty"journalforoneweek.Inthisjournal,documentexamplesofhonestyanddishonestyineverydaylife.Keeptrackofallthetimesyouhearortell"whitelies."Payparticularattentiontotelevision.NotehowoftendishonestyisbasictotheplotofTVsitcomsanddramas.Attheendofaweek,writeyourconclusionsandsharethemwiththeclass.Whatdidyoulearnaboutyourownbehaviorfromdoingthisproject?

3. Asaclass,brainstormalltheexcusesandrationalizationspeoplegiveforlying,cheating,andstealing,andthenhaveadiscussionaboutthem.Howvalidarethey?What'swrongwitheachofthem?

4. Conductasurveyinyourschoolorcommunityaskingquestionslikethefollowing:Doyouthinkpeoplearehonestenough?Whataresomeexamplesofdishonestyyoureallydislike?Whataresomeexamplesofhonestythatyouespeciallyappreciate?Compiletheresultsintoascrapbook.

5. Role-playorusepuppetstoactoutvarioussituationswhereoneormorestudentsareunderpressuretobedishonest.Example:lyingtocoverupforafriend.Putitonvideotapeandshareitwithotherclasses.

WRITINGASSIGNMENTS:

1. Howtrustworthyareyou?Foreachofthefourtrustworthybehaviorslistedatthetopofthispage,rateyourselfonascaleofonetofive(1=awful,and5=terrific).Foreachofthesebehaviorsgiveanexampleofhowyouareeithertrustworthyornot,andwhatyoucoulddotoimprove.

2. Writeanessayaboutasituationinwhichyouweredishonest(lied,cheated,orstole).Whydidithappen?Howdidyoujustifyit?Howdidyoufeelaboutitatthetime?Diditaffectanyofyourrelationships?Diditcauseanyproblemsforyou?Howdoyoufeelaboutitnow?Whatdidyoulearnfromit?

3. Ifyourchildrenareoldenoughtowritebookreports,havethemwriteabouthowthecharactersinabookbehavedineitheratrustworthyoranuntrustworthyway.Dothesamewithmoviesortelevisionprogramstheyhaveseen.Ifyourchildrenaretooyoungtowritebookreports,dothisasaclassdiscussionaboutthebookstheyarereadingorthatyouarereadingtothem.

4. Writeaboutsomeoneyoutrust.Whydoyoutrustthatperson?5. Writeabouthowitmakesyoufeelwhensomebodyliestoyouormisleadsyou.6. Writeaboutatimesomebodybrokeapromisetoyou.Howdidthatmakeyoufeel?Haveyouever

brokenapromisetosomeone?Howdoyouthinkitmadethatpersonfeel?

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DearParent,YourchildisinvolvedinourcharactereducationprogramentitledB.N.U.(BNICEUniversity).OurcurrentfocusisTRUSTWORTHINESSwhichshowshowhonesty,integrity,andotheraspectsofbeingatrustworthypersonleadtogoodfriendshipsandpositiveinterpersonalrelationships.Herearesomethingsyoucandotoreinforcethemessageofthisvalue.

• Askyourchildtotellyouabouttrustworthinessandwhatheorshehaslearnedfromit.

• Talkwithyourchildaboutwhatitmeanstobeanhonestandtrustworthypersonandwhyitisimportant.Makesureheorsheknowsthatitisimportanttoyou.

• Watchatelevisionprogramtogether,andtalkaboutthevariouswaysinwhichthecharactersacted

dishonestlytowardsoneanother.

• Remember,youareyourchild'smostimportantteacher.Heorshewilllearnalotaboutbeingtrustworthyfromwatchingwhatyoudo.

• Trynottofocusonexamplesofsituationsonifyourchildwasdishonestlately.Thisisn’taboutheor

shefeelinglikethey’reintrouble.It’saboutyouopeninguptheirworldtootherexamplesoftrustworthiness.

Thankyouforyourhelpastogether,wecanfurtherincreaseyourchild’smoralawareness.

“Wholiesforyouwilllieagainstyou.”-BosnianProverb

“Aliehasspeed,butTruthhasendurance.”

-EdgarJ.Mohn

“Thisaboveall;tothineownselfbetrue.”

-WilliamShakespeare