Citizenship and Fairness - Shoe Me the Way

Citizenship and Fairness - Shoe Me the Way

One definition of citizenship is the qualities that a person is expected to have as a responsible member of a community. One characteristic of a community with good citizenship is fairness.

GOALS: Students will gain understanding of the concept of fairness (everyone following the same rules, being treated the same way) and a deeper understanding of the concept of fairness (every person gets their needs met). They will also gain and understanding that there is no such thing as total fairness, but that we strive towards that as good citizens.

MATERIALS: Students with shoes on, paper or board for brainstorming

PROCEDURE:

1. Discuss the above definition of citizenship with the class. Talk about how they are members of several communities: school, home, the neighborhood, the city, and the world. Brainstorm the qualities of good citizens. They should come up with examples such as: takes responsibilities, follows rules, is compassionate, shows kindness, treats everyone equally, etc.
2. Explain to students that today, we are going to do a teamwork activity based on the principle of fairness. Talk about what the class thinks fairness means. They will usually indicate that fairness is that everyone is treated the same.
3. Choose 2 groups of 4-5 students each. Carefully choose one group so that most of the students are wearing slip-on shoes, flip flops, or sandals. Choose the other group to have mostly shoes that tie. Try to balance groups as to gender. Have the students take off their shoes and put them in one big pile. Then, line them up in 2 lines.
4. Say, “The teams are equally balanced, so this will be a fair race. The goal is for the first person in the line to run to the pile of shoes, put on their shoe, then run back and touch the next person in line. Continue until the whole line has shoes on. The first line to be “re-shoed” will be the winner.”
5. Of course, the team without laces will win. Students will figure out pretty quickly that the race was not fair. This leads into a discussion about why it was not fair, when teams were equal in number and gender and were treated exactly the same.
6. You can use a variety of examples to introduce the idea that fairness may not mean exactly that. For example, they get to stay up later than their younger siblings, fifth graders have more homework that kindergarteners, a kid with a broken leg does not have to run in PE, and so on. This allows the introduction of the concept that at school, what is fair is that everyone gets what they need.
7. Expand the discussion to include fairness in the various communities discussed above. For example, people over the age of 18 can vote, people over 16 can drive, people who work pay taxes, etc.

Courtesy-Courtesy Counts

COMPETENCY: Expressions of courteous behavior, kindness towards others, empathy

GOALS: Students will recognize courteous acts and reward themselves and teachers for these acts.

MATERIALS: Mailing dots, stickers, handprints, links, etc. (any symbol you want the students to use to recognize kind acts)

PROCEDURE:

1. Talk to students about what it means to be courteous to others.

2, Brainstorm ways students can courtesy to other students, to teachers, and to people outside the school.

1. Tell students they are going to be Courtesy Counters for the next week. Based on you knowledge of the students and your school climate, decide on a way students can recognize acts of courtesy they observe. This might be giving a token or a sticker to the student or teacher when they observe the act, rewarding others at the end of the day, listing the student name and the act on a coupon to be used in a drawing, reporting to the principal or counselor, etc. The purpose of this is two-fold-to give students incentives to act courteously, and to help them begin to observe acts ofcourtesy. This is most effective if teachers participate also.

1. An alternative to this is to tell students: You are going to be Courtesy Counters at home. Pass out index cards, and have students list one courteous thing they will perform for a family member in secret during the next week. Have them report back on what happens.

INTEGRITY/HONESTY- CHEATER, CHEATER LESSON

GOALS: To understand what integrity is, and how cheating undermines your own integrity and the trust others have in your integrity.

MATERIALS:

• Cookies-I buy $1.00 per packet molasses cookies from HEB or Walmart
• Powdered white laundry soap/plaster/shaving cream mixed with white glue
• Paper and markers

PROCEDURE:

1. Begin by holding up the plate of cookies and telling them a little about how you made them. Stress the delicious ingredients you put into the cookies, how you lovingly baked them, etc. Then ask, “Who wants a cookie?” Lots of hands will go up. Then say, “Wait a minute, there’s something I forgot to tell you. I was out of sugar for the icing of my cookies, so I just mixed up some laundry soap (or Elmer’s glue and shaving cream) and water and used it instead. Now, who still wants a cookie?”

1. Ask the class if they know what integrity is. Then, ask about cheating. How does cheating show a lack of integrity? What are the effects of dishonesty? How do they feel about a friend who has cheated or been dishonest? Who does cheating at school hurt? Why is honesty with parents so important?

1. Have the students break into small groups. Ask them to come up with a list of all the ways people can cheat, then the results of the cheating. (Example-someone copies homework. They cheat themselves because they do not learn the material. They cheat the one who did the work by taking advantage of them. )

1. After they have come up with the lists, have them share with the class. Then, discuss and compile a master list of ways to promote honesty and integrity at school.

1. Finally, take out a plate of ‘real” cookies and share them.

Integrity-Honesty: Lingering Lies

GOALS: Students will understand what honesty and integrity are, what a lie is, and how telling lies causes lasting damage to relationships

MATERIALS: bar of soap, nails

PROCEDURE:

1. Ask students what Honesty is. (Telling the truth). Then discuss Integrity (having a lifestyle of truth-following through, doing what you said you would) Talk about why this is important.

1. Discuss types of lies: lies of omission, lies to keep from hurting feelings, lies to try to fit in, lies to avoid trouble, etc. Write ideas on a board, and ask for examples from the students.

1. Talk about the effect that these lies have on a relationship. You can share times when you were lied to and how you felt. (Asking students to share when they have been lied too can backfire.)

1. Bring out the bar of soap and the nail. Have students tell you examples of lies they have told , without naming names. As each statement is made, push a nail into the bar of soap.

1. After you have enough nails to be impressive, have the students explain how they “make it up” to someone they have lied to. As they explain, pull out each nail.

1. Hold up the bar of soap and show that even when apologies have been made, the effects of the lies still lingers. Damage has been done, and it is difficult to undo it. (If you use a bar of brittle soap, like Ivory or cheap, small hotel soaps, the nails will break the soap and you can discuss how relationships can be shattered because of lies.)

Honesty and Integrity- The Narrow Way

GOALS: Students will be able to define integrity, and have an understanding about how maintaining integrity can be difficult and require them to work hard at it.

MATERIALS: masking tape, ping pong balls or other lightweight balls, straws

PROCEDURE:

1. Before the lesson, tape lines on a desk (smaller balls) or a longer table or floor (ping pong balls). Keep the path fairly narrow, especially for older kids.

1. Discuss honest and integrity with students. Talk about how honesty is telling the truth, and integrity is living a life where telling the truth is a way of life. Explain that many people call this, “Walking the straight and narrow.”

1. Hand out straws and balls. Have students try to blow the ball through the marked path using the straw. Any time the ball leaves the path, they have to back up to the start and start over.

1. Briefly discuss how difficult this was. Explain that it is hard to live a life of integrity.

Next, add 4 students to each group. Give them straws, and tell them that their role is to try to get the ball off course. Have the student try to follow the course once more, with interference. This can lead to a discussion about how negative peer pressure makes it more difficult to live a life of integrity.

1. If time permits, you can allow the students to attempt to help the “blower” keep the ball on course. This can lead to a discussion about how people can help each other maintain honesty and integrity.

Independence and Responsibility:

CRACKING UNDER PRESSURE

GOALS:The students will recognize that they can be independent when they learn to exert enough “pressure” on themselves to manage their responsibilities without putting so much pressure on themselves that they “crack-up” or so little pressure on themselves that they do not fulfill their responsibilities.

MATERIALS:(PER STUDENT OR SMALL GROUP)

1 CUP OF CORN STARCH, I/2 CUP OF WATER, MIXING CONTAINER, SPOON OR CRAFT STICK FOR STIRRING, PLASTIC ZIP-LOCK BAGS (IF YOUR “MESSINESS” TOLERANCE IS LOW

PROCEDURE:

1. Have students define independence. Explain that being independent means that a person takes care of responsibilities without others having to put pressure on them.

1. Ask the students to brainstorm various ways they are put under pressure. Examples will include: tests, homework, sports, peers, parents, body changes, society, etc. After brainstorming, ask “Do you ever put pressure on yourself?” Discuss. Explain that to be independent, they must put just enough pressure on themselves to get things done without putting so much pressure on themselves that they are stressed out.

1. Then, tell students, ”Today we are going to make a substance that may react much like you do when you are under too much pressure.” Direct the students to mix the cornstarch and water together, and stir it well. Then, allow them to play with it, either in their bare hands (MOST FUN!!) or in the zip lock bags. Ask, ”What happens when you put a lot of pressure on the mixture?” (It cracks and breaks.) Then, ask, ”What happened when you open your hand and relieve some of the pressure?” (The mixture flows.) Have them experiment with trying to keep the mixture in a certain shape or trying to get it to flow in a certain way.

1. Topics for discussion: The cornstarch mixture flows on its own when there is no pressure. Slight pressure can be used to “firm it up” and make it take shape and go where you want it to. Too much pressure causes it to break up. How is this like you? Who or what puts pressure on you? How does it help? How does it hurt?

1. Finally, after cleaning up, brainstorm ways of either eliminating pressure (where possible) or coping with unavoidable pressures.

Magic Words-Courtesy

Objective:Understanding how words can be used courteously or rudely. Students will be able to differentiate between “stinky” words (rude) and “good smelling “ (polite or courteous) words

Materials: 2 oatmeal cans, taped together bottom to bottom and covered with paper, paper cut-outs in the shape of fish or skunks with negative statements on them, and paper cut-outs in the shape of flowerswith positive statements on them.

Preliminary : Monitor the halls for several days and write down examples of communication between students that is positive and negative. Write them on a poster and leave it in the classroom before the activity. Alternatively, have students give examples of things people have said to them (without naming names) that make them feel better or worse. (Anticipatory Set)

Procedure:

1.Start with the fish or skunks out of the container and lying on the table. Have the flowers in the container.

2. Begin by referring to the Anticipatory Set. Explain that some statements make us feel worse (rude words) and some words make us feel better (courteous words).

3. Briefly talk about how the words either on the poster or those shared make them feel.

4. Then, say, “What would happen if you went out and caught a fish, then brought it home and left it sitting out on the counter for a few days?” All students will tell you that the fish is stinky and will smell up the house.

5. Then, explain that some words are just like the fish (or the skunk)-they smell things up and make people feel worse. Then, read the statements on the fish (things like-“You can’t play with us. You’re stupid. You can never do that! I don’t like you. ) As you read them have the class react and place them in the other end of the container. After they are all in, close the lid. Tell the class, “Now, we are going to make magic.” Solicit a magic word, and show them how to do ”magic fingers”-thrusting their hands forward and wiggling their fingers as they say the magic word. Practice a time or two, then pick up the canister and begin rotating it. Have them say the magic word, wave their fingers, and remove the lid from the other end, allowing the flowers to spill onto the table. Then, read the flower words “Would you play with us? You’re smart. You can do it. Will you be my friend? I like you. Please. Thank You. May I? .)

Extension: Provide die cuts in the classroom to allow students to write down “stinky” words and “sweet” words they hear throughout the next few days. Alternatively, let the teacher give the students die cuts when he/she hears “stinky” or “sweet” words.

Polishing Our Manners-Courtesy

Objective: Students will understand what manners are, why manners are important, and how we “polish our manners” by practicing them.

Materials: White Board or Chalk Board, markers or chalk, die cut foil letters, paper for older students with acronym “PRETTY SHINe” spelled down the side

Procedure:

1. Label a piece of chart paper “Rude” and “Polite”. Have students either dictate or write actions in each column.
2. 2. Talk to students about manners. Explain that manners are how we treat others. There are good manners, which make others feel good about us, and bad manners, which make others feel bad about us. Good manners make others want to treat us with good manners, and bad manners make others want to get back at us by using bad manners.
3. Explain that we use the term Polite to refer to good manners, and Rude to describe bad manners. Then say, “Today, we are going to talk about manners. Then, we are going to develop an ACRONYM to help us remember our manners. An ACRONYM is made from the beginning letters of what we want to remember, like ROY G BIV for the colors of the spectrum (red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, violet). Have students give examples of good manners, and write them down. Try to get to the following list:

Please, Respect personal space, Excuse me, Thank you, Take turns, You’re welcome, Smile, Hello, Invite, Nod, Eye contact

4.The ACRONYM for manners we are making is “PRETTY SHINE” Use the die cuts to spell out PRETTY SHINE.

5. When we practice our manners, we are “polishing” them, so others will notice them. We develop a “pretty shine” on our manners. If time allows, have groups of students demonstrate each of the elements of manners for the class.

Extension: Carry stars around and pass them out to students who are exhibiting a pretty shine throughout the weeks to follow the lesson. Older students can use the Pretty Shine paper to write an example for each element that they have done throughout the week.

REFLECTING GOOD CITIZENSHIP

COMPETENCY: Understanding that good citizenship is valuable and that certain actions can interfere with how you are seen by others

GOALS: Students will gain understanding about how good citizenship is valuable both personally and to society, and that acting “out of character” will cause others to be unable to see their good traits.

MATERIALS:Blank CD’s, strong flashlight, strips of scotch tape