Personal Responsibility
OFE Guidance Lessons
PreK and Kinder
Personal Responsibility
Today we are going to talk about Personal Responsibility.
Those are two big words.
Does anyone know what Responsibility is? - Responsibility or responsible is just another word for doing something that you should. When you are responsible it means you are taking care of things that you should, for example, keeping your room or desk clean or following the rules at school and at home.
Now what does the word personal mean? Personal is just another word for a person. It’s talking about you. So today we are going to work on learning how you can take care of responsibilities.
Watch Pigsty
- Do you think Wendell was being responsible?
- What could Wendell do to make better choices?
Activity
1st and 2nd Grade
Watch "The Responsibility Rap"
After watching "The Responsibility Rap," make a list of some of the things you are responsible for. Some examples could be brushing teeth, putting on shoes, bringing folder back to school, turning in work, being kind to one another, exercising, listening to the teacher, or reading a book at night.
Activity
Responsibility Role Play
Materials needed: Copies of the Scenarios
What would the world look like if no one was responsible?
Divide into 4-5 groups and role play what it would look like without responsibility. Give the groups a few minutes to decide what they are going to do and allow for time for each group to present.
Afterwards discuss how responsibility would make the situation better.
Scenario 1: The entire class didn’t do their homework.
Scenario 2: You forgot to feed your pets.
Scenario 3: Your entire family didn’t clean the house.
Scenario 4: You and your friends keep losing things.
Scenario 5: Half the team is late for the big game.
Responsibility Chain
Materials needed: 3 in strips of paper, markers
Give every student one sheet of paper and a marker.
C: I want everyone to take 30 seconds to stop and think. Look down and everyone takes some deep breaths in and really think. What is one thing that you are really good at being responsible for? Stop and think. (practice mindful moment) Okay now everyone takes their marker and let’s write down what we are strong in. I am going to write that I am really good at following the rules. What could you write down?
(students write down their answers)
C: Good now we are going to go around and share. As students share responses they bring them to you to start stapling together into a chain. (In the middle staple in one blank chain line without them looking that is a different color from all the rest so you can find it easily) When chain is done, discuss.
C: Look at how strong our chain is and how many things we can be responsible for? Wow we all have a lot of responsibilities. When we all take care of our responsibilities how do you think that makes us feel?
C: That’s right it makes us feel strong. But, what would happen if I decided one day at school that I didn’t want to follow the rules today. What happens? (Rip the blank chain at that point)
C: That’s right, my chain is now broken. Don’t worry! I didn’t rip anyone’s link , it was a blank one I snuck in there, see? It’s okay everyone’s answers are still there. But yes you are right. It made our chain much weaker. The same thing happens to you. If, one day you just decide that you don’t want to take care of your responsibilities anymore, it might make you weaker. Or if people in your classroom decided they didn’t want to follow the rules or be respectful it could make your classroom weaker. Or if you decided you didn’t want to clean your room at home it might make your home feel weaker. Learning to take care of our responsibilities makes us stronger because we learn how to take care and be in control of ourselves.
3rd and 4th Grade
Watch Danny Glover's "The Responsibility Project"
When we are not being responsible (doing the right thing), it greatly impacts those around us. It is our responsibility to help one another when we see someone struggling, to be polite and respectful, be a good citizen.
Activity
5th Grade
Middle School Elective Introduction
Today we are going to talk about middle school classes. We have already/getting ready to take our middle school visit. At that visit you are going to see all the options of classes available for you next school year. What we are going to do next is a virtual visit of our middle schools.
(After watching your feeder campus middle school videos) Now we are going to talk about how you will pick your middle school classes. (Pull up Naviance Demo Student and show an example of courses available) Remember last time, we completed a multiple intelligence quiz together and you made decisions on your strengths. Let’s talk about how those decisions will help you make choices on your middle school courses.