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Character Education: Responsibility (Grade 6)
Unit of 5 lessons
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Unit Purpose:

Students create a definition of responsibility from their experiences and gain insight into ways that sixth graders are responsible. Through a scenario, students examine the steps of decision-making in taking responsibility.  Through text, students examine Lorenzo De Zavala's responsibility in early and later life. Students gain insights into people's choices about responsibility through scenarios. Through a choice of prompts, students will reflect on and express their understanding of being responsible.

Focus Question:  What role does responsibility play in relationships and life success? How can developing responsibility equip people as world citizens who contribute to the common good?

After using this character education unit, please complete a short evaluation.

Unit Duration:

Five 20-Minute Lessons

Unit Objectives:

The learner will:

  • define responsibility from a brainstormed list of ideas/adjectives.
  • examine his or her responsibilities through the lenses of assigned, assumed, automatic and reminded.
  • draw conclusions about sixth graders and responsibility.
  • decide what action to take in response to a scenario.
  • analyze the steps of decision-making in a scenario of someone taking active responsibility.
  • write in a journal the steps of decision-making in a personal act of responsibility.
  • examine Lorenzo de Zavala's responsiblities in early and later life.
  • analyze the steps of decision-making in taking responsiblity for the Indian Villagers' water.
  • predict what principles or values directed Zavala's life.
  • analyze a scenario to determine ways of handling decisions about responsibility.
  • explain responses, with rationale, to a variety of perspectives.
  • create an essay on the defintion of responsibility, or
  • create an essay on a personal experience of responsiblity, relating what might have happened without responsibility taken.

Service Experience:

Although lessons in this unit contain service project examples, decisions about service plans and implementation should be made by students, as age appropriate.

This character education mini-lesson is not intended to be a service learning lesson or to meet the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice. The character education units will be most effective when taught in conjunction with a student-designed service project that provides a real world setting in which students can develop and practice good character and leadership skills.  For ideas and suggestions for organizing service events go to generationon.org.

Notes for Teaching:

It is recommended that learners keep a journal to record their learning and reflections about the character traits studied.

State Curriculum and Philanthropy Theme Frameworks:

See individual lessons for benchmark detail.

Lessons Developed By:

Jan Dalman
Curriculum Consultant
Learning to Give

Comments

Teresa, Teacher – Austin, TX9/9/2010 11:29:41 AM

Students responded well and learned new vocabulary words.

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