A United World

 

 

What is honesty?

• Honesty is telling the truth.
• Honesty is straightforward conduct.
• Honesty is being sincere, truthful, trustworthy, honorable, fair, genuine, and loyal with integrity.

Honest, trusting kids:

• Tell the truth despite consequences
• Voice their opinion in a kind, thoughtful way
• "Tell on" someone only when necessary
• Show and share their feelings
• Know their classmates and teachers care and want the best for them
• Feel and react without guilt
• Express themselves positively as well as critically

You are being honest when you ...

• Do your own homework
• Tell a friend the truth
• Explain the real reason you didn't turn in your homework
• Keep your eyes on your own paper
• Clean up your room after making a promise
• Give the cashier the extra money she gave you by mistake
• Write a report in your own words instead of copying
• Admit you made the mistake
• Keep a friend's secret
• Turn in a wallet full of money that you found

Be honest with yourself

• Accept responsibility for your own actions; don't blame others.
• Be honest about your feelings.
• Face issues as they arise.
• If you are considering lying, try to think of the consequences.
• When confronted with a situation, think of others.

Proverbs and maxims

• Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented. (George Braque)
• The truth is more important than the facts. (Frank L. Wright)
• In the mountains of truth, you never climb in vain. (Nietzsche)
• If you tell the truth, you have infinite power supporting you.

More quotes about honesty

• There is no wisdom like frankness. (Disraeli)
• A harmful truth is better than a useful lie. (Thomas Mann)
• Honesty is the best policy.
• Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. (Jefferson)
• One falsehood spoils a thousand truths. (Ashanti proverb)

Heroes and heroines

• Confucius was a Chinese philosopher who believed that a person's first duty was to be virtuous.
• Cochise was a Native American leader who was known for his honor and for keeping his word.
• Barbara Jordan was a remarkable Congresswoman who was a model for honesty in politics.
• Martin Luther was a religious leader who led the Reformation movement (against the existing church) with honesty and courage.

Put honesty into action

• Thank someone in your family for being honest.
• Tell your parents about a mistake you've made.
• Tell the truth when you've done something wrong.
• Compliment a friend for being honest.
• Express your real feelings without anger, without blaming others, without exaggerating, and without hurting the feelings of someone else.
• Turn in something that is lost and encourage others to do the same.
• When someone wants to copy your work, politely explain that it isn't right and that it's best to do your own work.
• Admit a mistake or error in judgment you have made and apologize to anyone it might have affected.
• Do your schoolwork honestly
• Be truthful with your friends and thank them for being truthful with you.
• When you ask someone to be honest with you, don't get angry with them if their honesty isn't what you wanted to hear.

Community service ideas

• Write a letter of thanks to a politician or community leader who has taken a stand on a controversial issue.
• Visit a senior citizen center to play board games with the residents. Make very honest moves as you play.
• Share the meaning of honesty with your family. Ask them to share their ideas with you.
• Remind members of your community to be honest. Decorate public areas with signs telling about the value of honesty.
• Create a classroom honor code. Write it down and hang it up in the classroom, so that everyone can see it all year long.
• Plan a class field trip to a daycare center to tell stories with themes of honesty to young children.

8 great reasons to tell the truth

1. Telling the truth lets everyone know what really happened. There's less chances of misunderstandings, confusion, or conflict.
2. Telling the truth protects innocent people from being blamed or punished.
3. Telling the truth allows everyone to learn from what happened.
4. You usually get into less trouble for telling the truth than for lying (and getting caught).
5. Other people trust you more when you tell the truth.
6. You don't have to tell more lies to keep your story straight.
7. You gain a reputation for being truthful - a trait that most people value.
8. Telling the truth helps you feel secure and peaceful inside.

10 tips for being more truthful

1. Make a commitment to tell the truth and honor it.
2. Tell someone about your commitment and progress.
3. Think before you give a dishonest answer, explanation, or reason.
4. Be careful of when and how you use exaggeration, sarcasm, or irony. 
5. Be careful not to twist the truth or leave out part of it.
6. Don't indulge in little white lies; don't get caught in cover-ups.
7. Watch out for silent lies. When you know about a lie and keep quiet, the lie lives on.
8. When you catch yourself lying, throw your mouth into reverse and tell the truth.
9. Talk to yourself quietly and ask what is the best thing to do.
10. Treat your to something special with you tell the truth even when it's hard.

More activities

• Write and perform a skit in which you and others debate the saying "Honesty is the best policy."
• Discuss what is means to "live a lie."
• List examples of what honesty means to you and role-play.
• Research whistle-blowers or people who go public about an unfair, unsafe, or unethical practice in the workplace or other place.
• Study honesty and dishonesty in advertising. Read or look at ads - in the news, magazines, on tv.
• Learn about the relationship of honesty and (mental) health.
• Learn about honesty in scientific or medical research.
• Compare national honesty (crime statistics) with local honesty. Which is higher?
• Research cultures past and present to learn their views of honesty.
• Find out how your school handles dishonesty. Are there student guidelines about cheating, stealing, lying, plagiarism, and other issues?
• Survey your class to find out how honest students are.
• Collect pictures of people throughout history who have been known for their honesty.
• Write a jingle about honesty or dishonesty.
• Read stories about honesty.

Perseverance  

What is perseverance?

• Perseverance is commitment, hard work, patience, endurance.
• Perseverance is being able to bear difficulties calmly and without complaint.
• Perseverance is trying again and again.

You show perseverance when you ...

• Give up your tv time to spend hours studying
• Try a new sport that is very difficult but you don't give up
• Have a learning disability but keep studying even when discouraged
• Come from a home where there is fighting and unhappiness but you still try your best
• Have missed a week of school but you work hard to catch up
• Are at the end of a difficult race but you cross the finish line
• Save money and make sacrifices to buy something
• Spend hours practicing on your music
• Study and work hard to raise your grade
• Try out for something you weren't successful at the first time

Proverbs and maxims

• Failure is the path of least persistence.
• All things will come round to him who will but wait. (Longfellow)
• Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.
• Work hard and give it your best shot; never be a quitter. (Charley Taylor)

More quotes on perseverance

• Victory belongs to the most persevering. (Napoleon Bonaparte)
• Hitch your wagon to a star. (Emerson)
• To persevere, trusting in what hopes he has, is courage to a man. (Euripides)
• You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. (Beverly Sills)
• Many strokes overthrow the tallest trees. (John Lyly)

Community service ideas

• Entertain senior citizens at a retirement home
• Correspond with students from another country and learn about each other's culture
• Write thank you letters to community leaders
• Volunteer to help the disabled
• Volunteer to help with cleanup or gardening chores at a park or other public recreational area
• Share with another school the meaning of respect by exchanging art projects, writings, and other ideas. Try to exchange visits
• Honor Labor Day by showing respect for the working people in your community
• Make posters

"The Golden Rule"

• "Treat others as you wish to be treated yourself."
• The Golden Rule urges all people to treat one another with dignity and respect.

Remember

• Respect means using good manners; being courteous and polite, speaking to others in a kind voice; using polite body language.
• Respect means showing consideration toward other people (including your elders, parents, guardians, teachers, peers, siblings, other family members, employers, and people in authority).
• Respect means honoring other people's wants, needs, ideas, differences, beliefs, customs, and heritage.
• Respect means caring for other living things and the earth (animals, plants, the environment).
• Respect means obeying the rules, laws, and customs of your family, faith, community, and country.

Other activities

• Write a poem about respect. What does it mean to you? Or write a story about an incident where someone shows respect or disrespect. Perform it as a skit.
• Make a list of disrespectful words and phrases. Replace with compliments, congratulations, and encouragement.
• Learn about netiquette or proper behavior using the computer for communication.
• Learn about etiquette for different occasions such as meeting new people, giving a party, eating a meal, writing a thank you note, participating in sports.
• Research respect and courtesy in other cultures. Make a chart to compare simple courtesies.
• Brainstorm rules of respect for your family, classroom, club, etc.

Responsibility

Meaning of responsibility

• Responsibility is taking care of your duties.
• Responsibility is answering for your actions.
• Responsibility is accountability.
• Responsibility is trustworthiness.

Why is being responsible important

• Responsibility is a core value for living honorably.
• Responsibility is being accountable for your behavior.
• Responsibility is being dependable when yo have things to do.

Examples of responsibility

• You complete your chores at home without being constantly reminded.
• You take good care of your personal possessions.
• You come home on time.
• You call your parents if you are late.
• You eat healthy food, get plenty of exercise, and take good care of yourself.
• You take care of your lunch money and don't lose it on the playground.
• You keep a promise.
• You put part of your allowance into a savings account instead of spending it all.
• You complete your school assignments on time and to the best of your ability.
• You take care of your pet.
• You return library books on time.

Responsible children

• Understand and accept consequences for their actions and try to correct their mistake
• Complete assignments and tasks
• Clean up after themselves
• Do the "right thing" and apologize if wrong
• Help others in need
• Follow through without giving up
• Understand the effect they have on others

Heroes and heroines

• Eddie Akau - was a well-known surfer with great strength of character and a willingness to sacrifice for others. As a lifeguard, he saved over a thousand people.
• Nellie Bly - was a newspaper reporter who advocated women's rights and exposed terrible conditions in the slums, hospitals, factories, prisons, and orphanages.
• Thomas Jefferson - was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. As president, he tried to reorganize the courts of law, establish a system of public education, and guarantee religious freedom.
• Eleanor Roosevelt - modeled civic and national responsibility as a social activist.
• Harry S. Truman - as president, never shirked his duties and always accepted full responsibility for his decisions.
• Booker T. Washington - founded the Tuskegee Institute, a school for blacks, and promoted improving job skills.

Proverbs and maxims

• Ideas don't work unless we do.
• He who is not ready today will be even less so tomorrow.
• If everyone sweeps in front of his own front door, all the world would be clean.
• What is popular is not always right. What is right is not always popular.

More quotes on responsibility

• Responsibility educates. (Wendell Phillips)
• The price of greatness is responsibility. (Winston Churchill)
• No man was ever endowed with a right without being at the same time saddled with a responsibility. (Gerald Johnson)
• Man is still responsible. His success lies not with the stars but with himself. (Frank Williams)

Steps to making responsible decisions

• Define your goal. What do you want?
• Explore all the choices and options.
• Gather information and facts.
• Write down arguments for and against each choice.
• Take time to think through the consequences of each choice.
• Make the decision.

Put responsibility into action

• Clean your room without being asked.
• Throw away your trash and pick up some litter.
• Practice self-control when you feel angry.
• Clean up your area after lunch and encourage your friends to do the same.
• Follow through on all assignments at school and chores at home.
• Do your chores at home without being asked.
• Look for something extra to do at home or in your community that is helpful.
• Organize a park cleanup.
• Keep a promise even if it is hard.
• Express your anger with appropriate words and actions.

Community service ideas

• Clean up your own back yard by collecting rubbish and recycling items around the school and home.
• Organize a graffiti cleanup party.
• Volunteer at a local community center helping younger students with recreation, crafts, and other activities.
• Sponsor a canned food drive at your school.

Many types of responsibilities

• MORAL RESPONSIBILITY to other people, animals, and the earth. This means caring, defending, helping, building, protecting, preserving, and sustaining. You're accountable for treating other people justly and fairly, for honoring other living things, and for being environmentally aware.
• LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY to the laws and ordinances of your community, state, and country. If there's a law you believe is outdated, discriminatory, or unfair, you can work to change, improve, or eliminate it. You can't simply decide to disobey it.
• FAMILY RESPONSIBILITY means treating your parents, siblings, and other relatives with love and respect, following your parents' rules, and doing chores and duties at home.
• COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY. As a part of the community, you're responsible for treating others as you want to be treated, for participating in community activities and decisions, and for being an active, contributing citizen. Pick up trash to keep the community clean. Read local and community newspapers to stay informed. Vote in elections when you're old enough.
• RESPONSIBILITY TO CUSTOMS, TRADITIONS, BELIEFS, AND RULES. These might come from your family, your community, your heritage, or your faith. Learn what they are and do your best to respect and follow them.
• PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. It's up to you to become a person of good character. Your parents, teachers, religious leaders, scout leaders, and other caring adults will guide you, but only you can determine the kind of person you are and ultimately become. So get organized, be punctual, and honor your commitments.

How to plan to carry out obligations

• Write a list of all the things you need to do.
• Write down when each task or jobs needs to be done.
• Write down what you'll need to accomplish each task or job.
• Always have a backup plan - a "plan B."

More activities

• Tell about an experience where you exhibited or did not show responsibility.
• Think of a new skill or talent you'd like to develop. Practice and share.
• Write a poem, jingle, paragraph, or saying about responsibility.
• Research discoveries and inventions that have had both positive and negative consequences.
• Consider whether math makes you more responsible. Cite examples.
• Research responsibility in advertising.
• Research responsibility toward indigenous people. Choose a country that was taken from natives by invaders, setters, or foreign governments.
• Survey your neighborhood to see who needs help.
• Write a skit that demonstrates your school's rules.
• Find a job or start your own business such as a yard service or babysitting.
• Make a family jobs chart.
• Create a responsibility tree to show what you are responsible for doing.
• Make your own daily planner.
• Find examples of popular music that promote responsibility, dependability, and perseverance.
• Examine the role of responsibility in sports.
• Playa "What's Their Responsibility?" game for various careers.
• Read stories about responsibility.

Self-Discipline 

What is self-discipline?

• Self-discipline is self-control and self-restraint.
• Self-discipline is self-reliance and independence.

Students who exercise self-discipline:

• Complete their assignments
• Stay on task
• Wait to be called on
• Work toward personal and community goals
• Try again and again
• Ignore peer pressure
• Choose productive rather than destructive activities
• Control their tempers

Eight ways to strengthen your self-discipline

1. Decide that you really want to be someone who's self-disciplined. Your desire will motivate you to make good choices.
2. Make a personal commitment to develop and strengthen these traits. Write down specific things to do.
3. Learn the rules that determine what you can and cannot do.
4. Be accountable. Accept responsibility for your own behavior. Don't blame others for your actions and decisions.
5. Practice. Self-discipline is something you can teach yourself. For example, set aside time to read more or to clean up.
6. Do activities that enhance your self-discipline like yoga, walking, rock-climbing, practicing a musical instrument.
7. Eliminate harmful habits. For example, if you spend several hours each week watching violent videos or tv programs, make a conscious decision to spend your time in healthier, more productive ways.
8. Start a self-discipline group to plan and carry out activities.

Activities

• Brainstorm a list of problems that might result from a lack of self-discipline: personal appearance, physical-mental-emotional health, school success, life success, friendships, job performance, talents, participation in family-clubs-community-faith, marriage, parenting.
• Do silly exercises to strengthen your self-discipline like not scratching.
• Role-play how you might talk with a younger brother or sister who is demonstrating a lack of self-discipline.
• Write or tell a chain story about a make-believe prince or princess who has no self-discipline.
• Interview scientists, engineers, doctors, and other people to learn the role of self-discipline in training for their careers and in working.
• Investigate different animal species to learn if they use discipline. Is misbehavior punished in young or in a group situation?
• Examine nature to find examples of discipline and order such as patterns.
• Explore tessellations (repeating geometric patterns).
• Research discipline in history.
• Draw cartoons showing examples of self-discipline vs. no discipline.
• Write new lyrics to a popular song that encourage self-discipline, self-restraint, and self-reliance.
• Explore musical dynamics and control.
• Learn about self-discipline in sports.
• Play a "stop-wait-go" game thinking of different situations.

Sharing and Caring

What is sharing

• Sharing is giving, service, love, helpfulness.
• Sharing is kindness, generosity, unselfishness, sacrifice.

Ways to show you care and can share:

• With your actions
• With your words
• With your thoughts
• With material gifts

With your actions

• You might make your parents' bed, rake leaves off the lawn, tutor a younger child, open a door for someone, or sit with someone unpopular at lunch.
• Spend an hour listening to a lonely person.
• Be helpful and kind to someone who needs a hand.

With your words

• Say kind things to and about other people.
• Offer advice when it's wanted and sympathy when it's needed.
• Don't spread gossip, rumors, or cruel stories, even if they are true.
• Sometimes silence is golden; sometimes the kindest words are those that aren't spoken.

With your thoughts

• Positive thoughts and prayers can be very powerful.
• You can do an act of kindness for another person merely by thinking good thoughts about him or her.

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