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What Is a Promise?

Lesson 1:

From Unit Character Education: Honesty (Grade 6)

Lesson

Handouts

Academic Standards

Philanthropy Framework

6th-8th Grade

Subjects:

Language Arts, Library / Technology, Philanthropy and Social Studies

Key Words/Concepts click to view

ELA:	Ostrich Egg Wife (The); Brainstorming; Group Discussions; Response to Text/Others; Teamwork; Vocabulary
PHIL:	Character Education: Honesty; Honesty
SOC:	Good Character; Values

Purpose:

Students define honesty as fairness and straightforward conduct. They look for examples in a story and debate the merits and mistakes of the main character.

Duration:

One 20-minute lesson

Objectives:

The learner will:

define honesty before and after discussion and story.
read the story "Ostrich Egg Wife."
identify examples of honesty/dishonesty in the story.

Service Experience:

Although this lesson contains a service project example, 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.

Materials:

access to classroom dictionary(ies)
student copies or read aloud copy of the Ostrich Egg Wife found at http://www.learningtogive.org/materials/folktales/OstrichEggWife.asp

Instructional Procedure(s):

Anticipatory Set

Write the following statement on the board: "I never tell the truth." Ask the students if the statement is true or false. Encourage the students to explain their answers (e.g., If the statement was true, then it wouldn't be true anymore).

Ask, "What does it mean to be honest?" Listen to student definitions of honesty and write the key words on the board from their explanations. Explain that although honesty is usually associated with telling the truth, honesty has a wider definition that they will explore together.
Before reading the short African fable called "The Ostrich Egg Wife," tell the students you want them to listen for the examples of honesty or dishonesty in the story.
Read aloud (or give out copies for students to read) the Ostrich Egg Wife. After reading, ask the students to point out how Setelane was not honest. (He broke a promise.) Ask what happened to him when he broke a promise. (He lost everything.) Ask, "What was worse, the words he said to his wife or breaking a promise? Why?" This may create some debate. If the students don't raise the issue themselves, ask them whether Setelane was honest when he said his wife was the daughter of an ostrich egg. If they disagree about this, tell them, "This may be a good time to look up the definition of honesty in the dictionary."
Ask students to look up the definition of honesty in the dictionary. Have students read aloud the definitions and synonyms. Or share Webster's dictionary definition of honesty, which is "fairness and straightforwardness in conduct."
Discuss the ways Setelane did not show himself to be straightforward, or a man of honor.

School/Home Connection:

At home tonight, students start a discussion by asking their families, "Why is it important to you that people are honest?"

Cross-Curriculum Extensions:

Students may read the book Jazmin's Notebook (See Bibliographical References) about a girl who is true to herself and her calling. Her positive attitude and determination give her the strength to get through tough circumstances.