Students Offering Support

Lesson Seven: Responsibility – Grades 3-6

Introduction (5 min.)

Greet the class by telling them how glad you are to see them.

Brainstorm Web: Write the word Responsibility on the board and circle it. Say:

We are going to brainstorm what responsibility means and create a word web on the board. Raise your hand if you have an idea about how to define responsibility.

Write down responses and connect them to the circle with lines. Be sure to include the following words: duty, obligation, taking care of someone/something, trustworthy, reliable.

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout (15 min.)

Tell the students that you have a poem by Shel Silverstein to read to them and you need one volunteer.

Have a student stand in the front of the room and give him the sign, Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout to hold.

As one peer mediator reads the story slowly and with lots of expression, the other peer mediator sticks each “Sylvia Sign” (papers with lines from the poem) on the volunteer as that part is read.

When finished, keep the student standing while you ask the following questions: (Remember to acknowledge and restate all responses.)

• What was Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout responsible for? (Taking out the garbage)
• Did she do other chores? (She cleaned the pots and pans)
• What happened to her? (She got smothered in the garbage and her friends would not come to play)
• What’s the message of the poem?

Small Group Discussion: Ask the teacher for help to divide the class into two groups. One peer mediator joins each group and asks volunteers how they would practice responsibility in each of these situations (these “Responsibility Problems” are also on the CD that comes with the book):

• You are watching your favorite television program and you remember that your science project is due tomorrow.
• Your row in class has been assigned a group project on Native Americans. You have to do part of the project’s research but you would rather play kick ball after school than go to the library.
• Your sister is not feeling well and your parents ask you to take over her chores for the weekend.
• You borrow your neighbor’s skateboard and it is stolen when you left it outside your house.
• Your friend asks you to do something with him, but you have promised your mom you would put away the clean dishes.
• When passing out the study guide for a test, the teacher accidentally gives you the answer sheet to the real test.
• Your coach asks you to come to practice on time but you would rather “hang out” with your friends.

Mix & Match Responsibility Sheet (10 min.)

Pass out the Mix & Match sheet (from the CD that comes with the book) and ask students to connect the correct matches. Review responses.

Wrap-up

Ask: If you take responsibility for your own actions, what privileges might you earn?

Thank the students for their responsible behavior and end with the poem “The Voice” by Shel Silverstein (see appendix).