I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.”
― Frederick Douglass
Happy November! It seems as Trimester One has flown by, especially as more activities and community events have started back up. This month we are focusing on Integrity. As an aside, I (Wei) like to ask my Elementary age children – who are you when no one is watching? Well, after Halloween and leading up to all of the festivities around the holidays, I now ask myself, how much and what are you eating when no one is watching?!!! On a serious note, let us challenge our children to be people of integrity, to be people that others look up to and rely on because they know that they are trustworthy and will act justly and honorably.
Integrity: Having the inner strength to be truthful and trustworthy, acting justly and honorably, and being consistent in words and actions.
Catchphrase: Tell the truth. Keep your word.
Integrity can be tricky to understand, especially for some of our younger students. Examples from your own life, characters in literature, and/or physical examples, like a building that lacks integrity, can all be excellent ways of solidifying this concept of integrity. Here are some discussion questions and activities to assist you in cultivating this trait this month.
Forging Integrity:
- Ask your kid(s) if they are able to define integrity. Discuss the SLOCA definition and catchphrase.
- Build a building or bridge together. Use blocks, legos, playing cards, etc. and discuss structural integrity. Why is it important for a building to be well built? Would you walk across a bridge that did not look structurally sound? How does this relate to trusting people? Click here for one from TKSST.
- Why must you earn trust? How do you earn trust?
- Why does it take strength to be truthful and trustworthy? When is it the most difficult for you to be truthful?
- What happens when you are not consistent in your words and actions?
- Do you know anyone that always keeps their word?
- Discuss recent historical figures we have studied. Would you say that have integrity – why or why not?
- Parents/Home Educators, consider sharing with your students a time that you were not trustworthy and/or lacking in integrity. What was the outcome? Looking back, would you have approached this situation differently?
- Brainstorm ways that you can practice integrity this month. Ex: If you say you are going to do something, make sure you follow through and do it.
Click the link below for a printable copy of this poster. And share with us in the comments how you are encouraging the trait of integrity in your kids!
Integrity
Check back next Wednesday for our Teaching Character Through Literature series. Curated by our SLOCA librarians, we will share our literature suggestions to help your at home discussions on the monthly Character Trait.
