Responsibility · Activity

Taking Responsibility - Life Skills - Social Skills

5th & 6th Grade

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Activity: After viewing the video, students are guided to create a responsibility journal. The class brainstorms a list of typical responsibilities at home, at school, and in the community. Each student makes a checklist from the general list, and adds some of their own unique responsibilities. Class time is scheduled daily (5 minutes) to fill in the checklist. At the end of the week, students evaluate their personal results. 

Materials needed: the teacher makes student journals by stapling together a journal cover, 3 checklist forms, and extra paper for writing about results and goals (or students can make these)

Suggested checklist

blank* forms: make 3 per student, one for each category of responsibility: (1) my responsibilities at home regarding both personal care and family responsibilities, (2) my responsibilities at school, (3) my responsibilities in the community *leave the forms blank so that students can verbally brainstorm ideas about the topic

 Sample checklist #1: 

My responsibilities at home

Key: 3 = I did this 100%, 2 = I halfway did this, 3 = I didn’t do this







































































































































































TaskDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5
Get up on time
Eat healthy breakfast
wash
Brush teeth
Make bed
Do  chores
Leave on time for school
Homework

completed
Add any that are not on the list


Sample checklist #2: My responsibilities at school

Key: 3 = I did this 100%, 2 = I halfway did this, 3 = I didn’t do this







































































































































TaskDay #1Day #2Day #3Day #4Day #5
On time arrival
Homework handed in
completed class work
Respect for classmates
Respect for adults
Respect for school property
Add on list


Sample Checklist #3: My responsibilities in the community

Key: 3 = I did this 100%, 2 = I halfway did this, 3 = I didn’t do this























































































































TaskDay #1Day #2Day #4Day #4Day #5 
Respect for rules and laws
Respect for people
Respect for property
No littering
Helping others in need
Add on list


Directions: Explain that today’s activity is about responsibility, in the home, at school, and in the community. Introduce the video and tell students to take notes. Lead a discussion about the video, highlighting how people learn to be responsible, the reasons why people fail to take responsibility, the consequences for not taking responsibility, the benefits for taking responsibility, and how to improve our ability to take responsibility. Introduce the checklist activity with a brainstorming session about responsibilities in the home, at school, and in the community. Write down student responses on a whiteboard. After brainstorming, direct students to fill in their forms following your lead. Use a blank chart-sized form and tell students to write what you write, based on the brainstorming exercise, in the task boxes. Tell them to add any additional tasks in the empty boxes at the end of the checklist. Assign them to keep track of  what they do or don’t do so they can accurately self-access during the time allotted in class, about 5 minutes each day. Give them time to decorate their journal covers, and the following school day, guide them to give themselves a grade for Day #1 on each task using a key: 3 = I did this 100%, 2 = I did this halfway, 3 = I didn’t do this. At the end of 5 days (or longer, if you choose), guide students to evaluate their success by adding up the numbers. Tell them to write about their results on one page, and their plans to improve on the next page. 

Wrap it up: Congratulate everyone for making the effort to self-reflect and encourage them to keep working on their goals to improve. Remind students that learning to be responsible is hard work but the benefits are worth the effort. 
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