Suggested Activities
In this challenge, students further develop their understanding of the importance of creating a climate of cooperation by determining how well they meet their classroom responsibilities. To introduce the activity, read aloud a story or poem about a child who does not meet her or his responsibilities (e.g., "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout would not take the garbage out" by Shel Silverstein). Discuss the character's responsibility (job) and what happens when the individual did not do the job. Review the list of class rules/jobs. Discuss the word "responsibility" as those things or tasks we do to cooperate, work and play together at school. Suggest examples of how we would know when students are not responsible (the plants would die if not watered, all the blocks would be lost if not put away, our friends might cry if we were mean to them). Ask students to choose one rule/responsibility that they think they do well and ask them to draw a picture of it. When the drawing is complete, write a sentence for each child that describes the rule/responsibility. Discuss with each student how she or he will know that the selected responsibility has been fulfilled. Allow a day or so for students to carrying out their responsibility. Using an icon (e.g., happy face stamp, tick mark, sticker) that the child chooses, indicate that she or he has completed the task. It is important that this be a positive experience: use the activity to discuss responsibilities and completing responsibilities, not to criticize a child's inability to follow rules. Issue a responsible class citizen certificate for their efforts.
Adapted from Maureen McDermid, Mary Abbott and Roland Case (eds), Rights, Roles and Responsibilities at School (Richmond, BC: The Critical Thinking Consortium, 2003), pp. 59-65.
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