Self-Management
Family Resources on Responsibility
Lesson Topic
Making safe and responsible decisions
Essential Questions
How do we show responsibility?
If this lesson was used in the classroom: Students learned that choosing to make responsible decisions is the key to remaining safe and preventing injuries. Part of the class activities included a discussion about making responsible choices and an art activity was to create a “quilt” (using paper not sewing) showing students making responsible choices.
Getting Ready for the Conversation
The video for this lesson features three students: Dane, Rickie and Melanie. Each of these three have been involved in serious accidents. Rickie and Dane both have had bicycle accidents, but each was wearing a helmet which probably saved their lives. Melanie was rollerblading without safety gear and had a serious injury to her arm that required 30 stitches. All three discuss the importance of being responsible by wearing their safety gear.
Conversation Starters and Practice at Home Activities
The first two items are for follow-up after viewing the lesson video and participating in class activities.
Describe the quilt your class made in school. Tell us about the section that you (or you and your group) made as part of the quilt. Why did you choose the topic for your section of the quilt?
Tell us about what happened to one of (or each of) the three students (Rickie, Dane, and Melanie) who told their stories in the video. What can you learn from this student (or each student)?
What are the things that we do as a family where we use safety equipment? Why is it important to use that equipment? [This can be extended to discussions about wearing seat belts in cars, staying seated on the school bus and similar topics]
Develop a safety plan for making responsible decisions for family activities (like driving, walking on sidewalks, etc.). Every few months come back and discuss any changes that need to be made to the safety plans.
School to Home Resources on Responsibility
Materials
- Paper and writing utensils
- The Three Little Kittens book
- A quilt or a picture of quilts
- Construction paper
- Crayons or markers
- In a remote environment, Activity 3 will be modified. If students have art supplies, complete as described and have them hold up their part of the quilt and take a screen shot to create your “virtual” quilt.
Previewing Activity:
The following can be asked/done before watching video.
What are some things that you have been taught about being safe?
Do your parents/adults at home talk about the word “responsibility”? If so, what do they say?
- How do we show we are responsible for our things in this classroom?
- What are some things that you have been taught about being safe?
- Do your parents/adults at home talk about the word “responsibility”? If so,what do they say?
Activity 1:
Watch video: Responsibility [3 minutes]
Activity 2:
Discussion questions following the video.
- Why are some children reluctant to wear safety gear when they participate in sports activities? How is that not responsible?
- Have you ever had an experience similar to Ricky’s, Dane’s, or Melanie’s? Explain.
- What did you learn from this experience?
- What is your responsibility to help keep others safe at home, at school, and in your neighborhood?
- Can people count on you to be responsible? Why or why not?
Activity 3:
Responsibility Quilt
Introduction:
Introduce students to quilts by showing examples (actual quilts or pictures).
Discuss how quilts are made of lots of different pieces of material, all sewn together to create one big work of art or a blanket.
Tell students that in past history, people would get together to make quilts to give to families in their community to keep them warm and to celebrate different events.
They would first draw the design they hoped to make, then they would work together to create it.
Everyone in the quilting group was responsible for following the plan and making their stitches even and strong so the quilt would look exactly as the group designed and it would stay together forever
Direct Instruction:
Explain that the class is going to make a paper quilt. It will not keep us warm, but it will be a work of art for our classroom.
Show the paper squares and explain how each person will be responsible for decorating the square with an example of how we show responsibility in our class.
Guided Exploration (We do):
Brainstorm the different ways each member of the class is responsible for making sure the class runs smoothly. What are the jobs for which people are responsible? What rules do people need to follow responsibly? How do we show we are responsible members of the class?
Ask students to use pencil to create a practice design on a plain square. They will need to show you their designs first and be able to describe their pictures.
Teacher will approve based on design and description. REMEMBER: Encourage students to use as many details as possible and help them match their design to their descriptions, but never criticize their designs OR do their work for them.
Independent practice
After the practice design is approved, have students select a color square and the use markers, crayons and other art supplies to transfer their design to the color square.
Make sure they put their initials somewhere on the square. The artist always signs his/her work.
Remind them that each person is responsible for one square done well to make a class quilt.
Conclusion
Collect all the squares and work with students to help design the layout of the squares to make a paper quilt.
Use tape or other materials to connect the squares.
Mount the final product in a public place.
Discuss how they showed responsibility for making the quilt.
Vocabulary and Definitions
gear (n): the equipment, clothes or tools needed for a particular activity.
- Because there was a chance of rain, Manuel brought his rain gear with him to the campground.
protective (adj.): intending to keep someone safe from harm, damage, or illness.
- Christy used her protective gloves to keep her hands clean while she painted her room.
responsibility (n.): doing what you’re supposed to do; a task or duty that a person should or must perform.
- One of Kevin’s responsibilities at home is to clear the table after eating dinner.
