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Make Honesty NormalGRADE 7, LESSON 25

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CharacterDare(5-7 minutes)

Exit Intentionally(1 minute)

Objectives:• Students will reflect on their own

character and identify ways they could improve it.

• Students will understand what Honesty can look like daily or weekly in their lives.

• Students will create an ongoing commitment to bring Honesty to life in their school.

Materials:• Image: CharacterDare Image Set• Image: WOOP Goal Worksheet• Supplies: Paper and writing

utensil for each student

CharacterDare (5-7 minutes):• *Project Image: Previous CharacterDare.*

• Review the previous CharacterDare. In partnerships or small groups, have students discuss the previous Dare using the Truth or Dare format.

• *Project Image: Truth or Dare.* Є Truth: “What do you think about our most recent Dare?”

Є Do you like or dislike the Dare? Why? Є What was most difficult when considering this Dare? Є What do you think would happen if more people did

this CharacterDare? Є Dare: “Reflect on your experience with our most recent

Activity(20-22 minutes)

Activity(20-22 minutes)

Dare.” Є What did you learn about yourself

in attempting this CharacterDare? Є What did you learn about others in

attempting this CharacterDare?

• Ask for volunteers or randomly select some students to share their Truth or Dare reflections. Encourage them when appropriate and take advantage of any teachable moments, especially when a student shares a struggle. Remind your students that it is not about being perfect or completing every Dare. This process is about striving to improve our character with intentional practice. For some people, the challenge is simply in thinking about the CharacterDare and discussing it.



• *Project Image: Current CharacterDare.*

• Introduce the current CharacterDare. Answer and clarify any questions about the Dare. Encourage students to modify the CharacterDare if it does not seem to specifically fit your school situation. If necessary, talk about ways you could increase or decrease the challenge of the CharacterDare.

Activity - Two Truths and a Lie (5-7 minutes):• Have students take out a piece of paper and something to write with.

• Explain, “We are going to play a game that some of you may have played before called Two Truths and a Lie, but with a little twist. I want you to write down five things about you that are TRUE. They should be specific like, ‘I have over 100 first cousins’ or ‘My uncle is a geologist and named a type of rock after me’ or ‘I know every word to every song in every Disney movie’ or ‘My dog’s name is Snuffaluffagus.’ Go ahead and write your five facts now.”

• Say, “Now, find a partner that you haven’t worked with yet this year. Use that Webby—the little piece of hand between your fingers and your thumb—to greet each other and then I want you to share your five facts with each other. Each of you will choose two facts about your partner that you will share out loud with someone else. Then you will make up a third fact that is a LIE about them.”

Є Teacher Note - An alternative to handshaking could be a fist bump or smile and warm greeting.

• Have them find two other groups of two to form groups of six.

• Say, “I want you to introduce your partner to the group and share two facts about them and one lie—but not necessarily in that order! Then the rest of the group tries to guess which one the lie is.”

• Give them a few minutes to get through this process.

• Ask the class to discuss all or some of the following questions as a class or with a neighbor:

Є What have we learned about Honesty so far this year? Є When you were making something up about your partner, was it easy to

make up a lie? When else do we make up things about people? Є How do you know when someone is being fake? What does it feel like or look

like when someone is being honest, authentic, or real? What does it feel like or look like when you are being honest, authentic, or real? discussion, you can break the class into 2-3 larger groups.



Activity - Make Honesty Normal (12-15 minutes):• Ask, “Earlier this year, we talked about making Respect normal in our school and in

our lives. Let’s check in—how has it been going? We will use our ‘fist of five’ technique, meaning you put up all five fingers if it’s been going really well, just one finger if you have been struggling, or whatever number in between best fits where you are at.”

• Use this as an easy way to see where kids are at in the class. Call on a few ‘fives’ and a few ‘ones’ to check-in and see how they are doing and why they are struggling or succeeding. Call on a few ‘fours’ or ‘threes’ to see what would help them get to a ‘five.’

• Say, “In this lesson, we are focusing on making Honesty normal in our lives. We have used the WOOP technique a few times now. Let’s apply it to Honesty.”

• Ask, “Remember Honesty is about being free from deception. It’s not just about telling the truth—it is also about living in a way that is authentic. It’s about aligning your actions with who you want to be. Where in your life can you work on being more honest?”

• Remind students what WOOP stands for: Є Wish: What do you want to achieve? Є Outcome: What would happen if you achieved your outcome? Є Obstacle: What obstacles might be in the way of achieving your desired

outcome? Є Plan: Simple ‘If...then…’ plan that focuses on overcoming the obstacles

identified as they emerge.”

• *Project Image: WOOP Goal Worksheet.*

• Say, “Today, we are going to write a WOOP goal for Honesty. First, we have to start with the wish! An example of a wish for Honesty might be, ‘I wish that I was better at telling my family how I feel’ or ‘I wish that I was more authentic around my friends’ or ‘I wish my social media reflected my character in a better way.’ Go ahead and write your own wish now!”

Є Ask if 1-2 people would share their wish. Offer help where they are strug-gling.

• Say, “The next step is to think about and visualize the outcome of your wish. If it came true, what would happen? Maybe your family would know how to support you better. Maybe you’d have more fun with your friends because you didn’t have to pretend to be something you aren’t. Maybe you’d feel more positive because you were posting more positive things online. Take a second and write down what the outcome of YOUR wish could be!”

Є Ask if 1-2 people would share their outcome. Offer help where they are struggling.



• Say, “Now, the most important part of the WOOP process is figuring out what will get in the way of us achieving what we are trying to work on! This part is called the obstacle. What is an obstacle for you in making your wish come true? For example, an obstacle might be that my family doesn’t spend a lot of time together. Maybe an obstacle is that you are afraid that your friends will reject you. Maybe you are afraid that you will lose followers or get made fun of online. For YOUR wish, write down one or two obstacles that might get in the way.”

Є Ask if 1-2 people would share their obstacle. Offer help where they are struggling.

• Say, “The last thing I want you to write down is your plan! With a lot of goals in our life, the plan is pretty straightforward. If I want to get better at singing, I probably have to practice singing everyday! When we are talking about our character, it gets a little harder. That’s why we are taking time today to figure out how to be better people and not just better athletes or students! So, what is your plan for making Honesty more normal in your life? For this part, I want you to write two things.”

• Say, “First, I want you to write down how you will handle your obstacles. It should be an if…, then... statement. For example, ‘If my friends don’t like me for the real me, then I will focus on the friendships that accept me for myself!’ Go ahead and write down your plan for how you will handle your obstacles!”

• Say, “Finally, the last part of your plan is HOW you want to practice Honesty in some small way every day or every week—one simple way that you will make Honesty a part of your life. Maybe it is by spending the first five minutes with your family when you get home from school, telling them about your day. Maybe it is writing down, each week, one thing that you believe to be true in your life and one way that you will practice it that week. Maybe you commit to posting one positive thing about someone on your social media every Tuesday. Write down the one way you plan on practicing Honesty in your life to accomplish your wish!”

• Say, “Put this paper somewhere—your mirror or your locker—where you will see it every day to help you make Honesty normal in your life!”

Exit Intentionally (1 minute):• Say, “Thank you for being honest with yourself and with others today. I honestly believe

that each of you can make a difference in this school and in this world. Sometimes we worry so much about being accepted that we change ourselves to fit in—but I want to remind you that if you want people to like YOU, then you have to be YOU in all your weirdness and all your imperfections. As Gandhi said, ‘To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.’ Keep living what you believe!”

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