Don't Let Me Down! 
(Responsibility Lesson)
Grade 3

Leader Hints: Think of how being responsible has helped you in your career and your life. Were there times you were irresponsible that hurt you? Think of how others' responsibility/irresponsibility helped/hurt you. Your students need to know that responsibility is important to you. By jotting down these formative life experiences before the lesson, you'll have them to share during the discussion time.

Today we want to discuss "responsibility." Does anyone know what responsibility is? (After some input, try to come up with a simple definition such as "doing what you're supposed to do." Write it on the board.)

To understand the importance of responsibility, let's start with an activity called "The Trust Fall."

I need four strong volunteers. Now stand facing each other, two on one side and two on the other.  Reach out with both arms and grasp each of the person's wrists across from you, forming a "net" of four strands. Now I need a fifth, light volunteer. Stand at the end of the "net," facing away from it. Can you trust those making the net enough to slowly lean back until you fall into it?

(Teacher: Stand close by, with your hand touching the faller's back, to ensure this goes as planned. It would not be cool if one of the students decided it would be funny to let go!)

Repeat with as many students as are interested.  

Discuss the "Trust Fall" (you might even discuss this while some are doing the trust fall)

1. Why was it hard to trust the four people who caught you? (If they were irresponsible and let go, you could have fallen and gotten hurt. Even if they meant well but got distracted, you could get hurt.)  
2. What does this activity teach us about responsibility? (Being irresponsible can hurt people. Being responsible can help people.)

Discuss real life (This is where we try to help students move beyond understanding responsibility to wanting to be responsible)

1. How do you feel when people let you down? (Teacher: do you have a personal story about this to share to get the ball rolling and to let students know how strongly you feel about responsibility?)
2. How can being more responsible help us? (Teacher: again, a personal story?) 

What Does Responsibility Look Like? (Brainstorm)

Let's think of as many ways to be responsible as we can. Who's first? (Write their ideas on the board. Ideas: cleaning up your bedroom, obeying your parents and teachers, doing your homework, taking dishes to the table, being quite when you're supposed to, etc.)

Conclusion