KEY LESSON
Unit Learning Goal
Students will articulate their own values and beliefs about work.
Lesson Goal
Students will reflect upon their personal decisions using the good work framework and in particular, consider their responsibilities.
Assessment
Students will be able to reflect upon their responsibilities and connections to the “rings of responsibility” framework in written and spoken reflections, which can be monitored and assessed for understanding.
portfolio documentation
Rings of Responsibility worksheet
Responsibility Reflection
Exit Ticket
RESOURCES
Total TIME
45 minutes
Instructions
1. Opener: Model the Rings of Responsibility activity for your students [5 minutes].
If needed, remind the students about the “good work” framework as defined by the “3 Es.” [Video: 2 minutes].
First, model the “Rings of Responsibility” activity by presenting your own “Rings of Responsibility” ring to the students and discuss why you chose to put each item in each ring [3-5 minutes].
2. Have students work individually to complete the Rings of Responsibility activity [15 minutes].
Provide students with the “Rings of Responsibility” Worksheet [15 minutes].
Allow students approximately 15 minutes to fill out the worksheet independently.
If there is extra time, advise students to “Pair and Share”—turn to their partner and discuss their answers with one another.
Add this worksheet to students’ Good Work Portfolios.
One COP Teacher provided the link to this video noting “To help students connect to the word ‘Responsibility’, we showed [this] video and asked students questions related to the video to focus on the key idea ‘responsibility.’”
Meenakshi Iyer at the Podar Education Network in India provided this image of an alternative version of the Rings of Responsibility worksheet that they used in their schools.
3. Discuss the Rings of Responsibility activity as a class [20 minutes].
Come together and discuss the “Rings of Responsibility” Worksheet as a class.
Show students the Rings of Responsibility video [2.5 minutes].
Use the following Discussion questions as a guide.
Discussion Questions:
Which ring of responsibility had the most items? Why do you think this is?
Do you think your parents might have most of their items in a different ring? Why?
Should we try and have more items in a different ring? What would that look like?
What did you notice about where you put your items in the ring vs. what the research video described about young people and responsibility?
5. Exit Ticket [5 minutes].
Have students consider someone related to your class content (e.g. a famous scientist?), a fictional person from the media, a celebrity, etc. Have them write down what they think their ring of responsibilities might look like.
“A few of my students had to say goodbye to a parent or grandparents in another country in order to come live with a parent or an aunt. Several of my students have experienced a degree of displacement (homelessness) and are able to write well about these hardships and decisions. The Rings of Responsibility lesson helped them see and discuss the unique “spaces and places” of their lives. Validation of the student as an individual human being while also seeing that they are an important part of their groups and communities also provided validation and encouragement for them.”
Possible Enrichments
Present students with the Responsibilities Reflection worksheet. Add this worksheet to the Good Work portfolio.
Consider allowing students multiple formats to “write” their reflections; e.g., paragraph for each, a poem, song verse, artistic rendering with description, etc.