Kindergarten Social Studies: Myself and Others SS000106

Unit 1: Who Am I? Lesson 6

Lesson 6: I am Responsible

Big Ideas of the Lesson

Responsibility means doing what you are supposed to do.

Everyone has many responsibilities.
Problems occur when people do not do their responsibilities.

Lesson Abstract:
This lesson begins with the teacher writing the term Responsibility on a large piece of chart paper
and sharing some of his/her responsibilities including: I am responsible for keeping you safe; I am
responsible for keeping the room organized; I am responsible for helping you learn; I am responsible
for sharing with other teachers; I am responsible for taking care of my family, etc. The teacher then
poses the following question: What responsibilities do you have? As students share ideas, the
teacher writes their responses underneath the term Responsibility on the chart paper. When
necessary the teacher prompts students with questions such as: Do any of you have some
responsibility for a pet at home? What about school rules? What about some of the things we listed
on our How to Get Along with Others and Be a Good Citizen Chart? Finally, each child finishes the
stem: I am responsible when I and draws a matching picture. Finally, the students complete the
last part of their I Am a Person project by adding one responsibility that they have at home or at
school.

Content Expectations
K - C5.0.1: Describe situations in which they demonstrated self-discipline and individual
responsibility (e.g., caring for a pet, completing chores, following school rules, working
in a group, taking turns).

Key Concepts
citizenship
responsibility

Instructional Resources
Equipment/Manipulative
Chart paper, 2 large pieces
Chalkboard/dry erase board
Computer (optional)
I Am a Person pictures from previous lessons
Internet access (optional)
Markers, Colored pencils, crayons, etc. (classroom set)
Markers for teacher use

*Pimp It Up* The upgraded set of materials will include: The books I Just Forgot by Mercer
Mayer, the book E-I-E-E-O! How Old Macdonald Got His Farm With A Little Help From A Hen,

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Kindergarten Social Studies: Myself and Others SS000106
Unit 1: Who Am I? Lesson 6

written by Judy Sterra and illustrated by Matthew Myers, and The Girl From the Tar Paper
School by Teri Kanfield. Along with the following websites http://pbskids.org/ ,
https://www.gonoodle.com/ http://mrnussbaum.com/prek/ and https://www.funbrain.com/

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Kindergarten Social Studies: Myself and Others SS000106
Unit 1: Who Am I? Lesson 6

Student Resource
I Can Be Responsible! (A Sunburst Title). Sunburst. 2000. Discovery Education. 13 August 2009
<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>.

Responsible Me (A Sunburst Title). Sunburst. 2000. Discovery Education. 13 August 2009

<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>.

Tunes: Responsibility. Discovery Education. 2009. Discovery Education. 13 August 2009

<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>.

Teacher Resource
Clark, Jennifer. Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 6). Teacher-made material. Michigan
Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum, 2009.

Lesson Sequence
1. To begin this lesson, write the word Responsibility on a large piece of chart paper or on the board
and share some of responsibilities of being a teacher or an adult. Some possible responsibilities
might include:
I am responsible for keeping you safe.
I am responsible for keeping the room organized.
I am responsible for helping you learn.
I am responsible for sharing with other teachers.
I am responsible for taking care of my family.

*Pimp It Up* To upgrade the beginning of the lesson, first begin by reading the book: I Just
Forgot by Mercer Mayer. This book will be a good introduction into the concept of
responsibility that will Segway nicely into the next phase of the lesson.

2. After sharing some of your own responsibilities, ask the students, What responsibilities do you
have? Provide students with time to respond and then write their responses on the chart paper or
board under the word Responsibility.

3. If the students struggle and need some prompting questions, the following questions could be
used:
Do any of you have some responsibility for a pet at home?
Do any of you have responsibility at school?
Do any of you have some responsibility for a job/chore at home?
Think about our How to Get Along with Others chart we created, are there any
responsibilities on there that you have?

*Pimp It UP* To upgrade this portion of the lesson, read the book: E-I-E-E-O! How Old
Macdonald Got His Farm With A Little Help From A Hen, written by Judy Sterra and illustrated
by Matthew Myers. Read this book to students and use it as a resource to discuss the
responsibilities that this farmer had in maintaining his farm. As an alternative, the book: The
Girl From the Tar Paper School by Teri Kanfield. This is a nonfiction book that tells the story

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Kindergarten Social Studies: Myself and Others SS000106
Unit 1: Who Am I? Lesson 6

of the young girl named Barbara Johns and the role that she played during the civil rights
movement. This book discusses the responsibilities that she had once she led the first public
protest which jumpstarted the Civil Rights Movement. These two books can be used to
discuss responsibility and how responsibility can look different depending on the context.

These two books were a part of the 2014 NCSS Outstanding Trade Book Awards.

4. For the next part of the lesson, share one of the videos from Discovery Streaming
(http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/) about responsibility. After showing the video, ask the
students to identify what responsibilities the children in the video(s) had. Assess from responses if
any students need further instruction regarding responsibility.

*Pimp It Up* To upgrade this portion of the lesson, go to the website http://pbskids.org/ here
the students will explore different videos and games that will reinforce the concept of
responsibility. The students can also explore the website: https://www.gonoodle.com/ this
website is one that gets children moving with meaningful songs that pertain to many themes
like that of responsibility. The students can also explore the website:
http://mrnussbaum.com/prek/ and https://www.funbrain.com/ which also provide an
assortment of games and videos that will reinforce the concept of responsibility.

5. Next, take a large piece of chart paper and write the following prompt in the middle: We are
responsible when we. With your guidance, each student illustrates a picture of what they are
responsible for and pastes it on the chart paper. The final product, a collection of what everyone
in the classroom is responsible for, could be hung up in the classroom as a reminder that
everyone has responsibilities. A page titled We Are Responsible, with several examples, is
included in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 6) for your reference.

*Pimp It Up* After completing this portion of the lesson, have the students vote to pick an
organization that they would like to help be responsible for in working with their cause. The
students may decide they want to help be responsible for collecting canned food for various
local shelters in need. The students may also try and be responsible for organizing a clothing
drive to donate to shelters in need as well.
Once the students have picked their organization, organize a day and time for the head
of that organization to come in and speak to the class. For example, if the students chose to
be responsible for organizing a canned food drive for the Grace Centers of Hope, Pastor Kent
Clark would be contacted and asked to come in and speak to the class about his organization
and the responsibility that the students would have.

Kent Clark contact information: (248)334-7939

6. The students return to their I Am a Person project. For this lesson, the students cut out or add a
picture to show a responsibility they have. Examples of possible ideas are located on the I Am a
Person page in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 6). This serves as an assessment
that they know what it means to be responsible.
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Unit 1: Who Am I? Lesson 6

7. When the students are finished with their I Am a Person project, it can be hung up in the room to
illustrate the knowledge students learned about being a person from this unit. Note that these are
wonderful to display for conferences or open house.

Assessment
The I Am Responsible chart that the students complete as a class serves as an assessment. For
another assessment, use the I Am a Person people that the students finished in this lesson that
demonstrate their knowledge about being a person. The completed I am a person project is a final
unit assessment. The students can also create word cards similar to the word cards provided in the
Supplemental Materials (Unit 1, Lesson 6) as an assessment.

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