Honesty Is The Best Policy

Objective:        To stimulate thinking about the importance of being truthful.

How lies and truancy can lead to crime. Being prepared to reconsider existing views.

Weighing respective claims of self-interest.

Ability to draw meaning from art, poetry, symbolism.

 “ Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom”.

Thomas Jefferson

Today we’ll talk about one of the most important thing in our life – about truth or Honesty.

T. Is telling the truth easier than telling a lie?

Why should we tell the truth?

When is it all right to keep a secret?

When isn’t it all right to keep a secret?

 T. Now listen to the story The Seed Of Honesty and be ready to discuss it.

 The seed of honesty

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a person to take over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the people  together.
He said, “It is time for me to choose the one who we’ll run my business.. I have decided to choose one of you.”

The young workers were shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here in a  year  with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will  judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will take my business .”
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and he planted the seed.
Everyday, he waters it and watches the seed. After  three weeks, some of the other workers began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were growing.
Jim also was checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he was very upset.
Six months went by — still nothing in Jim’s pot. He  knew he  killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his friends.
A year passed and all the workers of the company brought their plants to the boss.
Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened.
He took his empty pot and went to his boss. He was surprised  of plants grown by the other workers. They were beautiful — in all shapes and sizes.
Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his friends laughed.
When the boss came, Jim  tried to hide in the back. But the boss told Jim to stand in front of his collegues.
The boss asked him what had happened to his seed – Jim told him the story.
He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young workers, that Jim is the new boos of the company.
 The boss said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you took another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. That’s why, he is the one who will be the new boss!”
Answer the questions:
1. Was the boss wise? Why?
2. What can you tell about the young workers?
3. Was Jim courageous?
T. Do you always tell the truth? Are you always honest?

Listen to the dialogue between a mother and a son. Think if a son was honest.

DRAMA

A:     Mum, I didn’t go to school today.

B: (Surprised) You didn’t go to school!  Why?  Where were you then? You took your bus money, so why didn’t you go?

A: I’m sorry, Mum. I met my friends. They said they were going to the shopping center to buy some new games. I was pleased to go with them. I thought I  could come to school in time. But there were too many interesting things that I forgot about school . And it was too late. I couldn’t get back alone. Mum, what shall I do? What shall I tell teacher when he asks where I was?

B:        What do you think you should tell your teacher?

A: (doubtfully) My friends say I must tell the teacher that our father’s car broke down.

B:    (gently but firmly): But our car did not break down. If you start telling lies you couldn’t stop to do it! Think what you are really going to tell your teacher tomorrow.

A:     (hesitantly) I’ll have to tell the truth, Mum.

Mother: That’s my son. You must always tell the truth.

Shimere: Mum, I feel better now. Tomorrow I’ll tell everithing to my teacher.

 

QUESTIONS:

1.            Why did Nick feel sad?

2.            Why did he feel better?

3.            Can you think of a time when you were afraid to tell the truth?

4.            What did you do?

GROUP  ACTIVITY

I.  T: Now divide into groups. Imagine you have a party and you want to treat your friends with pizza. Take pizza and divide it between your friends.

II. T: When you think of honesty, you might think “don’t lie”. But being honest also means only saying and doing things that are truthful.

In these situations, which actions are honest?                                                                   

You broke a table. Your mom asks who broke the table.

a.   You tell her you did it.

b.   You say you don’t know what happened.

Explain your answer:                                                                                                

You really want to play with a friend’s toy at your house.

a.   You slip the toy in your backpack and figure you’ll put it back tomorrow.  As long as he doesn’t find out, you didn’t lie.

b.   You ask to borrow the toy.

Explain your answer:                                                                                                          

Your mom said you could play computer for 30 minutes and set a timer.

a.   When the time is almost up, you secretly add more time on the timer so you can keep playing.

b.   You stop playing when the timer rings.

Explain your answer:                                                                                               

You went to Joey’s to play, and then went to Austin’s without asking. When your dad asks, “Whose house did you play at today?” :

a.   You say, “I played at Joey’s.”

b.   You say, “I played and Joey’s and Austin’s.”

Explain your answer:                                                                                               

III. T: Now think and write on the stars what honesty means for you and stick it to the wallpaper.

  Group singing

I Say What I Mean, I Mean What I Say, I am honest
I tell the truth with kindness and tact, I am honest

I refuse to cheat, steal or lie
I don’t try to fool anyone
I don’t need to impress, I can be myself
I avoid deception
I Say What I Mean, I Mean What I Say, I am honest
I tell the truth with kindness and tact, I am honest
My actions match my words
I’m filled with integrity
When I make a mistake I admit it
I’m sincere and trustworthy
I Say What I Mean, I Mean What I Say, I am honest
I tell the truth with kindness and tact, I am honest