CHARACTER COUNTS! Kindness 101

Fairness: High School Basketball Team That Appealed Own Victory Gets Awarded for Character

Fairness means making honest and just decisions, even when it is difficult or when no one is watching.

Grade Level: K-12
 
Character Skills
  • Responsibility
  • Fairness
SEL Skills
  • Self-Awareness
  • Responsible Decision-Making
Academic Skills
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Effective Problem-Solving

Definitions

Responsibility
  • Do what you are supposed to do. Try your best.
  • Persevere. Keep on trying.
  • Be self-disciplined.
  • Think before you act. Consider the consequences.
  • Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes.
Fairness
  • Play by the rules.
  • Take turns and share.
  • Be open-minded. Listen to others.
  • Don’t take advantage of others.
Self-Awareness

Identify and understand emotions, values, attitudes, motivations, mindsets, and personal attributes .

Responsible Decision-Making

Make decisions based on rationality, ethics, and effectiveness.

Critical and Creative Thinking

Acquire, remember, understand, and apply knowledge.

Effective Problem-Solving

Make rational, ethical, and effective decisions to find the best solutions to problems.

Learn more about our character, SEL, and academic outcomes.
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CBS News
The Ray Center at Drake University

Students will explore how fairness often requires honesty and integrity, especially when there is an opportunity to gain an advantage. Through a simple challenge, students will examine how difficult it can be to act fairly when no one is watching and reflect on the importance of making ethical choices.

Download Google Slides
activiate prior knowledge

Activate Prior Knowledge

  • What does it mean to be fair?
    • Fairness means treating others honestly and making decisions based on what is right rather than what benefits us most.
  • Is fairness always easy? Why or why not?
  • Have you ever had to make the fair choice even though it was harder?
Kindness 101

Kindness 101 Video

discussion

Discussion Prompts

  • What made the decision in the video difficult?
  • How did the people involved demonstrate fairness?
  • Why can fairness sometimes require sacrifice?
  • How do you know if a decision is fair?
  • Why is fairness important for trust in relationships and communities?
materials

Activity Materials

  • None
activity

Activity: Secret Winner Race

  1. Have students stand in a line or spread out around the room.
  2. Explain that they will participate in a series of quick challenges.
  3. Tell students that when you say go they will close their eyes and complete the challenge. When they are done with the challenge, they are to raise one finger to show they are finished.
  4. Use the following challenges or create your own.
    • Touch your nose three times.
    • Spin in a circle.
    • Count silently to ten.
    • Touch your shoulders five times.
    • Clap quietly seven times.
  5. Explain that the winner is the first person to raise a finger after completing the challenge. Overly celebrate the winner each round.
  6. Play several rounds.
  7. Follow-up questions:
    • What made this game difficult?
      Could someone have said they were finished before completing the challenge?
    • Why might someone be tempted to do that?
    • What happens when fairness depends entirely on honesty?
    • How did it feel knowing nobody could check your answer?
    • Does being fair change when no one is watching? Why or why not?
journal prompts

Journal Prompts

K-5

  • Describe a time when you made a fair choice even though it was difficult.
  • Why is it important to be honest when no one is watching?
  • What does fairness look like at school?

6-12

  • Reflect on a situation where fairness depended on honesty.
  • Why can doing the fair thing sometimes be challenging?
  • How does integrity influence fairness in everyday life?
family connection

Family Connection

Educators: Copy the Family Connection and email it to parents or click here to download a PDF version to email or print.

Watch

Discuss

Use these questions to start meaningful conversations about fairness.

  • When is being fair difficult?
  • Why is honesty important when making fair decisions?
  • How does fairness help people trust one another?

Activity

  • As a family, discuss situations where no one would know if someone broke a rule or took a shortcut. Examples might include finishing chores, following household rules, playing a game, completing homework, etc.
  • Have each family member share how they would make the fair choice and why fairness matters even when nobody is watching.
  • Conclude by discussing how honesty and fairness work together to build trust within a family.

More Kindness 101 Activities

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