CHARACTER COUNTS! Kindness 101

Reliability - Donations Pour in for Teen who Helped Co-Workers at Burger King After Graduation

Reliability means that others can count on you to do what you say you will do and consistently fulfill your responsibilities.

Grade Level: K-12
 
Character Skills
  • Trustworthiness
  • Responsibility
SEL Skills
  • Relationship Skills
  • Self-Management
  • Responsible Decision-Making
Academic Skills
  • Effective Problem-Solving
  • Self-Direction and Engagement

Definitions

Trustworthiness
  • Be honest. Don’t deceive, cheat, or steal.
  • Have integrity. Do what you say you’ll do.
  • Keep your promises.
  • Be loyal. Stand by your values.
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.
Relationship Skills

Create positive relationships and meaningful connections with family members, classmates, and teachers.

Self-Management

Regulate emotions, attitudes, and actions, and resist negative emotions and impulses.

Responsible Decision-Making

Make decisions based on rationality, ethics, and effectiveness.

Effective Problem-Solving

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

Self-Direction and Engagement

Fully engaged in the educational process and connected to the school community.

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

Students will explore the importance of reliability and how their actions affect others. Through a collaborative challenge, students will discover that teams function best when everyone consistently fulfills their responsibilities and that being reliable helps build trust and strengthens relationships.

Download Google Slides
activiate prior knowledge

Activate Prior Knowledge

  • What does it mean to be reliable?
    • Reliability means that people can depend on you to follow through on your commitments and responsibilities.
  • Who is someone you can always count on? What makes them reliable?
  • Why is trust important in friendships, families, and teams?
Kindness 101

Kindness 101 Video

discussion

Discussion Prompts

  • How did the person in the video demonstrate reliability?
  • Why were others able to trust and depend on him?
  • How does reliability strengthen relationships?
  • What can happen when people do not follow through on their responsibilities?
  • Why is it important for others to know they can count on you?
materials

Activity Materials

  • Per group:
    • Same building materials for each group. Could be anything from the list or things you have in your classroom:
      • Index cards
      • Notebook paper
      • Erasers
      • Rulers
      • Pencil boxes
      • Glue sticks
      • Markers
    • 1 roll of tape
    • 1 blindfold (or students close their eyes)
activity

Activity: The Blind Builder

  1. Divide students into groups of four. Assign each student one of the following roles:
    • Builder – Touches materials and builds. May not speak.
    • Director – Gives instructions. May not touch materials.
    • Supplier – Hands materials to the Builder. May only handle materials.
    • Observer – Watches for problems and provides feedback. May not touch materials or build.
  1. Tell students that their goal is to build the tallest free-standing tower possible in five minutes and that they must stay in their assigned role.
  2. Game Rules:
    • Builder may not speak.
    • Director may not touch materials.
    • Supplier may only handle materials.
    • Observer may only provide feedback.
  1. Allow teams to begin building.
  2. Add a reliability twist after approximately two minutes by quietly hand one student in each group a note that says:
    • “For the next minute, stop doing your job. Sit quietly and do not explain why.”
  • After one minute, instruct those students to resume their role and continue the challenge.
  • Once the building time ends have the groups observe their towers and discuss how the challenge changed when a team member stopped contributing.
  • Follow-up questions:
    • What happened when someone stopped doing their job?
    • How did it feel when everyone was doing their part?
    • Which role seemed unimportant at first? 
    • Was any role actually unimportant? Why?
    • What does this activity teach us about being dependable?
journal prompts

Journal Prompts

K-5

  • Describe a time when someone was reliable and helped you.
  • What is one responsibility people can count on you to do?
  • How does it feel when someone keeps their promises?

6-12

  • Reflect on a time when someone depended on you. How did you demonstrate reliability?
  • Why do trust and reliability often go hand in hand?
  • What habits can help a person become more reliable?
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 reliability.

  • Who is someone in our family that we can always count on?
  • How do family members show reliability every day?
  • Why is trust important within a family?

Activity

  • As a family, create a “Count On Me” chart.
  • Each family member writes down one responsibility they will consistently complete for the next week.
  • At the end of the week, discuss how following through on those responsibilities helped the family and strengthened trust.

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