Honesty and Doing What’s Right
Students learn to explain an ethical choice by naming the ethical principle at stake and showing how it applies, take responsibility for a mistake without blame-shifting, notice something unfair and propose a specific fair change, complete their own work independently understanding that it builds skills they wouldn't build from copying, and identify whose rights were violated and what a fair response would be.
Lesson Overview
What students will be able to do after this lesson: Students will be able to name the ethical principle behind a choice and show how it applies, own a mistake without blame-shifting, complete their own work knowing what it builds, and name what’s unfair — including whose rights were affected and what a fair response looks like.
Skill segments at a glance:
| Segment | Segment name | Primary standards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What Makes a Choice Right? | RDM-ETH-3-1 |
| 2 | Owning It and Doing It Yourself | RDM-ETH-3-2 · RDM-ETH-3-4 |
| 3 | Seeing What’s Unfair — and Doing Something About It | RDM-ETH-3-3 · RDM-ETH-3-5 |
Supporting standards reinforced:
| Code | Why it connects |
|---|---|
| SA-VAL-3-1 | When students name honesty, fairness, or care for others as the principle guiding a choice, they are naming the value that guided that decision — the direct application of this standard. |
| SoA-FAR-3-1 | In Segment 3, students identify whose rights were violated and what a fair response looks like — a direct application of understanding rights and responsibilities. |
Key Vocabulary
- ethical principle — a belief about what’s right that guides how you act
- honesty — choosing to tell the truth, even when it’s hard or uncomfortable
- fairness — making sure everyone’s needs and rights are treated equally
- care for others — choosing to think about how your actions affect the people around you
- responsibility — owning what you did without shifting the blame to someone else or to circumstances
Materials
- Whiteboard or chart paper and markers
- Before the week begins: Post your unit anchor chart and I Can Statement where students can see them — you’ll reference both throughout the week.
How this lesson is structured: Each skill segment below has an I Do (teacher models the skill with a realistic scenario) and a We Do (class practices together with your guidance). Independent practice — the You Do — lives in the practice resources that go alongside this lesson.
What Students Need Before This Lesson
- What’s inside
- What students should already be able to do
- Helpful to have in place
- 3 quick set-ups before the I Do“The Right Choice” vs. “The Easy Choice” · Explaining vs. Excuse-Making · “It’s Not Fair!” vs. a Specific Fairness Claim
- Rescue planIf students are significantly behind
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Introducing the Skill
- What’s inside
- Opening hook
- What we’re learning
- Why it matters
- Core sentence frameThe frame students use all week
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
What Makes a Choice Right?
- What’s inside
- I do: 4 teacher modelsWhat ethical reasoning looks like done well · Wrong version → fix: naming the choice without naming or connecting the principle · Fairness and care for others also count · The skill used in an ordinary, non-conflict moment
- We do: 4 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Owning It and Doing It Yourself
- What’s inside
- I do: 4 teacher modelsTaking responsibility without blame-shifting · Wrong version → fix: blame-shifting in action · Academic integrity: the learning reason for doing your own work · Someone who sees the learning reason clearly
- We do: 5 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Seeing What’s Unfair — and Doing Something About It
- What’s inside
- I do: 4 teacher modelsNaming the specific unfairness and proposing a real fix (RDM-ETH-3-3) · Wrong version → fix: “It’s not fair!” without a specific claim or a fix · Rights and fair response: moving to the rights level (RDM-ETH-3-5) · Fairness in an ordinary, everyday moment
- We do: 4 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Closing the Week
- What’s inside
- 3 partner-share roundsOne for each segment, with the frame students say together
- Round 1 — Naming the ethical principle
- Round 2 — Owning mistakes and doing your own work
- Round 3 — Noticing unfairness and naming whose rights were affected
- Land the key idea
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Practice for every skill segment
Each lesson comes with independent practice — the “you do” — for each of its 3 skill segments, in print and digital.
Printable practice
Ready-to-copy practice pages for each segment.
- View and print in your browser
- Answer keys for quick checking
Digital activities
Share one link — students open it on any device, and you see their answers.
- Works on Chromebooks, tablets and phones
- Students just type their name to start
While you wait: from the SEL Resource Library
Responsible Decision-Making resources for Grade 3, ready to use today.
