Copyright 2010 by Elizabeth L. Hamilton All Rights Reserved. Loyalty Lesson 2 of 4 Loyalty Stays Strong (Loyalty is durable, sure, unmoving, unswerving like a big tree.) Affirmation: I show loyalty when I stay strong and true for someone else. Preparation Print on cardstock one copy of the tree picture on page 3. Print one copy of the age-appropriate activity sheet for each child. Review Begin by showing the character wall. Say: Let s do some more work on your character wall. (Saying YOUR character wall helps children feel ownership.) This month we are working on loyalty. Hold up the picture from Lesson #1 and read the caption: Loyalty Chooses Carefully. Say: Last week, we learned that loyalty picks and chooses carefully the people to whom it will be true. Parents come first and we should all show loyalty to our parents. We should be FOR our parents, never AGAINST them. Second come siblings brothers and sisters. If you have brothers or sisters, you stay on good terms with them. You stay friends. You support them and are always FOR them, not AGAINST them. We learned, too, that you should NOT show loyalty to people who are always doing wrong. You should choose NOT to support bullies, name-callers, and others who do wrong. Introducing New Lesson Say: Today we re going to learn something else about loyalty. Hold up the large picture of a tree and read the caption, Loyalty Stays Strong. Say: When we exercise loyalty, we stay strong. We remain true but you might not know exactly what that means. You might think you know, but you can t really explain it. Say: Let s see if today s story helps us. Tell this story in your own words, changing it to fit your listeners. Andy was helping Dad wash the car. They had almost finished when Andy asked, Dad, what does it mean to be true to someone? That s a good question, Andy, Dad said. I ll tell you what. You run and get your sister while I finish up here, and we ll talk about it.
When Andy and Ann returned, Dad was coming out of the garage. Come over to the oak tree, he said. The big oak tree spread its huge green umbrella above a tire swinging on a rope. Dad pointed to the swing. This big tree has held your tire swing for a lot of years, hasn t it? Dad asked. Sure! Ann and Andy said together. Did the tree ever do anything AGAINST you? Dad asked. Did it ever refuse to hold your swing? Andy laughed. Of course not! Think about that, Dad said. You kick the tree to swing higher, but it doesn t get angry and drop your swing. It SUPPORTS you. You get on the swing together, but the tree doesn t jerk the rope to dump you. It keeps on being FOR you. You and your friends swing for whole afternoons, but the tree doesn t get tired and pull the swing up out of your reach. It stays STRONG for you. You ve gotten heavier over the years. When you get on the swing, you make a heavier weight for the tree, but it never shouts, Get off! It never breaks off that branch. It stays STRONG. It keeps on holding you. The sun shines hot on the oak tree. Cold snow and rain fall on it. Thunder crashes and lightning flashes, but the oak tree doesn t tire of holding your swing. It stays TRUE. It keeps on doing the same thing it did the day we put the swing on its branch. Dad patted the big oak tree with his hand. No matter what happens, this big oak tree stays strong for you. It keeps supporting you. It never changes. That s what being true to someone means. Dad sat on the swing. You can almost hear the oak tree whispering in a deep voice. Listen. I ll be true to you always. I will never change. No matter what you do, I will be the same to you. I will be on your side. I ll hold your swing. I ll support your weight. I ll be FOR you and never AGAINST you. I will show loyalty to you. Ann said. Everything that s true stays the same. Things that are true don t change, do they, Dad? That s right, Dad said. When you are true to someone, you don t change toward that person no matter what happens. You stay on their side. You stay strong. Andy nodded. Now I understand, he said. I watch out for Ann because she s my sister. If a friend asks me to leave Ann at the park and go with him, I wouldn t do it. I d stay true to Ann. I d stay strong like the oak tree. Apply the story in age appropriate words. Hold up the picture of the tree again, and read, Loyalty Stays Strong. You show loyalty when you stay strong and true for someone else. Always be sure you are true to others. Be sure you always stay the same to your parents. Always stay the same to your brothers and sisters. Stay strong and exercise loyalty. Hold up the picture of the tree again, and read, Loyalty Stays Strong. Close by handing out assignment sheets.
Color the tree. Add a tire swing. On the line, write: Loyalty Stays Strong. Write your name on the back. Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Loyalty #2 Ages 3 to 7
First and Last Name: I show loyalty when I stay strong and true for someone else. Think about someone to whom you should show loyalty. Then write a short story telling how you can stay strong and true for that person. Tell how you will not change. You may ask for help. Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Loyalty #2 Ages 3 to 7
First and Last Name: Loyalty Stays Strong I show loyalty when I stay strong and true for someone else. Follow the instructions to make a loyalty tree. The picture below shows a completed tree. How to Make a Tree: Cut out the pictures of trees on the next two pages of your assignment. Color the trees, front and back. DO NOT color the dotted lines. Cut the first tree along dotted line from the top to the dot halfway down the tree. Cut the second tree along dotted line from the bottom to the dot halfway up the tree. Slide the slit of one tree down over the other to form a standing tree. Use the circles to draw faces of the people to whom you choose to show loyalty. Or use the circles as patterns for faces from photographs (get permission first). Use as many circles as you need. Cut out the faces and paste them among the leaves of the trees, front and back. Draw a tire swing, cut it out, and add it to your tree. You may want to make your tree sturdier so it will stand better. You can do that by pasting strips of brown cardboard to the trunk. Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Loyalty #2 Ages 7 and up
Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Loyalty #2 Ages 7 and up
Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Loyalty #2 Ages 7 and up
Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Loyalty #2 Ages 7 and up