Loyalty Activities
The activities here are fun ways to teach character. The game aspect makes the lesson more memorable. Each activity has processing questions at the end. Without processing the activity, the exercise is just a game. To make it a stronger lesson when you process it, relate the character quality to a core value that your organization promotes.
Consider picking a student to run the activity. You will need to give them time ahead of the activity to prepare. Another option is to pick a few students to run the activity for a younger classroom after you have run it for your class. Encourage your students to repeat it in the home for younger siblings or even parents.
Lean on Me
Divide the class into groups of 6 or 8 – it must be an even number. Ask each group to stand in a circle holding hands or holding wrists to make it stronger, and count off in order, one, two, one, two, etc. Tell the students that all the “ones” should lean forward when the “two’s” lean back when you tell them to. Remind them to hold on tightly so that they can support each other from falling. Then, ask them to reverse, so that the ones leaning forward will lean backward and the ones leaning backward will lean forward. For younger students, you may wish to start with one group, with the rest other students watching. Then, organize a second circle to do the same. This way, adults and remaining students can stand around the circle to make sure nobody falls.
To process the activity, ask these or similar questions:
- Did you like this activity?
- Did you like depending on each other? Supporting each other?
- Did they think leaning in or leaning out was harder?
- Was it easier to support the other person when they were leaning or standing straight?
- Did you trust the people on either side of you to hold them up? Why?
- What would have happened if someone had dropped hands?
- In real life, how do we lean on each other for support?
- How do we show our loyalty to each other?
Military Loyalty
Our military veterans truly know the meaning of loyalty. Consider inviting a veteran, possibly related to a student, to come in and speak on the subject of loyalty and what it meant to them during their service and what it might mean to them now.
Discuss what loyalty looks like in a family, among friends, or on a sports team. Identify what people might feel loyal to that they shouldn’t – fashion, sports team fanatic, or a friend who is trying to talk them into doing something they know they shouldn’t do.
To process the activity, ask these or similar questions:
- Did you enjoy our speaker?
- What did you learn about Patriotism or Loyalty?
- Does listening to stories like this make you feel more Patriotic to our country?
- Do stories like this help you recognize Loyalty to other groups like classrooms, teams, schools, family, or neighborhood?
E Pluribus Unum
E Pluribus Unum is the motto carried by the American Eagle depicted in the Great Seal of the United States. It is most often translated as “Out of Many, One”. This Latin phrase was well-known by the statesmen designing the seal. It appeared on the title page of the annual volume of the Gentleman’s Magazine or Monthly Intelligencer – next to a drawing of a hand holding a bouquet of different flowers. America was originally likened to a bouquet, where unity and individuality coexisted – not a “melting pot” that blended everyone together.
To build on the symbolism of the bouquet, create a bouquet in the classroom that symbolizes the unity and individuality of the classroom community. Download the picture of the flower or use one of your own. Have the students color the flower using whatever medium they choose. Once the flowers are complete, you can glue a beverage straw to the back so they can be placed in a vase, or they can be displayed on a bulletin board or hung on the classroom door without the straw. When all the flowers are complete, you can create a ritual to add them to a large vase (decorated with the motto) or put them on the bulletin board. You can play patriotic music and have each student add their flower, one by one.
When finished, process the activity with these or similar questions:
- Did you like learning about the Motto?
- What did each of the flowers that you created represent?
- Did you notice how the more flowers we added, the prettier the (vase, board, door) became?
- How does creating these flowers represent the unity and individuality of our classroom?
- How will you act toward someone who is different than you?
how to pronounce E Pluribus Unum