Gossip - 4th & 5th grade

Objectives:

• Understand how spreading rumors is hurtful
• Understand that both positive and negative rumors can be hurtful
• State one way to stop the spread of rumors

Standards:

• Sense of belonging in the school environment
• Create positive and supportive relationships with other students
• Demonstrate empathy
• Demonstrate ethical decision-making and social responsibility
• Demonstrate advocacy skills and ability to assert self, when necessary
• Demonstrate social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and environment

Materials:

• Mr Peabody’s Apple by Madonna
• Two Truths and a Lie
• Blank Paper

two_truths_and_a_lie.pdf
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Directions:
Read story
Discuss story
Ask students why might people spread gossip? (to get attention, revenge, to draw attention away from something they did, etc.)
Two Truths and a Lie (celebrity) [the lies do not have periods at the end of the sentences, all info was gotten off IMDb]
Talk about how even flattering rumors can still hurt someone. (if you got a new video game and I told everyone, it would take away from your joy of telling people)
Talk about how spreading embarrassing truths can also hurt someone. 
Talk about ways to stop/decrease spreading of rumors (ask students what they think they can do to stop the spread of rumors?)
Have students fold a paper in half for every time they agree with a statement.

• Have you ever been hurt by gossip
• Have you ever had a friend hurt by gossip
• Have you ever shared something true about someone else that hurt their feelings
• Has someone shared something true about you that hurt your feelings
• Have you ever shared something that you weren't sure whether it was true
• Have you ever shared something you knew wasn't true

Then have them try to smooth out the wrinkles. The paper is damaged just like our relationships and it takes a lot of patience and effort to restore the relationship to a decent place.