Teaching Integrity and Honesty: Activities and Lessons for Upper Elementary Students
Encouraging students to develop and show honesty and integrity is an important role of the upper elementary educator. By teaching integrity and honesty, we can help foster a positive classroom environment, improve how students resolve conflicts, and help them build positive character traits. In this blog post, explore the meaning of integrity, learn why you should spend classroom time focusing on honesty with your students, and take away 14 practical activities and lessons to help students develop these vital traits.
why should we teach honesty and integrity
(…an attempt at the short version! 😂)
Upper elementary students have surely experienced that honesty isn’t always easy, that not telling the truth has consequences, and that a reputation of dishonesty and lack of integrity can negatively affect our relationships with those around us.
Now that students are at an age to more deeply understand the complexities of right and wrong, structured lessons about integrity and honesty can have a meaningful positive impact. It’s important that the adults (including us as teachers) in children’s lives set clear expectations for ethical behavior and model those expectations for them, both implicitly (through our actions) and explicitly (through our direct teaching).
The Making Caring Common Project at Harvard highlights the importance of explicit teaching and modeling of honesty so that students understand the long-term consequences and benefits of being honest—including trustworthiness, integrity, personal responsibility, self-respect, and courage.
I don’t know about you, but I welcome more integrity and honesty in our classrooms, communities, and every day interactions and explicitly bringing these topics to the forefront of our classroom conversations can make a huge positive impact in a relatively short amount of class time!
So without further delay, let’s dig into some ideas for teaching integrity and honesty!
1) BREAKING DOWN INTEGRITY MEANING: TEACH STUDENTS KEY VOCABULARY
When teaching my integrity and honesty unit, I am sure to give students the vocabulary necessary to learn about the topic and experience it in deep and meaningful ways. I provide them with the definitions for integrity, honesty, reputation, trust, and character. When introducing integrity meaning to students, I define it as
the quality of being honest; adhering to strong principles and character
I post all of our key vocabulary about integrity on our morning meeting bulletin board near our meeting carpet. This makes the terms and definitions really accessible to students and helps them internalize the concepts. Students also receive a copy of the vocabulary to put in their morning meeting journals.
2) READ ALOUD INTEGRITY AND HONESTY BOOKS
One of the best ways to introduce the meaning of integrity to students is through engaging stories that bring these values to life. Children's literature and picture books provide powerful examples of integrity and honesty in action, helping students connect with these concepts on a deeper level.
Some of my favorite read alouds for teaching these themes include The Empty Pot by Demi, Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna, and The Honest-to-Goodness Truth by Patricia C. McKissack. You can click over to my amazon integrity book list if you need more recommendations for integrity books to read aloud!
🌟After reading aloud (or viewing) many different texts related to integrity and honesty, I lead my students through a compare and contrast activity. By detailing the situations, characters, and examples of integrity represented in each text, we are able to identify common themes and big ideas about integrity that help students carry home the important lessons (like telling the truth even when it’s hard)!
3) EXPLORE HONESTY AND INTEGRITY EXAMPLES
In my SEL Integrity and Honesty Morning Meeting Unit, I use a hands-on integrity sort to provide students with real-world examples and non-examples of integrity and honesty.
I ask them to analyze the example scenarios, deciding whether each one is:
an example of acting with integrity
an example of NOT acting with integrity
These scenarios reinforce what honesty and integrity looks like in action and highlights examples where integrity could have or should have been used. This activity is powerful in providing a clear distinction between positive choices that align with integrity and those behaviors that do not reflect honesty or fairness.
👉 As a follow-up to this lesson, I ask students to brainstorm examples of integrity both at school and at home. This reflective activity allows them to connect the lesson to more personal situations where they can practice integrity in their own decisions and actions.
4) PROVIDE SELF-REFLECTION & GOAL SETTING OPPORTUNITIES
In my SEL Integrity and Honesty Morning Meeting Unit, I like to use self-assessments and questionnaires that encourage students to reflect on their own relationship with integrity and honesty and how they typically do or do not demonstrate these values. At the beginning of the unit, we take time to set both personal and whole-class goals related to practicing integrity, whether it’s through their words, choices, or actions.
Once we’ve gone beyond the tip of the iceberg in our learning about integrity and students have developed a better understanding of what integrity is, I ask them to reflect on their own integrity with these prompts:
specific instances when they made an honest choice even when it was difficult,
when they stood up for what was right,
a time when they showed kindness and respect to others,
when they made a choice that they later regretted,
when they did not stand up for what they believed in, and
a time when they could have been more kind or more respectful
This self-reflection helps students recognize patterns in their decision-making, build self-awareness, and develop the confidence to act with integrity in future situations.
5) ANALYZE INTEGRITY AND HONESTY QUOTES
I like to weave integrity and honesty quotes throughout my integrity unit. It’s always interesting to hear another person’s perspective on big topics like integrity and honesty. The time spent allowing students to interpret and discuss the meanings of these quotations encourages them to continue refining their own values and beliefs about integrity and honesty—which I think is a worthy use of time!
6) DEMONStrATE WHY HONESTY IS IMPORTANT
Honesty is the foundation of strong relationships, and I love using a visual honesty activity like the Broken Trust Jar to help students understand its impact.
I start by reviewing the definition of honesty—telling the truth and doing what’s right, even when it’s hard.
Then, I introduce a clear jar filled with marbles, explaining that the jar represents the trust we share in relationships. Each time we’re honest, we add to the jar. Each time we’re dishonest, we take marbles out.
🌟This lesson and all materials are fully described in my honesty and integrity unit! Be sure to check it out!
For the demonstration, I read aloud examples of real-life situations where honesty strengthens trust or where dishonesty weakens it. I add ONE marble to the jar for a positive situation and remove TWO marbles from the jar for dishonesty or lack of integrity.
As the jar empties, students quickly see how difficult it is to regain lost trust. The broken trust jar demonstration leads to a powerful class discussion about how our choices affect our relationships and why rebuilding trust doesn’t just happen overnight or by saying we are sorry.
7) HONESTY SCENARIOS FOR STUDENTS: ROLE-PLAYING HONESTY
To help students explore honesty in action, I split them into small groups and provide each group with Honesty Scenario Cards. In their groups, students act out each scenario twice: once with a dishonest response and once with an honest one. Each student takes a turn as the "responder," allowing everyone to experience both sides of the situation.
Afterward, we come together as a class to discuss the activity. I ask questions like:
How did the dishonest responses affect the situation?
How did the honest responses change things?
How did each response feel?
This role-playing activity helps students understand the impact of honesty and how it shapes their relationships and decisions.
8) SHOW INTEGRITY VIDEOS
Using video to showcase real-life examples of integrity can make the concept more relatable and memorable for students. (Videos can also be a huge time-saver when you are short on time but still want to have a morning meeting or SEL focus).
I like to use this short video from Build Character, Build Success to help students understand the meaning of integrity when I’m first introducing the topic. In my SEL Integrity and Honesty Morning Meeting Unit, I’ve included a suggested playlist of videos that help students understand the importance of acting with integrity, even when it's difficult.
9) MAKE INTEGRITY PLEDGES
Exploring the connection between keeping our word and integrity is a powerful lesson for students. I start by showing them the video “What is ‘because I said I would’?” which introduces the Because I Said I Would movement focused on building a society that keeps the promises we make.
We discuss how integrity is directly tied to following through on what we say we’ll do—whether it’s a promise to ourselves, our family, or our community.
Students then use the Because I Said I Would integrity pledge cards to write down commitments they’re making. These can be personal goals, promises to their classroom community, or even commitments to contribute positively to their local community. If they feel comfortable, students share their pledges with the class, reinforcing the idea that integrity isn’t just a private value—it’s something that impacts and inspires others.
I encourage exploring more videos from the Because I Said I Would channel to find additional stories that will resonate with your class and deepen your discussions on integrity and commitment.
10) TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT POSITIVE PEER INFLUENCE
Peer pressure is one of the challenges students face in many situations where integrity is needed, so it’s important to explore how it can influence their decisions. I love using the "What is the right way to handle peer pressure – Wellness 101 Jr." video because it provides clear steps for navigating these tricky situations. After watching the video, we discuss examples of peer pressure, considering both its negative and positive impacts.
We also talk about the connection between peer pressure and integrity—like how negative peer pressure can sometimes pull us away from our values, but how positive influence from our peers can encourage us to do the right thing.
We discuss the characteristics of friends who demonstrate integrity and honesty. I encourage students to think about what it means to be a trustworthy and honest friend and how surrounding themselves with peers who uphold these values can help them make good decisions.
“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.”
11) TEACH STUDENTS WHY REPUTATION MATTERS
One of the challenges of acting with integrity is recognizing the role that our reputation plays in our lives. I love using the video “What is Your Reputation? Here’s Why It’s Important…” because it helps students understand that while reputation is based on how others perceive us, our character is who we truly are.
After watching the video, we discuss why reputation matters, when it shouldn’t, and whose opinions about our character actually holds value. These conversations help students reflect on the difference between external perceptions and internal integrity. To deepen their understanding, students complete the My Character Versus My Reputation journal page, where they consider how their actions shape their character and how others see them.
12) EXPLORE INTEGRITY IN SPORTSMANSHIP
Many students at this age participate in sports or play games at recess, so it’s important to help them see how integrity applies to those parts of their lives as well. Integrity isn’t just about telling the truth—it’s about making the right choices, even when no one is watching. To explore this, I have students read about Ivan Fernandez Anaya, a runner who gave up a race victory to help an opponent who was ahead of him and had mistakenly stopped before reaching the finish line.
After reading the article, we discuss what motivated Ivan’s decision and whether students would have made the same choice. We connect his actions to integrity and respect, emphasizing that true sportsmanship values fairness over winning.
To deepen their understanding, students create an "Integrity MVP" badge, designing an award for athletes who demonstrate honesty, respect, and fairness in competition. This activity reinforces that integrity in sports—and in life—matters more than just crossing the finish line first.
13) CREATE A BLUEPRINT FOR INTEGRITY
Have students create an imaginative blueprint for integrity by brainstorming the key "elements" needed to build a strong foundation of honesty, fairness, and responsibility. Encourage them to think deeply about the characteristics that define integrity—elements might include honesty, trustworthiness, accountability, respect, and moral courage. Invite students to reflect on real-life actions that show integrity, like admitting when they make a mistake, standing up for what’s right, or being truthful even when it’s hard.
Once the list of elements is complete, guide students in outlining the “steps” for constructing their integrity blueprint, using each element they’ve listed. Encourage creativity by having them use architectural verbs such as “build,” “construct,” “strengthen,” or “reinforce.” For example, “Build a solid foundation with honesty and reinforce the structure with trust.”
Display their finished blueprints on a bulletin board or compile students’ ideas into a class “Integrity Blueprint” that you can use throughout the year to remind students of the importance of living with integrity every day. What a perfect culminating activity this is!
14) DISCUSS THE CHALLENGES OF ACTING WITH INTEGRITY
Consistently acting with integrity isn't easy.
Students may face peer pressure, difficult moral dilemmas, or conflicting examples from the adults in their lives. Encourage a class discussion about the challenges of staying honest and standing by their values, and create an anchor chart to capture their thoughts. Aim for a variety of examples that will allow students to explore different situations where integrity might be tested. Then, work together to brainstorm strategies for overcoming these challenges and making choices that align with strong character.
🌟 I like to lead this activity with the graphic organizer shown in the picture above. After students and I generate a few examples, students can add challenges specific to their own experiences with integrity. It’s important to allow students time to think through their own ways to overcome these challenges so that they have practice dealing with similar challenges more appropriately and positively in the future.
💕 Teaching students about integrity and honesty has become one of my favorite SEL units and morning meeting. The conversations are rich and important and help me meet my goal of improving our classroom community, our appreciation and concern for one another, and ultimately a better human race. I appreciate that you landed on this blog post because you are on that journey with me!
NEED MORE INTEGRITY ACTIVITIES AND DONE-FOR-YOU RESOURCES FOR TEACHING INTEGRITY?
If you are on a mission to improve your students’ understanding and use of integrity and honesty, you don’t have to remember all of these ideas or keeping searching the internet for ideas! I’ve put all of this together in my Integrity and Honesty theme SEL unit. You can pick and choose from the activities or implement the 20 days of lesson plans from start to finish! The Integrity and Honesty teaching unit includes student journal pages, detailed and editable integrity lesson plans, an integrity bulletin board with vocabulary and related integrity and honesty quotes, and Google Slides for the teacher and a digital student notebook.
You can manage to do each of these activities with a reflection journal and materials you have around the classroom, but if you want some of the work done for you, I’ve put all of this together in my Integrity and Honesty theme SEL unit. You can pick and choose from the activities or implement the 20 days of lesson plans from start to finish! The Integrity and Honesty teaching unit includes student journal pages, detailed and editable integrity lesson plans, an integrity bulletin board with vocabulary and related integrity and honesty quotes, and Google Slides for the teacher and a digital student notebook.
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL TOPICS TO GUIDE YOUR MORNING MEETINGS ALL YEAR
If you’re looking to increase your social-emotional learning focus, you’ve come to the right place my friend! This Integrity and Honesty themed SEL unit is also included in the SEL Morning Meeting MEGA Bundle that contains 16 social- emotional learning themes. With units focused on gratitude, empathy and compassion, growth mindset, conflict resolution and compromise, grit and perseverance, responsibility, understanding and managing emotions, and so much more, your engaging SEL or morning meeting plans are done for you and your students will love them!
If you purchase the bundle from my website store, you can save 10% on the Mega Bundle of all 16 themes with the code MM10.
