The meaning of integrity can be defined as “the quality of being honest, adhering to strong principles and character.” This post is here to help you find morning meeting resources for social emotional learning and character development – specifically integrity and honesty.
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WHEN DO I TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT INTEGRITY AND HONESTY?
One quickly finds that our reputation is highly connected to our integrity, that the ways in which we choose to act make up what others think about us and what we think about ourselves.
I have used Morning Meetings/Community Meetings in my classroom as an avenue for teaching important social emotional learning topics like these to my students. Some other social emotional learning and character development topics I focus on include empathy and compassion, conflict resolution and compromise, understanding and managing emotions, gratitude, growth mindset, courage, responsibility, perseverance, and inclusion and belonging.
I’ve always felt that our greatest endeavor as human beings is to work hard to help our inner beliefs and character shine through on the outside and that’s why I’m such an advocate of theme-based classroom meetings and taking the time to encourage social and emotional development in our students–even when it’s not in the curriculum map. #SHUTYOURDOOR&TEACHtotheirHEARTS #igiveyoupermission
It can be so tough for a child to always have their actions match their intentions and their beliefs. Children’s emotions are constantly out of whack, people are constantly telling them what to do. They may feel that they are constantly making mistakes, and quite a few upper-elementary students I’ve taught have also felt their reputation was already tarnished and that there was no point in making changes because other students wouldn’t give them a chance to grow.
We are so fortunate that we have the daily opportunity to make an impact on impressionable young people.
I know that many a teacher made an impression on me and made me believe that I could change the world and make a difference.
 You can do each of these suggested honesty and integrity activities for students with a reflection journal and materials you have around the classroom, but if you want some of the work done for you, you can check out my full Integrity and Honesty SEL unit, complete with lesson plans that make it super easy to implement and enjoy!
HOW DO I LAUNCH TEACHING INTEGRITY AND HONESTY?
To launch my integrity and honest social emotional learning theme, I always begin with a key read aloud. I LOVE Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna as my key read aloud for integrity, honesty, and discussions focused on reputations.
MY FAVORITE INTEGRITY ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS TO BUILD THE THEME
While my entire integrity and honesty social emotional learning unit is filled with 20 days of honesty activities and integrity lessons, I’m highlighting a few of my favorites here that you can easily do with a reflection journal and materials you have around the classroom.
ANALYZE INTEGRITY AND HONESTY QUOTES
Quotation analysis is a big part of my morning meeting routine. The following quotation is my FAVORITE from the integrity and honest unit and gets at the relationship between integrity and reputation.
“The way to a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.”
One of the journal pages includes this quotation and questions to help students analyze the meaning of the quotation.
PROVIDE SELF-ASSESSMENT & DISCUSSION OPPORTUNITIES
Provide opportunities for students to examine their own level of integrity. I like to use rating scales and prompts that encourage students to reflect on their beliefs about integrity and set personal goals in my SEL Integrity and Honesty Morning Meeting Unit.
PROVIDE HONESTY AND INTEGRITY EXAMPLES THROUGH INTEGRITY VIDEOS
I use a lot of music and videos to help support my social emotional learning units. They are instantly engaging and provide great discussion opportunities to deepen students’ understanding of the theme. Here are some of my favorite integrity videos to show to students:
- An Introduction to Because I Said I Would
- What is Integrity (at minute 5:59 this video talks about God as the ultimate example of a leader with integrity. Please PREVIEW THIS VIDEO before watching with students.)
- Integrity | A Short Film (2 minute video)
- Build Character Build Success: Integrity (2 minute description)
“BECAUSE I SAID I WOULD” INTEGRITY ACTIVITY
I found this movement called “Because I said I would” whose mission is to
be a social movement and nonprofit dedicated to the betterment of humanity. We make and keep promises to end suffering, establish peace and build happiness. Our mission is to strengthen humanity’s will. We created the “Promise Card” to help hold people accountable to their commitments. Make and keep a promise to improve yourself, your family or your community.
BISIW will even send you promise cards if you request them.
A fantastic extension of this mission and project would be to create a classroom integrity book or individual cards where students make commitments to themselves and their classroom community.
Just imagine all of the integrity pledge ideas they can come up with…B.I.S.I.W. be kind to a classmate who needs it; stand up to a bully; use a kind voice when speaking to classmates; apologize when my actions don’t represent the person that I want to be.
I think an effort like BISIW in your classroom would help students be more courageous in their actions and act with more and more integrity!
We can make being the kind of person who sticks to our commitments and our convictions #COOL in our classrooms!
Another option would be to create general integrity pledge “because I said I would” cards together based on desired classroom behaviors, copy these cards as a set for each child as a reminder. Perhaps children can receive a “because I said I would“ card from the teacher or another student when caught doing the expected behaviors.
PROVIDE HONESTY AND INTEGRITY EXAMPLES THROUGH INTEGRITY BOOKS
Other fantastic integrity books that I read aloud to students throughout the unit to build the theme and provide relatable honesty and integrity examples include Babushka Baba Yaga by Patricia Polacco, A Day’s Work by Eve Bunting, The Empty Pot by Demi, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe, and A Hen for Izzy Pippik by Aubrey Davis.
I also love sharing this article about Ivan Fernandez Anaya, a Spanish runner who intentionally lost the race so his opponent, who was in the lead but fell down, could win. I like to have students discuss whether or not they would have made the same choice and what we can infer about Ivan based on his choice.  We relate his actions back to integrity and what kind of belief systems he must have to do something so courageous and selfless.Â
Check out these other amazing resources from participants in #kindnessnation and #weholdthesetruths.
If you’re looking for more ways to keep building honesty and integrity with your students, here are some other resources you may be interested in:
- Teaching Kids About Honesty and Integrity: A Character-Building Homeschool and SEL Workbook for Ages 8-12 offers a structured, workbook-style approach to helping students reflect on honesty and build strong character habits over time.
- Why Teaching Honesty Is Important: Understanding the Role of Lying and Building Integrity breaks down the psychology behind why kids lie and gives you a thoughtful framework for helping students understand why honesty matters—even when it’s hard.
- Teaching Integrity and Honesty: Activities and Lessons for Upper Elementary Students shares hands-on lessons and discussion-based activities that help students connect the concept of integrity to real choices they face every day.
- Complete Integrity & Honesty SEL Unit for upper elementary—this unit includes all of the activities you see in this post, editable lesson plans, suggested read alouds, student notebooks, and a bulletin board to help your unit make a lasting impression!
Let’s continue helping students grow into honest, principled humans.
NEED A DONE-FOR-YOU COMPASSION AND EMPATHY UNIT?
The Integrity and Honesty SEL Morning Meeting unit is a 20 day unit for upper elementary. It includes
 20 Days of Printable & Editable Lesson Plans — includes suggested read alouds, discussion questions, integrity activities, extension ideas, and linked online resources
 Student Journals & Activities — integrity-related discussion prompts, self-reflection and goal setting exercises, and social emotional learning worksheets to deepen students’ understanding of honesty and integrity, with activities like The Broken Trust Jar Demonstration, Examples & Non-Examples of Integrity Sort, Creating a Blueprint for Integrity, “Because I Said I Would…” Pledge Cards, and more!
 Integrity Bulletin Board that includes important vocabulary like integrity, honesty principles, and reputation and inspirational quotations for a visual reminder of your honesty and integrity lessons
 Google Slides — Teacher and student versions to implement this unit digitally or use as visual prompts and discussion starters on your interactive whiteboard
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As I’ve said, I use Morning Meetings/Community Meetings in my classroom as an avenue for having important conversations with my students about topics like integrity and honesty. I’d love to know when you carve out time for character development! Comment below!
