Reading Assignment:

Connie Carter’s Blog Post:  A Symphony of Courageous Action

Essential Question:

What does a community gain by acknowledging/showcasing its truth tellers?

Lesson Description:

Students will choose qualities most likely demonstrated by Truth Tellers, prepare an introduction, role play the interview process, and interview three different people about who their Truth Tellers are.  Students will then create a community display about community selected Truth Tellers.

Activity:

1. Review Americans Who tell the Truth — portrait subjects, qualities, issues
2. Collectively choose 5 important qualities Truth Tellers possess
3. Each group prepare introduction about Truth Tellers (see Lesson # 6)
4.  Role play introduction and interviews.  
5. Take to the school corridors or streets with the following questions and process:

Each group should interview 3 people and ask for  two personal and two local Truth Tellers.

Excuse me, may I ask you a couple of questions?

Hello, my name is __________.  We are students at ____________(your school’s name) We are studying the role truth plays in our democracy. As part of this class, we have been talking about Truth Tellers in our country,  people like __________ (list 2-3 Truth Teller portrait subjects).  We have found that most Truth Tellers posses the following qualities:  

List the qualities you have identified, e.g. honesty, moral courage, etc.

We are asking if you would take a couple of minutes and think about who a Truth Teller might be/have been in your life and also who you think our community truth tellers are.  Ask if the person you are interviewing gives you permission to share the content of the interview.

Response # 1:

Personal Truth Teller:

Why?

Local Truth Teller:

Why?

Response # 2:

Personal Truth Teller:

Why?

Local Truth Teller:

Why?

Discussion/Suggested Lesson Expansion

1. Share findings with fellow classmates and discuss common characteristics and qualities.
2. Create a display or presentation of the interview findings Community or School Exhibit
3. Featured articles in a local newspaper or online news source.