BEING TRUSTWORTHY
SET 5
GRADE 2 LESSON 14
WELCOME
What does trusting another person look like? Here are some ideas of what a trustworthy person looks like.
A person you can trust:
- Tells the truth
- Honors his/ her promises to another
- Obeys the rules and laws even when no one is looking
- Is honest (would never steal, cheat, or lie)
- Is wise (He/she listens carefully to others and gives advice that is helpful to others.)
What does trusting in God look like?
PRAYER
O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge, and toward all Thy signs I set my heart. O Lord! Whether traveling or at home, and in my occupation or in my work, I place my whole trust in Thee. Grant me then Thy sufficing help so as to make me independent of all things, O Thou Who art unsurpassed in Thy mercy! Bestow upon me my portion, O Lord, as Thou pleasest, and cause me to be satisfied with whatsoever thou hast ordained for me. Thine is the absolute authority to command.
The Báb
QUOTE
True friends trust each other. A trustworthy person is honest and truthful and can be counted on to keep his or her word.
True friends know that they can rely on each other to do what is right and that one would never lie to the other or deceive him or her in any way. They see what is good in each other and do not focus on their shortcomings and faults. Of course, they know that their friend may sometimes make a mistake, but they show forgiveness and kindness to their friend. Each wants to help the other to do what is pleasing in the sight of God; a true friend is careful not to ask us to do that which is unacceptable before God. The trust that is shared between two friends becomes stronger and stronger the more they know each other. We are, of course, kind and courteous to all people and look for the good in everyone, but the bonds of trust that exist between friends are strengthened over time, as each shows that he or she is worthy of the trust of the other and wants what is best for him or her. We should all be trustworthy and learn to choose friends who are trustworthy, those who wish to please God, who are striving to follow His path, and who will help us to stay on the straight path. We should not allow ourselves to be cheated or deceived by those who are not trustworthy. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the essence of kindness and courtesy, but He never allowed those who were dishonest or deceitful to take advantage of His kindness. Once a driver who brought ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to a meeting in his carriage demanded an unfair price for the ride. The Master paid what He rightly owed to the driver and told him that, had he been honest, he would have received a handsome tip as well. Trust is a special bond between friends, and we should take care not to do anything to break it. So that we each remember the importance of being a true and trustworthy friend, let us memorize the following quotation:
O ye beloved of the Lord! Commit not that which defileth the limpid stream of love or destroyeth the sweet fragrance of friendship‘
BAHA’U’LLAH
MEANING OF WORDS
- Commit
- Defile
- Limpid
- Destroy
When one is learning how to write, one will surely make a few errors. It is not unusual to commit errors when one is learning how to write.
Portia does her best to obey the laws of God. She does not want to commit any act that would displease Him.
The garden had once been beautiful, but some of the people who visited it left garbage and litter when they departed. The visitors defiled the garden with garbage they left.
The stream always ran clear and clean from the mountain. But a lot of chemicals and waste have been dumped into it recently. The stream has been defiled by waste being dumped into it.
The water in the pond was perfectly clear, and it was possible for Timothy to see many fish swimming along its bottom. Timothy could see to the very bottom of the limpid pond.
The water from the well is very clean and pure. Everyone felt refreshed to drink from the limpid waters of the well.
The young boy built a huge castle out of sand on the seashore, but when a wave came in and covered it, the castle was completely destroyed.
The farmers built a dam to stop the river from flooding onto their crops during the rainy season. Without the dam, their crops would be destroyed by the floods.
SONG
STORY
There is a well-known legend of two friends, Damon and Pythias, that has come to symbolize trust and loyalty in friendship. It is a very old tale from the early history of humanity.
Damon and Pythias had been inseparable friends since childhood, sharing everything and trusting each other completely. Their bond was one of true friendship, where they would do anything to help each other.
The two friends traveled to Syracuse, where Pythias began giving public speeches challenging the tyrant king Dionysius’ absolute power. He argued that any king who ruled without the people’s consent was unjust. Dionysius, feeling threatened by Pythias’ influence, ordered their arrest. Confronted by the king, Pythias refused to recant his statements, leading Dionysius to sentence him to death.
Pythias requested time to say goodbye to his family, but Dionysius scoffed, doubting he would return. Damon then offered himself as a substitute prisoner, guaranteeing Pythias’ return. Dionysius accepted but warned that Damon would be executed if Pythias didn’t come back by the set day.
As the deadline approached and Pythias hadn’t returned, Dionysius mocked Damon, who remained steadfast in his faith. Just as Damon was about to be executed, a bruised and breathless Pythias arrived, explaining that he had been delayed by a shipwreck and bandits but never lost hope.
Moved by their unwavering loyalty and friendship, Dionysius pardoned Pythias, asking them to teach him the secret of such steadfast friendship.
DRAMA
Begin by having the students do the stretching exercise in their imaginary squares. Ask them to remain in their squares and pretend to change from: an elephant into a mouse, a snake into a lion, a frog into a horse, a fish into a whale, a ballet dancer into a football player, an old man or lady into a young boy or girl.
Now ask the children to pursue their lips together and say: 0000 00000 000000.
Tell them to take a deep breath and see how long they can make it last: 00000000 00000000000000000000000
Ask them to make a short sharp sound: a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a.
Now tell them to put the two sounds together: 00000 a.a.a. ooa. ooa.a. oooooooooa. oa. ooooa. ooa.a.a.a.a.
Let the children experiment with making different combinations, and then divide the youngsters into pairs. Tell them to use only these sounds, “oooo” and “a”, to talk to each other in the following situations:
- Two children are trading marbles for crayons.
- Two children are bathing a puppy.
- One child is teaching another to skip.
- A mother is getting a child ready for school.
- Two people are harvesting com.
- A child is telling a bus driver that he or she has no money.
- Someone who is lost is asking someone else for directions.
Divide into groups- one teacher with one and the other teacher with another To help the children gain further understanding of the theme of this lesson: “True friends trust each other” you may wish to have them re-enact the story of Damon and Pythias. Depending on the number of children in your class and the time available, you could either divide them into groups for this purpose or have all the children participate in one large re-enactment. In the latter case, some of the children could be part of the crowd to whom Pythias spoke or members of the king’s court, while others could be Damon’s jailers or the bandits that attacked Pythias. Bring children all back together first and then: Following the re-enactment, you could ask the children a few questions such as:
- Why was Damon willing to be in prison for his friend?
- Why did Damon trust that Pythias would return?
- Why was the king astonished when Pythias returned for the execution?
- What qualities did Pythias demonstrate by returning as he did?
- Why do you think the king changed his mind about the execution?
- What do you think Damon and Pythias could teach the king about friendship?
EXERCISE IN TRUST
Blindfold and Lead:
- Pair up participants.
- One person wears a blindfold while their partner leads them to a specific location, such as a tree, allowing them to feel it.
- Switch roles so each person experiences both guiding and being guided.
Verbal Guidance Through a Minefield:
- Scatter objects in an indoor or outdoor area to create a “minefield.”
- In pairs, one person verbally guides their blindfolded partner through the minefield.
- Switch roles after completing the course.
CRAFTS
1. Friendship Bracelets
Materials: Embroidery floss, beads, charms.
Activity: Have participants create bracelets for each other, symbolizing the trust and loyalty in their friendship, just like Damon and Pythias.
2. Friendship Trees
Materials: Construction paper, scissors, glue, markers.
Activity: Cut out tree shapes and have participants write qualities of a good friend on the leaves. They can decorate the tree and add leaves as a reminder of what makes a strong friendship.
3. Trust Collage
Materials: Old magazines, scissors, glue, large paper.
Activity: Participants can create a collage using pictures and words that represent trust and friendship. They can cut out images from magazines and arrange them on a large paper.
LAPBOOK
Content Comming Soon
REVIEW QUOTE
He, verily, shall increase the reward of them that endure with patience
Baha’u’llah
O Son of Spirit! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart . . .
Baha’u’llah
