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Can You Trust?

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Lesson Plan

Can You Trust?

Students will analyze the components of trust, identify factors that build and erode it, and explore strategies for repairing broken trust in various contexts.

Understanding trust is crucial for navigating personal relationships, professional interactions, and civic engagement. This lesson helps students develop critical social-emotional skills and ethical reasoning.

Audience

12th Grade Students

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, real-world examples, and reflective writing.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Can You Trust? Slide Deck, Trust Dilemmas Worksheet, and Reflection Journal: Building Bridges

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Trust Scale

5 minutes

  1. Begin by asking students: "On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you trust the information you see on social media? Why?"
    2. Facilitate a brief class discussion, encouraging students to share their initial thoughts and reasoning. (This aligns with the initial prompt's 'can't trust anyone' potential interpretation).

Step 2

Introduction to Trust

10 minutes

  1. Display the title slide: "Can You Trust?" from the Can You Trust? Slide Deck.
    2. Ask students to brainstorm definitions of trust and what it means to be trustworthy.
    3. Guide the discussion using slides that introduce key components of trust (honesty, reliability, vulnerability).

Step 3

Building & Breaking Trust

15 minutes

  1. Use the Can You Trust? Slide Deck to present scenarios or examples of how trust is built and how it can be broken.
    2. Facilitate a discussion on the impact of actions on trust.
    3. Introduce the concept of 'trust falls' as a metaphor for vulnerability and reliance.

Step 4

Trust Dilemmas Activity

15 minutes

  1. Distribute the Trust Dilemmas Worksheet.
    2. Instruct students to work individually or in small groups to analyze the provided scenarios and answer the questions.
    3. Circulate to provide support and facilitate discussion among groups.

Step 5

Class Discussion & Reflection

10 minutes

  1. Bring the class back together to discuss their responses to the Trust Dilemmas Worksheet.
    2. Encourage students to share different perspectives and solutions.
    3. Lead a brief discussion on the challenges and importance of rebuilding trust.

Step 6

Cool-Down: Journal Reflection

5 minutes

  1. Distribute or project the prompts for the Reflection Journal: Building Bridges.
    2. Ask students to spend the remaining time writing a short reflection on what they learned about trust and how they might apply it in their lives.
    3. Collect journals or allow students to keep them for personal reflection.
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Slide Deck

Can You Trust?

What does trust mean to you?

Welcome students and introduce the topic. Start with the warm-up question.

Defining Trust

What is trust?
What does it mean to be trustworthy?

Facilitate a discussion about initial definitions of trust. Encourage diverse perspectives.

Components of Trust

  • Honesty: Telling the truth, being truthful.
    - Reliability: Being dependable, keeping promises.
    - Vulnerability: Being open and willing to take risks with others.
    - Integrity: Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.

Introduce the core elements of trust. Emphasize that it's a combination.

Building Trust

How do we build trust?
- Consistent actions
- Open communication
- Following through on commitments
- Showing empathy and respect

Discuss examples of how trust is built over time through consistent positive actions.

Breaking Trust

What breaks trust?
- Dishonesty and lies
- Broken promises
- Betrayal of confidence
- Inconsistent behavior

Discuss common ways trust is broken. Focus on the impact of these actions.

Trust Dilemmas

What would you do?
We often face situations where trust is challenged. How do we navigate these complexities?

Present various scenarios for students to consider. This leads into the worksheet activity.

Worksheet Activity

Work individually or in small groups on the Trust Dilemmas Worksheet.
Discuss the scenarios and answer the questions provided.

Explain the instructions for the worksheet. Remind students to consider different perspectives.

Discussion: Repairing Trust

Is it possible to rebuild trust once it's broken? How?
What role does forgiveness play?
Why is trust essential in friendships, families, and communities?

Guide the post-activity discussion. Emphasize the long-term impact of trust and the difficulty of rebuilding it.

Reflection: Building Bridges

Reflect on today's discussion and your own experiences with trust.
What is one thing you will do to build or maintain trust in your relationships?

Introduce the journal reflection as a cool-down activity.

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Worksheet

Trust Dilemmas: What Would You Do?

Instructions: Read each scenario carefully. On your own or with a small group, discuss the situation and answer the questions that follow. Be prepared to share your thoughts with the class.

Scenario 1: The Group Project

You are working on a major group project for history class. Your group member, Alex, promised to complete their section by last Friday, but they haven't submitted anything and haven't responded to your messages. The project is due in two days.

  1. How has Alex's action (or inaction) impacted the trust within the group?





  2. What steps would you take to address this situation with Alex?





  3. If Alex eventually delivers their part, how would you approach future collaborations with them? Would your trust be fully restored? Why or why not?










Scenario 2: The Secret

Your best friend, Jamie, told you a very personal secret and made you promise not to tell anyone. Later, you overhear another friend, Chris, talking about the exact same secret. You realize Jamie must have told someone else.

  1. How does hearing Chris talk about the secret affect your trust in Jamie?





  2. What would you say or do when you next talk to Jamie?





  3. If Jamie apologizes, what would be important for them to do to regain your trust?










Scenario 3: The Online News

You see a shocking headline and article shared by many people on social media. It claims something outrageous about a local politician. You've always trusted this news source in the past.

  1. What steps would you take to verify the information in the article before believing or sharing it?





  2. If the article turns out to be false, how does that impact your trust in the news source and the people who shared it without verification?





  3. Why is it important to critically evaluate information, especially online, and what are the consequences of not doing so?










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Journal

Reflection Journal: Building Bridges

Instructions: Take a few moments to reflect on today's lesson about trust. Use the prompts below to guide your writing. Your responses should be thoughtful and personal.

  1. Before today's lesson, how would you have defined trust? Has your understanding of trust changed or deepened? If so, how?










  2. Think about a time when your trust in someone was challenged or broken. What was the impact of that experience? What did you learn from it?











  3. Conversely, describe a time when you successfully built trust with someone or a group. What actions did you take, and what was the outcome?











  4. Based on today's discussion, what are three concrete actions you can take to build and maintain strong, trustworthy relationships in your own life (e.g., with friends, family, or in future professional settings)?











  5. How do you think being a trustworthy person contributes to a positive school environment or a stronger community?











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Can You Trust? • Lenny Learning