Upstanding’s Easier With Friends
Using your voice to stand up for what’s right can be hard, especially when it feels like you’re alone. Having a group of friends — like Noggin’s Big Heart Kids — who all agree to be upstanders together can make it easier for everyone.
Parent/Caregiver Tip: We tend to think about “peer pressure” as something negative, but your child’s peers can just as easily encourage positive behaviors like standing up for what’s right. With a bit of guidance from an adult like you, your child’s friend group can even be a positive influence for others.
Age Groups: Big Kids
Skills: Empathy, Upstanding
Materials
- Pen and Paper
Instructions
- Let’s get together with some friends and talk about being upstanders.
- What does it mean to be an upstander? Why is it important to use your voices to help and support others? Let’s make a list of the ideas everyone shares.
- Let’s make a plan for how you and your friends will be upstanders at school and in our community. Let’s write down those ideas, too!
- Let’s all promise to support each other and stand up for what’s right together. Let’s write a sentence that begins with “We promise to…"
- We wrote an Upstanders’ Pledge! Let’s each sign our name and then share our pledge with others to help more friends become upstanders!
Vocabulary
Upstanding - to stand up for what’s right
Bystanding - to stand by and watch something that’s happening but not take part
Pledge - a promise
