Family Tree of Courage
Loyalty Grades 9-12
Segment Summary: When Jenny Nichols experienced an abusive relationship with an older boy, she had difficulty breaking it off. She wanted to remain loyal to him despite his abusive behavior. Dating that includes violence can often lead to a misaligned concept of loyalty. Jenny Nichols has had lots of difficulty with all of her boyfriends. After breaking off an abusive relationship at age 12 with Mateo Gutierrez, Jenny turned to an older boy. This time the abuse turned violent. She did not know how to end the relationship and dealt with the dilemma of choosing between loyalty and safety. Studies report that 80% of girls are afraid of dating violence and 1 in 5 report having been abused by a boyfriend. Experts say they are in hurry to be in love and confuse loyalty with what is best for them. Jenny did finally separate herself from both of her boyfriends, as neither one deserved her loyalty.
Discussion Questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Why are young girls attracted to older boys? Why is it hard for them to end abusive relationships? What were the signs that Jenny was in a bad relationship? Experts say sometimes girls are in a “hurry to find love”. What does this mean? When is loyalty a good thing and when is it harmful? Friendship and loyalty often go together? Why are these two things connected? What do you look for in loyalty from a friend? Can you remain loyal to someone and still confront them with their negative behavior?
1
Vocabulary Words and Definitions Allegiance (n.) Definition: loyalty and faithfulness to a leader, country, belief, etc. Context: Greenpeace is a powerful organization because its members demonstrate strong loyalty and allegiance toward protecting the environment. Clarify (v.) Definition: to make something clearer or easier to understand by explaining it in more detail Context: Karif clarified his position by presenting research to support his belief that life once existed on Mars. Dispel (v.) Definition: to stop someone from believing or feeling something, especially because it is harmful or incorrect Context: Jane Ann dedicates herself to her algebra studies to dispel the belief that girls perform poorly in the area of mathematics. Embody (v.) Definition: to be an excellent example of an idea or quality Context: Maurice embodies the traits that I admire in a friend: kindness, trustworthiness and compassion. Loyalty (n.) Definition: the quality of remaining faithful to a person’s friends, family, country, etc. Context: Camille proved her family loyalty by tutoring her sister rather than attending a school dance. Patriotic (adj.) Definition: having or expressing a great love of one’s country Context: Gregory’s parents felt he was being patriotic when he enlisted in the Marine Corps to defend his country. Portrayal (n.) Definition: the action of representing or describing someone or something in a particular way according to a specific opinion Context: The newspaper changed its negative portrayal of the mayor after a jury found him innocent of embezzling money from the city. Presumptuous (adj.) Definition: taking liberties or doing something that a person has no right to do because of false information or a lack of respect or politeness Context: It was presumptuous of Barclay to speak on behalf of his mother without knowing her opinion of the new school policy. Solidarity (n.) Definition: loyalty and general agreement among all people in a group, or among different groups, because they all have the same goal Context: The residents showed solidarity when they worked together to defeat a proposal to build a nuclear power plant on the outskirts of their community. Unconditional (adj.) Definition: not limited by or depending on any conditions, terms or prior agreements Context: Aimee’s parents offer her unconditional love and support, even when she disobeys them.
Source: Longman Advanced American Dictionary. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. 2000.
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Activity: Symbols of Loyalty Objectives: Students will be able to Discuss the importance of loyalty in friendship Create a symbolic representation of loyalty in friendship Explain the meaning behind the colors and symbols they choose Analyze the symbolism in their classmates’ work Materials:
Pens, pencils, markers, colored pencils Paper Chalkboard or overhead projector Symbols of Loyalty worksheet
Procedure: 1. Show your class an example of a symbol of loyalty from another culture, such as the Celtic Claddagh. Explain the meaning behind each of the components of the symbol. Explanation of the symbol: The Claddagh symbol consists of a heart held by two hands and topped by a crown, or fleur de lis. The heart represents unconditional love, the crown represents loyalty and the hands represent friendship. The Claddagh often appears on wedding and friendship rings. 2. Ask students to provide examples of symbols from the American culture or from their ethnic cultures and to explain their meanings. Note: These need not be symbols of loyalty only. The idea is to get students thinking about symbols and their meanings. For example, a dove often represents peace. 3. Instruct students to think about the word loyalty and note the images that come to mind. Write some of these examples on the board or overhead. 4. Distribute the Symbols of Loyalty worksheet. Instruct students to think about the shapes, symbols and colors they would use if they were designing a symbol to represent loyalty in friendship. Allow students time to draw their symbols on the top half of the worksheet and write their explanations on the bottom half. 5. Direct students to cut off the bottom portion of the worksheet or fold it so that their explanations cannot be seen. 6. Allow students to choose partners. Partners will examine each other’s symbols and try to guess the meanings behind the shapes, images, words and colors used. Then the creator of each symbol will explain the intended meaning behind his or her design. 7. Encourage students to create an object bearing their symbol and to give it to a friend or family member who embodies the attributes of the symbol. Examples: T-shirt, cap, flag, bracelet, charm, ring, etc.
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Symbols of Loyalty Name: _________________________ Directions: Use the top portion of this worksheet to draw your symbol of loyalty. In the space provided at the bottom of the page, answer the questions to explain the meaning behind your symbol.
Explain the symbolism behind the shapes and images you used. How do these shapes and images represent loyalty in friendship?
Explain the symbolism behind the colors you used. How do these colors signify loyalty?
Explain the symbolism behind any words or phrases you used. Why do these words represent loyalty in friendship?
4
Segment Summary: When Jenny Nichols experienced an abusive relationship with an older boy, she had difficulty breaking it off. She wanted to remain loyal to him despite his abusive behavior. Dating that includes violence can often lead to a misaligned concept of loyalty. Jenny Nichols has had lots of difficulty with all of her boyfriends. After breaking off an abusive relationship at age 12 with Mateo Gutierrez, Jenny turned to an older boy. This time the abuse turned violent. She did not know how to end the relationship and dealt with the dilemma of choosing between loyalty and safety. Studies report that 80% of girls are afraid of dating violence and 1 in 5 report having been abused by a boyfriend. Experts say they are in hurry to be in love and confuse loyalty with what is best for them. Jenny did finally separate herself from both of her boyfriends, as neither one deserved her loyalty.
Discussion Questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Why are young girls attracted to older boys? Why is it hard for them to end abusive relationships? What were the signs that Jenny was in a bad relationship? Experts say sometimes girls are in a “hurry to find love”. What does this mean? When is loyalty a good thing and when is it harmful? Friendship and loyalty often go together? Why are these two things connected? What do you look for in loyalty from a friend? Can you remain loyal to someone and still confront them with their negative behavior?
1
Vocabulary Words and Definitions Allegiance (n.) Definition: loyalty and faithfulness to a leader, country, belief, etc. Context: Greenpeace is a powerful organization because its members demonstrate strong loyalty and allegiance toward protecting the environment. Clarify (v.) Definition: to make something clearer or easier to understand by explaining it in more detail Context: Karif clarified his position by presenting research to support his belief that life once existed on Mars. Dispel (v.) Definition: to stop someone from believing or feeling something, especially because it is harmful or incorrect Context: Jane Ann dedicates herself to her algebra studies to dispel the belief that girls perform poorly in the area of mathematics. Embody (v.) Definition: to be an excellent example of an idea or quality Context: Maurice embodies the traits that I admire in a friend: kindness, trustworthiness and compassion. Loyalty (n.) Definition: the quality of remaining faithful to a person’s friends, family, country, etc. Context: Camille proved her family loyalty by tutoring her sister rather than attending a school dance. Patriotic (adj.) Definition: having or expressing a great love of one’s country Context: Gregory’s parents felt he was being patriotic when he enlisted in the Marine Corps to defend his country. Portrayal (n.) Definition: the action of representing or describing someone or something in a particular way according to a specific opinion Context: The newspaper changed its negative portrayal of the mayor after a jury found him innocent of embezzling money from the city. Presumptuous (adj.) Definition: taking liberties or doing something that a person has no right to do because of false information or a lack of respect or politeness Context: It was presumptuous of Barclay to speak on behalf of his mother without knowing her opinion of the new school policy. Solidarity (n.) Definition: loyalty and general agreement among all people in a group, or among different groups, because they all have the same goal Context: The residents showed solidarity when they worked together to defeat a proposal to build a nuclear power plant on the outskirts of their community. Unconditional (adj.) Definition: not limited by or depending on any conditions, terms or prior agreements Context: Aimee’s parents offer her unconditional love and support, even when she disobeys them.
Source: Longman Advanced American Dictionary. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. 2000.
2
Activity: Symbols of Loyalty Objectives: Students will be able to Discuss the importance of loyalty in friendship Create a symbolic representation of loyalty in friendship Explain the meaning behind the colors and symbols they choose Analyze the symbolism in their classmates’ work Materials:
Pens, pencils, markers, colored pencils Paper Chalkboard or overhead projector Symbols of Loyalty worksheet
Procedure: 1. Show your class an example of a symbol of loyalty from another culture, such as the Celtic Claddagh. Explain the meaning behind each of the components of the symbol. Explanation of the symbol: The Claddagh symbol consists of a heart held by two hands and topped by a crown, or fleur de lis. The heart represents unconditional love, the crown represents loyalty and the hands represent friendship. The Claddagh often appears on wedding and friendship rings. 2. Ask students to provide examples of symbols from the American culture or from their ethnic cultures and to explain their meanings. Note: These need not be symbols of loyalty only. The idea is to get students thinking about symbols and their meanings. For example, a dove often represents peace. 3. Instruct students to think about the word loyalty and note the images that come to mind. Write some of these examples on the board or overhead. 4. Distribute the Symbols of Loyalty worksheet. Instruct students to think about the shapes, symbols and colors they would use if they were designing a symbol to represent loyalty in friendship. Allow students time to draw their symbols on the top half of the worksheet and write their explanations on the bottom half. 5. Direct students to cut off the bottom portion of the worksheet or fold it so that their explanations cannot be seen. 6. Allow students to choose partners. Partners will examine each other’s symbols and try to guess the meanings behind the shapes, images, words and colors used. Then the creator of each symbol will explain the intended meaning behind his or her design. 7. Encourage students to create an object bearing their symbol and to give it to a friend or family member who embodies the attributes of the symbol. Examples: T-shirt, cap, flag, bracelet, charm, ring, etc.
3
Symbols of Loyalty Name: _________________________ Directions: Use the top portion of this worksheet to draw your symbol of loyalty. In the space provided at the bottom of the page, answer the questions to explain the meaning behind your symbol.
Explain the symbolism behind the shapes and images you used. How do these shapes and images represent loyalty in friendship?
Explain the symbolism behind the colors you used. How do these colors signify loyalty?
Explain the symbolism behind any words or phrases you used. Why do these words represent loyalty in friendship?
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