Importance of Integrity

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Importance of Integrity (1:19)

“A key trait or characteristic that is of utmost importance is integrity. You have to be of the highest integrity, beyond reproach, because at the end of the day, all you have is your word.”

Role models in order of appearance: Lisa Gilbert Hill, Betty Sanders, Ph.D., Beverly B. Martin, Jennifer B. Price, Alita Anderson, MD, Kavita Snyder, and Sharon L. Thomas.

Quick Start

1) The video begins by telling you that integrity is of the “utmost importance.” What are some words that have a similar meaning to “utmost”? Why would the role model choose such a strong word when talking about integrity?

2) The video explains that integrity is “doing the right thing even when there’s nobody there to know whether you did the right thing.” What does this mean to you? Give an example.

3) To understand the importance of integrity, it’s helpful to have a good understanding of what this word means. Have you seen or heard the word integrity before? Yes? No? Not sure?

Integrity: “The quality of being honest and strong about what you believe to be right.” (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, online)

What are some words that relate to integrity? What does integrity mean to you? What are some examples of integrity?

4) A speaker in the video says that to have integrity, you must be honest. What are some other important characteristics of integrity? Complete the sentences with these words. We filled in one for you:

  • To have integrity, you must be ___responsible___.
  • To have integrity, you must be ______________.
  • To have integrity, you must be ______________.
  • To have integrity, you must be ______________.

5) In the video, listeners learn that having integrity means you don’t “cut corners.” “Cutting corners” means finding an easier way to do something, but not as well. What is a job you do in school, at home, or in your community? What might happen if you “cut corners” doing this job?

6) The word integrity comes from the word integer, which means “whole.” In math, integers are numbers that are not fractions or decimals (like ½ and .5). How does having integrity remind you of the meaning of integer?

7) The video explains that integrity is very important for success in life. What is a goal you have for your future? How do you think having integrity will help you achieve this goal?

8) Two speakers in the video talk about the importance of “your word.” When you keep your word, people know they can count on you. What does keeping your word mean in each of these examples?

  • You’re babysitting tonight and said you could be there by 7 PM.
  • You borrowed a book and said you’d take good care of it.
  • You want to go to your friend’s house, and you promise your mother you’ll be home on time for dinner:
Video Transcript

A key trait or characteristic that is of utmost importance is integrity. You have to be of the highest integrity, beyond reproach, because at the end of the day, all you have is your word.

And to live a life of integrity, you must be honest, not only with yourself, but with other people.

Telling the truth even when it’s not an easy thing to say and doing the right thing even when there’s nobody there to know whether or not you did the right thing.

You don’t cheat. You don’t cut corners in the way you approach doing your job, and if you need help, you ask for it.

Producing work that you can stand behind that is honorable and that’s credible.

Giving your word on something and making sure you deliver on that is of supreme importance, and having that integrity and character in yourself is very important to be successful in life.

You have to have values. There’s a lot of bad influences out there, but once you’re grounded and know what you want in life and what your values are, what your character is, if you have integrity, you’ll be okay.

Discussion Guide

Independent Learning Guide: This all-purpose guide can be used by educators, parents, and mentors to jumpstart a lively discussion about the importance of having integrity.

Classroom Lesson Plan

How do you feel when you do the right thing, even if sometimes it’s not the easiest thing? Is it important to do the right thing even if nobody is watching? Find out what the role models in this video have to say about integrity, or knowing and doing the right thing.

Classroom Lesson Plan: This step-by-step lesson plan is available to guide a more in-depth “before, during, and after” learning experience when viewing the video with students. This lesson plan is also suitable for use in after-school programs and other educational settings.

Empowerment Activities

Use Empowerment Activities as a fun way to reinforce the video topic and build community with your students.

Related Empowerment Activities:

Fun Page Activity

Fun Page Activity: This game of “What Would You Do?” lets you put yourself in the place of someone with some important decisions to make. You decide what to do.