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Responsible Decision-Making
Responsible Decision-Making: The ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior
and social interactions based on consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, social norms, the realistic
evaluation of consequences of various actions, and the well-being of self and others.
It's important for students to develop good interpersonal skills that allow them to both collaborate with their
peers and communicate effectively with adults. It’s also vital that students learn how to make good decisions
autonomously. There are many ways to help students develop good decision-making skills. In the classroom, the
best way to foster this skill is to present students with choices in a variety of contexts. It’s important to create a
student-centered atmosphere where students feel their thoughts and opinions can be expressed and are valued.
Ideally, educators integrate evidence-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) practices across all subject areas
to help students develop their social emotional skills or competencies. For the Responsible Decision-Making
competency, we’ve developed two learning goals, set measurable grade band benchmarks, identified sample
activities for each grade band and identified where select Minnesota Academic Standards connect to the
benchmarks. The sample activities are suggestions that educators can use to teach the benchmarks – the
activities are not meant to be complete lessons. The intent is for students to reach S mastery of each benchmark
by the end of the grade range; however, teachers may want to revisit the earlier skills periodically.
Responsible Decision-Making Learning Goals
- Considers ethical standards, social and community norms and safety concerns in making decisions.
- Applies and evaluates decision-making skills to engage in a variety of situations.
Learning Goal 1
Considers ethical standards, social and community norms and safety concerns in making decisions.
Benchmarks, Sample Activities and Related Academic Standards by Grade Band
Grade Band Benchmarks Sample Activities Related Academic Standards
Kindergarten–Grade 3 Identify and follow shared bus, classroom and school norms.
As a class, develop simple, positively stated rules. Create a visual reminder for students, e.g., walk don’t run in the hall; raise your hand to speak; one person speaks at a time. Post the rules in high-traffic areas in school.
N/A
Kindergarten–Grade 3 Identify and illustrate safe and unsafe behaviors.
Teach “safe” and “unsafe” as vocabulary words. Ask students to work together as a class to decide if a list of behaviors are “safe” or “unsafe” (e.g., riding on a bike path while wearing a helmet; riding in a car without wearing a seatbelt; walking close to the edge of a cliff; crossing the street at a crosswalk while holding an adult’s hand).
ELA, SLVML 3.7.d, Recognize safe practices in personal media communications.
Standards
Grades 4–5 Identify ways certain decisions or choices effect short- and long- term goals.
Use a decision-making formula (e.g., stop and calm down, identify the decision to be made, identify the options, research the consequences of each option, choose what’s best for you, try it out, and reflect on how well the decision worked).
Science, 5.3.4.1.3, Compare the impact of individual decisions on natural systems.
Grades 4–5 Identify positive and negative consequences of decisions for oneself and others.
Consider the prompt “If I (the student) were the co-author of the rules/codes of conduct, what, if anything, would I change in the rules?”
Ask students to write a response to a journal prompt, or create an art project that shows a decision and the positive and negative consequences for self and others. Have students share in small groups.
Science, 5.3.4.1.3, Compare the impact of individual decisions on natural systems.
Grades 6–8 Analyze the reasons for school rules and local laws and identify the ethical values and social norms they support.
Use teachable moments, including discipline, to talk about the reasons for school rules and local laws.
In response to a journal prompt, ask students to reflect on the reasons for school rules or local laws.
N/A
Standards
Grades 6–8 Monitor how decision- making affects progress toward achieving a goal, through reflection on past choices, and social and community norms.
Routinely ask students to reflect on how decision- making affects progress toward their goals (e.g., if you decide to go to a sleepover tonight, how will that affect your goal of getting a good grade on the test tomorrow?). Ask how and why they might do things differently, if given the chance.
Science, 6.1.2.1.1, Identify a common engineered system and evaluate its impact on the daily life of humans.
Grades 6–8 Recognize the effect of peer pressure on decision-making.
Ask students to write in response to a journal prompt about how peer pressure, including perceptions about what peers are thinking, affects decision-making.
Use examples in literature to discuss how peer pressure, including perceptions about what peers are thinking, may have influenced a character’s decision.
N/A
Learning Goal 2
Applies and evaluates decision-making skills to engage in a variety of situations.
Benchmarks, Sample Activities and Related Academic Standards by Grade Band
Grade Band Benchmarks Sample Activities Related Academic Standards
Kindergarten–Grade 3 Implement "Stop, Think and Act" strategy when making decisions.
Show students a stop sign, explain what the stop sign means and discuss how the stop sign can be used in the classroom–it can be used as a prompt to stop and think about their behaviors before taking action.
Routinely encourage students to use “stop, think and act” anytime they face a choice or decision.
Provide authentic feedback when you observe students making good decisions.
N/A
Standards
Kindergarten–Grade 3 Demonstrate cooperation with social and classroom norms and procedures.
Create simple, positively shared expectations or rules as a class to show students have a voice in the development and implementation of norms and procedures.
Social Studies, 1.1.1.1.1, Demonstrate ways good citizens participate in the civic life of their community; explain why participation is important.
Social Studies, 3.1.1.1.1, Identify ways people make a difference in the civic life of their communities, state, nation or world by working as individuals or groups to address a specific problem or need.
ELA, SVLML 0.1, 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade-level topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Kindergarten–Grade 3 Explain the consequences and rewards of actions on self, other, or group.
Teach a vocabulary lesson on “consequences.” During story time, routinely ask students what the consequences of a character’s decision were.
Social Studies, 2.2.3.3.1, Describe the trade-offs of a decision; describe the opportunity cost of a choice as the next best alternative which was not chosen.
Standards
Grades 4–5 Assess consequences of possible solutions for the identified problems and demonstrate methods for reaching consensus or a decision.
Establish a decision- making formula for the class (stop and calm down, identify the problem or choice, consider the alternatives, choose, try it out).
Routinely encourage students to practice their decision-making formula, anytime they face a decision.
Routinely ask students about the options and consequences of each, anytime they face a choice or decision.
Provide students with authentic feedback anytime they are working through a decision.
Science, 4.1.2.1.1, Describe the positive and negative impacts that the designed world has on the natural world as more and more engineered products and services are created and used.
Grades 4–5 Evaluate the results of their actions after making a decision.
Give students authentic feedback that helps connect their good decisions to positive consequences for their learning, the classroom community, etc.
Science, 5.3.4.1.3, Compare the impact of individual decisions on natural systems.
Standards
Grades 6–8 Identify and apply the steps of systematic decision-making, using creativity and innovation.
Ask students to use creative art expression to identify an area of decision-making.
Ask students to respond to journal prompt that asks them to identify a time they have applied the decision-making formula and how it worked.
Social Studies, 4.1.1.1.1, Describe how people take action to influence a decision on a specific issue; explain how local, state, national or tribal governments have addressed that issue.
Social Studies, 4.2.1.1.1, Apply a reasoned decision-making process to make a choice.
Social Studies, 5.2.1.1.1, Apply a decision-making process to identify an alternative choice that could have been made for a historical event; explain the probable impact of that choice.
Social Studies, 7.2.1.1.1, Apply reasoned decision- making techniques in making choices; explain why different households or groups faced with the same alternatives might make different choices.
Social Studies, 8.2.1.1.1, Apply reasoned decision- making techniques in making choices; explain why different governments faced with the same alternatives might make different choices.
Standards
Grades 6–8 Analyze how decision- making skills affect study habits and academic performance.
Create, agree to, and help students understand logical consequences, discussing them frequently.
Routinely encourage students to think about and discuss how decision-making affects their academic performance and study habits.
N/A
Grades 9–12 Regularly demonstrate use of systematic decision-making, by identifying a decision, gathering information, and assessing alternative resolutions.
Read current events and discuss how a decisions was made and evaluate the quality of the decision against a clearly defined criteria (e.g., did the individual appear to follow a good decision- making strategy?).
Science, 9.1.1.2.1, Formulate a testable hypothesis, design and conduct an experiment to test the hypothesis, analyze the data, consider alternative explanations, and draw conclusions supported by evidence from the investigation.
Standards
Grades 9–12 Identify and ask systematic questions that clarify various points of view and lead to the best solution.
Routinely encourage students to seek additional information, anytime they face a decision.
Provide authentic feedback about the process they use to arrive at the best solution, anytime they face a decision.
Science, 9.1.1.2.2, Evaluate the explanations proposed by others by examining and comparing evidence, identifying faulty reasoning, pointing out statements that go beyond the scientifically acceptable evidence, and suggesting alternative scientific evidence.
ELA, SVLML 9.1 and 11.1, Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, including those by and about Minnesota American Indians, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
ELA, W 9.7 and 11.7, Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Table 2 – Responsible Decision-making Skills, Learning Goal 2 – benchmarks, sample activities and related academic standards by grade band.
