The Golem of California
Accountability/Self-Control
One afternoon, a young girl named Abigail creates an animated being from mud.
The unruly mud man, inspired by a figure from Jewish folklore called a golem, escapes from Abigail. Social conventions and rules of behavior baffle Golem. He wants to make friends, but he keeps pushing away the people that he meets despite his best intentions. A series of humorous social dilemmas teach Golem how to own his actions in order to respect and appreciate others. These lessons demonstrate how whole communities can benefit when people hold themselves and each other accountable.
Learning Objectives
- Define accountability
- Practice self-control as a way of being accountable for our actions
- Demonstrate the ways personal actions can affect other people in negative ways
- Practice saying “ I did that” for good and bad things
- Understand how apologizing for mistakes is an important part of being accountable
- Empower students to think before they act and make positive choices