Liars Club

Things to prepare:

Candy

Cards

Some kids (preferably grades 3-5)

Steps:

1.The truth game

2.Story

3.Discussion

4.Riddle

1.Game 

This is a peula about lying. One kid will be telling the truth and another two will be lying. The audience has to recognize which one is the truth teller and which are the liars. The cards can have anything on them. If the madrich happens to be studying for SATs, s/he may choose to use strange words and their definitions. Otherwise it can be strange, funny facts, or difficult parsha questions or something Israel related. Kids like words that have funny sounds like linoleum or rutabaga.

Procedure:

            Make 1 card with the real answer and 2 more with the word lie at the bottom. Do this for a number of different questions

The peula is set up like a game show. The Host gives each contestant a card. The more detailed the card is, the more the Host can ask the contestants. Once the contestants have had enough time to read their cards, the host asks each one of them a question in turn. The truth teller should answer truthfully (though not verbatim what he reads from his card) and the liars should answer liarly. The host can also ask more difficult questions like “Tell us a story involving a portmanteau… etc.” At the end of each round, the host asks the audience to vote which one of the 3 contestants is the truth teller. If they’re right, give them candy. If they’re wrong, give the liars lots of candy.

2. Story

Four students didn’t come to school on the day of a big ethics exam. The next day they come to school and their professor asks them “Where were you yesterday?” They answer that they had all gone out of town in one car and the tried to get back in time for the test but one of the wheels had fallen off and the simply couldn’t get back until later. The professor said it wasn’t a problem and he would make up a new test for them. The next day they were all put in different rooms. When they opened the test, they noticed it had one question worth 100% of the marks. “Which wheel was it?”

3. Discussion:

Is it easier to lie or to tell the truth?

            Short term vs. Long term

What makes a lie bad in the first place?

Are lies always bad?

When is a lie okay?

Etc.

4. A Riddle (for lots of candy)

You find yourself on an island. I don’t know how. On this island there are two tribes. One always tells the truth and one always tells lies. You come across two Natives and you have no idea what tribe they’re from. In fact, you don’t even know whether they’re from the same tribe or not. You turn to the first one and ask him, “Are you a truth teller?” He answers back “Poomee Oomee” The other one says “He says yes, but he’s a big liar.” Who’s telling the truth? The chanich will deal with dilemmas of saying the truth or lying and the results that lying can cause..