Lesson Plan
Rules Rock! Why We Need Them
Students will be able to identify classroom rules and understand their purpose, recognizing how rules contribute to a safe and positive learning environment.
Understanding and following rules helps create a classroom where everyone feels safe, respected, and ready to learn. This lesson lays the groundwork for positive behavior throughout the school year.
Audience
1st Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, storytelling, and collaborative rule-making.
Materials
Prep
Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the Rules Rock! Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
- Read through the Rules Rock! Script to prepare for discussion points and activity instructions.
- Print enough copies of the My Classroom Rules Activity for each student.
- Ensure projector or smartboard is ready for the slide deck.
Step 1
Warm-up: What is a Rule?
5 minutes
- Begin by asking students: "What is a rule? Where do we see rules?" (e.g., at home, on the playground, in games).
- Facilitate a brief discussion, encouraging students to share their initial ideas.
- Transition by saying: "Today, we're going to talk about why rules are so important, especially in our classroom!"
Step 2
Introducing Rules
10 minutes
- Use the Rules Rock! Slide Deck to guide the discussion.
- Go through slides explaining what rules are and why they are important (safety, fairness, helping us learn, being kind).
- Encourage student participation by asking questions like: "How do rules keep us safe?" or "What happens if there are no rules in a game?"
- Follow along with the Rules Rock! Script for specific talking points and questions.
Step 3
My Classroom Rules Activity
10 minutes
- Distribute the My Classroom Rules Activity worksheet to each student.
- Explain the activity: "Now it's your turn to think about a rule that would make our classroom a better place. You can draw a picture or write a sentence about your rule and why it's important."
- Circulate around the room to offer assistance and encourage creative thinking.
- As students finish, invite a few to share their rule with the class.
Step 4
Cool-down: Our Classroom Agreement
5 minutes
- Conclude by reiterating the importance of classroom rules.
- Ask students: "What is one important rule we talked about today that helps everyone?"
- Explain that their ideas will help create a classroom agreement for how everyone will behave and learn together.
Slide Deck
Rules Rock! Why We Need Them
Let's discover why rules are super important!
Welcome students and introduce the topic of rules in a fun, engaging way. Ask them where they've seen rules before.
What Are Rules?
A rule is like a special instruction that tells us how to act or what to do.
Where do you see rules?
- At home
- When playing games
- At school
Explain what a rule is in simple terms. Use examples that are familiar to 1st graders.
Why Do We Have Rules?
Rules help us in many ways!
They help us be:
- Safe
- Fair
- Kind
- Great Learners
Transition to why rules are important. Ask students to brainstorm ideas before revealing the points.
Rules Keep Us SAFE!
Imagine playing on the playground. What rules keep us safe?
- No pushing on the slide.
- Stay on the swings while swinging.
In our classroom, rules keep us safe from bumps and scrapes!
Focus on safety. Give clear, relatable examples.
Rules Make Things FAIR!
What if only one person got to use all the crayons?
Rules help make sure everyone gets a turn and things are shared fairly.
- Sharing toys
- Taking turns talking
Discuss fairness. Use a common scenario like sharing.
Rules Help Us Learn & Be Kind!
When we follow rules, our classroom is a happy place to learn!
- Listening when others speak helps us learn.
- Using kind words helps everyone feel good.
Rules help us be good friends and good students!
Connect rules to learning and kindness. Emphasize a positive classroom environment.
Let's Make Our Own Rules!
Now that we know why rules are important, let's think about our classroom.
What rules will help us be safe, fair, kind, and great learners?
Lead into the activity. Encourage them to think about what makes a good classroom.
Script
Rules Rock! Why We Need Them - Teacher Script
Warm-up: What is a Rule? (5 minutes)
"Good morning, amazing first graders! Today, we're going to talk about something super important that helps us all get along and have fun, both in school and at home. Has anyone ever heard the word 'rule' before? What do you think a rule is? Raise a quiet hand if you have an idea!"
"That's right! A rule is like a special instruction or a guide that tells us how to act or what to do. Where have you seen rules? Maybe at home? Or when you play a game? What about here at school?"
"Awesome ideas! Today, we're going to dive into why rules are so important, especially in our very own classroom!"
Introducing Rules (10 minutes)
"Let's look at our screen. (Display Rules Rock! Slide Deck - Slide 1: Rules Rock! Why We Need Them)"
"Rules really do rock because they help us in so many ways! Let's go to our next slide. (Display Rules Rock! Slide Deck - Slide 2: What Are Rules?)"
"Like we talked about, a rule is like a special instruction that tells us how to act or what to do. Can you think of a rule you follow at home? What about a rule when you play a game, like 'no running in the house' or 'take turns with the ball'?"
"Fantastic examples! Now, let's look at the next slide to see why these rules are so helpful. (Display Rules Rock! Slide Deck - Slide 3: Why Do We Have Rules?)"
"Rules help us be safe, fair, kind, and great learners! Let's talk about each one."
"(Display Rules Rock! Slide Deck - Slide 4: Rules Keep Us SAFE!)"
"Why do you think rules help keep us safe? Imagine playing on the playground. What rules help keep everyone safe from getting hurt? Like, what if everyone tried to go down the slide at the same time?"
"Exactly! Rules like 'no pushing on the slide' or 'stay seated on the swings' keep us safe. In our classroom, rules help us move around without bumping into friends or hurting ourselves."
"(Display Rules Rock! Slide Deck - Slide 5: Rules Make Things FAIR!)"
"Now, how do rules make things fair? What if only one person got to use all the super cool markers? Would that feel fair to everyone else?"
"No, it wouldn't! Rules help make sure everyone gets a turn, like sharing materials or waiting for your turn to speak. They help everyone feel like they are treated equally."
"(Display Rules Rock! Slide Deck - Slide 6: Rules Help Us Learn & Be Kind!)"
"And finally, rules help us learn and be kind. How do you think a rule like 'raise your hand to speak' helps us learn?"
"Yes! It helps everyone hear the teacher and hear their friends. And rules like 'use kind words' help make our classroom a happy place where everyone feels good about coming to school. When we follow rules, our classroom is a wonderful place to learn and make friends!"
My Classroom Rules Activity (10 minutes)
"Now that we know why rules are super important, it's your turn to help us think about our classroom rules!"
"(Display Rules Rock! Slide Deck - Slide 7: Let's Make Our Own Rules!)"
"I'm going to give each of you a special sheet of paper called the My Classroom Rules Activity. On this paper, I want you to think about one rule that would make our classroom an even better place. You can either draw a picture of your rule, or if you're ready, you can write a sentence about your rule and explain why it's important. Think about how your rule will help us be safe, fair, kind, or great learners!"
"I'll be walking around to see all your fantastic ideas and help if you need it. When you're done, put your pencil down so I know you're ready. (Circulate and assist students.)"
"Wow, these are some incredible ideas! Who would like to share one of their classroom rules with us and tell us why it's important?"
Cool-down: Our Classroom Agreement (5 minutes)
"Thank you all for sharing such thoughtful ideas! We've learned today that rules are not just about telling us what not to do, but they are super important because they help us be safe, fair, kind, and excellent learners."
"We're going to use all of your amazing ideas to help us create our very own 'Classroom Agreement' – a special set of rules that we all agree to follow to make our classroom the best it can be. How cool is that?"
"Next time, we'll continue our adventure in understanding behaviors that help our classroom shine!"
Activity
My Classroom Rules!
Name: ________________________
Think about our classroom. What is ONE rule that would make our classroom an even better, safer, or kinder place?
Draw a picture of your rule below, or write a sentence about it.
### Now, explain why this rule is important! (Why do we need this rule?)