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Gratitude Garden

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Lesson Plan

Gratitude Garden

Students will understand and express gratitude through interactive activities and creative expression. They will identify things they are thankful for, explore how gratitude feels, and learn simple ways to show appreciation to others.

Cultivating thankfulness fosters a positive outlook and builds foundational social-emotional skills, helping students appreciate their lives and connect positively with others.

Audience

K-3 Students

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive activities, discussion, and creative expression.

Materials

Gratitude Garden Slide Deck, What Am I Thankful For? Worksheet, Gratitude Garden Discussion Prompts, Gratitude Garden Activity Cards, Crayons or colored pencils, and Construction paper or small index cards

Prep

Prepare Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: What Makes You Smile?

5 minutes

  • Begin with a quick class discussion. Ask students: 'What's something small that happened recently that made you smile?'
  • Encourage a few students to share their responses.
  • Transition by explaining that today, we'll talk about being thankful for things that make us smile.

Step 2

Introduction to Gratitude (Slides 1-3)

10 minutes

  • Display Gratitude Garden Slide Deck (Slides 1-3).
  • Introduce the concept of gratitude: 'Gratitude is when you feel thankful for something or someone.'
  • Discuss examples of things to be thankful for (family, friends, pets, sunny days, toys, food).
  • Ask students how being thankful makes them feel. Guide them to recognize positive emotions like happiness, warmth, or joy.

Step 3

Gratitude Garden Activity

15 minutes

  • Distribute the What Am I Thankful For? Worksheet to each student, along with crayons or colored pencils.
  • Explain the activity: 'You will draw or write about things you are thankful for in your Gratitude Garden. Think about people, places, or things that make you happy.'
  • Provide prompts and encouragement as students work. Circulate to offer help and praise.
  • After a few minutes, have students turn their What Am I Thankful For? Worksheet into a 'flower' by drawing petals around their drawings or writings.

Step 4

Share and Discuss

10 minutes

  • Invite students to share one thing from their What Am I Thankful For? Worksheet with a partner or the whole class.
  • Facilitate a brief discussion using prompts from the Gratitude Garden Discussion Prompts, such as 'How does it feel to share what you're thankful for?' or 'How can we show people we are thankful for them?'
  • Emphasize simple actions like saying 'thank you,' drawing a picture, or helping someone.

Step 5

Cool-Down: Gratitude Seed

5 minutes

  • Give each student a small piece of construction paper or an index card.
  • Instruct them to draw a 'gratitude seed' – something they are thankful for, or a way they will show thanks to someone today.
  • Collect the 'seeds' and display them, creating a class 'Gratitude Garden.'
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Slide Deck

Welcome to the Gratitude Garden!

What makes you happy?

Welcome students and introduce the topic of feelings and being thankful. Ask a few students what makes them happy.

What is Gratitude?

Gratitude is feeling thankful for something or someone.

Like being thankful for:

  • Family and friends
  • Your pets
  • Sunny days
  • Your favorite toy
  • Yummy food

Explain what gratitude means in simple terms. Provide a few examples.

How Does Gratitude Feel?

When you feel thankful, how does your heart feel?

  • Happy?
  • Warm?
  • Joyful?

Ask students how they feel when they are thankful. Guide them to positive emotions.

Grow Your Own Gratitude!

Let's find things to be thankful for and grow our own Gratitude Garden!

What will you plant in your garden today?

Introduce the idea of growing their own gratitude garden by thinking about what they are thankful for. Explain the worksheet activity.

Share Your Thankfulness!

Who or what are you thankful for?

How can you show someone you are thankful?

Encourage students to share their gratitude items and discuss simple ways to show appreciation.

Keep Your Garden Growing!

Being thankful helps us feel happy and makes others feel special.

Keep growing your gratitude every day!

Conclude by reminding students that practicing gratitude makes them and others happy.

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Worksheet

My Gratitude Garden

Draw or write about three things you are thankful for inside these flowers! After you draw, you can add petals around your drawing or writing to make it a beautiful flower.











Flower 1:


Flower 2:


Flower 3:


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Discussion

Gratitude Garden Discussion Prompts

Starting the Discussion

  • What does it mean to be thankful?
  • Can you think of someone who did something kind for you recently? How did that make you feel?

During the Activity (Circulate and Ask)

  • What are you choosing to put in your gratitude garden today? Why?
  • How does thinking about these things make you feel?
  • Is it easy or hard to think of things you're thankful for?

After Sharing

  • How did it feel to share what you're thankful for with your classmates?
  • What are some different ways we can show people we are thankful for them? (e.g., saying "thank you," drawing a picture, giving a hug, helping with a chore)
  • Why is it important to say "thank you" or show appreciation?
  • How can we practice gratitude every day, even for small things?
  • What is one new thing you noticed today that you are thankful for?
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Activity

Gratitude Garden Activity Cards

Cut out these cards and use them to inspire discussions or drawings about gratitude!

Card 1: Family Fun

Who in your family are you thankful for? Why?




Card 2: Awesome Friends

What makes your friends so great? What are you thankful for about them?




Card 3: Happy Places

Where is a place you love to be (like a park, your room, or the library)? What makes it special?




Card 4: Yummy Food

What is your favorite food? Who helps you get it or make it?




Card 5: Helping Hands

Has anyone helped you recently? What did they do? How did you feel?




Card 6: Sunny Days

What kinds of weather make you happy? What can you do on those days?




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Gratitude Garden • Lenny Learning