Lesson Plan
Grief Gardeners
Students will be able to identify and express different emotions related to grief in a safe and supportive group setting.
Grief is a natural part of life, and helping first-graders develop healthy ways to understand and express their feelings about loss is crucial for their emotional well-being and resilience.
Audience
1st Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Through a creative art activity, students will explore and share feelings associated with grief.
Materials
Whiteboard or chart paper, Markers, Large sheet of paper for the collective 'Grief Garden', Individual sheets of paper for each student, Crayons or colored pencils, Scissors, Glue sticks, Feelings Flower Worksheet, and Grief Garden Activity instructions
Prep
Gather Materials & Prepare Space
10 minutes
- Review the Grief Gardeners Lesson Plan and all generated materials, making any necessary adjustments.
- Print one copy of the Feelings Flower Worksheet for each student.
- Prepare a large sheet of paper or a section of the whiteboard to create a collective 'Grief Garden'.
- Gather crayons, colored pencils, scissors, and glue sticks.
- Ensure a comfortable and quiet space for the group counseling activity.
Step 1
Introduction & Setting the Stage
5 minutes
- Begin by welcoming students and explaining that today's activity is about feelings, especially when someone we care about is sad or when we miss something or someone important.
- Emphasize that all feelings are okay and that this is a safe space to share, or just listen.
- Briefly introduce the idea of a 'Grief Garden' as a place where we can plant our feelings and thoughts when we are experiencing sadness or loss. (Refer to Slide Deck: Grief Gardeners slide 1-2)
Step 2
Exploring Feelings with Flowers
10 minutes
- Distribute the Feelings Flower Worksheet to each student.
- Explain that each petal represents a different feeling. Have students think about feelings they might have when they are sad, miss someone, or experience a loss.
- Guide them to draw or write a feeling word on each petal and color the flower to reflect those feelings. (Refer to Slide Deck: Grief Gardeners slide 3-4)
Step 3
Creating Our Grief Garden
10 minutes
- Once students have completed their 'Feelings Flowers', instruct them to carefully cut out their flowers.
- Invite students, one by one or in small groups, to come up and glue their 'Feelings Flowers' onto the large collective 'Grief Garden' paper.
- As they place their flower, encourage them to briefly share one feeling they drew, or a color they used, if they feel comfortable. Remind them it's okay if they don't want to share. (Refer to Slide Deck: Grief Gardeners slide 5)
Step 4
Reflection & Closing
5 minutes
- Once all flowers are in the garden, lead a brief discussion.
- Ask questions like: "What do you notice about our garden?" "Do you see many different feelings?" "It's normal to have many feelings when we're sad or miss someone."
- Reiterate that the 'Grief Garden' shows that they are not alone in their feelings and that everyone experiences different emotions.
- Thank students for their participation and bravery in sharing their feelings. (Refer to Slide Deck: Grief Gardeners slide 6-7)
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Slide Deck
Welcome to Our Feelings Garden!
Today, we're going to talk about feelings. All feelings are okay!
Welcome students and introduce the idea of talking about feelings. Emphasize that all feelings are okay and it's a safe space.
What's a Grief Garden?
It's a special place where we can plant our feelings when we're sad or miss someone important. Just like a real garden grows, our feelings can grow and change too.
Explain what a Grief Garden is in simple terms – a special place for our feelings when we're sad or miss someone. Keep it light and reassuring.
Your Feelings Flower
Each petal is for a different feeling.
What feelings do you have when you are sad or miss someone? You can draw or write a feeling word on each petal. Then, color your flower!
Introduce the 'Feelings Flower Worksheet'. Explain that each petal is for a different feeling. Guide them to think about feelings they have when they are sad or miss someone.
Grow Your Feelings Flower!
Take your time to think about your feelings.
What colors feel like those feelings?
Give students time to work on their flowers. Circulate and offer support, reminding them there are no 'right' or 'wrong' feelings.
Building Our Grief Garden
Now, we will add our beautiful feelings flowers to our big Grief Garden!
You can share one feeling from your flower, if you want to. It's okay if you don't!
Explain that they will add their flowers to the big 'Grief Garden'. Encourage them to share one feeling if they feel comfortable, but reassure them it's okay not to.
Our Garden Grows!
Look at our amazing Grief Garden!
What do you notice? Do you see many different feelings?
It's normal to have many feelings when we're sad or miss someone.
Lead a brief discussion about the collective garden. Highlight the variety of feelings and the idea that they are not alone.
You Are Not Alone
Thank you for sharing your feelings today. Remember, all your feelings are important, and you are not alone.
Conclude by thanking students and reinforcing that all feelings are valid and they have support.
Worksheet
My Feelings Flower
Draw or write a feeling word on each petal. Then, color your flower to show how those feelings look!
Example feelings: Sad, Mad, Confused, Worried, Loved, Happy (remember, it's okay to feel many things!)
Activity
Grief Garden Activity: Instructions for Teachers
This activity is designed to help 1st-grade students explore and express their feelings related to grief in a supportive classroom setting.
Materials Needed:
- Feelings Flower Worksheet (one per student)
- Large sheet of paper or whiteboard space for the collective "Grief Garden"
- Crayons or colored pencils
- Scissors
- Glue sticks
Step-by-Step Guide:
1. Introduction (5 minutes)
- Welcome students and explain that today's activity is about feelings, especially when someone we care about is sad or when we miss something or someone important.
- Emphasize that all feelings are okay and that this is a safe space to share, or just listen.
- Briefly introduce the idea of a 'Grief Garden' as a place where we can plant our feelings and thoughts when we are experiencing sadness or loss. You can say something like: "Just like a real garden has many different plants, our hearts can have many different feelings when we're sad or miss someone. Today, we're going to create a special garden for those feelings."
2. Exploring Feelings with Flowers (10 minutes)
- Distribute the Feelings Flower Worksheet to each student.
- Explain that each petal on their flower represents a different feeling. Have students think about feelings they might have when they are sad, miss someone, or experience a loss (e.g., sad, mad, confused, worried, sometimes even happy when remembering good times).
- Guide them to draw or write a feeling word on each petal and color the flower to reflect those feelings. Encourage them to use colors that match how those feelings feel to them (e.g., blue for sad, red for mad).
3. Creating Our Collective Grief Garden (10 minutes)
- Once students have completed their 'Feelings Flowers', instruct them to carefully cut out their flowers.
- Have the large sheet of paper or whiteboard ready as the collective "Grief Garden."
- Invite students, one by one or in small groups, to come up and glue their 'Feelings Flowers' onto the large collective 'Grief Garden' paper.
- As they place their flower, encourage them to briefly share one feeling they drew, or a color they used, if they feel comfortable. Reassure them it's perfectly okay if they don't want to share anything at this point.
4. Reflection & Closing (5 minutes)
- Once all flowers are in the garden, gather the students around the completed "Grief Garden."
- Lead a brief discussion. Ask open-ended questions like:
- "What do you notice about our garden?"
- "Do you see many different feelings?"
- "It's normal to have many feelings when we're sad or miss someone. Our garden shows all those different feelings are welcome."
- Reiterate that the 'Grief Garden' shows that they are not alone in their feelings and that everyone experiences different emotions.
- Thank students for their participation and bravery in sharing their feelings. Emphasize that it's important to talk about their feelings when they are sad, and that adults like you are there to listen.