What Helps When We're Sad?

Instructions:
1. Think about a time you felt sad.
2. What is one thing that helped you feel a little better?
3. Share your idea with a partner or the class.

(Possible answers: talking to someone, drawing, playing, listening to music, getting a hug, thinking about happy memories.)

Growing Through Grief Script

Warm Up: What Helps When We're Sad? (3 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning/afternoon everyone! To start our lesson today, I want you to think about a time you felt sad. We all feel sad sometimes, right? Now, what is one thing that helped you feel a little bit better? Maybe it was a hug, or talking to someone, or playing your favorite game. Take a moment to think about it."

(Pause for students to think. Call on a few students to share.)

Teacher: "Those are wonderful ideas! It's great to know what helps us when we're feeling sad. Today, we're going to talk more about these big feelings and how we can find hope and happiness again, even when we're sad."

Introduction: What is Grief? (3 minutes)

(Display Growing Through Grief Slide Deck - Slide 2: What is Grief?)

Teacher: "Sometimes, when something important changes or someone we love is no longer with us, we feel a very big sadness. This big sadness has a special name: it's called grief. Grief can feel different for everyone. Sometimes it feels like a heavy cloud, sometimes it makes our tummies hurt, or it might just make us feel quiet. It's okay to feel sad, confused, or even a little bit angry when you're grieving. There's no right or wrong way to feel. What are some big feelings you think people might have when they are sad?"

(Allow a few student responses.)

Video: Sesame Street: Hope and Healing (5 minutes)

(Display Growing Through Grief Slide Deck - Slide 3: Hope and Healing with Sesame Street)

Teacher: "We're going to watch a short video from our friends on Sesame Street. In this video, some of the characters are feeling sad, and they learn about hope and healing. I want you to watch closely and think about two things: What big feelings did the characters have? And what helped them feel a little better?"

(Play the video: Sesame Street: Hope and Healing - Link to Sesame Street: Hope and Healing video)

(Display Growing Through Grief Slide Deck - Slide 4: What Did We Learn From Sesame Street?)

Teacher: "Wow, what a great video! Who can tell me, what big feelings did you see the characters having?" (Pause for responses) "And what helped them feel a little better?" (Pause for responses) "That's right! Talking about their feelings and remembering happy times helped a lot."

Story Time: The Rabbit Listened (7 minutes)

(Display Growing Through Grief Slide Deck - Slide 5: Story Time: The Rabbit Listened)

Teacher: "Now, I have a special book called 'The Rabbit Listened' by Cori Doerrfeld. This story is about a girl named Taylor who is very, very sad. Let's read it together and see what happens and how her friends try to help her, and what truly makes a difference."

(Read the book aloud, showing the pictures. Emphasize Taylor's feelings and the different animals' attempts to help.)

(Display Growing Through Grief Slide Deck - Slide 6: How Did the Rabbit Help?)

Teacher: "What did Taylor need most when she was sad? What did her friends try to do? (Allow responses) And what did the rabbit do that was different? (Allow responses) That's right! The rabbit just sat there and listened. Sometimes, when we're sad, all we really need is for someone to listen and be there. It's important to be a good listener for our friends too."

Activity: Planting Seeds of Hope (8 minutes)

(Display Growing Through Grief Slide Deck - Slide 7: Planting Seeds of Hope)

Teacher: "Even when we feel sad or miss someone, our love and memories can continue to grow, just like a plant! And we can also grow new hopes and happy feelings for the future. Today, we're going to plant a seed or a small flower together."

(Guide students through the Planting Seeds of Hope Activity. Provide each student with a small pot, soil, and a seed or small flower plant. As they plant, talk about the connection.)

Teacher: "As we carefully put our seeds or plants into the soil, think about how we give them water and sunshine to help them grow. Our love for others, our happy memories, and our hopes for the future are like the sunshine and water for our hearts. They help us grow and feel better, even when things are tough. What kinds of hopes do you have for your plant? What kinds of hopes do you have for yourself?"

(Allow a few student responses while they are planting.)

Worksheet: Hope Flower (3 minutes)

(Display Growing Through Grief Slide Deck - Slide 8: My Hope Flower)

Teacher: "Now that we've planted our seeds of hope, I have a special Hope Flower Worksheet for you. On this worksheet, I want you to draw or write about something that gives you hope, or a happy memory that makes you smile. Just like the petals of a flower, each happy thought or hope can add beauty to our lives."

(Distribute worksheets and drawing supplies. Circulate and assist students as they work.)

Cool Down: One Word Hope (1 minute)

(Display Growing Through Grief Slide Deck - Slide 9: One Word Hope)

Teacher: "To finish our lesson today, I want everyone to think about one word that makes them feel hopeful or healed after what we talked about. It could be 'love,' 'memories,' 'friends,' 'grow,' or anything that comes to mind. When I point to you, share your word."

(Go around the room, allowing each student to share their word.)

Teacher: "Thank you all for sharing your words and your hearts today. Remember, it's okay to be sad, and it's also okay to find hope and healing. Our feelings can grow and change, just like our plants!"

Planting Seeds of Hope Activity

Objective: To demonstrate how love, memories, and hope can grow over time, just like a plant.

Materials:

• Small flower pots or cups (one per student)
• Potting soil
• Seeds (flower or easy-to-grow vegetable seeds like beans) or small flower plants
• Small watering cans or cups of water
• Optional: Markers or stickers to decorate pots

Instructions:

1. Introduce the Concept (2 minutes): Gather students around a central table or their desks. Explain that just like plants need care to grow, our feelings, memories, and hopes also need to be nurtured. When we are sad, it might feel like nothing will ever get better, but over time, with love and care, feelings can change, and hope can grow.

2. Prepare the Pots (2 minutes): Distribute one pot or cup to each student. If decorating, allow a brief moment for them to personalize their pot. Explain that this pot will hold their "seed of hope."

3. Add Soil (2 minutes): Help students add potting soil to their pots, filling them about two-thirds full. Discuss how the soil is like a safe place for the seed to begin its journey.

4. Plant the Seed/Flower (2 minutes): Give each student a seed or small flower plant. Instruct them to gently place the seed into the soil (following package directions for depth) or carefully transfer the small plant. As they do this, ask them to think of a happy memory or a hope they have for the future and "plant" that feeling with their seed.

5. Water the Seed (1 minute): Have students give their seed or plant a little water. Emphasize that water helps the plant grow, just like our love, memories, and hopes help our hearts grow stronger.

6. Discuss Growth (1 minute): "What does this plant need to grow? (Sunlight, water, care.) Just like our plant, our hearts and hopes need care too. Our happy memories and the love we share are like the sunshine and water for our hearts. Even when we feel sad, our love and memories don't disappear; they can continue to grow and bring beauty to our lives, just like this plant will grow and eventually bloom!"

7. Ongoing Care: Encourage students to take their plant home (if feasible) and continue to care for it, reminding them that watching it grow can be a symbol of their own growing hope and healing.

Grief Discussion Prompts

These prompts are designed to facilitate meaningful conversations with K-3 students about grief, feelings, hope, and healing. Use them throughout the lesson, particularly after the video and book activities.

After the Warm-Up: "What Helps When We're Sad?"

• What kinds of things make you feel sad?
• What helps you feel a little bit better when you're sad?
• Is it okay to feel sad sometimes? Why?

After the Sesame Street Video: "Hope and Healing"

• What big feelings did you notice the characters having?
• When Elmo was sad, what did his friends do to help him?
• What helped the characters feel hopeful or happy again?
• What did you learn about sadness and hope from the video?

After the Book: "The Rabbit Listened"

• How did Taylor feel at the beginning of the story?
• What did the different animals try to do to help Taylor?
• How was the rabbit different from the other animals?
• Why do you think the rabbit's way of helping worked best for Taylor?
• What does it mean to really listen to someone when they are sad?
• Why is it important to be a good listener for our friends?

After the "Planting Seeds of Hope" Activity

• What do our seeds need to grow big and strong? (Sunlight, water, care)
• How are our happy memories and love like the sunshine and water for our hearts?
• Even when we miss someone or something, can our love for them still grow? How?
• What are some new hopes you have for the future, just like your plant growing?

General Reflection Questions

• What is one new thing you learned about feelings today?
• How can we help a friend who is feeling sad?
• What makes you feel hopeful when you are sad?
• Is it okay to feel happy again after you've been sad? Why or why not?

My Hope Flower

Just like a flower needs sunshine and water to grow, our hearts need happy memories and hopes for the future to grow strong!

Instructions:

1. In the center of the flower, draw or write about one happy memory that makes your heart smile.
   
   
   
   

2. In each petal, draw or write about something that gives you HOPE for the future. It could be something you look forward to, something that makes you feel safe, or someone who makes you happy.

Petal 1:

Petal 2:

Petal 3:

Petal 4:

Petal 5:

(Optional: Color your hope flower beautifully!)

Flowers of Hope Coloring Page

Color this flower garden with all the colors that make you feel happy and hopeful! Think about your happy memories and your hopes for the future as you color.

(This space is designed for a drawing of a flower garden with various flowers, butterflies, and a sun. Encourage students to be creative with their colors, making each flower unique and vibrant, representing different hopes or happy memories. The page should be mostly illustrations with ample space for coloring, rather than text. For example, a large central flower could have petals where students can imagine writing their hopes, or smaller flowers could represent happy family members or friends.)

Hopeful Feelings Charades

Objective: To help students identify and express feelings and actions related to hope and healing in a fun, active way.

Materials:

• Small slips of paper
• A hat or bowl

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Slips (5 minutes prep): Before class, write down simple feelings or actions related to coping, hope, and happiness on individual slips of paper. Examples include:

   • Smiling
   • Laughing
   • Giving a hug
   • Playing with a friend
   • Drawing a picture
   • Talking about feelings
   • Thinking of a happy memory
   • Helping someone
   • Planting a flower
   • Listening to music
   • Reading a book
   • Feeling calm
   • Feeling peaceful

2. Introduce the Game (1 minute): "Today, we're going to play a game called Hopeful Feelings Charades! In this game, one person will act out a feeling or an action that helps us feel hopeful or happy, and the rest of us will guess what it is. Remember, no talking while you're acting!"

3. Demonstrate (1 minute): Act out one of the simpler words yourself (e.g., 'smiling' or 'giving a hug') to show students how to play.

4. Play the Game (8 minutes):

   • Have students take turns picking a slip of paper from the hat/bowl.
   • The student acts out the word or phrase for their classmates.
   • The first student to correctly guess gets to be the next actor.
   • If a student is having trouble, allow them to pick another slip or provide a gentle hint.

5. Discussion (as needed): After each round or a few rounds, you can briefly ask: "How did that make you feel?" or "Is that something that helps you feel hopeful?" This reinforces the connection to the lesson's theme.

Teacher Tip: Keep the pace quick to keep K-3 students engaged. If time is short, you can divide students into two teams for a quicker game, or just have everyone guess simultaneously without a specific turn-taking order for guessing.

My Memory Garden Project

Objective: To create a visual representation of cherished memories and future hopes, understanding that these can grow and bring joy.

Materials:

• Paper (construction paper or cardstock works well)
• Crayons, markers, colored pencils
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Optional: Glitter, fabric scraps, small natural items (leaves, dried flowers)

Instructions:

1. Introduce the Project (2 minutes): "We've talked about how our happy memories and hopes can grow like a garden. Today, you're going to create your very own 'Memory Garden' to show all the special people, moments, and hopes that make your heart happy."

2. Draw Your Garden Base (5 minutes): On a piece of paper, draw the 'ground' for your garden. It could be a green field, a patch of dirt, or even a rainbow path. Add a sun and clouds if you like.

3. Create Memory Flowers (10 minutes):

   • Think of 3-5 happy memories or people you love. These could be family, friends, pets, special places, or fun activities.
   • On separate smaller pieces of paper, draw a flower for each memory. Inside each flower petal, you can draw a picture or write a word about that memory or person.
   • Cut out your memory flowers.

4. Plant Hope Seeds (5 minutes):

   • Now, think about 1-2 things you hope for in the future. These could be big hopes like