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Kindness Compass

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Lesson Plan

Kindness Compass Lesson Plan

Students will reflect on kindness and empathy they experienced this year and set personal kindness intentions for the next year, building self-awareness, perspective-taking, and goal-setting skills.

Reflecting on acts of kindness helps students recognize positive social interactions, develop empathy, and articulate feelings. Setting kindness intentions fosters a forward-looking mindset and strengthens classroom community as they head into the new year.

Audience

3rd Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Through guided reflection, partner sharing, and a creative intention-setting activity.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction and Warm-Up

5 minutes

  • Gather students in a circle and explain the lesson purpose: reflecting on empathy and setting kindness intentions.
  • Ask: “Can you recall a time someone was kind to you this year? How did that make you feel?”
  • Have students share brief examples with a partner, then invite 2–3 volunteers to share with the whole group.

Step 2

Empathy Reflection Activity

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Empathy Reflection Chart and Reflection Prompts Worksheet.
  • Guide students to complete prompts: describe a kind act they received or witnessed and how it impacted them.
  • Encourage students to consider the perspectives of both the giver and receiver of kindness.

Step 3

Partner Sharing and Active Listening

5 minutes

  • Pair students and instruct one to share their written reflections while the other practices active listening (eye contact, nodding, asking clarifying questions).
  • After about 2–3 minutes, have partners switch roles.
  • Remind listeners to respond with empathy and respect.

Step 4

Kindness Intention Setting

7 minutes

  • Hand out Kindness Intention Cards.
  • Ask students to write or draw one specific kindness intention they plan to carry into the next year (e.g., “Help a friend when they feel sad”).
  • Encourage creativity and detail to make intentions meaningful.

Step 5

Closing and Sharing Intentions

3 minutes

  • Invite a few volunteers to share their kindness intentions with the class.
  • Collect intention cards and display them on a classroom kindness reflection board.
  • Praise students for thoughtful reflections and encourage them to practice their intentions after break.
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Slide Deck

Kindness Compass

Reflecting on empathy and setting kindness intentions for the year ahead.

Welcome everyone! Today we’re starting our Kindness Compass lesson. Explain that we’ll reflect on kindness we experienced this year and set intentions for next year. Introduce the title: Kindness Compass.

Learning Objectives

• Reflect on kind acts they received or witnessed this year
• Understand how empathy makes us feel
• Set one personal kindness intention for next year

Read each objective aloud. Encourage students to listen for what we’ll accomplish today.

Warm-Up Question

Can you recall a time someone was kind to you this year? How did it make you feel?

Pose the question and give students a moment to think. Then have them share with a partner before inviting volunteers to speak aloud.

Empathy Reflection Activity

  1. Take out your Empathy Reflection Chart and Reflection Prompts Worksheet.
  2. Describe a kind act you witnessed or received and its impact.
  3. Think about how both people felt.

Distribute the Empathy Reflection Chart and Reflection Prompts Worksheet. Guide students while they complete the prompts, reminding them to consider both giver’s and receiver’s perspectives.

Partner Sharing & Active Listening

• Pair up and share your written reflection.
• Listener: use eye contact, nod, and ask one question.
• Switch roles after 2–3 minutes.

Model active listening: eye contact, nodding, asking ‘How did that feel?’ Then let partners switch roles after 2–3 minutes.

Kindness Intention Setting

  1. Grab a Kindness Intention Card.
  2. Write or draw one specific act of kindness you’ll do next year (e.g., “Help a friend who’s sad”).
  3. Make it detailed and meaningful.

Hand out the Kindness Intention Cards. Encourage students to be specific and creative with their drawings or writing.

Closing & Sharing Intentions

• Volunteers share their kindness intentions.
• Place all cards on our kindness reflection board.
• Great job! Keep practicing these intentions after break.

Invite a few volunteers to share their intentions. Collect cards to display on the classroom kindness reflection board. Praise thoughtful ideas and encourage follow-through.

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Worksheet

Empathy Reflection Chart

Use this chart to think about acts of kindness you received or saw this year. For each act, describe what happened, why it was kind, and how everyone might have felt.

Act #What happened?Why was it kind?How did I feel?What might the giver have felt?What might the receiver have felt?
1














2














After completing the chart, answer these reflection questions:

  1. Which act of kindness stood out to you the most, and why?






  2. How did imagining the giver’s perspective help you understand their kindness?






  3. How can you use what you learned from these reflections to show kindness next year?






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Worksheet

Reflection Prompts Worksheet

Use these prompts to dig deeper into your experiences of kindness and empathy this year. Write detailed, thoughtful responses in the spaces provided.

  1. Describe a moment this year when you felt someone truly understood how you felt. What happened, and how did that empathy affect you?






  2. Think of a time you noticed someone needed help but didn’t ask for it. What did you do, or what do you wish you had done?






  3. List three qualities of a kind person. For each quality, explain why it is important.

a. __________________________________________________________




b. __________________________________________________________




c. __________________________________________________________



  1. If you could write a thank-you note to someone who showed you kindness this year, what would you say?






  2. How can you make small acts of kindness a habit every day? List at least three ideas.


2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________

  1. Looking ahead to next year, what is one specific kindness goal you want to set for yourself? Describe your goal and the steps you will take to achieve it.








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Activity

Kindness Intention Card

✂️ Cut along the dotted line and give this card space to shine! ✂️

My Kindness Intention for Next Year
I will:





How I will do this
(What steps will you take?):









Draw Yourself Showing Kindness
(Use color and detail!)












Decorate your card and place it on our Kindness Reflection Board!

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