Kindness Counts!

Katie Ray

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Kindness Counts!

Understanding Kindness in Relationships

In this lesson, students will explore how kindness can positively impact relationships. Through reading, discussion, and activities, students will learn the importance of being kind and how it can strengthen friendships and resolve conflicts. This lesson is crucial for developing empathy and social skills, which are essential for personal and community well-being.

Audience

3rd Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Experiential Learning, Restorative Practices, Collaborative Learning, Active Learning

Materials

The Jelly Donut Difference book, Discussion Questions: Kindness and Relationships, Video: Story: A Good Deed Can Grow, Paper leaves, Markers, and Poster board for Kindness Tree

Step 1

Introduction

5 mins

Begin by asking students how kindness can affect their relationships with friends and family.
Introduce the book 'The Jelly Donut Difference' and explain that it tells a story about how kindness can strengthen relationships.

Step 2

Reading Activity

10 mins

Read a selected passage from 'The Jelly Donut Difference' aloud to the class.
Pause to discuss key moments where characters show kindness and how it affects their relationships.

Step 3

Video Viewing

3 mins

Show the video Story: A Good Deed Can Grow.
Ask students to think about how the story in the video relates to the book and their own relationships.

Step 4

Discussion

5 mins

Use the discussion questions to facilitate a conversation about how kindness can improve friendships and resolve conflicts.
Encourage students to share personal experiences of how kindness has affected their relationships.

Step 5

Group Project: Kindness Tree

5 mins

Divide the class into small groups.
Provide each group with paper leaves and markers.
Have students write acts of kindness on the leaves and attach them to a poster board to create a Kindness Tree.
Display the Kindness Tree in the classroom as a reminder of the power of kindness.

Step 6

Closure

2 mins

Ask students to share one act of kindness they plan to do this week to improve a relationship.
Remind them that even small actions can have a big impact on their friendships and family connections.

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Discussion

Discussion: Kindness and Relationships

This discussion will help students reflect on how kindness can improve relationships and resolve conflicts.

How can kindness improve your friendships?

Encourage students to think about times when kindness helped them make or keep friends.

How did the characters in the book and video show kindness in their relationships?

Discuss specific examples from the book and video.

What are some ways you can use kindness to resolve conflicts?

Guide students to think about actions they can take to be kind during disagreements.

Reading

Reading: The Jelly Donut Difference

A selected passage from 'The Jelly Donut Difference' that highlights key moments of kindness and its impact on relationships.

In 'The Jelly Donut Difference,' the characters learn that sharing and caring can bring joy to others and strengthen their bonds. As they bake and share jelly donuts, they discover the happiness that comes from giving and the connections it creates.