Script: Kindness & Inclusivity Crew

Introduction (5 minutes)

(Teacher says while displaying Slide Deck: Be a Kindness & Inclusivity Crew! - Slide 1)

"Good morning, amazing crew! Today, we're going to talk about two super important ideas that make our classroom a wonderful place for everyone: kindness and inclusivity. Look at our title slide: 'Be a Kindness & Inclusivity Crew!' That's exactly what we're going to learn to be today.

First, let's warm up our brains. What does it mean to be a good friend? Turn and talk to a partner for about 30 seconds and share your ideas.

(Pause for students to discuss, then call on a few to share)

"Great ideas! Being a good friend often involves kindness and making sure everyone feels like they belong. Let's explore that more."

What is Kindness? (Slide 2)

(Teacher says while displaying Slide Deck: Be a Kindness & Inclusivity Crew! - Slide 2)

"Our first big word is Kindness. Kindness means being friendly, generous, and considerate to others. It's about showing care and warmth."

"Think about these examples: helping a friend when they drop their books, sharing your crayons, or saying something nice to someone. Can anyone else think of a time they showed kindness or someone was kind to them?"

"Wonderful examples! Kindness makes people feel good, right?"

What is Inclusivity? (Slide 3)

(Teacher says while displaying Slide Deck: Be a Kindness & Inclusivity Crew! - Slide 3)

"Our second big word is Inclusivity. This one means making sure everyone feels welcome and belongs, no matter what! It means celebrating our differences and making sure no one is left out."

"Imagine you're playing a game, and you see someone standing alone. Being inclusive means inviting them to play! Or if someone has a different idea than you, inclusivity means listening to their idea with respect. We all have different talents and ideas, and that's what makes our classroom so special."

Why are Kindness & Inclusivity Important? (Slide 4)

(Teacher says while displaying Slide Deck: Be a Kindness & Inclusivity Crew! - Slide 4)

"So, why are these two things so important? When we are kind and inclusive, our classroom becomes a happier place. We make new friends, and everyone feels safe, respected, and ready to learn. It's like building a strong, happy team where everyone is a valuable player!"

Activity: The Inclusivity Web (8 minutes)

(Teacher says while displaying Slide Deck: Be a Kindness & Inclusivity Crew! - Slide 5)

"Now, let's do an activity to see how we are all connected! It's called the Activity: Inclusivity Web. I have a ball of yarn here. I'm going to start by holding one end of the yarn and sharing one thing unique about myself, like 'I love to read adventure books.' Then, I'll gently toss the ball of yarn to one of you, and you'll hold onto the piece of yarn I threw. You'll share something unique about yourself, and then toss the ball to someone else, always holding onto your piece of yarn.

"As we go, we'll see a web form in our classroom. This web shows how we are all connected and how each one of us is an important part of our classroom community. Try to toss the yarn to someone who hasn't had it yet, so we can connect everyone."

(Facilitate the Activity: Inclusivity Web as described. Once the web is mostly formed, move to the discussion.)

Discussion: Our Inclusive Classroom (5 minutes)

(Teacher says while displaying Slide Deck: Be a Kindness & Inclusivity Crew! - Slide 6)

"Look at the amazing web we've created! Now, let's talk about it. We're going to have a Discussion: Our Inclusive Classroom."

• "How did making this web activity make you feel?"
  
  
  
  
• "What did we learn about each other that we didn't know before?"
  
  
  
  
• "How does this web show us that everyone is connected and important in our classroom?"
  
  
  
  
• "How can we keep building our inclusive web every day? What can we do to make sure everyone feels like they belong?"
  
  
  
  

(Listen to student responses and affirm their contributions.)

Game: Kindness Bingo! (5 minutes)

(Teacher says while displaying Slide Deck: Be a Kindness & Inclusivity Crew! - Slide 7)

"That was a great discussion! To wrap up our learning, we're going to play a fun game called Game: Kindness Bingo! Each of you will get a Kindness Bingo card. Your mission is to find people who have done or will do one of the acts of kindness on your card. When you see someone being kind, you can mark it off, or you can even be the kind person and have someone else mark it off for you!

"The goal is to get a 'bingo' by completing a row, column, or diagonal of kind acts. We'll take about 5 minutes for this, and then we'll share."

(Distribute Game: Kindness Bingo cards and facilitate the game. Circulate and observe students interacting.)

Conclusion (2 minutes)

(Teacher says while displaying Slide Deck: Be a Kindness & Inclusivity Crew! - Slide 8)

"Wow, what an amazing Kindness & Inclusivity Crew you all are! We learned so much today.

"Remember these two big ideas:

• Kindness: Always try to be friendly, generous, and considerate.
• Inclusivity: Make sure everyone feels welcome, belongs, and is respected.

"You each play a super important role in making our classroom the best place to be. Your challenge for today, and every day, is to practice one act of kindness or inclusivity. Who can commit to that?"

(Wait for student affirmation.)

"Fantastic! Let's continue to build our amazing, kind, and inclusive classroom community. You are dismissed!"

Activity: The Inclusivity Web

Objective

To visually demonstrate how each student is connected within the classroom community and highlight the importance of inclusivity.

Materials

• One large ball of yarn or string

Instructions

1. Arrange Students: Have students sit in a large circle, either on the floor or in their chairs. Ensure there is enough space for the yarn to be passed easily.
2. Teacher Starts: The teacher holds one end of the ball of yarn.
3. Share Something Unique: The teacher starts by sharing something unique or special about themselves (e.g., "My favorite color is blue," "I love to play soccer," "I have a pet cat"). It should be something simple and easy for elementary students to understand.
4. Pass the Yarn: The teacher then gently tosses the ball of yarn across the circle to a student who has not yet participated, while still holding onto their end of the yarn.
5. Student Shares and Passes: The student who catches the yarn holds onto a section of it and then shares something unique about themselves. They then toss the ball of yarn to another student who hasn't participated, making sure to hold their piece of the web.
6. Continue Building the Web: This process continues until most or all students have had a chance to share and hold a piece of the yarn, creating a crisscrossing "web" in the center of the circle.
7. Observe the Web: Once the web is formed, ask students to look at the web they've created.
   • "What do you notice about our web?"
   • "What would happen if one person let go of their string?"
   • "How does this web show us that we are all connected and important in our classroom?"

Discussion Prompts (After the Activity)

Use the Discussion: Our Inclusive Classroom material for specific prompts to follow this activity.

Discussion: Our Inclusive Classroom

Objective

To reflect on the Inclusivity Web activity and deepen understanding of kindness, belonging, and the importance of each individual in the classroom community.

Discussion Prompts

1. Reflection on the Activity:

   • "How did making this yarn web make you feel? Did it surprise you how connected we all became?"
   • "What was it like to share something unique about yourself? How did it feel to hear unique things about your classmates?"

2. Understanding Connection:

   • "Look at our web. What do you think would happen if one person let go of their piece of string? How would that affect the web?"
   • "How is our classroom like this web? How does everyone in our class depend on each other?"

3. Applying Kindness and Inclusivity:

   • "We talked about kindness and inclusivity. How did we show kindness and inclusivity during this activity?"
   • "What does it mean for everyone in our classroom to truly belong? How can we make sure no one feels left out?"
   • "Can you think of ways we can use kindness and inclusivity to make our classroom an even better place every day?"

4. Personal Commitment:

   • "What is one thing you can do this week to be more kind or more inclusive towards a classmate?"
   • "Who can remind us why it's so important to be a Kindness & Inclusivity Crew?"

Game: Kindness Bingo!

Objective

To encourage students to recognize and practice acts of kindness and inclusivity within the classroom setting.

Materials

• Kindness Bingo Cards (one per student)
• Pencils or markers

Instructions

1. Distribute Cards: Give each student a Kindness Bingo card and a pencil/marker.
2. Explain the Game:
   • "Our goal is to get a 'BINGO' by marking off a line of five squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally."
   • "Each square on your card describes an act of kindness or inclusivity."
   • "To mark off a square, you need to either see a classmate do that act, or do that act yourself and have a classmate (or the teacher) acknowledge it."
   • "For example, if you see Maya share her crayons, you can mark 'Shared a toy or supply'. If you help clean up, someone else might mark 'Helped clean up' for you."
   • "You can only mark off each square once."
3. Time Limit: "We will play for about 5 minutes. Try your best to fill out as many as you can!"
4. Play: Students move around the classroom, observe, and engage with classmates, looking for or performing the acts of kindness. The teacher should circulate to encourage, observe, and help facilitate marking off squares.
5. Share (Optional): After the time limit, ask students who got a Bingo (or who got close) to share some of the kind acts they saw or performed. Reinforce that the main goal is to practice kindness, not just to win the game.

Kindness Bingo Card (Example)

Print and distribute to students.

Game: Kindness Bingo!

Objective

To encourage students to recognize and practice acts of kindness and inclusivity within the classroom setting.

Materials

• Kindness Bingo Cards (one per student)
• Pencils or markers

Instructions

1. Distribute Cards: Give each student a Kindness Bingo card and a pencil/marker.
2. Explain the Game:
   • "Our goal is to get a 'BINGO' by marking off a line of five squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally."
   • "Each square on your card describes an act of kindness or inclusivity."
   • "To mark off a square, you need to either see a classmate do that act, or do that act yourself and have a classmate (or the teacher) acknowledge it."
   • "For example, if you see Maya share her crayons, you can mark 'Shared a toy or supply'. If you help clean up, someone else might mark 'Helped clean up' for you."
   • "You can only mark off each square once."
3. Time Limit: "We will play for about 5 minutes. Try your best to fill out as many as you can!"
4. Play: Students move around the classroom, observe, and engage with classmates, looking for or performing the acts of kindness. The teacher should circulate to encourage, observe, and help facilitate marking off squares.
5. Share (Optional): After the time limit, ask students who got a Bingo (or who got close) to share some of the kind acts they saw or performed. Reinforce that the main goal is to practice kindness, not just to win the game.

Kindness Bingo Card

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