Lesson Plan
Kindness Keeps Growing Plan
Fifth graders plan and practice daily acts of kindness through a four-session project that honors a beloved principal’s legacy. Students will develop and apply SEL skills—self-awareness, social awareness, and responsible decision-making—by performing kind acts, reflecting on their impact, and celebrating a compassionate school community.
This project fosters a culture of kindness and strengthens students’ social-emotional competencies. By honoring the late principal’s devotion to kindness, students connect to school values, build empathy, and learn practical ways to support one another, enhancing overall well-being and community spirit.
Audience
5th Grade
Time
4 sessions × 30 minutes
Approach
Hands-on SEL activities with reflection prompts
Prep
Prepare Materials
15 minutes
- Print and cut out Kindness Idea Cards for each group of 4–5 students.
- Make individual copies of the Kindness Reflection Journal Template for each student.
- Display the Kindness Tree Poster in a central hallway or counseling office.
- Organize envelopes, markers, and supplies for the Thank You Card Templates.
- Review the SEL Competency Posters and plan where to display them during sessions.
Step 1
Session 1: Remembering Our Principal & Generating Ideas
30 minutes
- Introduce the late principal’s story and her passion for kindness; connect to SEL Competencies using SEL Competency Posters.
- In small groups, draw and read from Kindness Idea Cards; discuss why each idea matters.
- Each student selects 2–3 favorite ideas and records them in their Kindness Reflection Journal Template.
- Group share: volunteers explain why they chose their ideas and which SEL skills they’ll practice.
Step 2
Session 2: Planning Daily Acts of Kindness
30 minutes
- Review journal entries and discuss personal strengths (self-awareness) in performing acts of kindness.
- Students use journals to plan one act per day for the upcoming week; note anticipated outcomes and required steps.
- Pair students to role-play or script their act, refining based on peer feedback.
- Collect plans on the Kindness Tree Poster by adding a “leaf” with each student’s pledged act.
Step 3
Session 3: Practicing & Reflecting
30 minutes
- Begin with a check-in circle: students share which acts they completed and describe how they felt (social awareness).
- In journals, reflect on any challenges and the impact observed on others.
- Introduce “extension challenges” for deeper impact (e.g., thanking a staff member, helping a sibling).
- Update the Kindness Tree with new leaves for extension challenges completed.
Step 4
Session 4: Celebration & Next Steps
30 minutes
- Host a mini-ceremony around the Kindness Tree Poster; students present highlights from their journals.
- Hand out Thank You Card Templates; students write notes to peers, teachers, or staff who inspired or supported their acts.
- Discuss how to keep kindness growing schoolwide: brainstorm ongoing projects or clubs.
- Close with a reflection prompt: “What have we learned about kindness and ourselves?” recorded in journals.
Slide Deck
Session 1: Remembering Our Principal & Generating Ideas
• Share the principal’s kindness story and highlight 2–3 SEL skills (self-awareness, social awareness).
• In groups of 4–5, draw a card from Kindness Idea Cards and discuss: Why does this idea matter? Which SEL skill will it build?
• Individually, choose 2–3 favorite ideas and record them in your Kindness Reflection Journal Template.
• Volunteers share one idea and identify the SEL skill they’ll practice.
Welcome everyone! Start by sharing a brief, heartfelt story about our late principal—her favorite acts of kindness and why she inspired everyone. Point out the SEL Competency Posters displayed in the room and explain how today’s activities link to self-awareness and social awareness. Circulate during small-group work to guide discussions and ensure each student feels comfortable sharing.
Session 2: Planning Daily Acts of Kindness
• Review your journal ideas. Reflect: What strengths will help you carry out your acts? (Self-awareness)
• Plan one act per day for the coming week in your journal—note steps & expected outcomes.
• Pair up to role-play or script your act. Give each other feedback on clarity and kindness tone.
• Add a “leaf” with your pledged act to our Kindness Tree Poster.
Re-orient students by revisiting their journal entries. Encourage them to think about their personal strengths and how these strengths can make their kindness acts successful. Walk pairs through a quick role-play demonstration. As they add leaves to the Kindness Tree Poster, praise creativity and responsible decision-making.
Session 3: Practicing & Reflecting
• Circle check-in: Share which acts you completed and describe how you felt (social awareness).
• In journals, reflect on challenges and the impact you observed on others.
• Extension Challenges: Choose one deeper act (e.g., thank a staff member, help a sibling) and note it in your journal.
• For each extension challenge completed, add a new leaf to the Kindness Tree Poster.
Gather everyone in a circle for a warm check-in. Prompt quieter students by asking simple questions like “How did it feel when you helped someone?” Move around to listen in on journal reflections and note any challenges students mention. Highlight extension challenges by sharing an example from your own week.
Session 4: Celebration & Next Steps
• Mini-ceremony at the Kindness Tree Poster: Students share a journal highlight.
• Write thank-you notes using Thank You Card Templates for peers, teachers, or staff who supported your acts.
• Brainstorm ways to keep kindness growing schoolwide: clubs, bulletin boards, morning announcements.
• Final journal reflection: “What have we learned about kindness and ourselves?”
Create a celebratory atmosphere—maybe play soft music. Invite students to present one journal highlight at the Kindness Tree. Distribute Thank You Card Templates and model how to write a sincere note. End by facilitating a quick brainstorm: What ongoing kindness projects can we start? Record their ideas on chart paper.
Worksheet
Kindness Idea Cards
Use these cards in small groups. For each idea:
- Read the kindness idea aloud.
- Discuss why it matters and how you might do it.
- Circle all SEL skills this builds.
Card 1
Idea: Write a thank-you note to a staff member.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 2
Idea: Give a classmate a sincere compliment.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 3
Idea: Help a friend carry books.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 4
Idea: Pick up litter in the hallway.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 5
Idea: Share a snack with someone.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 6
Idea: Invite someone new to join your game.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 7
Idea: Give up your seat to someone.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 8
Idea: Draw a cheerful picture for a peer.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 9
Idea: Smile and say hello to someone you don’t know well.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 10
Idea: Offer to help clean up for the teacher.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 11
Idea: Say something kind to someone who seems sad.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 12
Idea: Hold the door open for a classmate.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 13
Idea: Read a story to a younger student.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 14
Idea: Encourage someone who feels nervous.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 15
Idea: Help someone find a lost item.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 16
Idea: Let someone go ahead of you in line.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 17
Idea: Write positive words in chalk on the sidewalk.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 18
Idea: Share supplies with a classmate in need.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 19
Idea: Help a sibling with chores at home.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Card 20
Idea: Create a “You Matter” poster for the hallway.
SEL Skills (circle all that apply):
- Self-awareness - Social-awareness - Self-management - Relationship skills - Responsible decision-making
Journal
Kindness Reflection Journal
This journal will guide you through each session of our Kindness Keeps Growing project. Use the spaces below to record your thoughts, plans, and reflections as you honor our principal’s legacy and practice daily acts of kindness.
Session 1: Remembering Our Principal & Generating Ideas
- What does kindness mean to you?
- Which 2–3 kindness ideas did you choose from the Kindness Idea Cards? Why did you pick them?
Session 2: Planning Daily Acts of Kindness
- Summarize your kindness acts planned for this week.
- Choose one act from your plan. Describe the steps you will take and why this act matters to you.
Session 3: Practicing & Reflecting
- Which acts did you complete this week? How did you feel before, during, and after each act?
- Describe a challenge you faced while doing an act of kindness. How did you handle it?
- What impact did you notice on other people? Give one specific example.
Session 4: Celebration & Next Steps
- Reflect on your most meaningful kindness experience from this project. Why was it meaningful?
- What have you learned about kindness and about yourself through this project?
- How can you keep kindness growing in your school and community after our project ends? List at least three ideas.
Keep your journal safe and bring it to each session. Your honest reflections will help us build a more compassionate school community—just as our principal would have wanted!
Activity
Kindness Tree Poster
An interactive hallway display showcasing our school’s kindness pledges and celebrations. As students plan and complete acts of kindness, they’ll add colorful “leaves” to this poster, creating a growing tree of compassion in honor of our late principal.
Materials Needed
- Large poster paper or bulletin‐board space with a tree trunk and branches drawn or printed
- Pre‐cut paper leaves in various colors (enough for 2–3 per student)
- Markers or pens
- Tape or sticky tack
- Optional: decorative washi tape, glitter glue, stickers
Prep Steps (15 minutes)
- Mount the tree trunk poster on a hallway wall or bulletin board.
- Cut or print leaf shapes (about 4–5" long) in advance; punch or trim for easy handling.
- Display a basket or tray of leaves and markers nearby, with clear signage: “Add Your Kindness Leaf!”
- Post the SEL Competency Posters beside the tree for quick reference.
How to Use Across Sessions
Session 2: Pledging Your Acts
- After planning daily kindness acts in journals, each student writes one pledged act on a leaf: “I will ____.”
- Encourage them to include which SEL skill they’ll practice (e.g., “I will give a compliment – Relationship Skills”).
- Students add their leaves to the branches, visualizing our collective commitment.
Session 3: Celebrating Completed Acts
- For each “extension challenge” completed, students write a NEW leaf: describing the act and how it made others feel.
- Add these leaves around the trunk to show deepened impact.
Session 4: Reflection & Display
- During the mini‐ceremony, invite volunteers to select and read one leaf that inspired them.
- Leave the display up for the rest of the month as a reminder of our principal’s legacy and our ongoing kindness.
Tips for Ongoing Growth
- Refill leaves and markers as needed.
- Encourage new students or visitors to add their own leaves anytime.
- Take a photo of the tree once it’s full and share it in the school newsletter or morning announcements.
Together, our Kindness Tree will keep growing—just as our principal wished!
Project Guide
Thank You Card Templates
Use these foldable cards to write thank-you notes to peers, teachers, or staff who supported your acts of kindness.
Materials Needed:
- Blank paper or cardstock (preferably folded)
- Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
- Stickers or embellishments (optional)
1. Cut & Fold Template
[Visual placeholder: dotted-line outline for cutting and folding]
- Cut along the dotted lines to create your card.
- Fold in half so you have a front cover and an inside.
2. Front Cover
Write:
“Thank You” or “Dear __________,”
You can decorate with drawings or stickers here.
3. Inside Your Note
- Thank you for __________.
- I appreciate __________ because __________.
- Something I’ll always remember is __________.
- (Optional) Draw a small picture or add decorations here.
4. Sign & Deliver
Sign your name at the bottom:
“From, __________”
Drop your finished card in the person’s mailbox or hand it to them in person. Your thoughtful words will brighten someone’s day!
Discussion
SEL Competency Posters
Use these posters to remind students of the five SEL competencies. Display them around the room or hallway for quick reference!
1. Self-Awareness
Definition: Knowing your own feelings, strengths, and challenges.
Why It Matters: When you understand yourself, you can make better choices and feel proud of who you are.
Big Question: What are three words that describe how you feel right now?
2. Self-Management
Definition: Controlling your emotions and actions in different situations.
Why It Matters: Staying calm and focused helps you reach your goals and solve problems.
Big Question: What can you do when you feel upset to help yourself calm down?
3. Social Awareness
Definition: Understanding how others feel and showing empathy.
Why It Matters: When you care about others’ feelings, you build strong, caring friendships.
Big Question: How can you tell if someone is having a good day or a bad day?
4. Relationship Skills
Definition: Making friends, working well in teams, and resolving conflicts.
Why It Matters: Good relationships make school and life more fun and help everyone succeed.
Big Question: What can you say or do to be a helpful team member?
5. Responsible Decision-Making
Definition: Making thoughtful choices about your behavior and actions.
Why It Matters: Smart decisions help keep you and others safe and happy.
Big Question: What are three things you can think about before you make a choice?