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Kindness: Pass It On?

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ConceptX

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Kindness: Pass It On?

Students will define compassion and kindness, identify real-life examples, and practice empathetic actions to foster a more positive and supportive environment.

Understanding and practicing kindness and compassion are crucial life skills that help students build stronger relationships, resolve conflicts peacefully, and contribute positively to their school and community. This lesson empowers them to be agents of positive change.

Audience

5th and 6th Grade Students

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, engaging activities, and reflection.

Materials

Whiteboard or Projector, Markers or Pens, Slide Deck: Kindness Ripple Effect, Warm Up: Kind or Not?, Reading: The Ripple Effect of Kindness, Discussion Guide: Empathy Circle, Activity: Compassion Challenges, Game: Kindness Bingo, Worksheet: My Kindness Journal, Quiz: Kindness Check-in, Answer Key: Kindness Check-in, Project Guide: Community Kindness Project, Rubric: Community Kindness Project, and Cool Down: One Word Reflection

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

  • Review all generated materials: Lesson Plan: Kindness: Pass It On?, Slide Deck: Kindness Ripple Effect, Script: Guiding Kindness, Warm Up: Kind or Not?, Reading: The Ripple Effect of Kindness, Discussion Guide: Empathy Circle, Activity: Compassion Challenges, Game: Kindness Bingo, Worksheet: My Kindness Journal, Quiz: Kindness Check-in, Answer Key: Kindness Check-in, Project Guide: Community Kindness Project, Rubric: Community Kindness Project, and Cool Down: One Word Reflection.
    * Prepare whiteboard or projector for displaying slides and writing notes.
    * Print copies of Worksheet: My Kindness Journal for each student.
    * Print copies of the Reading: The Ripple Effect of Kindness for each student.
    * Prepare materials for Activity: Compassion Challenges (e.g., small slips of paper, pens).
    * Prepare materials for Game: Kindness Bingo (e.g., Bingo cards, markers).
    * Ensure a way to play short videos from the internet (if applicable for a specific video, otherwise, discuss the concept).

Step 1

Warm Up: Kind or Not?

5 minutes

  • Begin with the Warm Up: Kind or Not? activity.
    * Ask students to share their responses and discuss their initial thoughts on kindness and compassion. Use Slide 1 and Slide 2 to introduce the topic.

Step 2

Introduction to Kindness and Compassion

10 minutes

  • Use Slide Deck: Kindness Ripple Effect (Slides 3-5) to define compassion and kindness, providing clear examples.
    * Facilitate a brief class discussion using prompts from the Script: Guiding Kindness to gauge student understanding and personal experiences.

Step 3

Reading: The Ripple Effect

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Reading: The Ripple Effect of Kindness to each student.
    * Have students read the article individually or in pairs.
    * After reading, discuss the main points and introduce the concept of the 'ripple effect' using Slide 6.

Step 4

Discussion: Empathy Circle

10 minutes

  • Lead an Discussion Guide: Empathy Circle activity.
    * Divide students into small groups and provide them with discussion prompts.
    * Encourage active listening and respectful sharing. Use Slide 7 to facilitate the discussion.

Step 5

Activity: Compassion Challenges & Game: Kindness Bingo

15 minutes

  • Introduce the Activity: Compassion Challenges. Explain that students will draw a small 'challenge' to complete during the day or week.
    * Transition to the Game: Kindness Bingo, explaining the rules and encouraging students to look for opportunities to practice kindness and compassion. Use Slide 8 and Slide 9.

Step 6

Wrap-up and Reflection

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Worksheet: My Kindness Journal. Explain that this will be used for ongoing reflection.
    * Administer the Quiz: Kindness Check-in as a quick assessment of understanding. Provide the Answer Key: Kindness Check-in for self-correction or teacher grading.
    * Introduce the Project Guide: Community Kindness Project and explain the expectations, referring to the Rubric: Community Kindness Project.
    * Conclude with the Cool Down: One Word Reflection activity. Use Slide 10.

Step 7

Optional Homework/Extension

Ongoing

  • Encourage students to continue their kindness practices using their Worksheet: My Kindness Journal.
    * Students will work on their Project Guide: Community Kindness Project over the next week or two. Remind them to refer to the Rubric: Community Kindness Project for assessment criteria.
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Slide Deck

Kindness: Pass It On?

How does kindness spread? Why is it important?

Welcome students and introduce the day's topic with an engaging question to spark curiosity.

Warm Up: Kind or Not?

Read the scenarios provided in your Warm Up: Kind or Not? handout.

Decide if the action is 'Kind' or 'Not Kind' and be ready to explain why!

Explain the Warm Up activity: students will read scenarios and decide if they are kind or not. Facilitate a brief discussion.

What is Kindness?

Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

It's about showing care and concern for others, even in small ways!

Introduce the definition of 'kindness' and discuss what it looks like in daily life.

What is Compassion?

Compassion is the feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for others who are suffering, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

It's understanding someone's feelings and wanting to help them.

Introduce the definition of 'compassion' and explain how it differs slightly from kindness, often involving understanding and wanting to alleviate suffering.

Kindness + Compassion = Action!

Kindness and compassion often go hand-in-hand.

When we feel compassion, we are often moved to act with kindness.

Think of a time someone was kind or compassionate towards you. How did it make you feel?

Discuss how kindness and compassion are interconnected and often lead to positive actions.

The Ripple Effect of Kindness

Have you ever thrown a pebble into water?

What happens? The ripples spread out!

Kindness works the same way: one act of kindness can spread far and wide, touching many lives.

Introduce the idea of the 'ripple effect' using visuals or a story. Connect it to the reading material.

Discussion: Empathy Circle

In your groups, discuss the prompts from your Discussion Guide: Empathy Circle.

  • Share a time you witnessed an act of kindness.
  • How did it make you feel?
  • What's one challenge in being kind sometimes?

Explain the Empathy Circle discussion activity. Emphasize active listening and sharing personal perspectives.

Activity: Compassion Challenges

Pick a 'Compassion Challenge' from the basket!

Your challenge is to complete this act of kindness today or this week.

Let's spread some positive vibes!

Introduce the 'Compassion Challenges' activity, explaining how students will pick a challenge to complete.

Game: Kindness Bingo

Let's play Kindness Bingo! Your Bingo card has different acts of kindness.

Mark off a square when you perform or witness an act of kindness.

First one to get Bingo wins!

Explain the rules of Kindness Bingo. Encourage students to actively seek out kindness opportunities.

Cool Down: One Word Reflection

Think about today's lesson on kindness and compassion.

What is ONE WORD that describes how you feel or what you learned?

Facilitate the 'One Word Reflection' cool-down activity.

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