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Ripple Effect: Small Actions, Big Impact

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Lesson Plan

Ripple Effect Lesson Plan

Students will be able to identify how actions rooted in thankfulness create a positive ripple effect and brainstorm ways to intentionally express gratitude in their daily lives.

Cultivating an understanding of thankfulness empowers students to recognize and appreciate the positive impacts around them, fostering a more positive mindset, stronger relationships, and a sense of purpose and responsibility in their contributions.

Audience

9th-12th Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion and reflective activity.

Materials

Pens/Pencils, and Paper or printed Activity: My Gratitude Ripple Map sheets

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Gratitude Drop

5 minutes

  1. Begin by leading the Warm Up: Gratitude Drop activity.
  2. Pose the opening question and allow students to share their initial thoughts on how expressing gratitude can create a ripple effect.

Step 2

Introduce My Gratitude Ripple Map

5 minutes

  1. Introduce the main activity, Activity: My Gratitude Ripple Map.
  2. Explain that students will be creating a visual map of how their expressions of gratitude and kindness create ripples in different areas of their lives and the world.
  3. Demonstrate how to draw the central circle for 'Me' and then branch out to other circles like 'Family', 'Friends', 'School', 'Community', and 'World'.

Step 3

Individual Activity: My Gratitude Ripple Map

10 minutes

  1. Distribute paper (or printed Activity: My Gratitude Ripple Map sheets) and pens/pencils.
  2. Instruct students to individually complete their 'Gratitude Ripple Maps', identifying specific actions of thankfulness/kindness and their corresponding positive impacts in the different concentric circles.
  3. Circulate to offer guidance and encouragement as students work.

Step 4

Group Discussion: Spreading Thankfulness

8 minutes

  1. Transition to the Discussion: Spreading Thankfulness by bringing the class back together.
  2. Facilitate a group discussion using the provided prompts in the discussion guide.
  3. Encourage students to share their insights, surprises, and ideas for creating positive ripples through gratitude.

Step 5

Cool-Down: One Thankful Ripple

2 minutes

  1. Conclude the activity with the Cool Down: One Thankful Ripple.
  2. Ask students to quickly jot down one intentional act of gratitude they commit to creating. This can be done on an index card or a small piece of paper to be collected.
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Warm Up

Warm Up: Gratitude Drop

Time: 5 minutes

Instructions:

Imagine you offer a sincere

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Activity

Activity: My Gratitude Ripple Map

Time: 10 minutes

Instructions:

Let's create a visual map of your acts of gratitude and their ripple effects!

  1. Draw a central circle in the middle of your paper and write "Me" inside it.
  2. Around your "Me" circle, draw several other circles. Label these circles with the different areas of your life and people you interact with:
    • Family
    • Friends
    • School
    • Community
    • World (Think broadly: environment, global issues, etc.)
  3. Connect your "Me" circle to each of these outer circles with lines, like spokes on a wheel.
  4. Inside each outer circle, write down 1-2 specific actions where you've shown thankfulness, kindness, or appreciation recently (or actions you regularly take).
    • Examples: Thanking a parent for dinner (Family), giving a genuine compliment to a friend (Friends), acknowledging a teacher's help (School), helping a neighbor (Community), supporting a cause you believe in (World).


  5. Outside those circles, draw even more circles or simply write next to them. This is where you'll describe the impact or "ripple effect" of that thankful action. How did it make the other person feel? What was the outcome? Did it inspire another positive action?


Be ready to share some of your gratitude ripples with the class!

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Discussion

Discussion: Spreading Thankfulness

Time: 8 minutes

Instructions: Let's discuss our gratitude ripple maps and the impact of expressing thankfulness. Be prepared to share your thoughts!

  1. What was one surprising positive ripple effect you identified on your map, or an area where you realized your expressions of gratitude had more impact than you thought?


  2. How did it feel to visualize the potential positive impact of your thankful actions, both big and small?


  3. Think about how showing appreciation can transform interactions. What's one small, intentional act of gratitude you could commit to taking this week to create a more positive ripple effect?
    • Consider your family, friends, school, or community.


  4. How might understanding the "gratitude ripple effect" change how you approach daily interactions, challenges, or decisions in the future?


  5. What's one thing our advisory or school could do to encourage more thankfulness and create a bigger positive ripple in our community?
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Cool Down

Cool Down: One Thankful Ripple

Time: 2 minutes

Instructions: On a small piece of paper or an index card, write down one intentional act of gratitude you want to create today or this week. Make it specific and heartfelt.

  • What specific thankful action will you take?


  • Who or what might it impact? How do you hope it will make them feel?


This is for your reflection, but if you're comfortable, you can share it with the class or turn it in as an exit ticket.

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