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Share & Care Circles

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Ps. Claudia Saavedra

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Share & Care Circles Lesson Plan

Students will learn to identify and practice sharing, taking turns, and showing kindness to their friends.

These skills are crucial for developing positive social interactions and a harmonious classroom environment, helping students build strong friendships and feel safe and happy at school.

Audience

Pre-K Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Through an engaging story, interactive discussion, and a creative activity, students will explore and practice fundamental social-emotional skills.

Materials

  • Share & Care Circles Slide Deck, - Friendship Story Time Reading, and - Kindness Cards Activity

Prep

Preparation

15 minutes

  • Review all generated materials: the Share & Care Circles Lesson Plan, Share & Care Circles Slide Deck, Friendship Story Time Reading, and Kindness Cards Activity.
    - If desired, print a copy of the Friendship Story Time Reading for easier reading.
    - Gather necessary supplies for the Kindness Cards Activity: paper or pre-cut cardstock, and crayons or markers for each student.
    - Ensure projector/screen is ready for the Share & Care Circles Slide Deck.

Step 1

Welcome and Warm-Up: What Makes a Good Friend?

5 minutes

  • Greet students warmly and introduce today's topic: being a good friend.
    - Ask: "What do you think makes a good friend?" Allow a few students to share their ideas.
    - Display Share & Care Circles Slide Deck Slide 1.

Step 2

Story Time: The Sharing Squirrel

10 minutes

  • Announce that you'll be reading a special story about friends.
    - Read the Friendship Story Time Reading aloud to the class, making sure to show any illustrations.
    - Use Share & Care Circles Slide Deck Slides 2-3 to highlight key moments or characters related to sharing, taking turns, and kindness within the story.

Step 3

Discussion: Talk About It!

5 minutes

  • Lead a short discussion based on the story.
    - Ask questions like: "What did the squirrel do that was kind?" "How did the friends share?" "Why is it important to take turns?"
    - Encourage students to connect the story to their own experiences.
    - Display Share & Care Circles Slide Deck Slide 4 with discussion prompts.

Step 4

Activity: Kindness Cards

8 minutes

  • Explain the Kindness Cards Activity: "Today, we're going to make Kindness Cards! You will draw a picture of yourself doing something kind for a friend, like sharing a toy or giving a hug."
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Slide Deck

Share & Care Circles

What makes a good friend?

Welcome students and introduce the lesson about being good friends. Ask the opening question and encourage a few responses from the class.

Story Time!

Let's read about friends who share and care!

Introduce the story. Explain that it will show us how to be good friends and practice important skills like sharing and taking turns.

The Sharing Squirrel

Pip the squirrel learned to share his yummy nuts with his friends!

As you read the story Friendship Story Time Reading, pause on this slide to emphasize the sharing and kindness shown by the characters.

Talk About It!

• What did the friends do that was kind?
• How did they share their nuts and games?
• Why is it important to take turns?

Facilitate a discussion using these prompts. Encourage students to think about the story and connect the characters' actions to their own experiences or what they can do.

Kindness Cards

Draw a picture of yourself being kind to a friend!

Explain the activity clearly. Students will draw a picture showing themselves doing something kind for a friend. Remind them of examples from the story or their own lives.

Our Friendship Promise

We will share, take turns, and be kind!

Conclude the lesson by reviewing the main ideas: sharing, taking turns, and being kind. Ask students to make a "friendship promise" to practice these skills every day.

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Reading

The Sharing Squirrel

Once upon a time, in a big, leafy oak tree, lived a little squirrel named Pip. Pip loved nuts! He would gather the juiciest acorns and the fattest walnuts all by himself. "These are MINE!" he'd squeak, holding them tight.

One sunny morning, Pip saw his friends, Squeaky the mouse and Hoot the owl, playing near his tree. They were pretending to have a picnic, but they didn't have any nuts. Pip had a big pile of nuts, more than he could ever eat in one day.

Squeaky looked at Pip's nuts and sighed, "I wish we had some yummy snacks for our picnic." Hoot nodded sadly.

Pip felt a little tug in his heart. He loved his nuts, but seeing his friends sad didn't feel good. He thought about how much fun it would be to share. Slowly, Pip picked up two plump acorns and scampered down the tree.

"Here, Squeaky! Here, Hoot!" he chirped, offering them the nuts. "You can share my snack!"

Squeaky and Hoot's eyes lit up! "Thank you, Pip!" they squealed happily. They munched on the nuts together, laughing and telling jokes. Pip realized something wonderful. Sharing his nuts made him feel even happier than keeping them all to himself!

From that day on, Pip still gathered lots of nuts, but he always made sure to share with his friends. And every time he shared, his heart felt warm and full of joy. He learned that sharing made friendships grow even stronger, just like the big oak tree.

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Activity

Kindness Cards Activity

Objective: Students will creatively express and visualize acts of kindness towards their friends.

Materials:

  • Paper or pre-cut cardstock (one per student)
  • Crayons, markers, or colored pencils

Instructions:

  1. Introduce the Activity: Gather students and explain that they will be making "Kindness Cards." These cards will show a picture of them doing something kind for a friend.

  2. Brainstorm Ideas: Ask students for examples of kind things they can do for friends (e.g., sharing a toy, helping someone who fell, giving a hug, inviting someone to play). Reinforce ideas from "The Sharing Squirrel" story.

  3. Distribute Materials: Give each student a piece of paper or cardstock and their choice of drawing tools.

  4. Draw Your Kindness Card: Instruct students to draw a picture of themselves performing an act of kindness for a friend. Encourage them to be creative and use lots of colors.

  5. Share (Optional): If time allows, invite a few students to share their Kindness Cards with the class, explaining what act of kindness they drew.

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Activity

Kindness Cards Activity

Objective: Students will creatively express and visualize acts of kindness towards their friends.

Materials:

  • Paper or pre-cut cardstock (one per student)
  • Crayons, markers, or colored pencils

Instructions:

  1. Introduce the Activity: Gather students and explain that they will be making
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