What Makes Your Heart Sing?

Paige Burchard

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Heart Song Values Lesson

Students will be able to identify personal values as things that make them happy and feel good inside, connecting these feelings to personal happiness and well-being.

Understanding what makes us happy helps us make good choices, feel proud of who we are, and build a strong sense of self. It teaches children that their feelings are important guides.

Audience

1st Grade Class

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Through discussion, interactive sorting, and reflection.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, My Heart's Happy Things Slide Deck, Printed and cut out Value Card Sort cards, Blank paper or My Heart's Values Worksheet, and Crayons or colored pencils

Prep

Gather Materials

10 minutes

Review the My Heart's Happy Things Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print and cut out the Value Card Sort cards. Ensure you have enough sets for small groups or individual use.
- Make copies of the My Heart's Values Worksheet or prepare blank paper for each student.
- Gather crayons or colored pencils.

Step 1

Introduction: What Makes Us Happy?

5 minutes

Begin by asking students: "What makes your heart sing? What things make you feel super happy and good inside?"
- Show the first few slides of the My Heart's Happy Things Slide Deck to spark ideas and introduce the idea of 'values' as things that are important to us and make us feel good.
- Explain that today, we're going to explore what makes each of our hearts sing – our own 'happy things' or 'values.'

Step 2

Value Card Sort Activity

15 minutes

Distribute the Value Card Sort cards to each student or small groups.
- Instruct students to look at the pictures and words on the cards.
- Explain that they should sort the cards into two piles: 'Makes My Heart Sing!' (things that make them happy and feel good) and 'Doesn't Make My Heart Sing Right Now.'
- Circulate and assist students, encouraging them to talk about why they place certain cards in the 'Makes My Heart Sing!' pile.
- Bring the class back together and ask a few students to share one or two cards from their 'Makes My Heart Sing!' pile and explain their choices.

Step 3

My Heart's Values Reflection

8 minutes

Distribute the My Heart's Values Worksheet or blank paper and drawing supplies.
- Ask students to draw or write about one or two things they identified in the card sort that truly make their heart sing.
- Encourage them to think about how these things make them feel.
- If time permits, invite students to share their drawings or writings with a partner or the class.

Step 4

Wrap-Up: Our Happy Hearts

2 minutes

Conclude by reiterating that everyone has different things that make their heart sing, and that's what makes us special.
- Emphasize that knowing what makes our hearts happy can help us make choices that bring us joy and good feelings.
- Show the final slide of the My Heart's Happy Things Slide Deck with a positive concluding message.

0 educators
use Lenny to create lessons.

No credit card needed

Slide Deck

What Makes Your Heart Sing?

Let's discover what makes us happy inside!

Welcome students and introduce the day's topic with an exciting tone. Ask them to think about things that truly make them happy.

What Are 'Happy Things'?

These are the special things that make us feel:

Joyful!
Proud!
Warm and fuzzy inside!

Explain that 'Happy Things' are like treasures in our hearts. They are things that make us feel good, joyful, and proud.

Look! What Makes These Hearts Sing?

Playing with friends
Helping someone
Reading a good book
Being outside in nature
Learning new things

Show these examples and ask students to name other things that make their hearts sing. Encourage a brief brainstorm.

These are our Personal Values!

Our 'Happy Things' are also called Personal Values.
They are what is most important to us!

Introduce the idea of personal values as our 'heart's happy things.' Transition to the card sort activity.

Your Heart Sings a Special Song!

What makes YOUR heart sing? It's special to YOU!
Knowing your happy things helps you make choices that make you feel good.

As students complete the worksheet, reinforce that everyone's 'heart song' is unique and special. Conclude with a positive message.

Activity

Value Card Sort: What Makes Your Heart Sing?

Instructions: Cut out each card below. Sort the cards into two piles:

Makes My Heart Sing! (These things make me feel happy and good inside!)
Doesn't Make My Heart Sing Right Now. (These things are okay, but they don't make my heart super happy.)

Talk with your friends about why you put cards in each pile!

Cards to Cut Out:

Card 1	Card 2	Card 3
Helping Friends	Playing Outside	Reading Books

Card 4	Card 5	Card 6
Being Kind	Learning New Things	Being Honest

Card 7	Card 8	Card 9
Being Brave	Family Time	Being Fair

Card 10	Card 11	Card 12
Art & Creating	Music & Dancing	Quiet Time

Teacher Note: You can add relevant images to each card before printing to make the activity more engaging for 1st graders.

When you are done sorting, pick your favorite cards from the "Makes My Heart Sing!" pile and be ready to share why!

Worksheet

My Heart's Values

Name: ________________________