Kindergarten-2nd Grade
Subjects:
Language Arts, Library / Technology, Philanthropy and Social Studies
Key Words/Concepts click to view
| ELA: | Miss Tizzy; Brainstorming; Cause/Effect; Questioning; Reflection; Social/Cultural Issues; Teamwork; Understanding; Universal Themes; Vocabulary |
| PHIL: | Act of Kindness; Compliments; Family; Feelings; Justice; Kindness; LEAGUE Event Lesson: King Day; Neighborhood; Serial Reciprocity; Sharing; Time/Talent/Treasure; Volunteer |
| SOC: | Communities; Justice; Volunteerism |
Focus Question(s):
What is a world citizen's responsibility to promote and advocate for justice and kindness?
NOTE: Prior to this lesson, use the Blue Sky Activity in which students envision a better world. If you already have a Blue Sky display, revisit it before beginning this lesson.
Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce children to literature that reinforces the concept of unconditional kindness and demonstrates the idea that a good deed deserves another. Students will begin to understand that one act of kindness can lead to other acts of kindness and that acts of kindness are acts of philanthropy, giving of one's time, talent and/or treasures for the good of others.
Duration:
One 30 minute class period
Objectives:
The learner will:
- define the term philanthropy.
- define unconditional kindness.
- hypothesize why certain events take place.
- brainstorm how to show kindness to others.
Materials:
- Story Miss Tizzy by Libba Moore Gray
- School/Home Connection - Learner copies of Attachment One: My Act of Kindness
- (Optional - Art Connection) Socks, wiggly eyes, felt and glue
- Handout 1
- My Act of Kindness - School/Home Connection
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Ask the students to think about family members or the people that live in their neighborhood. Do they know their neighbors? Do they like to do things with their family members or any of their neighbors? Ask for volunteers to share with the class some of the things that they do with these people. Can they think of something kind that they or their family has done for a neighbor or, can they think of something kind that a family member or neighbor has done for them? Ask students to share any experience and talk about how it made them feel.
Hold up a copy of the book Miss Tizzy. Ask the students to share what they think the book might be about.
- Do a picture walk-through of the story and ask how Miss Tizzy is the same or different from people they know and with whom they spend time. Discuss the pictures to identify how the characters feel about Miss Tizzy based on what they see in their facial expressions.
- Read the book to the class, having the children interact with the pages and what the characters in the story are doing.
- Ask students what it means when we say "a good deed done for others will come back to you." Have them give examples from Miss Tizzy. Ask students if they think it is hard to be nice to someone. Does it take a little extra effort or time? Would the results of friendship be worth the extra time or effort?
- Write the word philanthropy on the board. Ask for volunteers to share what they think the word means. Tell them that the word philanthropy means "giving of your time, talent or treasure for others." Discuss why philanthropy is a desirable thing, using examples from the story and real life. Explain that doing acts of kindness is one way of being a "philanthropist."
- Ask students to reflect on whether there is someone in their lives (in their class, school, family, neighborhood) who needs a little extra help or a kind word. Ask each student to make a plan for something they could do for someone else. Explain that they will be taking home a note to their families, asking them to help in doing an act of kindness. (Attachment One: My Act of Kindness).They should write or draw their plan, carry it out, evaluate how the plan worked and how it felt. (It may be as simple as a phone call to a lonely relative or bringing a treat to an elderly neighbor.)
Assessment:
Assess whether students can name the days of the week. Evaluate student understanding of the benefits of philanthropy through their participation in the discussion and the results of their plan.
LEAGUE Learning Link(s): (click to view)
Have an idea for a Learning Link?
If your Link is accepted for publication on the Web site you will be credited with your name, school, and city.
These "LEAGUE Learning Links” provide ten quick and easy 5-minute mini-lessons to help promote The LEAGUE’s vision and scheduled events in your classroom. You can choose from among these mini-lessons and use as many of them as you would like and in whatever order best meets your needs and the interest of your students. The purpose of these mini-lessons is to provide a deeper understanding of philanthropy (the giving of ones, time, talents, and treasures for the common good) and to promote those philanthropic acts that have been identified as supporting The LEAGUE events. These mini-lessons will also help ensure a deeper understanding of character traits, civic engagement, and promote student leadership. It is recommended that students be encouraged to play as much of a role as possible and appropriate in presenting these lessons to their classmates.
- Read: Cameron and Leon were fighting on the playground. “He hit me first,” Cameron told his teacher. Leon looked down at his feet. He knew what he did was not kind. He was sorry. The teacher then spoke to Cameron. “What could you have done instead of fight with Leon?” she asked. Cameron knew what he did was not kind either. He was sorry too He knew that fighting for any reason was against the rules.
Discuss: What are some things Cameron could have done rather than fight with Leon? What do you think would be fair for each of the boys to do? During our King Day event how can we be both kind and fair?
- Read: Zack was carrying his library books in the hallway when they fell out of his arms. Marcie was in a hurry so she walked past Zack on the other side of the hallway. Amber laughed at Zack’s mess as she walked by. Carrie stopped to see what the problem was but then hurried to class so she wouldn’t be late. Sean stopped to help Zack pick up the books. He even carried some of them back to the classroom for Zack.
Discuss: Who do you think showed the most kindness to Zack? Why? How do think Zack felt when no one would help him? How do you think he felt when Sean finally stopped to help? During our King Day event how do we plan to help people? How do you think they will feel because we have been kind to them?
- Read: One day our teacher told us a story. It was about Emily. Emily was a pure white polar bear cub. She lived with her family in Alaska. It’s very cold there in the winter time. But because polar bears have such thick fur they don’t even feel the cold. Emily loved to slide on the ice. She loved to hunt for fish in the sea. One day while she was munching on a salmon she overheard some adult bears talking. They were upset. Some brown bears had moved into their neighborhood. They didn’t want them there. They said that they told their little cubs to be careful. If they ever saw a brown bear they were to run right home. Emily didn’t understand why. They must be very mean she thought. Later that week her bear class at school got a new student. The new student’s name was Brandy. Brandy was a brown bear. Emily’s teacher had asked Emily to show Brandy around school. She asked her to introduce Brandy to the others bears in the school. The teacher wanted Brandy to feel welcomed. At first Emily was afraid. She remembered what she heard the adults saying. But she did what her teacher asked. Brandy was actually very nice. Emily was glad that she was kind to Brandy. Now Emily and Brandy are very good friends.
Discuss: Why do you think the adult white polar bears didn’t want a brown bear family living in their neighborhood? What did Emily discover about Brandy? Why is it important to treat everyone kindly? How are we going to do that during our King Day event?
- Read: Some boys and girls are afraid of the dark. Going to bed at night can be scary for them. Sometimes their parents leave a night light on. And sometimes they leave a door open just enough to let in some light. Even though they are in their own room something about the dark scares them. Having a little light helps them feel better. They are less afraid. They feel safer. They can go to sleep easier.
Discuss: How is our King Day event like a little light that shines in the night? How are we trying to make people feel better? Less afraid? Safer? Why is it important that we help to make our school less scary for everyone?
- Read: Tad was a little frog. He had lots of brothers and sisters. They were all bigger than he was. They were also good at lots of things. They were good at hopping from lily pad to lily pad. They were good at croaking like big frogs. They were good at catching flies with their long tongues. But Tad wasn’t so good at doing all these things. “You’re just a baby,” his brothers and sisters would tease him. Tad wished he could do something to show that he wasn’t just a baby. Then he got an idea. He thought, “What if I became friends with everyone in the pond? I could get to know them. Then maybe I could do stuff with them.” And so he did. It wasn’t long and everyone in the pond was telling Tad’s brothers and sisters how nice Tad was. And how helpful he was.
“He helped me learn to swim,” said the bass.
“He’s kind even to me,” said the snake.
“He helped me build my house,” said the beaver.
“He’s always so cheerful” exclaimed the duck.
“He lets me play in the pond games,” said the toad.
“He waits for me when we run races,” said the turtle.
And so it was that Tad became good at being a friend.
Discuss: Are there things that you are good at? Are there things you wish you were good at? What did Tad do to show that he wasn’t just a baby? During our King Day event why is being a friend such an important part of it? How can we become good at being a friend?
- Read: People who take long trips often look at a road map. A map helps to show them the way to go. It doesn’t make them go that way. It just shows them the way. It is up to the driver to take the roads the map suggests. Sometimes there are detours on the road. Detours make it so people can’t go on the road that they want to go on. They have to take a different way to get where they want to go. Maps are also helpful when this happens.
Discuss: Why is it important that we know what we are going to do during our King Day event? Do you think it is important that we have a plan? How can our plan help us if we run into a problem?
- Read: Phil and Jorie were bouncing a ball in their grandmother’s living room. Their mother had told them to stop bouncing the ball inside. She told them to go outside to bounce the ball. As they were going outdoors, Phil bounced the ball one more time. Jorie missed it. It sent one of grandmother’s favorite vases crashing to the floor. It broke into a million pieces. Both Phil and Jorie felt very sad. They apologized to grandmother. She said that it was all right. But they wanted to do something that showed they were really sorry. They felt that it would only be fair if they took money from their piggy bank. They would buy grandma a new vase.
Discuss: Do you think Phil and Jorie broke grandmother’s vase on purpose? Why do you think they felt so sad? How did they choose to make it right? What do you think they would need to do to make sure that it doesn’t happen again? Do we always hurt people’s feelings on purpose? During our King Day event what are some things we can do to help people not feel sad? During our King Day event what are some things we can do to make things fair for everyone?
- Read: Farmer Read was walking by his barn one day. He heard a terrible noise inside. It was a noise that typically doesn’t come from a barn. It wasn’t a moo, or a cluck, or an oink. It sounded like more like a screech. He went to investigate. He found a blue jay flapping its wings. It was trying to get out of the barn through a closed window. Carefully Farmer Read opened the window. The blue jay flew to its freedom. Farmer Read told his wife. “I don’t know how that bird got into the barn. I do know that if he hadn’t made all the noise I never would have known he was in trouble.
Discuss: What do you think would have happened had the blue jay not made all that noise in the barn? Do people who need our help always let us know that they need our help? During our King Day event how can we be kind to people who we know would like a friend? How can we be kind to people who don’t seem to want a friend?
- Read: Both Kareen and Jordan loved their home town baseball team. They went to watch many of the team’s games. They even knew most of the players’ names. One day they were asked by their teacher to describe the team. They started by saying there were 25 players on the team. “That’s the same number of kids in their room,” Kareen said. They went on to talk about the team. Some players were tall. Others were short. Some were big. Others were small. Some were fast. Others were slower. Some had brown hair. Some had black. Some were outfielders. Others were infielders. Some were pitchers. Others were catchers. Some had long names. Others had short names. When they finished describing the team the teacher asked, “How is our class like a team?” Everybody raised their hand.
Discuss: How is our classroom like a team? Is everybody the same? During our King Day event how can we work together as a team? Does that mean everybody has to be the same? Does that mean everybody has to do the same job? Why is it important that everybody gets to play on our King Day event team?
- Read:
Remember to always say “Please”
And cover your nose when you sneeze.
Remember to always say “Thank you”
And give it your best in all that you do.
Eat all you take before asking for more
And kindly offer to hold open the door.
Welcome others to play in your game
Even though everyone is not the same.
Remember to always be kind and fair
And offer your help because you care.
Even though you may not always win
You’ll be the best you that’s ever been.
Discuss: Can you think of other things that adults tell you are important to remember? Why do you think they tell you these things? During our King Day event how are we trying to be kind, helpful and fair? Is it always easy to be kind, helpful, and fair? Why or why not? Is it hard to not win? Is it okay to not win? How can we be the best we can be?
School/Home Connection:
Give the learners a copy of Attachment One: My Act of Kindness. Ask them to share the story Miss Tizzy with family members and fill out the attachment. Have the learners return the attachment and ask them to share some of their answers.
Art Connection:
Make sock puppets. The follow-up art lesson will use a sock, wiggly eyes, and precut felt for ears, noses, and other features. Students will glue the eyes and felt onto the sock. When puppets are dry, group students in teams to plan and perform a puppet show based on the story, Miss Tizzy.
Post Service Reflection: (click to view)
Reflection plays a very important role in promoting student learning. The following suggested activities are ways to help students reflect on their learning after they have participated in a service event. Choose one or more of the activities most appropriate to the service event and your students.
ACTIVITY ONE:
Have the students share what they know about quilts (e.g. they are warm, soft, cuddly, usually made out of pieces of materials sewn together, etc) as you provide the students with 4 ¼” by 5 ½” sheet of paper-- an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper cut in half. Tell the students that they will be helping to make a “quilt” and that each person will contribute one piece to be added to the quilt. Have each students draw a picture of what they did during the Event activity using crayons or markers. When they have completed their drawings have them take turns bringing their “quilt piece” to you and telling the class about their drawing which will then be added to the “quilt.” Display the “quilt” as it is being sewn together to form a “Caring Blanket.” When everyone has contributed their piece to the blanket, ask the students how their “Caring Blanket” may have made someone feel warm inside.
ACTIVITY TWO:
Provide each student with a yellow cutout of a happy face and a sad face. Have the students decide which face represents how they felt as they were helping during the Event activity. Have each student bring their chosen “face” to the display area entitled “Our Faces”/”Our Helping Mirror.” As the students hand you their “faces” display them in as much of a circle as you can. When everyone’s face is displayed, ask the students if most of the faces were happy or sad. Using black heavy string or yarn and common pins/tacks, make the mouth of the face, over the ‘sea of faces’ that represents how the majority of the students felt.
ACTIVITY THREE:
Playing the game “Duck, Duck, Goose,” model for the students how the person who is “IT” will walk around the circle of students tapping them lightly on the head saying, “caring” “sharing” “helping” “giving,” or any combination of these words. However when the person who is IT taps someone on the head and says “philanthropy” or “philanthropist” that person is now IT and must stand and tell the class how he or she cared, shared, helped, or gave to someone during the Event. The new IT person now walks around the circle following the model. If some is dubbed “Philanthropist” and they have nothing they can think of to share, have the IT person continue to follow the model until he or she finds someone to be IT who is willing and able to share. (NOTE: Make every effort to be sure that everyone has an opportunity to be IT and to share.)
ACTIVITY FOUR:
Cut out an outline of a star on yellow construction paper for each student. Have each student come to the front of the class in turn and whisper to you what they did during the Event. Write what they did on their star. Have the student hold up his/her star while you tell the class the word(s) that is written on it. Celebrate each recipient as they hold their star with hand clapping/a cheer, etc. Have each student then place his or her star on the display board entitled “Super Stars.” After everyone has had a turn, ask the class if they think that the stars in the sky help to make things a little brighter at night. Draw a comparison as to how all of their deeds certainly helped to make the world a brighter place. Thank and applaud the students as a class.
Bibliographical References:
Lesson Developed and Piloted by:
Pamela McIntosh
Detroit Public Schools
Woodward Elementary School
Detroit, MI 48208
Handouts:
My Act of Kindness - School/Home Connection
Dear Family,
In class today, we read a book about a woman and the children in her neighborhood. Many of the neighbors thought Miss Tizzy was odd, but the children loved her for the special attention she gave to them. When Miss Tizzy was ill, the children got together and did something nice just for her. In our discussion of the story, we learned about philanthropy, which is the giving of time, talent, or treasure for the common good. We also talked about how a good deed done for others will come back to you. For a home challenge, and as part of our class participation in The LEAGUE's King Day Event, we are asking students, with the help of their family members, to do something kind for another family member or a neighbor who may need a little extra help. The kind deed may be as simple as bringing a treat, or as generous as helping with yard work. You and your child can decide. When your child has performed the act of kindness, help your child write about the experience explaining the act and describing how it felt.
Describe what you did for a family member or a neighbor.
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How did your family member or neighbor respond to the kindness?
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How did you feel after your act of kindness?
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