Words Bring Peace (secondary)

Tell students to keep the idea "We all have something to give to help others" in mind as you read aloud the book What Is Given from the Heart to the class.

Read the story.

Stop on the Christmas page and ask: What are some of the struggles that James Otis and his mother experienced? What are some words that describe James Otis and his mother? Discuss how James Otis changes throughout the story. Discuss why he changed. You may use a character change graphic organizer. 

Continue reading to the end. Talk about how communities form around a need, an interest, or a location. Then ask students to explain how the “love boxes” served as a tool to form a community; talk about that community’s purpose and traits. Challenge the students to think about deliberately creating a community with a purpose of kindness. Ask, “What can we do to create a kind community here in our classroom?” Discuss words and actions that build community, such as listening to understand before responding, using respectful words, asking follow-up questions. 

Exit Ticket

Give students a couple of minutes to brainstorm with a partner and create a list of things they can "give" or do to make the classroom a kind place where all students feel respected and valued. Have students each write 5 things they could "give" from the heart. This list is their exit ticket for the class period.

Day Two

As arranged in advance, a community helper (police, fire, medic) visits for 30-60 minutes to talk to the classroom about the good they do as well as some of the community’s needs. Prepare the visitor by telling them about the book you’ve read; this may give your guest speaker ideas for their presentation.

After the presentation, allow time for the students to ask questions.

• Discuss with students what some of the needs are in their community that they heard the guest speaker talk about. Write a list of their ideas on the board or overhead, asking students to copy the list too.
• Ask them to respond to one of the needs on the board by suggesting what they can "give" to address the need and help build a just, peaceful, and inclusive community. 
• As a group, discuss what interests them as they narrow the list down to 3-4 ideas that they could take one step toward addressing. Write these few on the board and then have students “vote with their feet” by coming up to the board and putting a hash mark under the area that they are most interested in addressing. Remind students that it won’t always be possible to address all needs so this is one way to decide which need will be taken care of at this point.

Service Project: Students make "calming boxes" filled with homemade items that sooth someone who is feeling anxiety or trauma. See handouts below for instructions. The boxes may be donated to a classroom, police station, hospital, or other place where self-calming tools and words can help a young person self-regulate their anxiety. 

Additional Project Ideas: collect stuffed animals for police to hand out to children; make hygiene kits; serve at a soup kitchen; write soothing notes to people who need encouragement; or visit a local nursing home.

Use the service-learning process to help students develop a project with learning and practicing skills and knowledge as they address a community need and show kindness like James Otis did in the book. 

This video gives an overview of the Stages of Service-Learning: Service-learning connects learning to needs in the community. Follow the steps in the process outlined here to make successful plans with your students.