Unit IntroductionLesson 4 Compassion Connection: Superpower Emotions Part 2 Apply their...

2nd Grade Unit Introduction

Sub-Concepts Covered: Compassion, Gratitude, Helpfulness, Empathy, Kindness

Kindness in the Classroom lessons teach kindness skills through a step-by step framework of Inspire, Empower, Act, Reflect and Share. Each lesson starts with the ‘share’ step to reinforce learning from previous lessons. The ‘act’ piece is woven into the lessons but really takes place in the projects. The Caring Unit is our second unit in a series of six. The Caring Unit focuses primarily on helping students care for themselves, for others, and for their learning environment. They will do this through lessons on compassion, empathy, sympathy, and helpfulness.

Unit Objective Students will:

● Define key kindness terms, including gratitude, caring, and compassion. ● Identify the connection among caring, kindness, and helpfulness. ● Connect empathy and sympathy to compassion. ● Apply self-care thinking to their lives.

Student Introduction Welcome to the Caring Unit! Over the next few weeks, we are going to build some superpowers around caring and kindness, which means we work hard to take care of both ourselves and others! Specifically, we want to be sure we grateful for the things we have; we help others when we can; and we take care of ourselves, others, and our things. We are going to focus on these important areas:

● Caring for ourselves, others, and our classroom! ● Being grateful for all that we have every day! ● Looking for ways to be helpers! ● And showing kindness and compassion when others are in need, which can be as simple as inviting

someone new to join your game at recess time! Caring isn’t complicated! Let’s get started with our first lesson!

© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. All Rights Reserved. www.randomactsofkindness.org

Unit Lessons Lesson Title Lesson Objectives Materials Required Lesson 1 My Name Word Puzzle

● Identify things about themselves that they appreciate.

● Apply self-care thinking to their lives. ● Present their acrostic to the class and

practice short presentation skills.

❏ Pieces of tagboard or construction paper, one per student.

❏ Color pencils/markers

Lesson 2 Gratitude Scavenger Hunt

● Define gratitude. ● Recognize various things they

are grateful for.

❏ Scavenger hunt handout (see lesson)

Lesson 3 Compassion Connection: Everyday Emotions Part 1

● Apply their understanding of feelings and emotions and predict how others may feel in response to different situations.

● Interesting articles to read to prepare for questions related to the science of emotions: https://www.verywell.com/how-many-emotions-are-there-2795179 https://www.verywell.com/understand-body-language-and-facial-expressions-4147228

Lesson 4 Compassion Connection: Superpower Emotions Part 2

● Apply their understanding of basic emotions to their understanding of compassion, empathy, and sympathy, and predict how others may feel in response to different situations.

❏ Interesting articles to read to prepare for how compassion and empathy are emotions that can be heightened through neurological training: http://www.parentingscience.com/teaching-empathy-tips.html

❏ Two superhero-style “Compassion Capes” (see lesson)

❏ Masking or duct tape to create “paths” on the floor. Can use the same tape to create the “compassion center.”

❏ Pictures 1-3 *see extension idea in the lesson

Unit Projects Project Title Project Overview Materials Required Project 1 Thank You for Helping

This project is designed to help students express gratitude to helpers and to recognize that many people help without expecting anything in return.

❏ Thank you card template (see lesson) ❏ Markers ❏ Black/white board

Project 2 Gratitude Word Clouds

This project will allow students to practice speaking skills, listening skills, writing skills, and technology skills, all while building a visual presentation that conveys ideas of gratitude and highlights those things that many people are thankful for, generating connectedness with the larger school community.

❏ Interview cue card (optional) ❏ Notebook paper/pencil ❏ Computer access to use the word cloud

generator (recommended: http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm)

❏ Poster board ❏ Markers


https://www.verywell.com/how-many-emotions-are-there-2795179


https://www.verywell.com/understand-body-language-and-facial-expressions-4147228



http://www.parentingscience.com/teaching-empathy-tips.html

http://www.parentingscience.com/teaching-empathy-tips.html

http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm

Caring 2nd Grade • Lesson 1

My Name Word Puzzle In this lesson, students will identify a variety of personal qualities that they like about themselves. They will organize their ideas in the form of a name acrostic or word puzzle which they will create themselves. The lesson incorporates a small element of class presentation, which will also give students an opportunity to practice whole-body listening. Caring Sub-Concept(s) Compassion, Kindness Lesson Timeframe 35-40 minutes Required Materials ❏ Pieces of tagboard or construction

paper, one per student. ❏ Color pencils/markers Be prepared to share the history or meaning of your name or of a family member’s name to get students thinking. It might be meaningful to prepare an acrostic for your name as an example. Standards Map This lesson aligns with CASEL Competencies, National Health Education Standards, and Common Core State Standards. Please refer to the Standards Map for more information.

Lesson Objective Students will:

● Identify things about themselves that they appreciate. ● Apply self-care thinking to their lives. ● Present their acrostic to the class and practice short presentation

skills.

Teacher Connection/Self-Care In the first unit we talked about the importance of self-respect as a building block for respect within our world. This unit our focus is on Caring, which incorporates compassion, helpfulness, gratitude, and empathy. Caring is defined as feeling and showing concern for yourself and others. With this definition in mind, try to evaluate how you care for yourself. Self-Care is a vital tool to ensure we have time to reboot. It is not selfish to provide time each day to just focus on YOU. What do you do just for you each day? If the answer is difficult to identify, brainstorm some ideas on how you can care for yourself daily. If you’ve already started this process, attempt to expand or deepen your self-care to include long term goals (such as working out or taking a fun class). If you don’t care for you, how can you expect to provide solid care for others?

Tips for Diverse Learners ● Having a visual example of the word puzzle will probably be useful for

all learners ● Can use the formal term “acrostic” for the word puzzle for interested

students ● Advanced students may want to do a more challenging acrostic by

putting their name in the center and using the middle letters of their name instead of the first letters, like this: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/470626229786264958/

© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. All Rights Reserved. www.randomactsofkindness.org Page 1

https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/lesson-plans/2_Caring_Unit_Standards_Map.pdf

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/470626229786264958/

Share

5-7 minutes Welcome to our new unit, Caring! We will be talking about caring for others and what it means to care for not only others, but also ourselves and our space. What does caring for others look like to you? Invite student responses. Part of offering care to others, though, is the ability to offer care to ourselves. We call this self-care. Think about it. If you do not take care of yourself, how will you have the energy to take care of someone else? You won’t! So, today, we are going to think about all of the ways we take care of ourselves and think about the things about ourselves that make us special. Let’s start with how we take care of ourselves. What are the things you do to take care of your mind? Invite student responses; some sample responses are provided below: Mind: Be kind to others, be thankful, help others, get enough sleep, do puzzles, attend school, read, take deep breaths, learn something new, learn another language, play learning games, watch educational TV, play an instrument. What are some things you do to take care of your body? Invite student responses; some sample responses are provided below: Body: Get enough sleep, exercise, eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, dance, help with chores at home, be active at recess time, participate in gym class, ride bike, play a sport.


Inspire

5-7 minutes Now let’s talk about things that make us special and unique. There is only one you in this whole world! Even if you have a twin, you are still unique and different in special ways. One way that many of us are unique in our names. Even if we share the same or similar first names with someone, we still have unique middle and last names that make us different. Does anyone know if your name has a special story? Were you named after someone special? Does it have a special meaning? Invite student respond. Lead with the meaning or significance of your name, perhaps. What are some other things that make us special and unique? Invite student response; encourage responses about personality, interests, talents, hobbies, etc.

Empower

10-15 minutes Ok, now you are going to put all of your ideas about what makes you you into a fun word puzzle using your name. You can do this in a couple of ways. You can either write your name down the side of your paper vertically or you can use bubble letters and spell out your name across the page. For each letter, you need to write down a word or phrase that describes something special about you and that starts with the same letter. When you are done, feel free to decorate your word puzzle in a way that represents all ofthe unique, special things that you wrote down about yourself. After the acrostic is done, students should decorate their poster in a way that represents them and the words they picked to describe themselves. Project example on the smartboard or write an example on the whiteboard. The example can be any name, but might be more meaningful if it is the teacher’s name. Example: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/517069600952146227/


https://www.pinterest.com/pin/517069600952146227/

Reflect

5-7 minutes Invite students to share their acrostic word puzzle. You may want to gather students at their morning meeting space or somewhere as a group (instead of desks) and set up a special chair where people presenting their puzzles can sit while the rest of the class sits on the carpet/floor in front of them. This helps emphasize the idea that the person presenting is special and important. Remind students to use whole body listening. Remember that everyone in our class is special and has important things to add to our class. Remember to care for your mind, care for your body, and believe how much you matter to me and to everyone in our class! If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of each other, so take some time every day to do something healthy and special for yourself. Remember, too, that showing gratitude, helping others, and being kind make our brains and our bodies feel good. We are happier when we are thankful. Work hard at being thankful, helping, and being kind to those around you!

Extension Ideas

● Consider hanging the acrostics around the room or on a bulletin

board, or laminate and used them as desk name cards (taped down or hanging on the front of the test or taped to the back of the chair).

● You could let students clip words from magazines that describe them and tape or paste them to their acrostic. You could also let them cut out images that represent them and tape or paste as part of the final decoration.



Gratitude Scavenger Hunt This lesson introduces students to the concept of gratitude and gives them an opportunity to understand what gratitude means to them in everyday, ordinary life. The goal of this activity is to get students to be aware of the small things that they are (or, maybe, should be) grateful for and that gratitude need not be a grand gesture; we can be grateful even for ordinary things. Caring Sub-Concept(s) Compassion, Gratitude, Helpfulness, Kindness Lesson Timeframe 45 minutes Required Materials ❏ Scavenger hunt handout (attached) Standards Map This lesson aligns with CASEL Competencies, National Health Education Standards, and Common Core State Standards. Please refer to the Standards Map for more information.


● Define gratitude. ● Recognize various things they are grateful for. ● Show gratitude towards those that show helpfulness.

Teacher Connection/Self-Care Helpfulness. The word alone can bring both positive and negative images to mind. Are you the type to help with everything? Or are you one that avoids helping because you can’t seem to find the time? Finding a balance when it comes to helpfulness is vital for self preservation in this profession. Establishing and maintaining clear boundaries with your team, your school, and yes, even your own family, will help you better organize your time, thus allowing you to either pair down on the help you are providing or find time to actually pitch in on more occasions. Helpfulness is a terrific character trait, but can often be over-expected with teachers. Speak up when you are taxed. No one likes a grumpy helper! Need ideas on HOW to say no? Check out this resource: http://teacherhabits.com/effective-way-teachers-say-no/

Tips for Diverse Learners

● Turn on closed captioning for the video for students with hearing limitations.

● The handout has spaces for students to draw their ideas if they aren’t comfortable writing about them.

● Keep in mind the socio-economic backgrounds of students; students in poverty may have a harder time thinking of everyday things to be thankful for, so guide discussion where necessary to make sure all student contributions are valued and respected

● Keep in mind the physical limitations of students; if there are students in wheelchairs, for example, who cannot walk, expressing gratitude for legs that can walk and run might be insensitive. See notes below.



http://teacherhabits.com/effective-way-teachers-say-no/

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5-7 minutes

● Ask students what they think the word gratitude means. Write down key words from their definitions on the board or project on the smart board.

● Tell students you are going to write a definition of gratitude based on the keywords you wrote down. Begin the definition like this: Gratitude means: (thankful, glad, appreciative, happy for what you have).

○ Pick approximately three key elements that you can incorporate into the definition. Keep them simple so students can remember.

○ Link gratitude to attitude: feeling gratitude = positive attitude. In this lesson, we are going to learn more about gratitude and the various things that we are grateful for, especially the little things that we don’t realize we are grateful for. Sometimes we call this taking something “for granted”. We just assume all the things we need and love will always be available to us, and so we stop seeing them as special. But, really, most things we have and enjoy on a daily basis are special, and we would miss them if they were gone! What are some things that if they disappeared right now, you would miss them or feel sad? Invite student response. Link gratitude to caring: often the people and things we appreciate are people and things that help take care of us and our needs in some way.

Inspire 5-7 minutes Watch Kid President’s 25 Reasons to be Thankful on YouTube [3:46] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA5Qpt1JRE4 This is a fun video that kids enjoy; Kid President does a good job picking out common, silly things that he is grateful for. It will get your students thinking about everyday things they can be grateful for, too. If you don’t have access to a smart board, the Internet, or other means to show the video, you can use the following list of everyday items to get your students thinking (or use student examples from their responses above):

● Water fountains at school that give us clean water to drink whenever we want.

● Sleep (Our brains need the chance to reboot! Can you imagine if you never slept?!)

● Teeth (how else would we eat?) ● Fingers (How would life be different if you didn’t have fingers?) ● Colors ● Bus drivers ● Silverware ● Favorite foods


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA5Qpt1JRE4

● Weekends! When listing physical attributes we are grateful for, be mindful of students with physical limitations, disabilities, or differences. (For example, they are in a wheelchair and so shoes may not be as important; or if there is a student with a physical deformity to his/her hands, then fingers may not be appropriate to list.) This isn’t to discourage other students without these limitations to not be grateful for their abilities, but is is important to be sensitive to all learners.

Empower

10-15 minutes The goal of this activity is to get students to be aware of the small things that they are (or, maybe, should be) grateful for. That was a fun list from Kid President, wasn’t it? We are going to go on a gratitude scavenger hunt today. Use the attached handout to take notes on small things you are grateful for here at school (or at home, if this is being done at the end of the day). Check off the item when you see or experience something you are grateful for and either write down what it was you are grateful for or draw a quick picture of it. At (closing or morning) meeting, we will share our scavenger hunt discoveries!

Reflect

5 minutes Gratitude sounds a lot like what we studied in our last unit: RESPECT and KINDNESS. Did you know that when you feel grateful or thankful, you are happier? Scientists have shown that recognizing when we feel thankful triggers our brains to feel happy. Science shows when we do kind things for others to make them happy, when we care for them, we are also happy. These ideas are all connected! Isn’t that cool?! Did you notice if you felt happier today as you were on the look-out for things that you were thankful for? What if we spent time really appreciating all the things we have or get to experience? How can we show gratitude towards others when they are helpful and kind?


Gratitude = Positive Attitude!

What are some things that you noticed today that you didn’t even realize you were grateful for? Be on the lookout today for the things below!

Notice how you feel when you think about things you are grateful for.

Something small that you are grateful for:

Something BIG that you are grateful for:

A person you are grateful for:

A room you are grateful for:

A rule you are grateful for:

A smell you are grateful for:

A school supply you are grateful for:

A food you are grateful for:

An animal you are grateful for:

A school subject you are grateful for:

An item of clothing you are grateful for:

A person at school you are grateful for:

A special place you are grateful for:

A friend you are grateful for:

A person at home you are grateful for:



Compassion Connection: Everyday Emotions This lesson provides students with the opportunity to build skills surrounding compassion and being kind towards how others are feeling. This lesson is the first part of two parts. Caring Sub-Concept(s) Compassion, Kindness Lesson Timeframe 30-40 minutes Required Materials ❏ Interesting articles to read to prepare

for questions related to the science of emotions: https://www.verywell.com/how-many-emotions-are-there-2795179 and https://www.verywell.com/understand-body-language-and-facial-expressions-4147228

Standards Map This lesson aligns with CASEL Competencies, National Health Education Standards, and Common Core State Standards. Please refer to the Standards Map for more information.


● Apply their understanding of feelings and emotions and predict how others may feel in response to different situations.

Teacher Connection/Self-Care The act of compassion for others often seems easy for us adults when we are watching a moving documentary or a news broadcast. However, the struggle to show compassion within our own community is at times a bit more difficult. We become immune to the homeless person with the sign or the single mother struggling with the packages. This week take a concentrated look around your community, your school, and even your classroom. Who might be in need that you may have overlooked in the past? Dialing in your compassion to your immediate surroundings can really increase the connectivity with your students, your peers and your community as a whole. When we are connected, we are present, so take a look around. Who has fallen through the cracks? How can your compassion help you remain connected with your school?

Tips for Diverse Learners ● Children on the autism spectrum may have a difficult time recognizing

emotions in people’s facial expressions. If you have students who will find this lesson difficult, you could complete the activity in a large group (vs. pairs) or work with this student (or group of students) yourself (or with a classroom helper) to help guide the conversation.

● For the wrap-up, you could let students in this group study the picture further and give them specific emotions to work on recognizing based on the picture. What does happiness seem to look like? What does sadness seem to look like? Give these students specific things to look for (frown, smile, furrowed brow, big eyes) and relate to an emotion.








Share

5-7 minutes When you hear the word emotions, what do you think of? Invite student response. Show a picture of Disney’s Inside Out characters: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear.

Source: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/The_Emotions

Who recognizes these characters? What do they represent? Invite student response. Often we think of emotions like joy (or happiness), sadness, fear, or anger. Some scientists think humans have eight universal emotions; this means that all humans, no matter who you are or where you come from, experience these eight emotions: joy, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, trust, surprise, and anticipation. Write these emotions on the board or project them on the smartboard. Which words on that list are new words for you? Invite student response; they may need help working through disgust, anticipation, and maybe trust.


Inspire

5-7 minutes Scientists have also told us that we have about 42 muscles in our faces that create facial expressions that show emotion. Isn’t that amazing? Scientists also tell us that most of how we communicate with other people (remember when we learned about communication?) happens not with what we say, but through what we do, our body language! Our facial expressions make up a good portion of that body language. Everyone, let’s practice making faces that show the eight universal emotions (note if students also naturally use their hands to help express the emotion):

1. Ok, on “3,” make a happy face. 1 - 2 - 3! 2. On “3,” make a sad face. 1 - 2 - 3! 3. On “3,” make a scared face. 1 - 2 - 3! 4. On “3,” make an angry face. 1 - 2 - 3! 5. Ok, on “3,” make a face that shows you are disgusted. 1 - 2 - 3! 6. On “3,” make a face that shows trust. 1 - 2 - 3! (This one will be harder!

It may be difficult to do or identify, but encourage their effort!) 7. On “3,” make a surprised face. 1 - 2 - 3! 8. Ok, on “3,” make a face that looks like you are waiting for something

good (this is anticipation). 1 - 2 - 3! Good! I think you all understand what these emotions can look like on the outside. Comment on the use of hands if you noticed it; likely students automatically did this (put hands to face in surprise; put hands up in defense or over their head in fear, etc.)

Empower

12-15 minutes Now we are going to see how easily we are able to identify emotions when we see them on other people’s faces. Use the attached image or other images you have. For this activity, have students engage in a think, pair, share. Put students in groups of two and invite both students to take turns sharing with each other what they see in the pictures (1-9) and why those people might be feeling that emotion. Either walk around with the pictures or put them up on the smartboard. Invite students to talk with their partner about which of the eight emotions they think each person is experiencing and what might be happening to make this person wear this expression and feel this emotion.

1. Look closely at one of the faces. 2. Identify the emotion being expressed. 3. Discuss why this person might be feeling this way.


http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/think-pair-share

Reflect

5-7 minutes What is important to understand from this lesson is that everyone in the world, no matter who you are, feels these emotions. And, we all make very similar expressions when we feel these emotions so it is pretty easy to recognize when someone is sad or scared or upset or happy. Remember how we talked about being a helper before? What do you suppose helpers are really good at seeing in other people? Invite student response.. Look for students to say “emotions” or “facial expressions that show emotion,” etc. Yes, helpers are good at seeing when people are scared or upset or sad, and that makes them want to help. There is another emotion inside of us called compassion that we will talk about in our next lesson. Compassion is sort of like a superpower emotion that helps turn us into helpers. We often recognize compassion by what someone does or says vs. by what you see on their face. We will talk about that more in the next lesson, though. Today, though, spend some time studying people’s faces. See if you can tell, just by what you see, how they are feeling. If you notice someone who looks sad or upset, what can you do to show kindness to that person and show that you care about how they are feeling? Sometimes you can help by simply recognizing that they are sad and you noticed them. Simply saying, “Hey! You look sad. Are you okay?” can make them feel better.

Extension Ideas

● For a science connection, you could do more with the 42 facial

muscles. Show an image of these muscles or research the primary muscles that move our eyes and mouth to form expressions and have students mindfully make various expressions and feel the muscles move as they do. It takes more muscles to frown than to smile, so you can tell students to work less and smile more!

● If you have extra time, you could end the lesson by playing a clip from Inside Out when Riley doesn’t have her emotions to help her (the scene when she runs away from home and gets on the bus). You can extend the discussion by talking about how our emotions, even emotions like sadness, anger, and fear, are good for us and help us make good choices.

● It would be fun to do this activity with your own class of faces! If you have the means, repeat the emotion pictures using your own students (taking pictures with a smart phone would work!) and then share the activity with a neighboring 2nd grade class.


Source: https://k12.thoughtfullearning.com/minilesson/seeing-emotion-facial-expressions



Compassion Connection: The Path to Compassion This lesson provides students with the opportunity to build skills surrounding compassion and being kind towards how others are feeling. This lesson focuses specifically on how we show compassion when we recognize basic emotions in others; it also elaborates on the differences between empathy and sympathy. This lesson is the second part of two parts. Caring Sub-Concept(s) Compassion, Empathy, Kindness Lesson Timeframe 45 minutes Required Materials ❏ Two superhero-style “Compassion

Capes”, which should be made in advance of the lesson; these can be made of paper, pillowcases, or other material. You could put an S on one for Sympathy, and an E on the other for Empathy. Keep it simple!

❏ Masking or duct tape to create “paths” on the floor. You can use the same tape to create the “compassion center”. This should be a triangle shape with compassion at the top center, mirror the opening image.

❏ The Path To Compassion visual for ease of set up (see below)

Standards Map This lesson aligns with CASEL Competencies, National Health Education Standards, and Common Core State Standards. Please refer to the Standards Map for more information.


● Apply their understanding of basic emotions to their understanding of compassion, empathy, and sympathy.

● Predict how others may feel in response to different situations.

Teacher Connection/Self-Care Compassion and Empathy go hand in hand. When you experience that tug of compassion, you are often able to express empathy simultaneously. Last week we focused on paying closer attention to the frequently forgotten in your community. This week, the challenge goes even deeper. Pick one personin your community to empathize with and place yourself in their shoes for one day. What is his/her day like? What struggles might he/she encounter? What might be the highlight of the day? If possible, try and live one day the way that person would. If this isn’t possible, try visualizing the day or journaling about it. Compassion leads us to feel emotions. However, true empathy allows us to place ourselves squarely in the place of the other person, with all of the highs and lows, struggles, and celebrations. This simple exercise can help you practice empathy more readily with all different people both locally and internationally.



Share

5-7 minutes In the last lesson we talked about basic human emotions. There were eight of them! Can anyone remember what these emotions are? Invite student responses. Write their answers on the board or project them on the smartboard. (Answers should be: joy, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, trust, surprise, and anticipation.) Good! These are the emotions that everyone feels, no matter what family, school, city, state, or country they come from. We also studied people’s faces so we could determine which emotions they were feeling. Two lessons ago, we talked about helping. How might emotions and helping be connected? Invite student response, but this could be challenging to answer, so it is okay to go on if students aren’t sure. The connection is that when we see someone who is struggling or who is sad or hurt, we want to help them, right? The feeling that makes you want to help is a superpower emotion that we have called compassion. Compassion means caring when others are hurt, sad, or in need. When we show compassion to others, we are showing them kindness. ALL of us have this superpower inside of us, though sometimes we need to work hard to activate it. Write the word Compassion on the board at the top (or use the image below if using a smartboard).


Inspire

12-15 minutes Now, if we were looking at a map, and compassion was where we wanted to go, we would see two PATHS to get to compassion. These paths are called emPATHy and symPATHy. Write Empathy and Sympathy in a triangular formation under Compassion as shown below; underline, bold, or highlight the word “path” in both words.

When you understand another person’s feelings because you have had the same experience, you take the path of empathy to care for them. To have empathy you must also have experience, or at least a similar experience! You can feel what someone is feeling because you have been there! When you understand another person’s feelings because you can see they are sad or upset or scared, you take the path of sympathy to care for them. You can have sympathy for someone even if you have never had their same experiences. Draw lines from empathy and sympathy up to compassion. Add “kindness” to each line.


No matter which path you are on, though, you can still show the other person kindness and compassion by helping, listening, including, or doing something else to help them understand that you care.


Empower 5 minutes Now we are going to practice identifying which path you might take in certain situations and how you might use your superpower of compassion to help someone in need.

[Set up the classroom as explained in the Paths to Compassion game handout.]

Show Picture 1 of a kid in a cast, looking sad (hold up picture or project on smartboard).

(Source:https://www.thriftyfun.com/Hand-Washing-With-a-Broken-Arm.html)

Ask students what they think this person is feeling and thinking. Call on students for answers. Next, ask students to move to either the empathy path or to the sympathy path for this person. (Remind students that they can probably feel empathy if they, too, have broken a bone; if they have not broken a bone, they probably feel sympathy because they can see that he is sad but they don’t quite know what it’s like to break a bone.) Give students a chance to move and then ask students on the empathy path why they chose that path. Ask students on the sympathy path why they chose that path. Finally, ask students what they could do to show compassion and kindness, to be a helper, to this person if he/she was a classmate of theirs. The student


(one from each path) you call on puts on the Compassion Cape, walks (or maybe “flies”) the path to the “Compassion” center to give his/her answer. Note the similarities and differences in the suggestions. Have students go back into their original positions before showing Picture 2. Show Picture 2 of a kid who spilled her milk at a meal.

Ask students what they think this person is feeling and thinking. Call on students for answers. Next, ask students to move to either the empathy path or to the sympathy path for this person. (Remind students that they can probably feel empathy if they, too, have spilled their milk before; sympathy if they haven’t but can understand how this child feels.) Give students a chance to move and then ask students on the empathy path why they chose that path. Ask students on the sympathy path why they chose that path. Finally, ask students to think about what they could do to show compassion and kindness, to be a helper, to this person if they were at the same meal with her. The student (one from each path) you call on puts on the Compassion Cape and walks the path to the “Compassion” center to give his/her answer. Note the similarities and differences in the suggestions. Have students go back into their original positions before showing Picture 3. Show Picture 3 of a kid who alone or being left out at recess time.


(Source: http://news.urbansitter.com/blog/how-to-help-kids-deal-with-rejection)

Ask students what they think this person is feeling and thinking. Call on students for answers. Next, ask students to move to either the empathy path or to the sympathy path for this person. Don’t cue/remind students this time. Give students a chance to move and then ask students on the empathy path why they chose that path. Ask students on the sympathy path why they chose that path. Finally, ask students what they could do to show compassion and kindness, to be a helper, this person if they were at recess with him/her. The student (one from each path) you call on puts on the “Compassion Cape” and walks/flies the path to the “Compassion” center to give his/her answer. Note the similarities and differences in the suggestions.


Reflect

5 minutes Have students take a seat in the Compassion Center. It is important to remember that whether or not you have had the same experience as someone, you can still show people kindness and compassion. If you have never broken a bone, you may not fully understand what someone in a cast is going through, but you can still feel sympathy and be compassionate and help that person by carrying their backpack or picking something up for them that they dropped. If you have been left out of a game at recess before, then you really understand how sad the person in our third picture probably felt. You feel empathy and will be eager to help that person feel included. It might be hard to step up and help someone who is experiencing something difficult. I know we would rather be happy and comfortable. Everybody wants to be happy and comfortable. But sometimes you might see something unhappy or uncomfortable, like someone spilling their milk at lunch. If you can show compassion and kindness to that person, though, not only will you make them feel better, but you will feel better, too! So, today, be on the look out for times when you can put on your Compassion Cape and show compassion and kindness to other people.

Extension Ideas

● Instead of using pictures, the teacher may choose to role play these

situations (either him/herself or with a classroom helper; or he/she may ask students to role play).

● Have students draw themselves as Compassion Heroes. Their picture can depict a situation (either one they have experienced or not) where they are helping someone in a stressful or distressful situation they might encounter at school. This may help them think about everyday occurrences where they may need to show compassion (that they may have not thought about before).


The Paths to Compassion

Classroom visual set-up & instructions


Caring 2nd Grade • Project 1

Thank You for Helping This project is designed to help students express gratitude to helpers and to recognize that many people help without expecting anything in return. Caring Sub-Concept(s) Gratitude, Helpfulness, Kindness Project Timeframe 25-30 minutes Required Materials ❏ Thank you card template ❏ Markers ❏ Black/white board

Teachers prepare student for the lesson by reminding students about all the lessons they have gone through in the Caring Unit and how it is important to take care of ourselves and to take care of others. It is also important to keep our eyes and ears awake so we notice when people are showing caring by helping or including others. Finally, in order to be happier and, in turn, be kinder to ourselves and to others, we must actively practice gratitude and thankfulness in our lives. When we are thankful, we feel better. This lesson is going to help us recognize those who regularly help us and others, and extend an act of gratitude to those people. Project Details: Have students brainstorm as a class all of the helpers in their school and community. Take notes on the whiteboard of smartboard. The list will likely include people like firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, teachers, bus drivers, coaches, parents, and maybe counselors, social workers, pastors, etc. Explain to students that they need to pick a helper from the list to write a thank you note to. Encourage students to pick a helper they can relate to: maybe they know someone on the fire department; maybe they have a special doctor they see, etc. Instructions:

● Handout the thank-you card template. ● Encourage students to use the prompts on the card and then write

one or two sentences thanking this helper for how they help in their community.

● Sentence #1 begins with “Thank you for….” ● Sentence #2 begins with “You care for others by…” Help students

think of ways these people help if they need assistance with ideas, words, etc.

● Encourage students to draw a picture of their selected helper doing his or her job. Remind students that helpers can be boys and girls (doctors can be girls and nurses can be boys, for example). Helping knows no gender!

Extension Ideas:

● If you have students who are technologically-minded, you could select a single group of helpers (like the local fire department) and create a short thank-you video. Or, break students into small groups so each group can create a video for different groups of helpers.

● Students could also create and send free e-cards if you want to add a layer of technology but keep the focus on writing and sending a card.

● When you send the cards, consider asking for a response; this could be an email, a note back, a video, or some other response that shows students that their notes were received and how the helpers appreciated being recognized.


Caring 2nd Grade • Project 2

Gratitude Word Clouds This project will allow students to practice speaking skills, listening skills, writing skills, and technology skills, all while building a visual presentation that conveys ideas of gratitude and highlights those things that many people are thankful for, generating connectedness with the larger school community. Kindness Concept(s) Caring, Kindness Project Timeframe 25-30 minutes. Required Materials ❏ Interview cue card (optional) ❏ Notebook paper/pencil ❏ Computer access to use the word

cloud generator ❏ Poster board ❏ Markers

Proposed Lesson Outcomes: Students will recognize that everyone has different, yet similar, things they are thankful for. Practice speaking and listening skills through the class interview process. Practice writing skills and technology skills through the Word cloud project. Appreciate that gratitude is a universal experience shared by everyone in the school. Background: Teachers prepare student for the lesson by reminding students about all the lessons they have gone through in the Caring Unit and how feeling gratitude or thankfulness for something can be good for our minds, hearts, and bodies. For this project, will get a chance to hear from others what they are thankful for, think about how what others are thankful for is similar (or different) to what they are thankful for, and articulate how everyone’s feelings of gratitude are important. We are also going to use our teamwork skills that we learned about in the respect unit. Everyone will have a special job and will need to participate in order to be successful. Project Details: Students are going to work in small groups to “interview” other grade level classes of students (could be throughout the entire elementary or isolated to the other classes in their wing of the school) to discover what other students are thankful for. Students will then take their discoveries and put them into the free, online word cloud generator at ABCya.com to create a visual word cloud of gratitude for the class they interviewed. (This is a very kid-friendly application that is easy to use and allows kids to be creative!) Teachers should probably pre-select groups to ensure the following strengths are present in each group: Students who are comfortable speaking or engaging with others. Students who are strong writers. Students who are good with computers/technology. Students who enjoy art and working with visual presentations. Teachers may also want to model the interview and note taking process by asking students in his/her own class what they are thankful for. Responses should be ONE word long and it is ok if students give the same answers (food, family, pets, school, etc.). Teachers may also model how to use word cloud generator at ABCya.com (either in real time on the smart board or as a prepared cloud using different words).


After students collect the gratitude data from their assigned class and use the data to generate and print their word cloud, they will put the word cloud on a white poster board that they cut out in the shape of a cloud. Students should identify the name of the teacher and grade level represented in their cloud (Mrs./Mr. _____ 3rd Grade Class, for example). Clouds should be hung in the hallway or other common area to show off all the things students in their school are thankful for - a “Cloud Collage of Gratitude” or “Cloudy with a Chance of Gratitude” - something that highlights the purpose of the word clouds. It would be good to include in the cloud collage a comment noting that the words in the largest font represent shared gratitude. Special Considerations: Work with other grade level teachers to find a good time for your student groups to “interview” their classes. Explain the project and what students should be doing. Work with computer teachers to gain access to enough computers to use the word cloud generator - cross-curricular opportunity. To help the interview process go quickly, you might have two students “interviewing” and two students helping as the “note taker” - starting at opposite ends of the room, the pairs of interviewer/note takers can meet in the middle (instead of one interviewer/one note taker having to go through the entire class). If this is not good for classroom management, have the classroom teacher help facilitate the sharing to keep things moving. There can still be two students asking kids about what they are thankful for, and there should be two writers, at least, to help them keep up with writing down the answers (students should take turns writing on their pads - go every/other). All group members should go to the class, even if they aren’t going to do the interviewing or note-taking; they can observe and be support representatives as team members. A final word cloud poster would be a fun model; the teacher could create a gratitude word cloud for his/her class. Extension Ideas: Students who relate better with adults might form a group to interview teachers and school staff.


Interview Cue Card Hello! Our names are ___________________________. In our class, we have been learning about gratitude and caring. It makes us feel good when we are thankful. Today we want to ask you what you are thankful for. Please think of just ONE thing that you are thankful for. It can be anything: food, school, family, friends, pets, homes. We will come around to each student to ask you for your answer and we will write it down. When we are done, we will create a special world cloud poster to show you what your class is thankful for. We will hang our poster up for you to see when we are done! Let’s get started! _____________ will ask you what you are thankful for. _____________ will write down your answers.


2nd Grade

Hello Parents and Guardians, Welcome to Unit 2 of our Kindness in the Classroom curriculum. For the next 4-6 weeks we will be learning all about CARING. Since this is still a fairly new concept for children this age, we will focus on the following topics: TOPIC QUESTIONS WE’LL BE EXPLORING HOW YOU CAN HELP AT HOME Self-Care ● How can we take care of ourselves?

● What areas of our daily routine are we responsible for?

Talk with your child about how they can care for themselves. Work with them to identify ways they can show kindness to themselves first and foremost.

Helpfulness ● How can we use our time and talent to help others, even without being asked?

● How does helping without asking inspire kindness in our family?

Discuss different ways your child can help at home.

Gratitude ● How do our words and actions show others we are thankful for who they are and what they do for us?

Help your child practice showing gratitude towards both adults and children in their lives using kind words.

Compassion ● How do you feel when you want to help others?

● How can you use this feeling to care for them?

Talk with your child about people in their classroom that may be struggling. Brainstorm ways they can show compassion for them.

Key activities we’ll be doing:

● Create a self-care puzzle! ● Go on a gratitude scavenger hunt! ● Predict how others might feel! ● Explore empathy vs. sympathy! If you have any questions about our Kindness in the Classroom lessons, please feel free to contact me at anytime. We are on this kindness path together! Sincerely,

TRY THIS AT HOME! Go on a gratitude scavenger hunt within your home or neighborhood. Make a list of all the people and things you are truly grateful for!


http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

2nd Grade Standards Map

Caring Unit This Standards Map summarizes each of the standards met by all lessons within this unit. All Kindness in the Classroom® lesson plans have been mapped to the five CASEL Core Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Education Standards (NHES), and the national Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy and Mathematics. Utilization and adoption of these national standards and competencies vary by state. Teachers can use this resource to align their own state standards with each lesson.

Lesson 1: My Name Word Puzzle CASEL NHES Common Core

Self-awareness Identifying emotions Accurate self-perception Recognizing strengths Self-confidence Social awareness Perspective-taking Relationship skills Communication Social engagement Responsible decision-making Analyzing situations Evaluating Reflecting

Standard 1. Understanding concepts 1.2.1 - Identify that healthy behaviors impact personal health.1.2.2 - Recognize that there are multiple dimensions of health. Standard 4. Interpersonal communication 4.2.1 - Demonstrate healthy ways to express needs, wants, and feelings. Standard 5. Decision-making 5.2.1 - Identify situations when a health-related decision is needed. Standard 7. Practicing healthy behaviors 7.2.1 - Demonstrate healthy practices and behaviors to maintain or improve personal health.

English Language Arts Standards Writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. Speaking & Listening Comprehension and Collaboration: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.B Build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.C Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under discussion. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue. Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences. Language Conventions of Standard English: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.E Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.


https://casel.org/core-competencies/

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/sher/standards/index.htm

http://www.corestandards.org/read-the-standards/

http://www.corestandards.org/read-the-standards/

Knowledge of Language: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5.A Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe foods that are spicy or juicy).


Lesson 2: Gratitude Scavenger Hunt

CASEL NHES Common Core

Self-awareness Identifying emotions Social awareness Perspective-taking Empathy Appreciating diversity Respect for others Relationship skills Communication Social engagement Responsible decision-making Analyzing situations Evaluating Reflecting

Standard 4. Interpersonal communication 4.2.1 - Demonstrate healthy ways to express needs, wants, and feelings. Standard 7. Practicing healthy behaviors 7.2.1 - Demonstrate healthy practices and behaviors to maintain or improve personal health.

English Language Arts Standards Reading: Foundational Skills Phonics and Word Recognition: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. Fluency: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.4.A Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding. Writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. Speaking & Listening Comprehension and Collaboration: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.B Build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.C Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under discussion. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue. Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences. Language Conventions of Standard English: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Knowledge of Language: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.


CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5.A Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe foods that are spicy or juicy).


Lesson 3: Compassion Connection: Everyday Emotions

CASEL NHES Common Core

Self-awareness Identifying emotions Accurate self-perception Social awareness Perspective-taking Empathy Appreciating diversity Respect for others Relationship skills Communication Social engagement Relationship-building Responsible decision-making Analyzing situations Evaluating Reflecting Ethical responsibility

Standard 1. Understanding concepts 1.2.2 - Recognize that there are multiple dimensions of health. Standard 4. Interpersonal communication 4.2.1 - Demonstrate healthy ways to express needs, wants, and feelings.

English Language Arts Standards Writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. Speaking & Listening Comprehension and Collaboration: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.B Build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.C Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under discussion. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue. Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences. Language Conventions of Standard English: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Knowledge of Language: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5.A Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe foods that are spicy or juicy).


Lesson 4: Compassion Connection: The Path to Compassion CASEL NHES Common Core

Self-awareness Identifying emotions Accurate self-perception Self-management Self-motivation Social awareness Perspective-taking Empathy Appreciating diversity Respect for others Relationship skills Communication Social engagement Responsible decision-making Analyzing situations Solving problems Evaluating Reflecting Ethical responsibility

Standard 1. Understanding concepts 1.2.2 - Recognize that there are multiple dimensions of health. Standard 4. Interpersonal communication 4.2.1 - Demonstrate healthy ways to express needs, wants, and feelings.

English Language Arts Standards Writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. Speaking & Listening Comprehension and Collaboration: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.B Build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.C Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under discussion. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue. Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences. Language Conventions of Standard English: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Knowledge of Language: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.5.A Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe foods that are spicy or juicy).


Unit IntroductionLesson 4 Compassion Connection: Superpower Emotions Part 2 Apply their...

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Transcript of Unit IntroductionLesson 4 Compassion Connection: Superpower Emotions Part 2 Apply their...