LESSON TITLE - KINDNESS KITES Grades Kindergarten – 5th

First two weeks of March, 2015

Time Required: Two 30 – 45 Minute Sessions

Content Standard: 3.1- Respect for Self and Others

This lesson aids students in acquiring attitudes and behavioral habits that demonstrate a respect for others and an ability to maintain positive relationships.

Competency:3.3 Self Directed Learning

This lesson aids students in acquiring attitudes and behavior patterns to ensure the emotional and physical safety of self and others.

Learning Outcome:

Students will demonstrate the knowledge of various kind behaviors that make a school more pleasant, safe, and inviting to everyone.

Objective:

Students will plan three specific things that they can do to bring fairness and kindness to fellow students, staff orfor our school community at large.

GOAL: Students will make a kite that demonstrates three kind acts that they plan to use at school within the next two weeks.

Materials - Kite pattern for each student, completed kite, enough yarn for each student to have one section approximately 26 to 28 inches long (pre-cut to save time and prevent wastefulness),a pair of scissors and pencil for each student, about three rolls of tape, crayons, markers, or colored pencils

Procedure:

Show students a completed “kindness kite” and tell them that they will be making one during their lesson today, and their next counseling class. Explain that the top of the kite is typically just for attracting attention via use of cool colors and designs, but the three circles that hang from the kite string are for sharing ideas on how to be a kind and responsible member of our school. Read over the examples on the completed “kindness kite.” One circle might show two stick figures together and one alone, with a caption above the two inviting the one to join them in play. Another circle might simply say in colorful letters, “Use honesty and kindness to take up for somebody being bullied!” One circle might show a stick figure with items at the feet, and another stick figure with the caption stating “I’ll help you pick-up your things.”

Explain to students that their kites may be hung up in the hallway to give passing students ideas of how to make our school a nicer place. This also makes the school hallways look bright and cheerful!

Pass out the kite templates and tell the students to only do coloring, writing, and drawing today. Explain that they will not cut anything out until the next class because it is easier to keep up with everybody’s kite pieces and return them for completion during the next class. Have the students put their kindness messages and art work onto their kite templates.

During the next lesson, have the students cut the templates out and lay them down with the pretty colors facing down. Have them lay the yarn across the back of the circles and the kite top, and tape the yarn string in place. Students are encouraged to assist one another and work in small groups so they can discuss their work with one another.

Discussion: Take a couple of minutes to have students share some of their ideas about behaviors they demonstrated and plan to use at our school to show kindness.

Additional Resources:

Ms. Sepp’s – Counselor Corner: Random Acts of Kindness Week 2013 - mssepp.blogspot.com/2013/01/22-random-acts-of-kindness.htm.

Kindness –

Extension Activities: This lesson can be expanded following the completion of the kites by allowing students to voluntarily share with the class what they demonstrated on their circles and occasions where they have exhibited this kind act or plan to in the future.

Lesson Evaluation: During the next few weeks of counseling lessons, ask for volunteers to share with the class opportunities that they have found to exhibit an act of kindness that was displayed on our kindness kites. Also, during coincidental contact with students, talk with them about opportunities to use kind acts, and congratulate them when they are seen doing so. Encourage fellow staff to also be especially mindful of reinforcing acts of kindness in the coming weeks! Indicators of success will be an increase in the exhibited acts of kindness throughout the school!