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Kindness: A Virtue-Building Lesson Plan

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Materials Needed:
Book: Angel Child, Dragon Child, by Michele Maria Surat
CD: Red Grammar’s BeBop Your Best
CD Player
Bagels (one per student)
Peanut Butter
Birdseed (a large bowl or deep tray full)
Paper plates (one per student)
Plastic knives or spoons (one per student)
String or Yarn (about 2 feet per student)
Gallon-sized plastic bags (to take home bagel bird feeders)


Introduction: What Is Kindness?
Ask kids to define kindness in their own way. Then fill in the blanks with the following:

  • Kindness is showing concern for how others are doing.
     
  • It’s showing you care about anyone or anything that crosses your path, because you know that everything is a part of God’s creation.
     
  • Kindness can mean doing nice things that brighten people’s lives. It can also be caring for an animal or caring for the earth.
     
  • When someone is sad or needs help, you show them love through your kind words and deeds. You use your imagination to think of ways to make others happy.
     
  • The world would be lonely and cold without kindness.
     
  • Being kind helps us feel the connectedness we have with all other living things. Being kind to each other, to animals, and to the earth makes things better for every one of us.


Game/Activity:  Spaceship Visualization
First, let’s imagine you’re flying on a spaceship far, far away to another planet. Imagine you’ve just landed on planet Pigipoppin and your spaceship door is opening up. How would you want the Pigipoppinians to treat you? How would you feel if they looked at you like you were weird, and whispered to each other about you? How would you feel if they pointed at you and laughed? How about if they gave you a warm welcome, and showed you around Pigipoppin? (The teachers can act this out with the kids, the teachers being the Pigipoppinians, and the kids just stepping out of their spaceship.)


Movement: Storm of Kindness
Explain that kids will make a “rainstorm” of kindness. Being kind is contagious (ask them what contagious means). It may start off with one small act of kindness, but soon that one act will spread to someone else and so on and so on. It will lead to other acts of kindness, and when those all get added together, they create an amazing “storm” of kindness.

Have kids stand in a circle. Tell them to each do what the teacher does when he/she looks at them and nods. Don’t do it until the teacher looks and nods. Starting at one spot in the circle, the teachers will have them:

  • Rub hands together (sounds like rain starting to drizzle)
     
  • Snap (or slap backs of hands, alternating) (bigger drops)
     
  • Clap out of rhythm (even bigger)
     
  • Slap thighs (heavy rain)
     
  • Stomp feet (very heavy rain/thunder)
     
  • Then reverse steps, slapping thighs, then clapping, then snapping, then rubbing hands. Kids love this activity. I usually have to do it twice.


Hands-On: Play-Doh Activity

  • Hand out a very small piece of play-doh to each kid.
     
  • Explain that there’s someone who needs a bowl that will hold _____ (something that would fit in a bowl made out of the whole amount of play-doh). That’s a pretty big problem for a group of people who only each have a small amount to give.
     
  • See if the kids can come up with a solution of putting all of their small pieces together to help this person in need.
     
  • Explain that you don’t have to have a lot in order to be generous, and that when we work together to be generous or add our small act of generosity to other people’s, we can help solve problems.


Story: Angel Child, Dragon Child, by Michele Maria Surat
Just like in our planet Pigipoppin example, we’re going to read a story about a child who goes someplace new where she doesn’t know anyone.


Music: “Kindness,” by Red Grammer  (play twice)
Every time you hear the word “kindness” in the song, raise both of your hands high in the air. The second time through, shout out “KINDNESS!” each time you hear the word.


Craft: Bagel Bird Feeder
Key feature: Kindness to Animals/Earth

Explain that we can be kind to animals and all living things. How can we be kind to the earth? We’re going to show kindness to the birds by giving them a delicious snack.

  • Give each kid a paper plate, a piece of string (about two feet long), a bagel, and a scoop of peanut butter.
     
  • Put string through bagel hole and tie (will be used to hang on tree).
     
  • Have kids smear peanut butter all over the outside with their knives or spoons, over their paper plates.
     
  • Dip peanut butter-covered bagels in the birdseed until covered.
     
  • Put whole plate and bagel inside gallon-sized plastic bags for kids to take home.

 

Annie Reneau is a homeschooling mom of three, lover of chocolate and travel, and former assistant editor with Brilliant Star. She now works as associate editor at Upworthy/GOOD and shares her personal musings on life and parenting at Motherhood and More.

Updated on 6.21.13