Lesson Start: Stop Fighting and Hurting Each Other
Introduction: The Power of Kind Words
Attention Grabber: The Kindness Jar
Activity Setup:
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Materials Needed:
- A clear jar (or a large see-through container)
- Colourful pieces of paper
- Markers
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Instructions:
- As students enter the classroom, let them know they will be starting a very special lesson today about kindness and friendship.
- Introduce the Kindness Jar by showing them the empty jar on your desk. Explain that this jar will fill up with examples of kind words and actions they can share throughout the lesson.
The Warm-Up: What Makes Us Feel Good?
Discussion Prompt:
- Gather the students in a circle and ask them to think about a time when someone said something nice to them.
- Encourage them to share their experiences with their classmates. Questions to guide them could include:
- How did that make you feel?
- Have you ever felt sad when someone wasn't nice to you?
- What can we do to change that feeling for someone else?
Transition to the Lesson: Drawing Out Kindness
Activity Expansion:
- Hand out the colourful pieces of paper and markers.
- Ask each student to write or draw a kind word or action that they can do to help someone feel better when they’re upset or in a conflict.
- After they've finished, invite them to drop their slips of paper into the jar.
Conclusion: The Kindness Challenge
Wrap-Up:
- End the introduction by telling the students that throughout the lesson, they will discover why it’s important to stop fighting and how we can support each other to be kind instead.
- Explain that by the end of the lesson, they will be ready to take on the "Kindness Challenge" where they can try to do at least one kind thing for someone each day for a week!
Looking Ahead: Today’s Journey
- Let them know that today they will share stories, do some fun activities, and learn how to make our school a happy place for everyone, filled with kindness and friendship.
This engaging start sets the tone for the lesson, encourages sharing and empathy, and gets students excited to participate in conversations about kindness and conflict resolution.