Division 1: Kindergarten – Grade 3
Below are discussion questions and activities to foster kindness for animals, people, and the environment. Both the discussion questions and activities are part of the ‘Kindness’ character education theme for the 2015-2016 school year! To see other character building themes, click here!
Discussion Questions:
- Is being kind important, and if so, why?
- Who (or what) do we need to be kind to? Is there anyone/anything that doesn’t deserve our kindness?
- What are some examples of kindness that you have witnessed or have heard about?
- Who is positively affected by acts of kindness? The giver, receiver, and even witnesses can receive the benefits of a kind act!
- How do you feel when someone is kind to you?
- How do you feel when you are kind to someone else?
- How do you feel when you see someone being kind to someone else?
- How can we be kind to others?
- How can we be kind to animals?
- How can we be kind to the environment?
Activities:
1. Be Kind
Usually being kind is easy, but there are times when being kind can be hard. Read aloud Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller. Alternatively, you can show the read aloud video ‘BE KIND’ (4:43).
- Post Reading Discussion Questions
- How do you think Tanisha felt when she spilled the grape juice?
- How would you have reacted if you were in the class?
- What examples of being kind are in the book? Giving, helping, paying attention, etc.
- The book mentions that being kind should be easy. Do you agree? Explain. What are some easy ways to be kind? Throwing away a wrapper, recycling a bottle, saying thank you, using someone’s name when talking to them, etc.
- The book mentions that being kind can also be hard. So you agree. Explain. What are some examples when it can be hard to be kind? Teaching someone something you are good at, sticking up for someone when someone isn’t be kind, etc.
- Post Reading Discussion Questions
Have students reflect on a time where they had difficulty being kind, or when they felt they should have been (more) kind. Have students draw a picture or write a few sentences in their journal to reflect.
2. Kindness Challenge
Make a difference in your school, home and community completing the Kindness Challenge with your class! Follow the Kindness Challenge Calendar and complete 18 simples acts of kindness towards self, others, animals and the environment! Challenge your class for the entire 18 days, or see how many of the days you can do! Challenge another class to complete the activity with you.
3. Kindness Tree
Create an outline of a tree on a bulletin board or on poster paper and display it in the classroom. As a class, brainstorm simple things students can do to make a positive difference in the lives of animals, people and the environment. Little things such as brushing your cat, making a new friend, or picking up litter in the school yard are all great ways to make a positive difference.
Have students commit to doing one kind action today. On the next day, have them write their action on a leaf using the Leaf Template. Students can then add their completed leaves to the ‘Kindness Tree’ in the classroom. This exercise can be ongoing throughout the week, month or even school year.
EXTENSION: Have students journal about the experience and how it made them feel to carry out these actions.
Curriculum Connections
ELAL
- Organizing Idea: Writing: Ideas and information can be articulated accurately and imaginatively through the use of writing processes and an understanding of the author’s craft.
- Guiding Question: How can messages be recorded?
- Learning Outcome: Children experiment with written expression of ideas and information.
- Skills and Procedures: Express ideas and information in a variety of creative ways.
- Learning Outcome: Children experiment with written expression of ideas and information.
- Guiding Question: How can messages be recorded?
Social Studies
- K.2 I Belong
- General Outcome: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the characteristics and interests that unite members of communities and groups.
- Specific Outcomes: Students will:
- K.2.2 value and respect significant people in their lives:
- Appreciate the important contributions of individuals at home, at school and in the community
- K.2.3 appreciate how their participation in their communities affects their sense of belonging
- Develop an awareness of the importance of sharing the responsibility of caring for the environment.
- K.2.2 value and respect significant people in their lives:
- Specific Outcomes: Students will:
- General Outcome: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the characteristics and interests that unite members of communities and groups.
Physical Education and Wellness
- Organizing Idea: Healthy Relationships: Personal well-being is supported through positive relationships built on communication, collaboration, empathy, and respect.
- Guiding Question: What are healthy relationships?
- Learning Outcome: Children examine healthy relationships in learning and playing environments.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Describe ways people develop healthy relationships with other people, the land, animals, places, or objects.
- Define and practise friendship.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Children examine healthy relationships in learning and playing environments.
- Guiding Question: What are healthy relationships?
ELAL
- Organizing Idea: Writing: Ideas and information can be articulated accurately and imaginatively through the use of writing processes and an understanding of the author’s craft.
- Guiding Question: How can writing be used to communicate meaning?
- Learning Outcome: Students create messages through the application of writing processes.
- Skills and Procedures: Create written messages in a variety of forms to represent ideas or information.
- Learning Outcome: Students create messages through the application of writing processes.
- Guiding Question: How can writing be used to communicate meaning?
Social Studies
- 1.1 My World: Home, School and Community
- General Outcome: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identify and self-esteem are enhances by their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and vitality of their groups and communities.
- Specific Outcomes: Students will:
- 1.1.4 determine what makes their communities thrive by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions for inquiry:
- In what ways do people help one another at home, at school and in groups to ensure the vitality of their community?
- 1.1.4 determine what makes their communities thrive by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions for inquiry:
- Specific Outcomes: Students will:
- General Outcome: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identify and self-esteem are enhances by their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and vitality of their groups and communities.
Science
- General Learner Expectations: Students will:
- 1-4 Demonstrate positive attitudes for the study of science and for the application of science in responsible ways.
- Specific Learner Expectations: Students will show growth in acquiring and applying the following traits:
- a sense of responsibility for actions taken
- respect for living things and commitment for their care
- Topic E: Needs of Plants and Animals
- General Learner Expectation: Students will:
- 1-11 Describe some common living things, and identify needs of those living things.
- Specific Learner Expectations: Students will:
- 3. Identify ways in which living things are valued
- 10. Give examples of ways in which animals depend of plants, and way in which plants depend on animals.
- General Learner Expectation: Students will:
Physical Education and Wellness
- Organizing Idea: Healthy Relationships: Personal well-being is supported through positive relationships built on communication, collaboration, empathy, and respect.
- Guiding Question: How can connections support healthy relationships?
- Learning Outcome: Students investigate how healthy relationships in learning and playing environments are built through connection.
- Skills and Procedures: Practise words and actions that support friendship.
- Learning Outcome: Students investigate how healthy relationships in learning and playing environments are built through connection.
- Guiding Question: How can connections support healthy relationships?
ELAL
- Organizing Idea: Writing: Ideas and information can be articulated accurately and imaginatively through the use of writing processes and an understanding of the author’s craft.
- Guiding Question: How can writing processes and techniques improve expression?
- Learning Outcome: Students create and enhance ideas and information by applying a variety of writing processes.
- Skills and Procedures: Create written messages in a variety of forms to represent ideas or information.
- Learning Outcome: Students create and enhance ideas and information by applying a variety of writing processes.
- Guiding Question: How can writing processes and techniques improve expression?
Social Studies
- 2.1 Canada’s Dynamic Communities
- General Outcome: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how geography, culture, language, heritage, economics and resources shape and change Canada’s communities.
- Specific Outcomes: Students will:
- 2.1.1 appreciate the diversity and vastness of Canada’s land and peoples
- 2.1.3 investigate the cultural and linguistic characteristics of an Inuit, an Acadian and a prairie community in Canada by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions for inquiry:
- What are the cultural characteristics of the communities (e.g., special symbols, landmarks, language spoken, shared stories or traditions, monuments, schools, churches)?
- Specific Outcomes: Students will:
- General Outcome: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how geography, culture, language, heritage, economics and resources shape and change Canada’s communities.
Science
- General Learner Expectations: Students will:
- 2-4 Demonstrate positive attitudes for the study of science and for the application of science in responsible ways.
- Specific Learner Expectations: Students will show growth in acquiring and applying the following traits:
- a sense of responsibility for actions taken
- respect for living things and commitment for their care
- Topic E: Small Crawling and Flying Animals
- General Learner Expectations: Students will:
- 2-10 Describe the general structure and life habits of small crawling and flying animals
- Specific Learner Expectations: Students will:
- 5. Describe the relationships of these animals to other living and nonliving things in their habitat, and to people.
- Identify ways in which animals are considered helpful or harmful to the environment.
- General Learner Expectations: Students will:
Physical Education and Wellness
- Organizing Idea: Healthy Relationships: Personal well-being is supported through positive relationships built on communication, collaboration, empathy, and respect.
- Guiding Question: How can healthy relationships be portrayed in various contexts?
- Learning Outcome: Students connect healthy relationships to a variety of learning and playing contexts.
- Skills and Procedures: Reflect on how personal relationships are maintained or strengthened.
- Learning Outcome: Students connect healthy relationships to a variety of learning and playing contexts.
- Guiding Question: How can healthy relationships be portrayed in various contexts?
ELAL
- Organizing Idea: Writing: Ideas and information can be articulated accurately and imaginatively through the use of writing processes and an understanding of the author’s craft.
- Guiding Question: How can writing craft combined with skills and processes contribute to written expression?
- Learning Outcome: Students investigate writing and research processes that support informed written expression.
- Skills and Procedures: Create written texts for a variety of audiences and purposes.
- Learning Outcome: Students investigate writing and research processes that support informed written expression.
- Guiding Question: How can writing craft combined with skills and processes contribute to written expression?
Science
- General Learner Expectations: Students will:
- 3-4 Demonstrate positive attitudes for the study of science and for the application of science in responsible ways.
- Specific Learner Expectations: Students will show growth in acquiring and applying the following traits:
- a sense of responsibility for actions taken
- respect for living things and commitment for their care
- Topic E: Animal Life Cycles
- General Learner Expectations: Students will
- 3-11 Identify requirements for animal care.
- Specific Learner Expectations: Students will
- Identify examples of environmental conditions that may threaten animal survival, and identify examples of extinct animals.
- Recognize that habitat preservation can help maintain animal populations, and identify ways that student actions can assist habitat preservation.
- General Learner Expectations: Students will
Physical Education and Wellness
- Organizing Idea: Healthy Relationships: Personal well-being is supported through positive relationships built on communication, collaboration, empathy, and respect.
- Guiding Question: How can problem solving support healthy relationships?
- Learning Outcome: Students investigate and describe how problem solving can affect healthy relationships.
- Skills and Procedures: Identify respectful and positive interactions with others.
- Learning Outcome: Students investigate and describe how problem solving can affect healthy relationships.
- Guiding Question: How can problem solving support healthy relationships?
