Character and Life Skills: Helpfulness Lesson Title ... · Activity: Helping Hands Grade Level: 3-5...

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Character and Life Skills: Helpfulness Lesson Title: Helping Hands, Thankful Heart Grade Level: 3-5

Materials• Pens,pencils• Paper,11x17-inchconstructionpaper(cutinhalflengthwise)• SmartBoard,WhiteBoard,orChartpaper• Whitepaperplates• Markers,coloredpencils,crayons• Scissors• Helping Handshandout

ProcedureIntroduction

1. Asaclass,definetheword“Helpfulness.”

2. Dividetheboardorchartpaperinhalf.Labeltheleft-handside“WaystoHelpOthers”andlabelthe right-handside“WaysOthershaveHelpedMe.”

Direct Instruction (I do)1. Thinkoutloudasyoufilloutafewexamplesoneachside.

2. Discusswithstudentswhyyouchosetheseexamplesandhowtheycanhelpusdeepenour understandingof“Helpfulness.”

Guided Exploration (We do)1. Havestudentspairwithapartnerandbrainstormsomeideastofillouttherestofthechart.

2. Callonafewstudentstosharetheirthoughtsandrecordtheiranswersontheboard.

Project and PurposeStudentsidentifyamentorintheirlivesandcomposeabriefdescriptionoftheirmentor.

Essential QuestionHowcanweshowgenerositythroughmentorship?

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3. DistributeacopyoftheHelping Handshandouttoeachstudent.Explaintoyourstudentsthattheywill thinkoftwowaystohelpotherpeopleeitherathomeorintheirschoolorneighborhood.Theywill alsochooseapersonwhohashelpedinsomewayandwritealetterexplainingwhytheyarethankful forthatperson’shelpfulness.

Note:Becauseyouwillhaveadifficulttimeverifyingifastudenthasactuallyhelpedsomeone,youmaywanttousethistimetoexplainhowthehonorsystemtoyourstudents.

Independent Practice (You do)1. Distributethematerialsstudentswillneedinordertoconstructtheirown“helpinghands”display.In thetwospaceslabeled“Area1”ontheHelpingHandshandout,havestudentswritetheirplansfor howtheywillhelptwopeople.Students’plansmustincludewhomtheywillhelp,whattheywilldo, andhowtheywillcarryouttheirplans.

2. Instructstudentstowritetheirthankyouletters.Makesureeachstudentwritesaroughdraftand editsitbeforewritinghisorherfinaldrafts.Studentswilldisplaytheirfinaldraftsinthesectionlabeled “Area2”ontheHelpingHandshandout.

3. Allowtimeforstudentstocutouttheir“helpinghands”anddecoratethem.

ConclusionHavestudentsdefine“Helpfulness”again.

Ask:Howdidweshowhelpfulnesstoday?Howdoweshowthankfulnesstothosewhohavehelpedus?Whyisitimportanttobehelpful?Whyisitimportanttothankothersfortheirhelpfulness?

Vocabularyhelpfulness (n.)

Definition: reachingouttoothers;careorhelpprovidedtoapersontomakehisorherlifeeasierContext:BecauseofKrystal’shelpfulness,manyofthechildrenshetutorsareimprovingtheirgrades.

honor system (n.) Definition: anagreementbetweenmembersofagrouptoobeycertainrules,althoughnoonecheckstomakesuretherulesarebeingfollowed

Context:EventhoughRickyknewnoonewaswatching,heupheldthehonorsystembypayingforthecandybarinsteadofstealingit.

thankful (adj.) Definition: gratefulandgladaboutsomethingthathashappenedContext::Marlaisthankfulthatherbrotherwasn’tinjuredinthecaraccident.

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Area 2: Usethisspacetowriteyourthank-youletter.Beforedisplayingyourfinaldrafthere,makesureyouhavewrittenaroughdraft,editeditandrevisedit.Youmayuseacomputertocreateyourfinaldraft.

Character and Life Skills: Helpfulness Activity: Helping Hands Grade Level: 3-5

Name

DirectionsUsethetemplatebelowtocreateyourown“helpinghands”display.

Area 1: Usethisspacetoexplain:

• Whomyouwillhelp• Whatyouwilldotohelp• Howyouwilldoit

Area 3: Thebodyofyourdisplayisthelongpieceofconstructionpaper.Folditinthirds,likeaburrito.TapepiecesofwhitepapertothebodyinAreas1and2foryourthank-youletterandactionplans.

Area 4:Tomakethehands,firsttraceyourhandsonapieceofconstructionpaper.Cutoutthehandsyoutraced,andstapleortapethemtothebody.

Area 5: Tomaketheface,useawhitepaperplateanddecoratetheplatetomakeitlooklikeyourface.