Materials: 1. Brightly colored ball or hack-sack 2. Music or radio of your choice (download or loud this ahead of time) 3. Old golf ball or small ball
Introduction:
The character trait we are going to learn about this month is Caring. Review what it felt like to make Valentine’s Day cards for Children’s National Hospital. How do you think the children felt when opening them? How does that activity relate to being a caring person?
Before we talk further about caring, let’s move around the room a little. Everyone stands up.
Directions:
Teacher: “As I play music I would like you all to walk around the room in any direction. Suddenly, I’ll stop the music and call out a number. Stop and grab hands with enough people to make a group of that number. Don’t let any extras break into your group. Hold hands to maintain your group until you hear the music start again.”
-Start the music, stop at any point and call out a number (make sure the number you call is low enough for the students to get into groups)
“Three, form groups of three” “Five, form groups of five” etc.
“Who’s left? Sit out, if there are any groups with more or less than three, sit out also.”
Continue with the music, numbers, groups, and extras. After three of four rounds, call a number that is over half the group size. This should turn into a struggle with one side winning. “How did it feel to be left out—or even pushed away? How did you feel about the way you were treated?
Solicit responses. Group discussion. Discuss the feelings that came up, if the group is quiet give examples of how you would feel if you were pushed away from a group of people.
Extension Activity/High School Activity:
“A big part of growing up is learning that feelings don’t have to control us. We can be honest with ourselves about why we react negatively to some people. Then we can choose to overrule those negative feelings and to act in a mature, ethical, caring way. What does it mean to be a caring person?”
“Every time you interact with another person ask yourself, will I behave in a caring way? It’s easier to care for some people than others. Form a circle on the floor. When the golf ball is rolled to you name something that makes it difficult for you to behave in a caring way.
Discussion on these responses. Does a person’s neighborhood, size, or color give us the right to drop our standards? When you are tired, upset about a home situation and/or just received a bad grade does that affect the way you care for someone?
“Now, let’s go around the circle again, throwing this brightly colored ball to one another. Tell us one thing that you are going to do to show consideration, kindness, compassion, or generosity to others.”
“As a closing activity, stand and form groups of 4 or 5 people. An important part of caring is helping people see their strengths. Without speaking think of a good quality you’ve noticed in each of the other people in your group. Go around the circle and share these qualities with your classmates.”
“As an ongoing caring activity we are going to create a community graffiti wall of kindness.”
Go over the following Graffiti wall directions with you group. Remind the students that they can contribute to the wall at any time, and that all messages are anonymous. We want to focus on the messages.
Graffiti wall directions: (This was our month's bulletin board theme)
1. Take a sticker from the box on the left
2. Write your message on the sticker. Messages can be about
· your hope for our community
· struggles you've faced
· ways you can contribute to make our school better
3. Place your message in the box on the right. You don't have to write your name on the message.
4. After we've reviewed your message, we will place it on our together wall.
5. We want you to feel open to express yourself, but please remember that the words you write should be respectful to the community.
Exit Ticket: Listen to this quote, what does it mean to you? "...History has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own."