CHARACTER COUNTS! Kindness 101

Comfort – A Lesson in Comfort

Comfort can come from people, places, or things. Comfort can give us hope.

Comfort
Grade Level: K-12
 
Character Skills
  • Respect
  • Caring
SEL Skills
  • Self-Awareness
  • Social Awareness
Academic Skills
  • Curiosity and Passion
  • Self-Direction and Engagement

Definitions

Respect
  • Follow the Golden Rule.
  • Be accepting of differences.
  • Be courteous to others.
  • Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements.
  • Be considerate of others’ feelings.
Caring
  • Be kind.
  • Be compassionate.
  • Express gratitude.
  • Forgive others.
  • Be considerate of others’ feelings.
Self-Awareness

Identify and understand emotions, values, attitudes, motivations, mindsets, and personal attributes.

Social Awareness

Assess and be sensitive to the feelings and needs of others.

Curiosity and Passion

Enthusiastic to understand more about themselves, others, and the world around them.

Self-Direction and Engagement

Fully engaged in the educational process and connected to the school community.

Learn more about our character, SEL, and academic outcomes.
Share This Activity
The Ray Center at Drake University
CBS News

Everyone wants to be comforted, and everyone has something or someone that makes them feel calm and soothed. Students will explore the concept of comfort by identifying personal sources of solace and discussing their significance.

Download Google Slides
activiate prior knowledge

Activate Prior Knowledge

  • What is the definition of comfort?
    • Comfort is physical and material well-being.
  • What comforts you and why?
Kindness 101

Kindness 101 Video

discussion

Discussion Prompts

  • Reflect on Mackenzie’s attachment to her stuffed animal, Raffie. What impact did this comfort item have on her?
  • What takeaways do you have from the video?
  • Why do you think we crave comfort?
  • How do sources of comfort aid in coping with challenging situations?
  • How can we extend comfort to the people we care about?
materials

Activity Materials

  • Writing utensils
  • Paper
activity

Activity: Sharing Comfort

  • Instruct students to write down items, people, and places that comfort them.
  • Divide students into small groups.
  • Each group member will take turns discussing their sources of comfort and explaining why they find them soothing.
  • Follow-up question:
    • When has happiness led you or someone you know to tears?
journal prompts

Journal Prompts

K-5

  • What is something that brings you comfort?
  • What does your family do to comfort you when you feel sad, scared, or upset?

6-12

  • Why should the comfort of others be as important to us as our own comfort?
  • How can you comfort others when they need it?
  • As you have grown up, you may or may not get the same comfort daily from a stuffed animal as you did when you were a kid. How has the source of your comfort changed as you have gotten older?
family connection

Family Connection

Educators: Copy the Family Connection and email it to parents, or click here to download a PDF version to email or print.

Watch
Watch the video as a family: https://youtu.be/nPopapYHv8o

Discuss
Use these questions to start meaningful conversations about comfort.

  • Have you ever had something like Mackenzie’s Raffie that brought you comfort?
  • How can we comfort one another when we are sad, lonely, or scared?
  • Why is comfort important to us as we learn to regulate our emotions?

Activity

  • Stuffed animals can comfort people who are going through difficult situations or who are feeling lonely. Organize a stuffed animal drive as a family, collect gently used stuffed animals from friends and family, and donate these comforters to a local shelter, police station, or nursing home.

More Kindness 101

CHARACTER COUNTS! Lessons and Activities

 

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