CHARACTER COUNTS! Kindness 101

Community - Community Learns Sign Language to Engage with 2-Year-Old Girl

It is important to look out for people in our community who have different strengths and needs than we do to help everyone live a fulfilling life.

Community
Grade Level: K-12
 
Character Skills
  • Caring 
  • Citizenship
SEL Skills
  • Relationship Skills
  • Social Awareness
Academic Skills
  • Curiosity and Passion 
  • Effective Problem Solving

Definitions

Caring
  • Be kind.
  • Be compassionate.
  • Express gratitude.
  • Forgive others.
  • Be considerate of others’ feelings.
Citizenship
  • Do your share to make your home, school, and community better.
  • Cooperate.
  • Stay informed. Vote.
  • Be a good neighbor.
  • Make choices that protect the safety and rights of others.
  • Protect the environment.
Relationship Skills

Create positive relationships and meaningful connections with family members, classmates, and teachers.

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.

Effective Problem Solving

Make rational, ethical, and effective decisions to find the best solutions to problems.

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

Students will witness the power of action when a community comes together to learn sign language in order to communicate with a 2-year-old girl in their neighborhood who is deaf.  

Download Google Slides
activiate prior knowledge

Activate Prior Knowledge

  • When you see someone in need, do you usually jump up to help? Explain why or why not.
  • What does it mean to be a part of a community?    
Kindness 101

Kindness 101 Video

discussion

Discussion Prompts

  • What do you think it will take for the neighborhood in the video to maintain their friendships as the years go on?
  • How did the neighborhood in the video live out the idea of community? What examples of community did you see?
  • How do you think her neighbor’s kindness will impact the young girl in the future?
  • What role does kindness play in a community?
materials

Activity Materials

  • Paper
  • Writing utensils
activity

Activity: Strengths vs Areas for Improvement

  • Ask students to make a t-chart on their paper. They should label one side “Strengths” and the other side “Areas of Improvement.”
  • Students should reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement at school. They should aim to write 4-5 things on each side of the t-chart.
  • Ask students to share their strengths and areas for improvement with a partner.
  • After students have had time to share, they can discuss ways to help their partners with their areas for improvement. 
journal prompts

Journal Prompts

K-5

  • What does community mean to you?
  • Why is it important that we help others in need?

6-12

  • How does helping others improve a community?
  • Explain a big problem in your community today that you could help change for the better. Give an example of what you could do to solve that problem.
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/vrY6CGeJnsI

Discuss
Use these questions to start meaningful conversations about community.

  • How is our family a community?
  • What can we do, as a family, to support our community?
  • What are some small things that could be done that would make a big difference in someone’s life? What about for your family members?
  • Have each person share a story where they helped someone in need, or someone helped them when they were in need.

Lesson contributed by Derek Brown, Alhambra Traditional School, Phoenix, AZ

More Kindness 101 Activities

CHARACTER COUNTS! Activities

 

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Des Moines, IA 50311

515-271-1910

RayCenter@Drake.edu

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