Finding Common Ground

Finding common ground with someone helps us understand them better. When we understand others, we can get along and work together.

Grade Level: K-5

Character Skills

Respect
Citizenship

SEL Skills

Social-Awareness
Relationship Skills

Academic Skills

Curiosity and Passion

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.

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.

Social-Awareness

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

Relationship Skills

Interpersonal and social skills to guide appropriate behavior and create positive relationships and meaningful connections.

Curiosity and Passion

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

Share This Activity

Students will explore the benefits of finding common ground with others in their community. They will discuss how teamwork is impacted when we find things in common and journal about how they can connect with others in their community.

Instructions

After identifying an area for this activity, show students where “out” will be.
Call out a personal trait. Students should join a group of other people who share the same trait. For example, students:
- of the same age
- with the same shoe size
- with the same eye color
- who love to eat the same food
- who like the same kind of ice cream
If a student cannot find another person who shares that trait (e.g., no one else with green eyes), they are out.
Keep playing until you get down to one or two people and then discuss.

Discussion Prompts

Ask students:
- What did you learn you have in common with your classmates?
- How did it make you feel when you learned what you have in common with other students?
- How did it feel when you couldn’t find something in common and were out of the game?
- Do you think having nothing in common with someone else is possible?
- Why would it be easier to work as a team when you have things in common with your teammates?

Journal Prompts

How can you find things you have in common with others in their school, home, teams, neighborhoods, etc?
Describe a time when you were able to get along with someone better after you learned more about them.
How does finding common ground help you be a goo citizen and member of your community?

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