CHARACTER COUNTS! Kindness 101

Generosity – Man Gifts a Piano to a Young Boy to Help Him Master His Talent

Sometimes, generosity can show up in the most unexpected ways and places by people who make an effort to show someone they care.

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

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.

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.
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The Ray Center at Drake University
CBS News

Students will learn about generosity from a young boy who receives a generous gift from a stranger.

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activiate prior knowledge

Activate Prior Knowledge

  • What are examples of when someone surprised you?
  • How did the surprise impact you?
  • What is the definition of generosity?
    • When we are generous, we give support to others, especially when it isn’t expected.
Kindness 101

Kindness 101 Video

Click here for the shortened video (best for secondary students).

discussion

Discussion Prompts

  • In the video, Jude starts volunteering to play the piano at the hospital after he was inspired by the gift of the piano. How do acts of generosity inspire more kindness and create a chain reaction?
  • How do you know if someone is being generous?
  • What motivates someone to be generous?
  • When is showing generosity a challenge?
  • Does generosity always have to come in the form of a grand gesture, like buying someone a piano? Why or why not?
materials

Activity Materials

  • Construction paper, cut into 1” strips (enough for each student to have one)
  • Writing utensils
  • Stapler
activity

Activity: Generosity Chain

  • Students will work together to make a paper chain that shows the impact of a single act of kindness and generosity.
  • To provide structure, explain that the paper chain will demonstrate a chain reaction, as is seen in the book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” In the book, one gift to the mouse makes him want something else, which then makes him want another thing, and so on. Consider reading the book to your students if they are not familiar with it.  
  • Pick a generous act to start a chain reaction. Choose from these examples or make up your own.
    • Bill donates a piano to Jude to support his passion and develop his talent.
    • You hold the door open for someone.
    • You pick up a piece of trash in the lunchroom.
    • You compliment someone’s shirt.
  • Write that act of generosity on the first piece of paper and staple it into a loop.
  • Ask students to brainstorm what a positive effect of this generosity could be.
    • What would it inspire someone else to do? For example, after Jude received the piano, he was inspired to play it at the hospital.
  • Pick one of the ideas and have a student write it on their paper. Connect it to the initial prompt to start a chain. 
  • Ask what other actions could be inspired by the last action. Write it on the paper and staple the rings together to represent the generosity chain reaction.
  • Follow-up question:
    • What acts of generosity from these chains do you think you could do in the next week?
journal prompts

Journal Prompts

K-5

  • What does generosity mean to you?
  • How has someone’s generosity impacted your life?
  • What inspires you to be generous?

6-12

  • Are spontaneous acts of generosity more impactful than planned ones? Why or why not? 
  • Describe a time that you were shown generosity.
    • What was your reaction?
    • Would you react differently today? Why or why not?
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/chL-Z3u3liA.

Discuss
Use these questions to start meaningful conversations about generosity.

  • What examples of generosity have you seen in the last week? What impact did that have on you?
  • What does generosity look like in our family?
  • How can we encourage more generosity in our family?

More Kindness 101

CHARACTER COUNTS! Lessons and Activities

 

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