Positive Relationships – Little Girl Gives 82-Year-Old Widower New Lease on Life

When we keep positive relationships, we care about how others feel and help them when they are sad, hurt, or facing challenges.

Grade Level: K-12

Character Skills

Caring

SEL Skills

Relationship Skills

Academic Skills

Curiosity and Passion

Definitions

Caring

Be kind.
Be compassionate.
Express gratitude.
Forgive others.
Be considerate of others’ feelings.

Relationship Skills

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

Curiosity and Passion

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

Learn more about our character, SEL, and academic outcomes.

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Students will explore the transformative power of kindness and caring by analyzing how a 4-year-old girl helped an 82-year-old man overcome depression and find renewed purpose in life. Students will develop a deeper understanding of positive relationships, compassion, and empathy.

When could someone feel sad, hurt, or face challenges (e.g., a friend who lost a pet, a classmate who was teased, or a family member who is sick)?
What do positive relationships look like?
Why is it important to care about others’ feelings?

How does compassion impact people like Dan who are facing difficult times?
How can small acts of compassion make a big difference in someone’s life?
How is compassion important in forming positive relationships?
What are some challenges we could face when showing compassion?
- How can we overcome these challenges?

Large poster board or chart paper
Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
Sticky notes or index cards

Divide students into groups of 3-5. Each group will create a scenario where someone may need compassion.
Ask students to create a poster on poster board or chart paper illustrating their scenario. They could also include a few sentences describing the situation.
Then, students will move to the other posters. At each stop on the gallery walk, students will write or draw ways they can show compassion to help someone in the situation. They can draw directly on the paper or attach sticky notes or index cards to the posters.
Once they return to their own poster, they can review the ideas gathered from their classmates.
Follow-up questions:
- How can we show compassion in your scenario?
- How can people work together to show compassion?

K-5

Illustrate or write about a time someone showed you compassion when you were upset or having a hard day.
Illustrate or write about one way you can show someone compassion at school this week.

6-12

Think about a time when you showed compassion to someone going through a hard time. How did it make you feel?
Reflect on a time when you witnessed or experienced an act of compassion. What did you learn from this experience?
How could peer pressure influence how we show compassion?

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/dbRABvynpEc

Discuss
Use these questions to start meaningful conversations about positive relationships.

What do compassion and empathy look like to you?
When have you received compassion?
- What impact did it have on you?
- What impact did it have on the person who showed you compassion?
How can small acts of compassion make a significant difference in someone’s life?

Positive Relationships – Little Girl Gives 82-Year-Old Widower New Lease on Life

Grade Level: K-12

Character Skills

SEL Skills

Academic Skills

Definitions

Caring

Relationship Skills

Curiosity and Passion

Learn more about our character, SEL, and academic outcomes.

Share This Activity

Activate Prior Knowledge

Kindness 101 Video

Discussion Prompts

Activity Materials

Activity: Compassion Gallery Walk

Journal Prompts

Family Connection

More Kindness 101