CHARACTER COUNTS! Kindness 101

Retrospection – North Carolina Teacher Helps Fifth-Graders Make History

There is a lot to learn from our pasts. Engaging in retrospection can help us better understand ourselves and the world we live in.

Retrospection
Grade Level: K-12
 
Character Skills
  • Responsibility
  • Good Citizenship
SEL Skills
  • Responsible Decision-Making
  • Self-Awareness
Academic Skills
  • Diligent Learner
  • Self-Direction and Engagement

Definitions

Responsibility
  • Do what you are supposed to do. Try your best.
  • Persevere. Keep on trying.
  • Be self-disciplined.
  • Think before you act. Consider the consequences.
  • Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes.
Good 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.
Responsible Decision-Making

Make decisions based on rationality, ethics, and effectiveness.

Self-Awareness

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

Diligent Learner

Exhibit a growth mindset and willingness to learn from mistakes.

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 the power of retrospection from a class of students reflecting on the past.

Download Google Slides
activiate prior knowledge

Activate Prior Knowledge

  • When you reflect on your life, what big events stand out to you? Why?
  • What is retrospection?
    • Retrospection is the act of remembering and evaluating events in history or in one’s own life.
Kindness 101

Kindness 101 Video

discussion

Discussion Prompts

  • “History repeats itself” is often said to speak to the importance of learning from historical events. What does this quote mean to you? What does this tell us about retrospection?
  • What is the value of reflection in your own life?
  • What other takeaways do you have from the video?
materials

Activity Materials

  • Paper
  • Writing utensils
  • Markers, crayons, colored pencils
  • Optional: premade comic frames
activity

Activity: Comic Strips

  • Ask students to think about the video and the Civil War reenactment that the fifth-graders participated in.
    • What part of history did they reenact? How specific did they get?
    • What dialogue was used in the reenactment? What kinds of dialogue do you think was included, that we may not have seen in the video?
    • What feelings were present during the reenactment?
  • Invite students to think about a big event in their own life. They will select one event in their lives to create a comic strip about. It should contain important elements that would allow someone to potentially reenact the event. Some examples include: first day of school, family vacations, sporting events, or birth of a sibling.
  • As students create their comic strip, answers to these questions should be clear.
    • What event from their life did they recreate? They should have specific details such as people’s names, locations, and any necessary visuals.
    • What dialogue was shared in the event?
    • What were they feeling throughout this event?
  • Encourage students to create at least six frames in their comic. You may show them examples of comic strips or pieces from graphic novels to give them examples of what this could look like visually.
  • Follow-up question:
    • What did you learn from your experience that you created the comic strip for that you can apply to your life today?
    •  How did it feel to reflect on something from your past?
journal prompts

Journal Prompts

K-5

  • Which pieces of your past would you want to revisit and reenact? Why?
  • Who is someone who can help you reflect on your past? How could that help you find the value in your own experiences?

6-12

  • Would you change anything about your past? Why or why not?
  • What is the importance of retrospection in your own life?
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

Discuss
Use these questions to start meaningful conversations about retrospection.

  • What big events have we experienced together as a family? Think of vacations, birthdays, births of siblings, getting a pet, for starters.
  • Think about the details of what happened, the feelings you felt during that event, and what was said.
  • What did you learn from the shared experience? How does that impact our family today?
  • How can we reflect on experiences more often as a family?

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