CHARACTER COUNTS! Kindness 101

Selflessness – Secret Santa’s Elf

Selflessness is generosity without expecting anything in return. It involves a sacrifice of your own needs by putting the needs of others ahead of your own.

Selflessness
Grade Level: K-12
 
Character Skills
  • Caring
  • Good Citizenship
SEL Skills
  • Self-Awareness
  • Social Awareness
Academic Skills
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Curiosity and Passion

Definitions

Caring
  • Be kind.
  • Be compassionate.
  • Express gratitude.
  • Forgive others.
  • Be considerate of others’ feelings.
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.
Self-Awareness

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

Social Awareness

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

Critical and Creative Thinking

Acquire, remember, understand, and apply knowledge.

Curiosity and Passion

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

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

Students will discuss what selflessness means and will explore why selflessness is not an easy choice.  

Download Google Slides
activiate prior knowledge

Activate Prior Knowledge

  • How do you define selflessness?
    • When we are selfless, we are concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with our own.
  • Think of someone in your life who you would describe as selfless. What makes them selfless? What do you think motivates them to make selfless choices?
Kindness 101

Kindness 101 Video

discussion

Discussion Prompts

  • Selflessness is putting the needs of others above your own. There are times in life when that is easier than others. What makes it challenging to be selfless? 
  • Selflessness is generosity without expecting anything in return. It’s motivated by something within you and not an outer reward. What motivates people to be selfless?
  • How does it feel when someone recognizes your needs over their own?
  • How do selfless acts and gestures impact our school and communities?
materials

Activity Materials

  • For each small group
    • One pair of scissors
    • Masking tape or clear tape
    • A variety of building materials
      • Paper towel or toilet paper rolls
      • Plastic cups
      • Craft sticks
      • Cardstock paper
      • Index cards
      • Straws
activity

Activity: Tower Build

  • Divide students into groups of 4-6.
  • The groups will be given 10 minutes to build the tallest tower. Choose an incentive for the winning team that aligns with your classroom celebration practices.
  • Each team will be given its supplies. Distribute the supplies strategically by giving each group an abundance of one of the supplies and leaving the other groups without that particular supply. For example, one group may have all of the scissors designed for the game, or another group may have all of the straws.
  • Inform the students that there are no rules regarding how they use their supplies, including sharing them with other teams.
  • Remind students that their goal is to win by building the tallest tower. Emphasize the reward for the winning group.
  • Set the timer and let the students build. 
  • Measure the towers and announce the winning team.
  • Follow-up questions:
    • Did you share any materials? Why or why not?
    • Were you motivated by helping your team or by the winning incentive?
journal prompts

Journal Prompts

K-5

  • Think of one selfless act you can do today at school or at home. What will you do? Why did you choose this act?
  • A classmate forgot their pencil today. You have two pencils, but they are your favorite pencils, and your classmate has a tendency to lose their supplies.
    • What would you do and why?
    • What makes it challenging to be selfless in this situation?

6-12

  • Think of one selfless act you can do today in your school or community. What will you do? Why did you choose this act?
  • Your friend’s goal is to become famous on social media. They post a video of themselves donating money to an unhoused individual, and it goes viral. They decide that doing good deeds will now be their content because it gets them views. They now film every act of kindness and sometimes set up acts they think will go viral.
    • Is this selflessness? 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

Discuss

Use these questions to start meaningful conversations about selflessness.

  • How does this story inspire you? How can you act on that feeling of inspiration?
  • Imagine that a family member is having a hard time and needs some support with their chores.
    • How can you manage your responsibilities (including outside of the house) and support your family?
    • Do these moments strengthen your family or cause frustration?

More Kindness 101

CHARACTER COUNTS! Lessons and Activities

 

2702 Forest Avenue

Des Moines, IA 50311

515-271-1910

RayCenter@Drake.edu

Character Counts
DONATE TO OUR MISSION
Facebook Twitter Instagram Tiktok Youtube
Contact Us

(C) 2024 The Ray Center at Drake University is proud to be the home of CHARACTER COUNTS! CHARACTER COUNTS!, the Six Pillars of Character, and Pursuing Victory with Honor are trademarks of the Josephson Institute. CHARACTER COUNTS! was founded by Michael Josephson through the Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics.