The 329th Friend

Source: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3062

A Friend, Starting With You!

This lesson helps students learn about themselves and how good a friend they are to others. It helps children identify their own special talents and characteristics while showing the importance of good self-esteem in making new friends.

A lesson plan for grades K–5 Guidance

By Sara Smith

Learning outcomes

Students will learn to identify their own positive character traits, friendship skills, and the special talents they possess. Through their self-awareness, they may improve their ability to make friends.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

45.00 minutes

Materials/resources

• The 329th Friend, by Marjorie Sharmat, 1979 ISBN: 0590075586
• paper and pencil
• raccoon puppet
• blank invitation for each student
• examples of an advertisements (magazine or newspaper)
• markers or crayons

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

Define and discuss the following:

• self-esteem
• friendship
• special talents and skills (hobbies, unique abilities)
• personal characteristics & traits
• advertisement

Activities

1. Discuss friendship and its importance in our lives.
2. Read The 329th Friend.
3. Discuss how Ricky Raccoon went about making friends - his successes and his failures. Discuss the factors that influenced his self-esteem (including his newfound knowlege that he is an interesting person) and how self-esteem can affect friendships. Discuss how some friendships are born out of common interest and getting to know others through their special talents (like singing, sports, academics, etc.).
4. Tell students they are going to have a “lunch” for their potential friends. They are to send an invitation to new potential friends that includes information about themselves. The invitation will be like an advertisement of themselves (like a magazine selling a product). They should include at least three special talents or three positive characteristics they possess.
5. First, have the children make a list of three of their own personal characteristics and special talents (at least three of each). Have students help you make a “master list” to write on the board.
6. Next, have the children create an invitation or use a “sample” invitation to invite their potential friends over for lunch. Tell them they should “sell” themselves attractively. Use attractive sample advertisments as examples. (Invitation Example: Please come to lunch with a fun-loving, baseball-playing, caring type of kid!).
7. Finally, if time allows, have students decorate their invitation with crayons or markers.
8. Share the students’ invitations without their names and have the other students guess who they are. You can also have the other students “add” to their list of personal characteristics and talents.
9. Wrap up by encouraging the students to be friendly with others by using good talking and listening skills to learn more about each other.

Assessment

• Students will be able to identify at least three special talents they possess.
• Students will be able to identify at least three positive characteristics from their own personality.
• Teachers will observe students using their new friendship skills as they make new friends.

Supplemental information

Any other books, magazines, or cartoons on friendship.

Related websites

N/A

Comments

Developing healthy friendships is important for our development and growth. We learn to cooperate and get along well with others, so that as adults we can enter the workforce with these necessary skills. This lesson would be good to use during a “friendship week.” An alternate lesson would be for students to write a descriptive paragraph about their “329th” friend.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Guidance (2001)

Grades K–5

• Goal 7: Acquire the attitudes, knowledge and interpersonal skills to help understand and respect self and others.
  • Objective 7.09: Consider individual differences.
  • Objective 7.12: Demonstrate how to communicate.
  • Objective 7.13: Conclude that communication involves speaking, listening, and nonverbal behavior.
  • Objective 7.14: Demonstrate how to make and keep friends.

Green Guide for Kids

I remember many years ago reading an article about children who had no idea where the food they eat come from. One of the children thought that featherless chickens were born in the supermarket instead of the farm!

It is really important for us to educate our children about our environment. In order to help them establish a connection between them and nature, we as adults need to create the link for them.

Let kids grow beans in recycle mushroom, tofu and egg containers.

Simple activities for kids to do in the garden helps them to build the interest in nature. Here are some great web sites with useful information:

EcoKids http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm

Ecosavvy Kid http://www.ecosavvykid.com/Home_Page.html

Green Guide for Kids http://greenguideforkids.blogspot.com/

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

The chapters are dedicated to each of the habits, which are represented by the following imperatives:

1. Be Proactive

Be Proactive. Here, Covey emphasizes the original sense of the term "proactive" as coined by Victor Frankl. You can either be proactive or reactive when it comes to how you respond to certain things. When you are reactive, you blame other people and circumstances for obstacles or problems. Being proactive means taking responsibility for every aspect of your life. Initiative and taking action will then follow. Covey also argues that man is different from other animals in that he has self-consciousness. He has the ability to detach himself and observe his own self; think about his thoughts. He goes on to say how this attribute enables him: It gives him the power not to be affected by his circumstances. Covey talks about stimulus and response. Between stimulus and response, we have the power of free will to choose our response.

2. Begin with the End In Mind

Begin with the End In Mind. This chapter is about setting long-term goals based on "true north" principles. Covey recommends formulating a "Personal Mission Statement" to document one's perception of one's own vision in life. He sees visualization as an important tool to develop this. He also deals with organizational vision statements, which he claims to be more effective if developed and supported by all members of an organization rather than prescribed.

3. Put First Things First

Put First Things First. Here, Covey describes a framework for prioritizing work that is aimed at short-term goals, at the expense of tasks that appear not to be urgent, but are in fact very important. Delegation is presented as an important part of time management. Successful delegation, according to Covey, focuses on results and benchmarks that are to be agreed upon in advance, rather than prescribed as detailed work plans.

4. Think Win/Win

Think Win/Win describes an attitude whereby mutually beneficial solutions are sought that satisfy the needs of oneself, or, in the case of a conflict, both parties involved.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Covey warns that giving out advice before having empathetically understood a person and their situation will likely result in rejection of that advice. Thoroughly reading out your own autobiography will decrease the chance of establishing a working communication.

6. Synergize

Synergize describes a way of working in teams. Apply effective problem solving. Apply collaborative decision making. Value differences. Build on divergent strengths. Leverage creative collaboration. Embrace and leverage innovation. It is put forth that when synergy is pursued as a habit, the result of the teamwork will exceed the sum of what each of the members could have achieved on their own. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

7. Sharpen the Saw

Sharpen the saw focuses on balanced self-satisfaction: Regain what Covey calls "production capability" by engaging in carefully selected recreational activities. Covey also emphasizes the need to sharpen the mind.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People

Character Education Tips

Lessons should seek to compel students to:

1. Know the Good (understand the trait and intellectually agree that the trait is important).

2. Desire the Good (emotionally desire to adopt the trait).

3. Do the Good (apply the trait in daily living).

- Thomas Lickona

Source: http://www.character-education.info/resources/lesson_plans_curriculum.htm


Writers' and Tweakers' Checklist

Purpose…
1. Does the purpose statement reflect the needs of my students?
2. Does everything in the lesson drive me toward accomplishing that purpose?

Lesson Elements…
3. Will the introduction hook students to the topic?
4. Know Feel Do. Does it lead them to know the subject, engage their feelings and give them specific, doable action points?
5. Does the outline flow logically?
6. Are my transitions from one point to the next clear?

Appeal to Students…
7. Does it appeal to the felt needs of my students?
8. Is there enough interaction and activity?
9. Does it give them new thoughts or new angles on old thoughts? Or, does it merely restate what was already obvious to them?
10. Does it take into account the learning characteristics of their age-group?
11. Do the illustrations appeal to the interests of my students?
12. Did I open up a part of my life to them?
13. Will my students think that I really care about them?

Evaluation…
14. After teaching will I evaluate the lesson objectively? (for example - anonymous surveys or anonymous input from students to teacher, passed on to me as the community leader.)

Source: http://character-education.info/Articles/preparing_lessons_that_change_lives.htm

Weather Journal

Activity: Weather Journal

Grade Level: 1st and 2nd

Use the Internet to track temperature in Makkah, Saudi Arabia to understand how weather conditions affect lifestyles. Convert centigrade to Fahrenheit measurements. For early elementary students.

Objective: The Weather Journal helps students understand some of the lifestyle differences between our local community and Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

This activity is done by students for one to two weeks in the spring, after students can add double digit numbers:
1. Daily, go to the Internet to get temperatures in Makkah and Hurst, Texas.
2. Records the temperatures on scrap paper and shares them with the class
3. Whole class does the conversion of the Makkah temperature; several volunteers come up to the board to do the math OR students use calculators at their desks
4. Everyone records the Makkah and Hurst temperatures in their journals.
5. At the end of the class, the whole class discusses what patterns the temperatures have shown for the week. Teacher writes ideas on the board and group copy into their journals. Group discusses food, clothing, shelter in relationship to weather. Discuss ways to continue to track the weather at home if you do not have a computer e.g. through the newspaper, weather channel on television, etc.

Preparation:
The "Weather Dude" http://www.wxdude.com/

Map Skills:
1. Learn the seven continents and their locations
2. Learn the location of your state and city on the North American continent
3. Learn the location of Makkah on the continent of West Asia
4. Learn the location of Makkah and that it is the capital of Saudi Arabia

Classroom Review/Conversion Formula/Journals:
1. Post signs with website address and our city, state and zip code.
2. Discuss need to convert Makkah temperatures, given in centigrade, to Fahrenheit system used to record local temperatures

Conversion formula:
multiply the centigrade temperature by 9 then divide by 5 and add 32 to get Fahrenheit; for example:
Step 1.) 22° centigrade x 9 = 198
Step 2.) 198 / 5 = 39.6
Step 3.) 39.6 + 32 = 71.6° Fahrenheit
Note: this is done using a calculator. Find the Fahrenheit temperature by using a Fahrenheit/Centigrade scale. The scale page may be printed out for students' use.

Modified from: http://www.dia.org/education/egypt-teachers/mathsci/wilson/prep.htm

Self-Concept / Self-Esteem

Life Skill: Communication

Time Frame: 90 minutes

Summary:One of the most important tasks of a parent is to preserve a child's self-concept. All other tasks refer back to this important idea.

Objective: Identify factors influencing the development of self-concept.

Materials:
Attachments
Self_Concept.ppt
Self_Concept.doc
Self-concept_powerpoint.pdf
Self-concept.pdf

Background For Teachers:
Attachments
SELF_CONCEPT_CYCLE.doc
Self-concept_Cycle.pdf

Web Sites
Help your child develop Self Esteem
Words of Praise
Family Mission Statement
Developing Social Skills

Intended Learning Outcomes:Be able to define self concept and self esteem. Understand the role and importance of self esteem in personal development and growth

Instructional Procedures:Use the following outline during the lesson on self concept/self esteem.
Attachments
Outline_for_Self_concept.doc
Outline_for_Self-concept.pdf

Assessment Plan:This lesson provides an opportunity for students gather some ideas on Self-Concept. Have them complete the study guide.

Attachments
Self_Concept.doc

Bibliography:Utah Curriculum Guide

Source: http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=4410

Stress

Time Frame: 90 minutes

Summary:Stress is a basic part of life. The way in which we deal with stress will make our lives pleasant and comfortable or leave us stressed and incapable of performing our obligations to the best of our abilities.

Objective: Students will participate in activities that help increase their self-awareness, values, goals and decision-making strategies.

Materials:Biodots, relaxation tape/CD/video, modeling clay, student handouts,

Intended Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will identify causes of stress.
2. Define symptoms of stress.
3. Examine positive forms of stress management.

Instructional Procedures:Follow instructions found in the teacher information attachment.
Attachments
stress.docTeacher information and lesson outline for teaching stress,
Ways_to_handle_stress.docStudent handout listing ways to handle stress.
score_your_stress.docAre you stressed? Student handout to figure stress level of an individual.
stress_tally.docStudent assignment: Students will write down causes of stress, ways they deal with stress, etc.
stress_pp.pptPowerpoint presentation to follow the lecture on stress.
Stress.pdf
Ways_to_Handle_Stress.pdf
Score_Your_Stress.pdf
Stress_Tally.pdf
Stress_powerpoint.pdf

Web Sites
Life Stress Tests Take the stress test to find out your stress level.
Womens Media Tells how to identify signs of stress in yourself and techniques to use to reduce the stress.

Bibliography:Utah Curriculum Guide

Source: http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=4310