Barbi Frank

February

Kindergarten

Lesson #1:  

• “Getting Along”, a program for developing skills in cooperation, caring for others and positive conflict resolution 
• Song:  “Bossy”                                                                                                        
• Me First, by Helen Lester.  Pinkerton was pink, plump and PUSHY!  He would do anything to be first, even if it meant bouncing off bellies, stepping on snouts, or tying tails!  Pinkerton learns the hard way that FIRST is not always BEST and bossiness can hurt friendships!

 Lesson #2:

• “Getting Along” program:  How to Deal With Bullying                                                    
• Song:  “Bully, Don’t You Push Me Around!”
• Recess Queen, by Alexis O’Neill.  “Mean Jean” was the Recess Queen and nobody said any different!  Until a new kid came to school . . . and teaches Jean a lesson about friendship!

1st Grade     

Lesson #1: 

• Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink, by Diane deGroat.  There they were, fifteen blank valentine cards waiting to be filled with nice valentine poems for classmates.  But how can Gilbert write a nice poem for the boy who tweaked his nose, or the girl who made fun of his glasses?
• Decorate “Kindness Bracelets” to share with classmates                 

Lesson #2: 

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire, by Diane de Groat.  Gilbert cannot tell a lie:  he’s nervous.  Gilbert is starring in a classroom play about George Washington and the cheery tree, but what if he makes a mistake?  Gilbert finds out that practicing his lines is easier than practicing honesty, and that telling the truth is different from recognizing it! 

• Honesty Sing Along
• Honesty “Star” Pledge

2nd Grade

Lesson #1:  

• Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, by Eileen Spinelli.  One wintry day, a postman delivers a mysterious package with a big pink bow to a lonely man named Mr. Hatch.  “Somebody loves you” the note says.  “But who”, Mr. Hatch wonders, “could that somebody be?” 
• Decorate Kindness Bracelets
• “Secret Admirer” activity:  Decorate hearts for specialists 

Lesson #2: 

• I Like Your Buttons, by Sarah Lamstein.  One day, Cassandra’s teacher wears a blouse with glittery buttons.  “I like your buttons, Ms. Sutton”, Cassandra says.  She begins a chain of good feeling that spreads through the school, out onto the playground, and around the neighborhood until it ends with the happiest of surprises!
• “What Kindness Means to Me” video clip
• “Kindness Spreads” activity sheet

3rd Grade     

Lesson #1: 

• Odd Velvet, by Mary Whitcomb.  Velvet is odd.  Even her name is strange – “Velvet”!  No one walks home with her after school or chooses her for partner play.  As the school year unfolds, Velvet’s classmates discover that maybe she isn’t really so different at all!  Velvet teaches us that friendship can sometimes be found in the “oddest” places!
• “What Kindness Means to Me”  video clip
• “How does it feel to be left out?” activity
• Song: “Kindness”

Lesson #2: 

• The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, by Judith Viorst.  This is a simple story about a boy who has just lost his beloved cat, Barney.  The author has written a lovely and touching look at death from the perspective of a child.
• What is grief?  What are the stages of grief?  What are some other losses?                       
• “Happy Memories” and “Coping” activity sheets

4th Grade

Lesson #1: 

• Winners Never Quit, by Mia Hamm.  While playing soccer with her family, Mia learns the importance of being part of a team and how to lose gracefully!
• “Good Sport”, Poor Sport” game

Lesson #2: 

• Tyler Tames the Testing Tiger, by Janet Bender.  Using tips learned from his basketball coach, Tyler manages to “tame the testing tiger” by applying successful sports strategies to the testing situation.
• Powerpoint:  Kansas Assessment Test Taking Strategies
• “Lifesavers for Testing” take home note

5th Grade

• Tear Soup, A Recipe for Healing After Loss, by Pat Schwiebert.  Grandy has just suffered a big loss in her life, and so she is cooking up her own unique batch of “tear soup”.  Tear Soup gives you a glimpse into Grandy’s life as she blends different “ingredients” into her own grief process.
• Discussion:  What is grief?  What is the process of grief?  What are some other losses?  What are some strategies for coping with change?

Lesson #2:

• Multiple Intelligences:  “8 Ways to be Smart”
• Multiple Intelligences Survey