Kindness and Empathy

Essential Question

What does it mean to show great kindness and courage to help others?
What does it mean to imagine how someone else feels, and why is that important when we see unfairness?

Texts

Informational

Peace Begins With You

Katherine Scholes begins this informative piece by describing the multi-facted nature of the word "peace" and what it can mean to different people at different times. Then she provides concrete ways that each of us can be a peacemaker.

Katherine Scholes

Grade Level

K-2 3-5

Subject

Civics

History

Economics

Geography

Topic

Bullying & Bias

July 3, 2014

Literature

The Prince and the Rhinoceros: An Indian Tale of Speaking Kindly

The prince and his pet rhinocerous have a special friendship. He showers her with kind words until one day he lets the thought of gold get in between his and the rhino's special bond.

Toni Knapp

Grade Level

K-2 3-5

Subject

Civics

Topic

Bullying & Bias

July 3, 2014

Informational

Susan B. Anthony

Alexandra Wallner follows Susan B. Anthony from her birth to her death by detailing her life, goals, hardships and accomplishments.

Alexandra Wallner

Grade Level

K-2 3-5

Subject

Civics

History

Topic

Gender & Sexual Identity Rights & Activism

July 7, 2014

Teaching Strategies

Exploring Texts Through Read Alouds

Anchor Charts

An anchor chart is an artifact of classroom learning. Like an anchor, it holds students' and teachers' thoughts, ideas and processes in place. Anchor charts can be displayed as reminders of prior learning and built upon over multiple lessons.

Grade Level

K-2

CCSS

R.K-2.4, L.K-2.4, L.K-2.5

July 13, 2014

Exploring Texts Through Read Alouds

Creating Questions to Engage Critically with Texts

This strategy provides tools to create questions that help students engage critically with Perspectives central texts and examine them for issues of power and social inequity. The activities suggested here also encourage readers to bring their knowledge and experiences to the reading of a text.

Grade Level

K-2

CCSS

RL.K-2.1, RL.K-2.2, RL.K-2.3, RL.K-2.6, RI.K-2.1, RI.K-2.2, RI.K-2.3, RI.K-2.6

July 16, 2014

Exploring Texts Through Read Alouds

Developing Language to Talk About Texts

This strategy gives students tools to use when exploring, thinking about and discussing read-aloud texts.

Grade Level

K-2

CCSS

RL.K-2.3

July 13, 2014

Student Tasks

Do Something

Buddy Share

Students choose a mode of expression—e.g., writing, art or storytelling—to share theme-related ideas and feelings with a “buddy” from outside the classroom.

Grade Level

K-2

July 13, 2014

Do Something

Collage of Concerns

Students create visual artwork combining various images to convey diversity or social justice issues, concerns or themes related to the central text.

Grade Level

K-2

July 13, 2014

Do Something

Community Bulletin Board

Students showcase artwork and nonfiction writing that addresses issues they found in the text. The result is a visual, collaborative and creative representation of student learning and ideas. An alternative to the bulletin board is a community newsletter.

Grade Level

K-2

July 13, 2014

Do Something

Fairness Fair

Students work in groups to role-play or tell stories about real life situations related to fairness, community, diversity or social justice themes. Students then perform their skits or stories for others as part of a class-wide “fairness fair.”

Grade Level

K-2

July 13, 2014

Plan Built By

Brownie23

Kindness and Empathy

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