I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Kindness

Essential Question:

Why is kindness its own reward?

Bridge:

What Kindness Looks Like

Content:

"The Talking Eggs" by Robert D. San Souci

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To have the children begin to experience what is beautiful to them.

Activity: Have the children go out and find something that is hidden that they think is beautiful.

Assessment: Success of the mini field trip. Did they find something beautifully that was hidden?

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To examine their own and their classmates’ notions of beauty.

Activity: Share the things they found and discuss what makes things beautiful and where that beauty was hidden.

Assessment: The quality of the discussion. Do the children begin to see the differences in their perceptions and how each of us finds beauty in unique ways?

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To have the children relate kindness to beauty.

Activity: Have the children draw a picture of “what kindness looks like.” Have them share their pictures and initiate a discussion of the beauty in kindness.

Assessment: The activities of the people in the pictures, the ways they exhibit kindness.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: To understand and enjoy the book.

Activity: Read The Talking Eggs.

Assessment: Attentiveness and understanding on the part of the children.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: To elicit from the children the details of the story.

Activity: Have the children list six things Blanche found that were strange.

Assessment: Accuracy. Let the children use the book to find the answers.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: To have the children create a visual and verbal representation of the content.

Activity: Have the children create “A Kindness Book” with pictures and words for three kind things to say, three kind things to do, three kind things to be. Have the children put their picture of “what kindness looks like” (from the third activity) on the cover.

Assessment: Quality of the product.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: To have the children reflect on the real meaning of kindness – the willingness to put one’s self out for others.

Activity: Have the children write a reflection on the following:
“Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.”

Assessment: Briefly interview the children for their understanding of the relationship between helping others and beauty.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To have the children act upon their learning.

Activity: Have the children do one kind thing for someone and tell the group about it.

Assessment: The meaning for each child in the action they performed

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: