Google

20% Project
Name(s): Lindsey Harding, Lizzie Collier, Catherine Keeter
Title of Project: Character Counts: Building a Positive Classroom Community
Needs and Opportunities:
Research says that character education is not only effective at promoting the
development of good character, but is a promising approach to the prevention of a
wide range of contemporary problems. (Character Education, Prevention, and
Positive Youth Development) One of these contemporary issues is bullying.
According to statistics, one out of every four students are bullied at some point
throughout the school year(National Center For Educational Statistics, 2015). Being
in the classroom over the course of the last few months we have seen first hand how
easy it is for students to tear one another down. We chose to do this project because
character education has the important additional benefits of helping youth to
develop positive personal and social attitudes and skills that will help them to lead
satisfying and productive lives, and to become active and effective citizens in our
democratic society (Character Education, Prevention, and Positive Youth
Development). We thought that we could best accomplish this through teaching a
series of lessons on character. At the beginning of the project we asked the students
What do you think being a good student means? We recorded each students
response so that at the end of the series of lessons we could determine if their
schema on that had grown. Because it is the middle of the school year, we thought
that this would be a great time for a project like this; to remind the students what is
expected of them and to continue encouraging them in the development of their
character.
Audience / Clients / Users:

This project will executed by Elizabeth Collier, Lindsey Harding, and
Catherine Keeter and will be implemented in Mrs. Jordans first grade classroom.
This project is intended to directly benefit the classroom students in turn benefiting
the classroom teacher. The students will benefit from learning how to become well-
rounded citizens. The students will be learning about the qualities of a good friend
and classmate should have. Mrs. Jordan will benefit from having a classroom of
cooperative students. Student learning will be impacted because positive classroom
communities create an environment that is physically and emotionally safe for the
student and promotes academic risk-taking. Students make academic growth when
they are willing to try something new and risk being wrong (Minard 2013). When
students feel accepted a comfortable in front of others they are more likely to
participate in classroom discussions and share their thoughts with others. Without
a feeling of community people are on their own, likely to be anxious, defensive and
unwilling to take the risks involved in learning (Meredith 2013). It is essential that
students feel comfortable in the classroom and students will feel comfortable when
their peers are inviting, kind, and respectful. Some of the most important skills

children need for school readiness and success are the "people skills" of social
interaction, communication, collaboration, and problem solving (Church 2003).
The process of teaching students character qualities will also provide the students
with the skills they will need to interact with others successfully in the future.
Students need an emotionally safe environment to learn in and we believe that
integrating character lessons into a classroom will help students acquire
information on how to be a kind and respectful student. We believe students will
feel safe in an environment where the students are respectful and considerate
towards each other. We will measure the successfulness of our project by
questioning the students on character qualities after each lesson. We will also create
a final video that showcases the students understanding of being a good friend in
the classroom.
Timeline:
February 4
and 6,
2016

1 hour Initial meeting - Decided that we wanted to work with the first
grade in building character development. We have been working
with them over the past few months and decided to develop a
plan of lessons to target the needs of the classroom.

February
10, 2016

30
Met briefly with Mrs. Jordan to go over our plans with her and to
minutes gain any further advice or insight on our project.

February
17, 2016

2 hours Researched our topic and worked on our proposal. We also

researched lesson plan ideas to teach the students and discussed
how we would bridge our lessons together. We discussed what
we would do as our final project and decided on videotaping
each student on what they got out of the lessons that we will be
teaching.

February
24, 2016

2 hours Spent time working on our lesson plans for next week in the
classroom. We collaborated on ideas and continued to refine our
project.

March 1-3,
2016

2 hours Taught lessons on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to Mrs.

Jordans first grade class on character development. Catherines
lesson focused on how to be a good friend. Lizs lesson focused
on saying kind words and thinking before you speak. Lindseys
lesson focused on good character qualities. On Thursday we
stayed after class and videotaped the students responses.

March 9,
2016

2 hours Worked on editing the videos of the students that we recorded

in class last week. We also worked on looking at the before and
after responses of the students.

May 2,
2016

2 hours Worked on our final Google 20% project to present to our

professors and peers.


Product:

The final product for our Google 20% project will be a video of students
responding to questions about what it means to them to be a good friend. Over the
course of the semester, we will be talking with and teaching lessons on how to be a
good friend, practicing saying nice words instead of mean words, and we will
discuss good character qualities. We will be teaching our main lessons throughout
the course of a week. After we teach our lessons, we will ask a set of questions to
individuals in the class asking them what it means to be a good friend.
Reality Check:

The equipment we need for our Google 20% project are attainable for us to
get without a grant or spending an excess amount of money. Lindsey, Catherine and
I will each be teaching a lesson covering subtopics of bullying. For Catherines lesson
she will need the book, Making Friends is an Art, by Julia Cook, crown templates,
crayons/markers, and scissors. For Elizabeths lesson she will need the book,
Llama, Llama and the Bully Goat, by Anna Dewdney and the wrinkly Sam paper.
Lindsey will need chart paper and the book The Three Little Pigs.

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSRSWlMvwd8&feature=youtu.be
Conclusion:
In conclusion, we believe that this project will influence students to become
better citizens, classmates, and friends. The lesson plans and activities that we
designed were intentionally selected so that we could target specific character areas
for the students. Today where bullying is an issue and our culture breeds selfishness
and even violence, we really saw it as important to instill in these children what it
means to have good character. We chose to videotape each students responses to
our week of character building so that the students can look back and watch it, being
reminded of not of what we told them, but what they themselves said and believed.
We believe that all students should feel welcomed, comfortable, and loved in the
classroom and we thought that this project would be a great way to encourage that.
We feel like positive character qualities and friendship can never be
overemphasized in the classroom and students will only benefit from every mention
of these aspects.

Reflection:

We feel as if our Google project had a positive impact on the community of
Mrs. Jordans classroom. The students benefited from a week immersed in character
focused lessons. Everyday they were able to participate in a new activity that
involved building friendship skills or learning about character qualities. The
students reacted positively towards Catherines lesson. They were able to relate to

the different colored pencils mentioned in the read aloud book Making Friends is an
Art by Julia Cook. When asked why the brown colored pencil didnt have any friends
the students recognized that Brown didnt have any friends because he wasnt a
good friend himself. They stated that Brown learned from the qualities he found in
others. When asked how to be a friend to others the students decided that they
could be kind to others and help them. They could encourage each other and could
refrain from doing rude things to one another. The students also reacted positively
to Elizabeths lesson. The students were able to realize what the Bully Goat was
doing wrong and discussed how it would make them feel to be bullied. During the
Wrinkly Sam activity, students and Ms. Collier sat in a circle and passed around the
paper friend. The first time we spoke mean words to Sam and each time a mean
word was said the students wrinkled the paper. Eventually, Sam was just a big,
crumpled ball of paper. The second time we passed our friend around, we said kind
words to him and unwrinkled him. After all of our words you were able to see that
Sam still had wrinkles. This gave the class a clear understanding and visual that
their words to one another have a lasting effect. The class stated that they did not
want Sam to be sad therefore each student was able to say something loving and
encouraging. The classroom teacher, Mrs. Jordan also had the class go around in the
circle and say one nice thing about Elizabeth, Lindsey, or Catherine. In Lindseys
lesson, she integrated a language arts study of character analysis to showcase
different character qualities that the students should or should not follow. They
analyzed each pig as well as the wolf. The class had a grand discussion talking about
features of the characters and what the students thought about each ones qualities.
They then wrote a story about why they would or would not want to be that
character based off of the traits they learned that day and earlier in the week. This
lesson also included a STEAM component that modeled the students the hard
working quality of the last little pig. The students really enjoyed it and it helped
them apply what they have learned to everyday tasks.
Our video shows that the students truly picked up on friendship qualities.
The students in the video stated that you should treat others the way you want to be
treated, be kind to others, help each other, be respectful, say nice words, and not be
mean to those who are mean to you. The video reflects that the students picked up
on ways that they can be a good friend to others through the display of positive
character qualities such as kindness and respect. As the students exhibit positive
character traits in the classroom they are creating an uplifting classroom
environment that makes others feel welcome, safe, and respected. As the students
continue to grow in their friendship skills we believe the classroom community will
deepen and the students will have an increased opportunity to learn as they become
comfortable around each other.

Works Cited:

Church, E. (2003). Building Community in the Classroom. Retrieved from
http://www.sch
holastic.com/teachers/article/building-community-classroom
Meredith, J. (2013). Classroom Community: The Ecology for Learning The
Research.

Retrieved from

https://www.missouristate.edu/fctl/193962.htm
Minard, D. (2013, September 4). Building Successful Learning Communities In The

Classroom. Retrieved from

http://www.sequimschools.wednet.edu/domain/781

Google Project Minilesson

Name: Catherine Keeter

Date: 1 March 2016

Objective or Focus: Standard: PS:A2.8 - learn how to make and keep friends
Objective: Students will learn the qualities they should have in order to make and
keep friends.

Materials List:
Making Friends Is an Art by Julia Cook
Colored pencils
Markers
Crayons
Scissors
Crown templates
o One per student

Invitation or Introduction:

Okay class, when I call your table number please come sit on the carpet in
front of the reading stool. Table one. Teacher continues to call table number two,
three, four, and five to come to the carpet. Today we are going to be talking about
friendship and we will be learning about how we can be a good friend. What
are some ways you can be a good friend? Example student response: You can be
nice to others! Thats a great example! What else can you do to be a good
friend? Example student response: You can share with others! Yes, thats right!
We are going to learn about some more ways to be a good friend as we read
this book. Teacher shows Making Friends Is an Art! Book to the students. This book
is called Making Friends Is an Art! And it tells the story of a brown colored
pencil who learns how to be a good friend. Teacher begins to read the book.
Teacher asks guiding questions while reading such as Why doesnt Brown have any
friends? What colors are you most like? What does Brown learn from the other colors?
What did Brown change about himself? How can you help other kids who dont have
other friends? How do you make friends?

Teacher Modeling:

The teacher will discuss friendship with the students and listen to their thoughts on
how to make and keep friends. The teacher will ask the students about the qualities
discussed in the book.

Independent Practice:

Okay class, in order to remember the positive qualities we have learned about
today we are going to make a crown! Teacher pulls out crown example to show to
the students. On each point on the crown Ive written tips I learned from the
other colored pencils about how to be a good friend. In the book we learned
that the pink colored pencil is a good listener so on one point of the crown I
wrote listen. The other points of the crown say share, help others, smile, laugh,
be kind, be respectful and encourage. Does everyone know what encourage
means? Encourage means to support others. Encouraging would be to tell
someone that they are doing a good job. Encouraging is not telling someone
they are not smart when they get an answer wrong. What about respectful
does anyone know what respectful means. Teacher calls on students who know
what respectful means. Being respectful is caring about the importance of
others. An example of being respectful is not talking while the teacher is
talking. Listening, sharing, helping others, smiling, laughing, encouraging and
being kind and respectful to others are great ways to be a friend. We want to
make sure to be a good friend in the classroom so others feel welcomed and
loved here and to make school a fun place to be. On your tables you will find
crown papers. First color your crown and then cut it out with scissors and I
will help you tape together to wear. Table one, you may walk back to your
table. Teacher continues to call tables two, three four, and five, and students walk
back to their tables.

Assessment and Reflection:

The teachers will observe how the students interact with each other in the
classroom. The teacher will make a note of which students are acting with the
positive character traits they learned about in the lesson. The teacher will also
reemphasize how to be a good friend and will reference the crowns the students
made whenever the students seem to be struggling with friendship issues. The
students responded well to the lesson. They enjoyed listening to the book and
picked up on the character qualities mentioned in the book. The students also
enjoyed coloring their crowns and wore them for awhile after they created them. I

feel as if the lesson went well and as if the students gained an understanding of how
they can be a good friend to others.

Design for Learning

Instructor: Lindsey Harding Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 1st/ Jordan
Lesson Title: The Three Little Pigs Date: March 4, 2016
Curriculum Area: ELA Estimated Time: 40 min

Standards Connection:
7.) Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or
events. [RL.1.7]

Learning Objective(s):
Students will display their understanding of one of the characters in The Three Little
Pigs through writing an opinion piece scoring at least a 3 on the rubric.

Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language:
Today you will learn more about the characters in this story The Three Little Pigs!

Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
Students will choose one of the four characters in the story The Three Little Pigs.
They will brainstorm traits about the character of their choosing by filling out the
graphic organizer and having it approved by the teacher. Once they have done that,
they will move on to the writing piece. They will write an opinion piece on why they
would or would not want to be like the character they chose. They will use examples
from the story as well as character trait examples that have been talked about
throughout the week with Miss Keeter and Miss Collier. They must score at least a
three on the rubric to be considered proficient. The students that score below a
three will be considered in the red range and need further remediation.

Engagement:
The students have been reading many different versions of the three little pigs in
class throughout the week. They will watch a BookFlix of The Three Little Pigs and
the teacher will ask students questions before and after the video. Okay class, I am
going to call you by table to come to the carpet. Please come quietly and sit next to
someone who is going to help you learn! Table 1 you may come to the carpet. Table
2345. Teacher allows time for students to get in their spots. Boys and girls,
today we are going to look more into the story of the three little pigs. I heard that you
have been learning about Fairy Tales lately. I want you all to turn and talk to your
neighbor about your favorite character in one of the fairy tales that you have read so
far. Teacher gives students one minute for them to discuss. Can someone share with
me who your favorite character is that youve read about so far? Teacher calls on
student A. Student A said Cinderella. Anyone elses favorite character Cinderella? I like

her too. Student A, why is she your favorite character? Teacher waits for student
response. Boys and girls, each story has characters that have different traits and
personalities. Each character is different and we may or may not like them for certain
reasons. Why might we not like a character in a story? Teacher calls on students and
writes their responses on chart paper. You all have been talking about character with
Miss Keeter and Miss Collier this week, right? Looking at this list, do you think these
qualities are something that a good student would have? Teacher refers to the list
that the class has made. No, thats right. What kind of qualities do we want to have?
Give me a silent thumbs up if you think you know. Teacher listens to students
responses and writes them on the board. These are all great. Now looking at this list,
can you think of any characters that have these qualities? Teacher waits for student
responses. Cinderella was very kind to her stepsisters and family even though they
were mean to her. Class, something that I think is really cool is that you can learn a lot
from studying the characters in a story. Today, we are going to look at the story of The
Three Little Pigs again. Right now we are going to watch a BookFlix but as you watch I
want you to really think about the characters. At the end of today you are going write
a story about one of these pigs and what set him apart from the others. See if you can
find out what set him apart as you watch this. Teacher plays the video and then
transitions into instruction.

Learning Design:

I. Teaching:
The teacher will tell the students the objective again. She will remind them of the
lessons that have been taught earlier in the week by Miss Keeter and Miss Collier on
character traits. The teacher will use this as a lead into reminding students how
characters affect a story and why it is important to look at them and understand
them. Okay boys and girls, like I said earlier we are going to be learning more about
the characters of the three little pigs today! We are going to be talking about the
characters in this story, but this week you also have been talking about another kind of
character. Miss Keeter and Miss Collier talked this week about some things that
make us good friends and students. They have been talking about character traits.
Who can tell me what a character trait is? Teacher waits for student response.
Character traits are things about a person that tell us more about them. There are
both good and bad character traits that people can have. Who can give me a silent
thumbs and tell me what kind of character traits you have learned this week? Teacher
waits for student responses. What character traits make someone a good friend?
Teacher waits for student responses. Thats great you guys. Well today as we talk
about the three little pigs I want us to think about their character traits and how it
relates to the story and to you as students! Who are the characters in this story?

Teacher calls on student A. She says the wolf. The teacher writes this on the chart
paper. Teacher calls on a few other students to tell her the other 3 characters (the
three pigs). So now we have all of our characters lets look at their traits. Are all the
characters the same? No! We are going to look at what makes them different. First,
lets look at the wolf. I know you all have been reading lots of different versions of this
story, but lets look at this one right now. Teacher refers to the original book The
Three Little Pigs. What does this book tell us about the wolf? Teacher listens to
students responses. Good job. He was not very nice because he wanted to tear down
the pigs houses. What are some other character traits of the wolf? The teacher allows
students to respond and writes down on the chart paper that the wolf is bad, mean,
angry, naughty, and hungry. Why do you think the wolf was so mean? How did his
character traits affect the story? If the wolf was not mean and hungry do you think
story would have been different? Turn and talk to your neighbor about what you think.
Teacher gives students time to respond and to share some responses with the class.
Class, character traits that the author gives the character can really shape a story. Do
you all agree? Lets look at the other three characters and see if their character traits
shape the story. What did you all think of this first little pig? His house obviously didnt
work out. What do you think might have caused his house not to stand? Teacher waits
for student responses. Do you think it had to do with how hard he worked? I do too!
Lets list some of the character traits we see in this pig. Student B, what are some
characteristics of the first little pig? Remember we are looking at the pig, not the
materials he used. Teacher calls on different students and listens to their responses.
The teacher writes down the characteristics on the chart. She writes down lazy, not
smart, wants to play, and doesnt want to work. So the first little pig was lazy and not
a very hard worker. Boys and girls, how did the pigs character traits affect the story?
How did those traits affect the pig? Teacher gives students time to respond. He ended
up with no house! Yikes! Lets look at pig number 2. This pigs house didnt stand
either! Lets look at some of his character traits and see why the whole house thing
didnt work out for him either. Student C, what are some characteristics of this little
pig? Teacher calls on students and writes their response on the chart paper. They
realize that the traits are the same as the first pig and the teacher writes down the
same traits in that category. What do you all notice about the character traits of this
little pig? It is just like the other little pig! Do you think it was the materials that the
pigs used? Yes, it could have been. Do you think that if they worked harder and smarter
that they could have built a stronger house? Teacher waits for student responses. So
boys and girls we can already see how a persons character traits can really affect a
story. Lets look at the last little pig. Do you think he was the same as the other two
pigs? Teacher waits for student response. Turn and talk to your neighbor about why
you think this little pig is different. Teacher gives students time to talk to one
another. One, two, three eyes on me. Student D, I heard you say something interesting.

Can you share with the class what you and Student E talked about? This pigs house
withstood the wind! What changed here boys and girls? Lets write down some
character traits of this third little pig. Teacher calls on students and writes down
their responses. She writes down that he was a hard worker, a good builder, smart,
and that he had a good brain. Man, this is a lot different then the other pigs. Looking
at the story, how did these character traits affect the rest of this story? It changed it
all, right? The wolf wasnt able to blow the house down anymore. After looking at these
character traits class, what kinds of things do you think it can teach us? Teacher waits
and listens to student responses. The first two pigs were very lazy and did not want to
work hard. It did not turn out very well for them. Can you think of another story where
the character was lazy? How did that turn out? Have you ever been lazy? How did that
turn out? Teacher gives time for students to respond. The last pig was different. What
was different about him? I want you to think in your head about what pig you would
want to be like and why. Now I want you to think about what pig you would not want
to be like and why you would not like to be like them. Boys and girls, character traits
not only affect a story in a book, but our character traits can affect our own life story.
How could your character traits affect your life story? I want you to answer this
question in your head. Teacher allows time for students to think. Character traits are
very important both in the story and in our lives. We can always learn a lot from
looking at the characters in a story! Teacher transitions into practice.

II. Opportunity for Practice:
The teacher will pass out a graphic organizer to each student. She will explain how
they will use this character web to brainstorm traits of one character from the story.
They will use the story to provide evidence for the character traits. Once they fill out
the graphic organizer they will transition into writing their opinion piece. Alright
boys and girls, we just looked at all of the characters in the book The Three Little Pigs,
but now you all are going to look at just one of them. The fun part is that YOU get to
choose which one you want to pick. Each one of you will be writing and telling me why
you would or would not want to be this character. Boys and girls, that is very
important to keep in mind when you are choosing the character. You have to take time
to think about the character traits so that you can really write a good paper! You all
have been writing a lot, so I expect to see some good pieces! Before you start to write,
you have to get to know your character a little bit more first. I have the fun sheet that I
want you all to fill out. Teacher draws attention to the graphic organizer. There is a
big blank circle in the middle. What do you think is going to go there? A picture of your
character! You all get to draw it however you want! In these other boxes I want you to
write a few words that describe your character. You do not have to fill in all of the
boxes, but you have to fill in at least 3. This is very important because like I said, it
helps you understand the characters helping you write your paper about why you

would or would not want to be that character! I am going to give you 5 minutes to
complete this so please be good, hard workers. I am going to be walking around
making sure that you are following directions. Teacher releases the students back to
their tables. She hands out the graphic organizer and walks around assisting
students and formatively assessing if the students are grasping the character traits
of the one that the chose.

III. Assessment:
Before they begin writing the teacher will go over the rubric with the students. She
will put the writing prompt on the board. She will then allow them time to write and
answer questions if needed. When they are finished students will give their written
work to the teacher and she will assess if the student was able to analyze the chosen
character and apply it. Students have to score at least a 3 on the rubric to be
considered proficient. Okay class, now that you have brainstormed your character,
you are going to write about it. You have written an opinion paper before, right? You
did one just the other week. Remember when Mrs. Jordan asked you to write about why
Cinderella was your favorite character? Or when she asked what is your favorite fast
food restaurant? We have to remember that when we are writing our opinion we have
to tell the reader why! We always have to keep in our brain whoever is reading our
paper! We want them to understand what we are trying to say. You all are going to tell
me why you would or would not want to be the character that you chose. Lets remind
ourselves of the three characters again. We have the wolf, the first little pig that built
his house with what? Straw! What about the second little pig? He built his house with
sticks! What about the third little pig? He built his with bricks! We talked about the
difference between all the characters; so lets remember that. You have the notes on
the board to remember it. Before we begin I am going to read you the rubric and show
you an example of what I am expecting. Teacher goes over the rubric with students
and shows them an example of what she is expecting. Remember again to think
about the character traits that we have talking about this week! Does anyone have any
questions? Alright then if you have on anything pink you can go back to your
deskblueblack. Teacher passes out writing sheet and walks around supporting
students if needed.

IV. Closure:
The teacher will gain the students attention back after they have finished their
writing. She will revisit how important characters are to each story and how we can
learn from each of them. She will talk about how some characters we want to be like
and some we should not want to be like. To close out the lesson she will explain to
the students a STEAM project that they will work on. They will use gumdrops and
toothpicks to build a house that will have to withstand wind from a hair dryer.

They will have to work hard and smart like the last little pig to make sure that it can
withstand the wind. The teacher will give the students instructions and let them
work in their table groups before she comes around to test each house with the hair
dryer. Okay class, I need all eyes and ears on me. It is very important that you listen to
me during this time because we are about to do something where you will need to hear
what I am saying. We have just talked about all the characters in the story. We focused
a lot on the last little pig. What are some character traits about the last little pig that
we learned? Teacher waits for student responses. Good! He was smart and
hardworking. We also looked at the other characters who werent so hardworking or
nice. There are some characters that have qualities that we want to have and some
that we do not. Today, we are going to try to be like the last little pig. We are about to
do a project so I am going to need your full attention right now. You are going to go
back to your tables in just a minute. I have given each table some gumdrops and
toothpicks. You are not to eat the gumdrops or poke one another with the toothpicks
at all. If I see you doing this, your table will be disqualified immediately. This can only
be fun if you all follow directions. You all are going to use these materials to build a
strong house like the last little pig. The only thing is that it will have to withstand the
wind of the hair dryer! Are there any questions before we begin? You will have 5
minutes to work on building a house. It has to have four walls and a roof. I am going to
call you back to your tables, but please wait to begin until everyone is back in their
seats. Table 1 you may go back to your tabletable 2345. You all may begin
working and think like that last little piggy!! Teacher walks around observing student
work and collaboration. When the 5 minutes is up the teacher will walk around with
the hair dryer and the students will watch to see if they all withstand the wind.

Materials and Resources:
Book Flix
The Three Little Pigs
Chart Paper
Graphic Organizer
Writing paper
Rubric
Gum Drops
Tooth Picks
Hair Dryer

Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):
For students in the green range, they will be asked to fill out more character traits in
the graphic organizer and do an extended writing project based on their opinion
piece.

For students in the red range, those who are not proficient in writing and could not
explain their opinion of the character, will meet with the teacher one on one and
explain their opinion of the character/ prompt to the teacher orally.

Mini-lesson for Character Count
Name: Elizabeth Collier

Date: March 2nd, 2016

Objective or Focus: Students will learn to think before they speak. They will learn
the power of their words and how saying mean things can affect others.

Materials List:
Chart paper Wrinkly Sam
Llama, Llama the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney

Invitation or Introduction: Good morning boys and girls like Ms. Keeter and Ms.
Harding said my name is Loving Lizzie. I heard Ms. Keeter taught you a lot of nice
words you can use to describe people yesterday. These words are also traits that we
should all strive to have. Could anyone tell me a couple of character traits you would
like yourself and others to have? Teacher will listen to words mentioned by students.
For example: kind, trustworthy, honest, good listener, and fun. Yes, those are very
encouraging and nice words! Today I am going to read you all a story. This story is
called, Llama, Llama and the Bully Goat. After reading, the teacher will ask
questions about how the animals in the class were being bullying by the goat and
what the goat should have done.

Teacher Modeling: Teacher will show her paper friend, Sam. Sam is a character
who is smooth and looks very happy. Teacher will ask the class how Sam looks. Okay
class, this is my friend Sam. Sam is a great friend. He is in first grade at another
elementary school. Can anyone tell me how Sam looks right now? (Teacher and
student will list qualities). What if Sams friends at school said mean words to him?
Could anyone predict how that would make him look? Teacher will then lead students
in an activity and model example mean and kind statements. This activity will be the
students sitting in a circle. They will past the paper friend, Sam, around in a circle.
The first time Sam goes around the circle, the students will say something mean to
him. When mean words are said, the students will wrinkle the piece of paper. By the
end, Sam will be a big wrinkled ball. The second time Sam is passed around, the
students will say something kind and unfold Sam. By the end of the second time,

Sam will be unfolded but still not smooth. This will show the class that words have a
lasting impact and to remember to always be kind.

Independent Practice: Okay boys and girls, now we are going to go around the circle
and say something nice about a friend in the classroom. Students will practice saying
kind words to their friends.

Assessment and Reflection: This activity gave the class a clear understanding and
visual that their words to one another have a lasting effect. The class stated that
they did not want Sam to be sad therefore each student was able to say something
loving and encouraging. The classroom teacher, Mrs. Jordan also had the class go
around in the circle and say one nice thing about Elizabeth, Lindsey, or Catherine.