The Gratitude Project

The Swooper Citizens theme of the month is Thankfulness. This topic is so important, we decided to spend three weeks on it!

I had so much fun planning the lesson for this week.  We started by asking the students to tell us about a time someone did something nice for them and then asked, “How did you show that you were thankful?” Students mentioned that they hugged the person, said “Thank you,” or even made a card.

The definition of thankfulness is to appreciate what you have or what someone else does for you. We asked the students for some examples of things for which they are thankful. Then, to illustrate of how different our life would be if we didn’t have certain items, we played the “How Would You Feel Without It” Game. I had dozens of picture cards in a jar…pictures of iPhone, blankets, books, shoes, televisions, toys, fruit etc. Students chose a card and said how they would feel without these items. They came to realize that while some items are not necessary, there are other items with which we could not live without.

Next I read aloud The Most Thankful Thing, by Lisa McCourt.

screen-shot-2016-11-07-at-10-24-27-am

When a little girl asks her mom what her “most thankful thing ever” is, Mom turns the question into a fun trip down memory lane. Turning the pages of Mom’s photo album, they discover many wonderful moments in Mom’s life, from summer camp to winning a trophy in a soccer tournament, from singing onstage to her wedding day. But one event in Mom’s whole life is the very best ever — the birth of her precious little girl.

We discussed things for which we are thankful a bit more and then shifted the conversation to showing thankfulness. How can we show gratitude? How can we show that we appreciate someone or something? Join us in the Gratitude Project Challenge! Click on the link below to learn more.

Over the course of the next few weeks, we are encouraging students to perform three acts of gratitude, either from our list or using an idea of their own. We brainstormed who we could appreciate. Ideas included family members, pets, teachers, and friends. Keep me posted on how the Gratitude Project is progressing in your house by commenting on this blog post. I can’t wait to hear your creative ideas on showing thankfulness.