This lesson about kindness will bring students a greater sense of connection to their classmates and community. Research on emotions has consistently found that when we have compassion for others, and when we put that compassion into action by being kind, it increases our own feelings of well-being. In this lesson, students practice an act of kindness, and they discover that kindness has a dual purpose – it benefits others while also improving their own level of happiness and satisfaction.
Recognize that kindness toward others is linked to increased happiness and well-being.
Build connections within the community by bringing joy to others.
Have paper and art supplies available for students.
Display the ‘welcome slide’ from the Lesson 2 PowerPoint as you begin.
*Slide 1
*Slide 2
Explain that doing something kind for someone else can make the person who is being kind feel happy too.
Encourage students to reflect on a time when they were kind to someone else and how it made them feel inside.
Example of What You Could Say:
“Today, I am excited to share something new with you, and it is an idea that may feel a little bit surprising at first. When you are kind to other people, it actually makes you feel happier too!
Can you think of a time when you were kind to someone else? Maybe you helped a friend when they hurt themselves on the playground, made a card for someone in your family, or helped a sibling or parent clean up at home. Often times, when we do something nice for someone else, it makes us feel happier too. Let’s take a moment to pause and reflect on this. (Pause for a minute.)”
Introduce today’s activity – doing an act of kindness together as a class.
Example of What You Could Say:
“Thank you for taking a moment to pause and reflect. Now, we are going to do something together as a class that will help to bring happiness to the people around us in our school/community.”
*Slide 3
Select a group from your school or community who will receive the students’ drawings (for example, another classroom, another school, a local fire station, hospital, or senior citizen center), and tell your students which group you have chosen.
Share your example of your artwork. Instruct students to draw a positive image that they think would make someone happy. Ask students to brainstorm ideas for their pictures, and write these ideas on the board for inspiration.
Students work on their art independently for approximately 15 minutes. Circulate the room and support students as they are making their art. Play music if you feel it’s appropriate.
Example of What You Could Say:
“Today we are going to do an activity together, an act of kindness. We are going to create drawings and send or bring them to… (Share where you will send or bring the drawings.) Our hope is that when people see our drawings, it will brighten their day.
I want to share a drawing that I made. (Show students your drawing.) My hope when I made this drawing is that when I give it to someone else, it will bring them joy. I notice that when I do something nice for someone else, it really does make me happier too. Can you think of a picture you would want to draw that would bring a smile to someone’s face when they look at it? (Answers may be: butterfly, smiley face, heart, flower, etc. – write these examples for students to see on the board.)
These are all wonderful ideas! Let’s take 15 minutes to draw our pictures. If you would like to write words along with your drawing, you could do that as well.”
Invite students to share their drawings with the class.
Gather the art to bring to the intended recipients or organize your students to bring their drawings to another classroom.
Ask students how it felt for them to do this activity.
Encourage students to continue practicing acts of kindness beyond today’s lesson.
Example of What You Could Say:
“Would anyone like to share their drawing? (Allow students to share.)
Thank you for sharing your wonderful drawings! We are gathering your drawings to give to… (Name your intended recipient.) I know that each time they look at your art, it will bring a smile to their face and brighten their day. How did it feel to make this art with the purpose of giving it to someone else to make their day better? (Allow students to share.)
Is this something we think we can do more throughout our lives? We can do simple things every day. It’s as easy as holding a door open for someone, giving a genuine compliment to a teacher or friend, or saying hi to someone who seems like they are feeling down. Remember: doing these kind things makes us feel good too! When we work together as a group, we can have an even bigger impact on the world around us.”
Put POSITIVE WORDS on Post-its or UPLIFTING QUOTES on sheets of paper. Place them on the walls around the classroom, school, or a community center.
Play this video of high school student Shreya Patel, who describes the inspiration behind the organization she and her sister created called “Letters Against Isolation.” They wrote letters to help ease loneliness in senior citizens. After the video, reflect on how uplifting it can feel to be kind, and then have students WRITE LETTERS to an organization of their choosing or to the Letters Against Isolation non-profit.