Domain:
Social-Emotional Growth
Competency:
Practice empathy and navigate conflict
🎂
4-6 year olds
⏰
10 to 15 minutes min
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Learning Objective
Children will learn to identify how words can make themselves and others feel happy or sad.
Learning Resource Synopsis
In 'Big' by Vashti Harrison, a young Black girl embarks on a journey of self-love, navigating the evolving meaning of the word 'big' in her life. Initially a source of pride, 'big' becomes a term of ridicule as she grows older, prompting feelings of self-doubt. Through the girl's experience with taunting and self-reflection, she learns to embrace herself and the power of choosing positive words over negative ones. The book's soft pink illustrations and simple yet profound text encourage children to consider their own experiences with growth and acceptance, fostering a deeper understanding of self-worth.
Extended Learning Resources
| Resource & Author | Publication Info | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Word Collector | Scholastic, written by Peter H. Reynolds | This story explores the joy and power of words, encouraging children to collect and share positive words to spread happiness and kindness. |
| I Am Enough | HarperCollins, written by Grace Byers and illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo | This empowering book teaches children about self-acceptance and the importance of using affirming words to build confidence and resilience. |
| Words Are Not for Hurting | Free Spirit Publishing, written by Elizabeth Verdick and illustrated by Marieka Heinlen | This book helps young readers understand how words can affect others and encourages them to choose kind and supportive language. |
Vocabulary List
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Big | Something that takes up a lot of space or is larger than other things. | The elephant is big and takes up a lot of room. |
| Kind | Being nice and helpful to others. | He was kind when he shared his toys with his friend. |
| Feel | How something makes you happy or sad inside. | When she got a hug, she felt happy. |
| Words | Things we say or write to tell others what we think or feel. | She used her words to say 'thank you' to her teacher. |
| Happy | Feeling good and full of smiles. | He felt happy when he played with his puppy. |
Prompt
Essential Question: "How can the words we choose make someone feel happy or sad, and how can we use kind words to make everyone feel good?"
Today, let's think about how the words we use can make us feel inside. Some words can make us feel happy, while others might make us feel a little sad. Together, we'll explore how choosing kind words can help everyone feel good and loved.
Anticipatory Set
- Begin by inviting the children to close their eyes and think about a time when someone said something kind to them. Ask them to imagine how that made their heart feel, like a warm hug or a big smile.
- Now, gently ring a bell or play a soft chime sound. Encourage the children to listen carefully and let the sound fill their ears, imagining it as a kind word spreading happiness all around.
- Invite the children to open their eyes and share with a partner what kind words they would like to hear today. Encourage them to use sentence starters like 'I feel happy when someone says..' to guide their sharing.
Teacher Tips
- Encourage all responses and remind children that everyone's feelings are important and valid.
- Use a visual aid, like a heart picture, to symbolize how words can fill our hearts with happiness.
- If some children are shy, offer the option to draw their feelings or words instead of speaking out loud.
Learn
Let's dive into 'Big' by Vashti Harrison, a story about a young girl finding her strength and learning the power of words. As we read, we'll discover how she learns to love herself and uses kind words to feel good inside.
Interactive Engagement
- Look at the picture on this page. What do you notice about the girl's expression? How do you think she is feeling?
- The word 'big' means something different to the girl now. Can you think of a time when a word made you feel different as you grew up?
- As we read about the girl's experience with words, let's pause and think: What kind words could we use to make her feel happy?
- I wonder why the girl feels unsure about herself right now. What do you think might help her feel better?
- Look at the soft pink illustrations. How do they make you feel? Do they remind you of something comforting?
Teacher Tips
- Use expressive voices for the characters to help bring their emotions to life and keep children engaged.
- Pause occasionally to encourage students to observe and discuss the illustrations, which can deepen their connection to the story.
- Model your thinking process by sharing your thoughts and emotions as you read, inviting students to share theirs as well.
Ask
Now that we've read 'Big', let's take some time to think about how words made the girl in the story feel, and how they might make us feel too. We can also think about ways we can use kind words to help others feel good.
Discussion Questions
- Can you think of a time when someone said something that made you feel really happy or sad? What happened?
- The girl learned to feel proud of herself by the end of the story. How do you think she did that, and what could you do to feel proud of yourself?
- Imagine you are friends with the girl in the story. What kind words would you say to her to help her feel happy and loved?
Teacher Tips
- Encourage children to share personal experiences by modeling with a simple story of your own, showing how words affected you.
- Use gentle prompts to help children express emotions, such as asking what colors or weather might match their feelings.
- Create a safe and open environment where every child feels comfortable sharing, and remind them that there are no wrong answers.
Navigate
Feelings Word Garden: Cultivate Positivity
In this activity, children will explore how words influence feelings by creating a 'Feelings Word Garden.' Inspired by the journey of self-acceptance in 'Big,' this activity encourages children to reflect on the power of words and their impact on emotions. By choosing and sharing words that make them feel happy, children learn to cultivate positivity and kindness, fostering resilience and empathy.
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Teacher Tips
- Encourage children to think of words that describe qualities they love about themselves or kind words they've heard.
- Guide children in sharing by using prompts like, 'Can you tell us why this word makes you happy?'.
- Use this activity as an opportunity to introduce new vocabulary that emphasizes kindness and self-worth.
Share
As we come to the end of our lesson, let's take a moment to remember our journey with the story 'Big'. Think about how the words we choose can make us and others feel, and how we've learned to use kind words to make everyone feel good.
Reflection Questions
- Can you think of a word from the story that made you feel happy or proud? How did it make you feel?
- What is something new you learned about how words can change feelings? How might you use this when talking to your friends?
- Think about a time today when you felt proud of yourself for using kind words. What did you say, and how did it help someone else?
Teacher Tips
- Provide art materials for children to draw their reflections and share their ideas visually.
- Use simple sentence starters like 'I felt..' or 'I learned..' to help children express their thoughts.
- Acknowledge each child's contribution with a smile and a nod, reinforcing their confidence and encouraging further sharing.
UDL Strategies
Representation
- Visual: Use a large poster with colorful images of different emotions like happy, sad, surprised, etc., and place it in the 'garden' area for children to reference while choosing their words.
- Auditory: Play soft background music that corresponds to different emotions as children work on their paper flowers, helping them associate music with feelings.
- Tactile/Kinesthetic: Include textured materials (like fabric or sandpaper) on the emotion cards for children to touch, linking textures with words as they create their flowers.
- Scaffolding: Start with discussing simple emotion words and use storybooks that feature relatable characters experiencing these emotions, gradually moving to more complex feelings by the end of the activity.
- Comprehension Levels: Provide emotion word cards with both words and pictures, allowing children to choose based on their reading ability, ensuring every child can participate.
Action & Expression
- Verbal: Host a 'Feelings Circle' where children sit in a circle and take turns sharing their words and why they chose them, fostering verbal expression and group interaction.
- Artistic: Provide a variety of art supplies such as glitter, stamps, and stickers for children to decorate their flowers, enabling them to express emotions through art.
- Physical: Organize a 'Feelings Parade' where children walk around the room with their flowers, expressing the emotion through their walk or gestures, promoting physical expression.
- Communication Preferences: Offer the option to use a voice recorder for children to record a short message about their word, accommodating those who prefer digital expression.
- Ability Levels: Use simple sentence starters like 'I feel happy when..' to help children articulate their thoughts, supporting those who may need a little more guidance.
Engagement
- Initial Attention: Begin with a puppet show using emotion puppets that enact scenarios where words affect feelings, capturing children's attention through storytelling.
- Maintaining Engagement: Introduce a 'Garden Keeper' role where children take turns being responsible for adding flowers to the garden, keeping them actively engaged in the process.
- Motivation Preferences: Allow children to choose between creating their flower with materials like colored paper, felt, or foam, ensuring they can engage in a medium they enjoy.
Assessment Criteria
Formative Assessment
- Observe children's engagement during the activity, focusing on their ability to select and verbalize words that reflect positive feelings about themselves or others, such as their enthusiasm in sharing and explaining their chosen word.
- Use a one-on-one interaction approach to ask children to elaborate on their word choice and its impact, noting their ability to articulate why the word makes them feel happy and their understanding of its potential effect on peers.
- Monitor peer interactions and feedback, looking for evidence of empathy and kindness in responses, such as children offering supportive comments and recognizing the impact of words shared by their classmates.
Summative Assessment
- Evaluate children's creation of a 'Feelings Reflection Journal' entry, assessing their ability to accurately identify a word and its associated emotion, and their reflection on the impact words have on themselves and others, using drawings or dictated thoughts if necessary.
- Assess children's contribution to the 'Feelings Word Wall' by ensuring each child provides a word that accurately reflects an emotion, accompanied by a clear explanation or illustration that demonstrates their understanding of the word's significance and its empathetic consideration of others' feelings.
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