​ lementary Education Program

E
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Design Document for Lesson Plan

Name: ​Becca Churchill and Mandy Thompson

Grade Level: ​1st Grade
Concept/Topic: ​Kindness
Length of Lesson (in minutes): ​30-45 minutes

Learning Objectives​: ​What are your learning objectives? (What new understandings will the
students have as a result of this lesson? Make sure learning objectives are measurable.)
● Students can see how different people’s actions and choices can affect the people around
them.
● Students will analyze and share examples of where they see kind actions in themselves
and peers. Students can demonstrate how even small actions can make an impact in the
lives of other people.
​Under which standards from North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NC-SCOS) do these
learning objectives fall?
● 1.C&G.1.3 Summarize various ways in which conflicts could be resolved in homes,
schools, classrooms and communities.
● 1.C.1 Understand the diversity of people in the local community.

Key Tasks/Activities​: ​What are the key activities or tasks that you plan to use? What is your
rationale for why you have selected these particular tasks/activities to meet your learning
objectives?
● Read Aloud of “Each Kindness” by Jacqueline Woodson
○ Page 2 Questions
■ What do you think Maya is feeling?
■ How can you tell what Maya is feeling, does the picture have something
that tells us how she is feeling?
○ Page 5 Questions
■ What did the student’s do when the teacher asked them to say good
morning to Maya?
● Why do you think they stayed silent?
○ Page 6 Questions
■ How does Chloe treat Maya? Why do you think she acts that way?
○ Questions
 ​ lementary Education Program
E
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

■ What does Maya face with the students in her class? Why do her
classmates treat her this way?
■ What could Maya do if she was feeling alone, left out, or rejected by her
classmates?
○ Post Reading Questions
■ Kindness is like tiny waves “each little thing we do goes out, like a ripple
into the world.” Chloe was unable to think of even a tiny kindness she had
done. What small act of kindness could Chloe have shown during the
story?
■ Why didn’t anyone in the class choose to be kind to Maya?
■ How does Chloe feel when Maya moves away and does not return to
school?
● Questions from: ​https://witsprogram.ca/book/each-kindness/
● Activity involving a bowl filled with water and small stones to demonstrate how kindness
spreads into the world.
○ Bring a big bowl into class and fill it with water. Have the students gather around
the desk and watch us drop small stones into it. They should notice how the tiny
waves ripple out, away from the stone. Tell them this is what kindness does, each
little thing we do goes out, like a ripple into the world.
○ Let each child drop a stone into the bowl of water as they tell the class what kind
things they have done. These can be small things too, such as holding the door for
someone or carrying books for someone.
○ Ask:
■ “What are some ways we can show kindness to everyone?
■ “How can we use kindness to solve problems with our friends?”
■ “How does it feel when someone is kind to you?”
● “How can you spread the feeling kindness gives you to others?”
● Rationale
○ We selected these specific activities, a read-aloud and the demonstration with the
water, to get students thinking about kindness and begin thinking about how their
actions affect the people around them. In the book, the class treats Maya as an
outcast and she ends up leaving the school. Chloe feels bad for not treating Maya
kindly and wishes to tell Maya all the kind things after their lesson on kindness.
We thought doing the bowl activity, that is discussed in the book would provide
students with a visual to learn more about kindness and start the discussion of
kindness and its effects. This leads students into a discussion and then further
thinking about how they can be kind to others in the future. We wanted to teach
 ​ lementary Education Program
E
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

about kindness because bullying, exclusion, sexism, and racism are getting to be
bigger and bigger issues in today’s world and we believe if we instill kindness and
love in young students we can combat these social issues at young ages.

Anticipating Students’ Responses​: ​How do you anticipate that students will respond to your
planned activities/tasks? This does not mean their response affectively, but instead their
response academically (e.g., What prior knowledge or conceptions might they bring? How do
you think they will approach or solve the task(s)?). When necessary, please insert images of your
handwritten anticipated approaches/strategies. Be specific - use your anticipated responses to
help you plan your questions in the lesson plan.
● When the students share their kind action during the water bowl activity, we anticipate
that not all students will feel comfortable sharing or will not feel as if they have done an
act of kindness, like the main character in the book felt. We think that some students will
have prior knowledge on this concept, but they may also have some misconceptions
about kindness. Some students may not even realize if their daily actions are kind or not
kind. After reading the book, we believe the students will approach the activity with an
open mind and be eager to share how they’ve been kind to others.

Responding to Students’ Responses:​ ​Describe how you will provide scaffolding for students
who are stuck, and describe how you will extend the thinking of students who have a firm grasp
on the target content/objectives.
● We think that the wait time will be really important. If our students are being really quiet,
we need to make sure to wait the appropriate amount of time and if students are still
quiet, then we will need to rephrase the question in easier language. We think that it will
be really important to acknowledge each student’s thoughts and feelings and make sure to
empower them. For instance, telling each student “thank you for sharing,” at the end of
their statement. We will try to keep the conversation focused on being kind and positive
behaviors rather than negative ones so it might help to tell students that want to share
something mean that happened, “I’m sorry that happened to you, can you think of
something kind that has happened today?” and refocusing them on kindness.

Development of Practices among Students​: ​Which disciplinary practices does your lesson aim
to develop? (e.g., “construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others”, “develop
and use models”) How do the task(s) develop the target practice(s)?
● Our lesson focuses on using positive behaviors of kindness, inclusion, and being a friend
and how making positive choices affects those around you, rather than making the
conversation about bullying and exclusion. We chose to do this because positive
 ​ lementary Education Program
E
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

behaviors are easier to frame for students, rather than telling students, “don’t be mean”
and giving examples, we are telling students how to be kind and showing how much
easier and better it is to be kind to one another. We hope to use positive reinforcement to
manage the students and lesson, rather than yelling or punishments.

Assessment​: ​Describe your assessment plan for the targeted learning objective(s). What specific
data/information will you use, and how will that data/information tell you that the students
have/have not met the objective?
● For our assessment, we chose to go around and have each student share something kind
they have done for someone else. We want to make sure every student has something to
share so we will provide basic examples that most people have done. We are using this
activity to have the children reflect on their everyday actions and choices, along with to
see if they understand the concept and meaning of kindness. This information will tell us
if the students have or have not met the objectives because in order to answer the
question, they must fully understand the topic.

Vocabulary/Language Function​: ​Define vocabulary that students will need to know in order to
access the content and goals of your lesson. Be precise and careful with your language. Please
attend to three types of vocabulary:
● Content vocabulary (e.g., obtuse, molecule, civil rights)
○ Kindness: the quality or state of being kind
○ Friends: one attached to another by affection or esteem
● Academic language (e.g., represent, model, compare)
○ Principal: A person in charge of running a school
○ Thawed: to go from frozen to liquid
○ Rippled: to be covered with soft or little waves
● Key non-content vocabulary that is necessary to understand the task/activity
○ Ragged: old, worn, or tattered
○ Secondhand: acquired after being used by another; not new
○ Brilliant: striking, distinctive

Classroom Management Plan​: ​Explain how you will motivate students to engage in the lesson,
how you will set and enforce expectations, and how you will ensure that transitions are smooth
and efficient.
● We plan on motivating students to engage in the lesson by reading the book to the class
to get them excited about the activity. We will set and enforce clear expectations,
especially during the class discussion. We will do this by making sure everyone is being
 ​ lementary Education Program
E
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

respectful of other opinions and supporting one another so that they feel comfortable
sharing. We will ensure smooth and efficient transitions by incorporating attention getters
and positive reinforcement within the classroom.

Lesson Plan

Name: Becca Churchill and Mandy Thompson

Grade: 1st Grade
Topic/Concept: Kindness
Materials/Resources:
● “Each Kindness” by Jacqueline Woodson
● Mixing Bowl
● Small Stones
● Water

Teaching Behavior Focus: Orchestrate Discussions

● We hope through the read-aloud and bowl activity to begin a discussion focused on being
kind to one another. During the read-aloud, we plan to stop and ask questions and allow
time for students to discuss how the book made them feel. We will use a wait time of
more than 3 seconds to allow students to think about the questions and form answers. We
hope to use our discussions as a starting point in our classroom to begin a culture of
kindness that will continue for the rest of the year. We also plan on asking them to talk
about a time they have been kind, during the bowl activity and plan to further probe them
to not only discuss kindness but think about kind actions throughout the day

Learning Objectives (measurable):

● Students can see how different people’s actions and choices can affect the people around
them.
● Students will analyze and share examples of where they see kind actions in themselves
and peers. Students can demonstrate how even small actions can make an impact in the
lives of other people.

Standards:
● 1.C&G.1.3 Summarize various ways in which conflicts could be resolved in homes,
schools, classrooms and communities.
● 1.C.1 Understand the diversity of people in the local community.
 ​ lementary Education Program
E
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Assessment Plan (How will you know that your students met the objective?):
● For our assessment, we chose to go around and have each student share something kind
they have done for someone else. We want to make sure every student has something to
share so we will provide basic examples that most people have done. We are using this
activity to have the children reflect on their everyday actions and choices, along with to
see if they understand the concept and meaning of kindness. This information will tell us
if the students have or have not met the objectives because in order to answer the
question, they must fully understand the topic.

New Vocabulary:
● Content vocabulary (e.g., obtuse, molecule, civil rights)
○ Kindness: the quality or state of being kind
○ Friends: one attached to another by affection or esteem
● Academic language (e.g., represent, model, compare)
○ Principal: A person in charge of running a school
○ Thawed: to go from frozen to liquid
○ Rippled: to be covered with soft or little waves
● Key non-content vocabulary that is necessary to understand the task/activity
○ Ragged: old, worn, or tattered
○ Secondhand: acquired after being used by another; not new
○ Brilliant: striking, distinctive

Note: A detailed lesson plan is specific enough for another teacher to read and teach
effectively. There should not be any question regarding what to do or how to do it.

___________________________________________________________________________

Lesson Development (hook/engage/launch, step by step in real time, include questions you will
ask in real time, closure/revisiting learning objectives):

● Hook
○ Think, pair, share
■ “What does kindness mean to you?”
■ “How can you show kindness to someone?”
■ Allow for each pair to share their answer to the question.
 ​ lementary Education Program
E
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

○ Then tell students, “Today we are going to be reading a book titled ‘Each
Kindness’, it is about a new girl at school, named Maya, trying to make friends
with her classmate, Chloe.”
● Step by Step actions
1. Read Aloud “Each Kindness” by Jacqueline Woodson
a. Ask discussion Questions During the Read-Aloud
i. Page 2 Questions
1. What do you think Maya is feeling?
2. How can you tell what Maya is feeling, does the picture
have something that tells us how she is feeling?
ii. Page 5 Questions
1. What did the student’s do when the teacher asked them to
say good morning to Maya?
a. Why do you think they stayed silent?
iii. Page 7 Questions
1. How does Chloe treat Maya? Why do you think she acts
that way?
iv. Page 10 Questions
1. What does Maya face with the students in her class? Why
do her classmates treat her this way?
2. What could Maya do if she was feeling alone, left out, or
rejected by her classmates?
b. Post Reading Questions
i. Kindness is like tiny waves “each little thing we do goes out, like a
ripple into the world.” Chloe was unable to think of even a tiny
kindness she had done. What small act of kindness could Chloe
have shown during the story?
ii. Why didn’t anyone in the class choose to be kind to Maya?
iii. How does Chloe feel when Maya moves away and does not return
to school?
1. Questions from:
https://witsprogram.ca/book/each-kindness/
2. Activity involving a bowl filled with water and small stones to demonstrate how
kindness spreads into the world.
a. Bring a big bowl into class and fill it with water. Have the students gather
around the desk and watch us drop small stones into it. They should notice
 ​ lementary Education Program
E
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

how the tiny waves ripple out, away from the stone. Tell them this is what
kindness does, each little thing we do goes out, like a ripple into the world.
b. Let each child drop a stone into the bowl of water as they tell the class
what kind things they have done. These can be small things too, such as
holding the door for someone or carrying books for someone.
c. Ask:
i. “What are some ways we can show kindness to everyone?
ii. “How can we use kindness to solve problems with our friends?”
iii. “How does it feel when someone is kind to you?”
1. “How can you spread the feeling kindness gives you to
others?”
● Closure
○ Remind students about the book and how simple it is to be kind. Have them try to
be kind to others, be more conscious of their actions and how they affect the
people around them.