Social Awareness

Classroom Guidance

Grades 2nd-3rd

 

Goal

 

Knowing that your actions affect others

Check-in

 

How are you feeling right now?

Questions Before you Begin

 

  • Do my actions affect others?

  • Can I tell what someone else is thinking or feeling? 

  • Who knows what the word empathy means?

Building Background

 

Today we are going to talk about social awareness. Last time we said that awareness means to learn about someone or something. But, we have a new word, social. Do you know what social means?

 

Social just means being around people. So, today we are going to learn something about the people around us. Let me ask you a question. Can we tell what other people are thinking even when we don’t talk to them? How can we tell what someone is feeling?

 

We can look at someone’s face or body to see how they are feeling. Let me show you. How am I feeling if I do this? (sad face and body language)

 

I’m sad. What about this? (do this a few more times with excitement, anger and scared) Do we always know how someone is feeling by looking at them? Can we always know EXACTLY how they feel? Hmmm...good question, huh? Now we are going to try something that is going to show us a little bit more about what I am talking about.

Watch "T.H.I.N.K before you Speak "

Watch "The Crayon Box that Talked"

 

Discuss after Watching

 

Discuss how all the crayons were acting at the beginning of the poem.  How does that compare to the end?  What did the little girl do to change their thinking?  How is this like dealing with classmates?  Discuss how looking at others’ strengths can help us find our own and be the best version of ourselves.

 

Activity (Choose 1)

 

Draw it!

 

Experts say that humans have about 70,000 thoughts a day.  We think so many things in a day.  Many thoughts just POP in our heads.  However, it is important to filter or choose which thoughts become words.  When we practice Social Awareness, we choose words that are helpful and not hurtful. 

 

Have he student fold a piece of paper in half.  Draw a thinking bubble on one side of the paper. Your thinking bubble is the spot where the thoughts in your mind go. Draw a filter along the center line = Social Filter.  On the other side of the paper draw a speech bubble. These are the things you actually say out loud.  Below are a list of thoughts your may have.  You will use your social filter to change the thought into WORDS that are positive.

 

  • “This game is dumb.”
  • “I don’t want to do that.”
  • “That shirt is ugly.”

 

Discuss:

  • What does it mean to stop and think before speaking?
  • Why it is important to stop before you say something?
  • What can happen if you don’t use a social filter?
  • What are some questions you could ask yourself to make sure you are saying something kind?

 

Toothpaste Activity

 

Materials Needed:  Travel size toothpaste, plastic knife, paper plate/paper towel, timer

 

 

Ask the student to squeeze all the toothpaste out of the tube onto the plate or paper towel.  Time them.  After they finish, ask them to put the toothpaste back into the toothpaste tube using the plastic knife. Time them.

 

Discuss:

  • How difficult was it to put the toothpaste back in the tube. 
  • How much longer did it take them to put the toothpaste back into the tube?
  • How is this similar to when someone uses unkind words?  It’s quick and easy to say unkind words, but it’s hard and messy to try to take them back. 
  • How can this hurt a relationship you have? Talk about how the mess of the toothpaste tube symbolizes how it can ruin a relationship.

Check for Understanding

 

  • Do my actions affect others?
  • What is one thing I can do to see how someone is thinking or feeling?
  • How can I show empathy to someone?

Mindful Moment

Mind Yeti

Friendly Wishes

 

1. Lie on your back with your legs flat on the floor and your arms by your sides.  If you like, you can close your eyes.

 

2.  Feel the back of your head touching the floor (or pillow) and feel your arms and hands relaxing into the ground,  Feel your back, your legs, and your feet relaxing too.

 

3.  Now we're going to send some friendly wishes together.

Picture yourself feeling happy.  Imagine that you're smiling, laughing, and having fun.  Even if you're not feeling happy right now, that's Okay.  Just imagine what it's like when you're doing something that you love to do-when you feel happy, safe, and peaceful.

 

Now silently in your mind, say to yourself:  I want to be happy.  I want to be healthy and strong.  I want to be safe.  I want to feel peaceful and content.  I hope to feel lots of love.  You can use my wishes or choose your own wishes and say them in your own words.

 

Notice where in your body you feel these wishes-maybe in your chest, your belly, or your head-and imagine that your wishes create a warm feeling there that grows when you pay attention to it.  You can also give this feeling a color.  It can be any color you want-maybe it's blue, red, or yellow.  Imagine that this warm feeling, with a beautiful color, grows from the place it started in all directions, every time you say a friendly wish.  I want to be happy....

 

Now let this feeling spread so far that it starts to reach all the way out to your fingers, toes, and to the top of your head-and finally into your room.  Imagine that the other people in the room can feel this warm feeling you're creating too!  I want to be happy....

 

Picture this feeling spreading so far that it moves out of the room, into the building, to fill the city, the country, and finally the whole world.  In your imagination, you can invite anyone you want-someone in your family, a friend, or a pet-to enjoy this feeling with you! This time you can send your friendly wishes out to them.  Silently say:  I want you to be strong and healthy.  I hope you feel peaceful, safe, and happy....

 

4.  When you are ready, open your eyes and feel your body against the floor again.  Sit up slowly.  Reach your hands high up to the sky as you take a big breath in, and as you breathe out, lower your hands to your knees.