When you encourage acts of kindness in your upper elementary or middle school classroom, your students will realize just how important compassion, empathy, and gratitude really are and the profound effects kindness can have on the world. They’ll not only treat their classmates with respect, but they’ll also jump at the chance to help each other out!
These three books and writing activities are a great way to motivate your students to be even more kind to one another, inspiring them to practice at home and in their community what they've learned in your caring classroom.
You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.
1. A Drop of Hope + Wishing Well Writing Prompts
This story of friendship and helping others will inspire the kindness, compassion, and gratitude you want to see from your students. When your students open this book, they’ll travel to a hardscrabble town in Ohio, where they’ll meet three friends who know the true secret of a well that suddenly begins granting wishes.
After reading, encourage your students to reflect on the story and the feeling that it evokes with these writing prompts:
- What is one thing you have wished for that has come true? How did your wish come true?
- What is one thing you have wished for that didn’t come true? Why do you think it didn’t come true?
- What is something you hope for in life?
- What have you done in the past to give a friend, loved one, or stranger hope?