We had our first Swooper Citizens lesson of the year this morning!  First graders began learning about how to become “swooper” citizens (so named because of our school’s mascot, Swoop, the owl) last year in Kindergarten.  Each week, the first grade and Kindergarten classes come together to learn about a character trait.  This year, we are starting off with the important trait of kindness.

We began by discussing ways that others have shown kindness to us in the past and how it made us feel.  Students suggested experiences wherein friends shared, helped each other when one was hurt, and showed good sportsmanship by saying, “Good job!” at the end of a game.  We all agreed that we feel happy both when we show kindness and when kindness is shown to us.

Next, we watched this video, in which students of various ages share what kindness means to them:

Next, we read the book, “The Invisible Boy” by Trudy Ludwig.  Here’s a synopsis from Amazon:

A simple act of kindness can transform an invisible boy into a friend…

Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party . . . until, that is, a new kid comes to class.

When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine.

From esteemed author and speaker Trudy Ludwig and acclaimed illustrator Patrice Barton, this gentle story shows how small acts of kindness can help children feel included and allow them to flourish.

After a discussion about the acts of kindness in the book and their effects on its characters, we said goodbye to our Kindergarten friends and returned to our classroom.

We will be keeping a journal of each character trait we discuss.  First, we agree on a definition of that trait.  Then, each student creates an illustration showing that trait and writes one example of how it can be demonstrated.  The students did a wonderful job of thinking of ways to show kindness every day!