Words That Hurt and Words That Heal

Grades: Kindergarten - 3rd Grade

Goals:

For students to consider the importance of words and actions.

For students to see each other as allies. 

Activity: Read the book One by Kathryn Otoshi. Before reading ask your students to pay attention to the colors and what they mean. As you read the book stop to ask your students questions about how they would feel if they were a certain color. This should help them understand how it feels to be treated differently based upon who they are.

After reading you will have a classroom activity involving a heart. Can be represented with a cut out piece of paper. Each time the students can think of a time someone has said something that hurt their feelings you will crumple the heart. this heart represents the students hearts. During this activity you can have students pari up and talk about times their feelings were hurt to have the kids understnad each other and create compassion.

This book and activity should teach kids that words are hurtful and they need to be careful when they call people names and how those names hurt others.

At the end of this activity you can post the crumpled up heart in the classroom to remind students the power words hold.

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