being nice

 Materials:

 Introduction

This lesson can be started by reading a book about a nice deed or a bad deed, or showing an action picture of a nice deed or bad deed that the children can discuss.

  Objective/Purpose

The child will differentiate between 'nice' and 'mean' and will give examples of each term.

 Procedure:

1. Ask children: What does being nice mean? Allow open discussion. What does being mean, mean? Allow open discussion. Assess children's concept of the two words and their definitions and shape if necessary giving examples of things that are nice and things that are mean.

2. Ask children to think of one mean thing that they do to other people that they would like to stop doing. If a child cannot think of something mean they do, let other children assist with ideas.

3. Let children share the thing that they do mean and write their thoughts down on the paper to save.

4. Let children share something they do that is nice and write their thoughts down on paper to save.

5. Remind children to be aware of the ways they are nice to others and to work on the one mean thing they would like to change throughout the day.

6. At the end of the day, revisit the chart and see how the children did at following through on correcting a mean deed. Praise all who succeeded and encourage those who did not succeed to try again tomorrow.

  Practice & Extended Activities:

The important thing when changing behavior is to be aware that success breed success. Try to help those children who are less likely to succeed in overcoming their one mean deed by reminding them more frequently, setting up a cue to help them remember the deed, or assigning a deed buddy to assist them. Notes can be sent home to parents to let them know what their child is working on so that the idea of changing one mean thing can be carried over in the home.

disclaimer  copyright

                    Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.   -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Revised: 02/14/2008.