Book Link Kit Title: Growing up is Hard Grade level Book Link Kit is intended for: 1
Author: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
ISBN: 006-029200-8
This Book Link Kit was planned by: Marissa Crane
Concept or trait taught: Feelings
Anticipatory Set: Show a picture of many faces with different expressions and ask the students to point to an expression for each situation described: How do you feel when you have to do chores? How do you feel when your siblings don’t share with you? How do you feel when your mom hugs you?
Listening Focus: Pay attention to the feelings Sammy has throughout the day.
Method for Sharing: Read the story aloud to the entire class, stopping every few pages and discussing Sammy’s specific feelings and reasons for feeling that way.
Some suggestions for questions are:
· Have you ever felt like Sammy before?
· What do you do when you feel sad?
· What did Sammy need to help him? To talk about his feelings and understand them.
· What made Sammy feel better? Talking to his dad.
· What else could Sammy do beside talk to his dad?
· How does sharing your feelings make you feel?
· What happens when we just think about all the bad things that happen to us? We get sad and mad.
· What can we do when we get mad or sad? Talk to someone.
Instruction/Activity: As a class discuss how it is that talking about your feelings makes you feel better. Invite the children to share personal experiences and contribute your own as well.
Each student will create a “My Feelings” book. Each page includes a drawing of a negative feeling and a positive one, accompanied by a sentence. For example: I feel sad when I break things…I feel happy when I play soccer. Book should be at least 4 pages in length. Help children to identify feelings.
Have the students share their books with their classmates.
Introduce the concrete object: a telephone. Explain that we can call someone to tell them how we feel and doing that will help us to feel better. Let the students know that the telephone will be available in the classroom for the students to pretend to call someone when they need to. Encourage all the students to use it. Model a phone conversation with a relative to show relief through expressing yourself. Explain that we better understand our feelings when we share them and that when no one is around to talk to, we can call someone. In the classroom we will simply pretend to call people. After a pretend phone call is made, the child will list the name of the person called on a notepad beside the phone.
Closure: Tell the students to show with their faces how Sammy felt when he accidentally spilt paint. How did he feel when his dad came home? How did he feel at the park after talking to his dad? Have the students compare their facial expressions with their neighbor.
Evaluation: Write one word for each page of the book to describe Sammy’s feelings. (full credit is given for thoughtful responses)
Activity Cards…
1. Activity: “Make a timeline of the main events in the story”
(Blooms level: Knowledge)
2. Activity: “Cut and paste pictures from magazines to show how Sammy felt at the end of the story”
(Blooms level: Comprehension)
3. Activity: Create a dictionary about feelings to give to a kindergartener
(Blooms level: Application)
4. Activity: “Draw a map to show where Sammy and his dad walked to”
(Blooms level: Analysis)
5. Activity: “Write a song the dad could sing to Sammy”
(Blooms level: Synthesis)
6. Activity: “Write a letter to Sammy’s mom describing Sammy’s feelings and the changes that have happened”
(Blooms level: Evaluation)
You shared your feelings with a teacher.
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You called your grandpa.
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You wrote your feelings in your journal.
Move forward 2 spaces
You told your mom about a problem at school.
Move forward 2 spaces
You listened to a friend when you got mad.
Move forward 1 space
You left a fight.
Move forward 1 space
You went to class early to talk to your teacher.
Move forward 1 space
You told your brother you like it when he shares.
Move forward 1 space
You got scared and did not tell anyone.
Move back 1 space
You were mad and didn’t talk to anyone.
Move back 1 space
You got in a fight on the playground.
Move back 1 space
You didn’t ask for help when you needed it.
Move back 1 space