This is one of my favorite lessons to do, whether I am teaching 1st grade or 6th grade! It is easily adaptable and is a great way to teach about adjectives, character education, and bullying. I decided to create this lesson when my first graders were struggling at getting along with one another.
First, I have students brainstorm positive adjectives that describe others. I had the first graders brainstorm whole group on the SmartBoard, while my sixth graders worked in small groups, then shared aloud in teams. The upper graders quickly learned to grab a thesaurus and started coming up with incredible words.
After our discussion on positive adjectives, I give out a sheet of paper with everyone's name on it (with every name in a box, like flashcards). Students then write one positive adjective for each student, and I only let them use that adjective once! This makes the children really think about their peers and can't put "nice" for all the students.
When all students have finished writing a positive adjective for each friend, we cut them up and deliver to the students like Valentines (which I have done this lesson on Valentine's Day before). I give each child an envelope to put the word inside. In the end, the students will have 20-30 adjectives about them from their peers.
The upper graders then typed up their own "bookmark" in the computer lab with a partner (Used Microsoft Word. We formatted by using two columns (each partner used a column), placing name at the top, centered, then scrolled down 4 inches to leave a space for the photograph). The words in bold type mean that the student received that adjective more than once. For the littler kids, I enlisted some parent help to collect the envelopes and help the kids type them at a later time.
I like to add photos and laminate them so the students can go back and look at when they are having a rough day. We all need a reminder that people do see the best in us!
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