Second - Third Grade

Developmental Characteristics

Physical

  • Enthusiastic about games

  • Experiencing improvement in both gross and fine motor skills

  • Possess a high activity level

  • Practice to master variations of movement for physical activities

  • Enjoy games that allow for comparison of skills

  • Enjoy games that allow for self-f-improvement

Social Emotional

  • Have a strong drive toward independence

  • Develop a strong sense of loyalty to friends

  • Need to belong to a group

  • Play with and are friends with same-sex peers

  • Like to take on responsibility

  • Live in a world of games, rituals and humor inhabited only by children

  • Like to have a best friend

  • Have a rigid sense of right and wrong

  • Need help accepting peers who are different or left out of a group

Cognitive

  • Like to talk; use language to express feelings/tell stories

  • Developing a sense of time

  • Enjoy collecting things

  • Enjoy problem-solving games like treasure hunts

  • Can plan and carry out projects with adult support

  • Becoming more self-directed in activities

  • Better able to understand and appreciate differences of opinion

Lessons

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Self Confidence Gina Patterson Self Confidence Gina Patterson

Chain of Compliments

Students will learn what a compliment is, practice giving compliments to classmates, and notice how compliments can make a person feel valued. The class will build a paper chain of compliments together.

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Problem solving Gina Patterson Problem solving Gina Patterson

Creative Coloring

Students each receive one color and must collaborate to create a single picture together, using only their assigned color with no trading allowed, then reflect on what they learned about teamwork.

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Relationship Building Gina Patterson Relationship Building Gina Patterson

Friendship Bank

This lesson teaches students that everyday choices either strengthen or weaken their friendships, using a "bank" metaphor where kind acts are deposits and unkind acts are withdrawals. Students physically add or remove peanuts from a bag in response to friendship scenarios to make the concept tangible.

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Self Control Gina Patterson Self Control Gina Patterson

Here Fishy, Fishy

Students will simulate a fishing village economy by using straws to "catch" goldfish crackers, experiencing the consequences of taking more than they need as resources deplete and villagers get eliminated. A debrief connects the game to real-world thinking about wants vs. needs and practicing self-control.

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Self Confidence Gina Patterson Self Confidence Gina Patterson

Garden of Greatness

Each child makes their own paper flower with a picture of themselves in the center and one talent written on each petal. All the flowers come together to form a class "Garden of Greatness" on the wall—a visible reminder that every child brings something to the room.

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Self Confidence Gina Patterson Self Confidence Gina Patterson

By Myself Poem

Students will read Eloise Greenfield's poem "By Myself" and then create their own "I am" poems, building a list of words and phrases that describe who they are. Younger students can draw a picture instead of writing.

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Self Confidence Gina Patterson Self Confidence Gina Patterson

Honey, I Love

Students will be able to identify the people, places, and things they love — building self-confidence by recognizing the joy and goodness already present in their own lives.

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Empathy Gina Patterson Empathy Gina Patterson

Greeting Cards

Students will explore different types of greeting cards and then design and write their own to build a class card collection, practicing empathy by thinking about how to acknowledge and respond to others' experiences through words and art.

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Self Confidence Gina Patterson Self Confidence Gina Patterson

Drawing Feelings

Students practice self-awareness by checking in with how they are feeling right now and using colors, shapes, and lines to draw it. Sharing is invitational, and the activity builds the language and confidence to name big feelings.

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Empathy Gina Patterson Empathy Gina Patterson

How Would You Feel If

Recognize the feelings and perspectives of others, and role-play and brainstorm ways to respond to people depending on how they’re feeling.

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Self Control Gina Patterson Self Control Gina Patterson

Feelings Check

Participants will determine if engaging in a fitness activity has an effect on how they feel emotionally, and explore how regular exercise can support their mental and physical health as a tool for self-control and emotional regulation.

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Empathy Gina Patterson Empathy Gina Patterson

Let the Hot Air Out of Bullies

Students will write a bullying problem on an inflated balloon, brainstorm solutions, and release the balloon when the class agrees on a good solution — symbolically "deflating the bully." Through this activity, students practice empathy and critical thinking to develop strategies for standing up for themselves and others.

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Self Control Gina Patterson Self Control Gina Patterson

Move and Make Friends

Students will dance with partners and freeze when the music stops, then take turns moving creatively down a line while classmates clap, practicing self-control, listening, and social awareness through movement.

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