Kindness Matters

Overview

In this lesson, students will focus on character analysis in the context of kindness and its impact on communities, using the movie Kindness Matters. Students will learn how to analyze a character's traits, motivations, and development throughout the film and express their understanding through a structured essay.

California Education Standards

Grade 8: English Language Arts

• Reading Standards for Literature (8.RL.3): Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
• Writing Standards (8.W.2): Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
• Speaking and Listening Standards (8.SL.1): Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Identify key characters in Kindness Matters and analyze their character traits.
• Explain how kindness influences the characters' decisions and the plot.
• Write an essay that analyzes a character's development and role in promoting kindness.

Materials

• Movie: Kindness Matters
• Projector and audio system
• Whiteboard and markers
• Character Analysis Graphic Organizer handouts
• Essay Outline handouts
• Computer access (if applicable) for essay drafting

Time Breakdown

• Introduction and Warm-Up (10 minutes)
• Guided Movie Analysis (15 minutes)
• Character Discussion and Brainstorming (15 minutes)
• Character Analysis Essay Planning (20 minutes)
• Writing and Sharing (15 minutes)

Lesson Activities

Introduction and Warm-Up (10 minutes)

1. Opening Discussion:

   • Ask students to think of a moment when someone’s kindness made a significant impact on them.
   • Volunteers can share briefly with the class.

2. Introduction to the Movie:

   • Provide a brief synopsis of Kindness Matters, emphasizing its central themes and characters.

Guided Movie Analysis (15 minutes)

1. Character Focus:

   • Show key scenes from the movie that highlight acts of kindness and character development.

2. Class Discussion:

   • Ask students to note initial observations about the main characters and how they exhibit kindness.

3. Use the Whiteboard:

   • Create a mind-map of traits and actions associated with the key characters.

Character Discussion and Brainstorming (15 minutes)

1. Group Work:

   • Divide the class into groups of six.
   • Assign each group a main character from the movie.

2. Discussion Points:

   • What actions show the character's kindness?
   • How does the character change throughout the movie?
   • What motivates the character’s actions?

3. Fill out Graphic Organizer:

   • Distribute Graphic Organizers for students to jot down traits, quotes, and developments of the assigned character.

Character Analysis Essay Planning (20 minutes)

1. Essay Structure Explanation:

   • Introduction: Present the character and thesis statement.
   • Body: Discuss specific examples of kindness, how it influences the character, and changes in their development.
   • Conclusion: Reflect on the overall impact of the character’s kindness on the movie's plot.

2. Outline Handout:

   • Provide students with an Essay Outline template to help organize their thoughts and notes.

3. Individual Planning:

   • Allow students time to fill out their outlines using their Graphic Organizer notes.

Writing and Sharing (15 minutes)

1. Essay Drafting:

   • Students use the remaining time to begin drafting their essays based on their outlines.

2. Peer Sharing:

   • In pairs, students briefly share a segment of their drafts with a partner to get feedback.

3. Class Reflection:

   • Discuss any insights from peer feedback and how students might refine their analysis. Prompt them to think about the real-world application of kindness.

Assessment

• Participation: Engagement in group discussions and activities.
• Graphic Organizer Completion: Clear identification of character traits and plot contributions.
• Essay Outline and Draft: Well-structured argument with evidence from the movie.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters or essay templates for students who need additional assistance.
• Challenge: Encourage advanced students to analyze secondary characters or compare and contrast multiple characters.