Caring Through Sharing

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand the importance of caring for and supporting our peers.
• Share and listen to examples of kind actions to build empathy.
• Reflect on how kind actions create a positive classroom community.

Curriculum for Excellence Links

Health and Wellbeing (HWB):

• HWB 2-04a: I am aware of how my actions affect others and know how kind and caring behaviour builds positive relationships.
• HWB 2-06a: I am developing confidence in my ability to work cooperatively with others in a range of situations.
• HWB 2-07a: I understand how empathy and kindness contribute to a positive and inclusive community.

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Success Criteria

• I can listen carefully when others share their experiences.
• I can describe examples of kind actions I have given or received.
• I understand how caring actions help to make our classroom a better place.
• I can show respect and empathy towards my classmates' feelings.

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Resources

• "Kindness Cards" (small cards to write examples on)
• A large "Kindness Tree" poster or chart paper on wall
• Sticky notes or markers
• Dyslexia-friendly printed prompt sheets with simple sentence starters (e.g., "I felt happy when…", "I showed kindness by…") with clear font (e.g., OpenDyslexic or Arial, font size 14+) and pastel background colour

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Lesson Outline (45 minutes)

1. Introduction and WALT (5 minutes)

• Teacher explains the WALT and success criteria clearly, displaying written and reading them aloud.
• Briefly discuss what empathy and caring mean, linking to HWB outcomes.
• Explain today’s activity: sharing examples of kind actions to understand how caring helps us.

2. Warm-Up: Brainstorm Kindness (5 minutes)

• Whole class brainstorm: "What does it mean to care for someone?"
• Record answers on the board or a flip chart.
• Highlight key words like respect, empathy, help, listen, support.

3. Sharing Examples Activity (20 minutes)

• Distribute "Kindness Cards" with dyslexia-friendly prompt sheets.
• Pupils spend 5-7 minutes writing or drawing one example of a kind action they remember either they did or someone did for them, using the sentence starters if needed. Support pupils who need help orally or by scribing.
• Once complete, pupils take turns sharing their examples in small groups of 4-5 to promote confidence and reduce anxiety.
• Each group picks one example they feel is especially important or touching and prepares to share it with the class.

4. Creating the Kindness Tree (10 minutes)

• Groups share their chosen examples with the whole class.
• Teacher writes these on colourful sticky notes for pupils to stick on the Kindness Tree poster.
• Teacher leads reflection: “How do these kind actions make people feel? How can we all show kindness every day?”

5. Conclusion and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Recap WALT and success criteria, invite pupils to self-assess by thumbs up/down/half.
• Quick whole-class circle: one word to describe how caring for each other makes our classroom feel.
• Teacher praises contributions emphasising the importance of caring and empathy.

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Differentiation

• Support: Use dyslexia-friendly materials; allow oral responses; offer scribing support; provide sentence starters; small groups for sharing reduce pressure.
• Challenge: Encourage advanced learners to think of examples showing kindness in difficult situations (e.g., how to help someone who feels left out).
• Visual learners: Use visuals on Kindness Tree and prompts with pictures.
• EAL pupils: Provide bilingual word banks if needed; allow demonstration of understanding through drawing or role-play.

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Extension Activities

• Kindness Journal: Pupils keep a daily kindness journal for a week, noting acts of kindness they see or do at school and home.
• Role Play: In small groups, act out scenarios showing how to respond kindly in tricky situations (e.g., someone being upset).
• Creative Writing: Write a short story or poem about an act of kindness that changed the day for someone.

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Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observes group discussions for appropriate listening and respectful sharing; reviews Kindness Cards for understanding.
• Self-assessment: Pupils reflect on success criteria via thumbs signaling confidence levels.
• Peer: Pupils comment respectfully on each other’s examples during sharing.

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By encouraging empathy through sharing and listening, this lesson builds a caring ethos in line with Curriculum for Excellence, supporting HWB progression in a meaningful, age-appropriate way that fosters community spirit and respect.