Guidance — Grades K–5

Animal Friends

This lesson helps students explore personal beliefs and feelings toward others. Students will examine stereotypes and how they influence interactions. The lesson emphasizes peer relationships, awareness of feelings, understanding /accepting differences and self-knowledge.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–5 Guidance)

By Beth Lindsey.

Creating community in the classroom: Part 1 (setting goals )

This series of lessons is designed to help develop a sense of classroom community. Group goal-setting, brainstorming, peer feedback, group decision-making, positive reinforcement, and positive peer pressure are used to create a safe, supportive environment for learning in the classroom.

In Part 1, students are introduced to the goal-setting process. They will practice the first step of the process as they set individual and class behavioral goals.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–8 Guidance)

By Pat Nystrom.

Creating Community in the Classroom: Part 2 (Cooperative Planning)

This series of lessons is designed to help develop a sense of classroom community through use of group goal-setting, decision-making, brainstorming, peer feedback, positive reinforcement, and positive peer pressure. The lessons will help students create and maintain a supportive environment for learning. Part 1 focused on goal-setting process and practice. In Part 2, students will apply knowledge of the goal-setting process by cooperatively creating a plan to work on group goals.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–8 Guidance)

By Pat Nystrom.

Creating Community in the Classroom: Part 3 (Monitoring Progress)

This series of lessons is designed to help develop a sense of classroom community through use of group goal-setting, decision-making, brainstorming, peer feedback, positive reinforcement, and positive peer pressure. The lessons will help students create and maintain a supportive environment for learning. Part 1 focused on goal-setting process and practice. In Part 2, students applied knowledge of the goal-setting process and cooperatively created a plan to work on short-term group goals. In part 3, students will monitor the effects of their plan by determining whether short term goals are being achieved.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–8 Guidance)

By Pat Nystrom.

Creating Community in the Classroom: Part 4 (Rewarding Improvement)

The fourth lesson in a series on improving classroom learning climate, this lesson provides an opportunity to evaluate student progress and to provide positive reinforcement for improvements in behavior. Using a one to ten continuum, students will subjectively evaluate class progress on the ten adjectives listed as class climate goals. After this process, students will publicly recognize those classmates who have helped the class improve or who have personally improved.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–8 Guidance)

By Pat Nystrom.

Problem Solving with "Swimmy"

This lesson will stress to the students the importance of working together to solve a problem.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–5 Guidance)

By Amy Taylor.

Lesson plans on the web

It's too loud in here! Teamwork in the classroom

First- and second-grade students have the chance to connect their prior knowledge with new knowledge as they work with their peers to develop classroom rules. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–5 English Language Arts, Guidance, and Social Studies)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Making good decisions

Students practice balancing different interests involved in solving social problems. They look for the most realistic solution based on the advantages and disadvantages and consider the concept of compromise. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–5 Guidance)

Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science

That's not fair! How do we share?

Students explore a variety of ways to share, particularly when an obvious solution is not apparent. They will identify choices and the costs of choosing one item over another. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K Guidance)

Provider: National Council on Economic Education