[Lesson Plan] Social-Emotional Learning for Elementary Students: Gratitude

Gratitude: to show appreciation for.

It's easier to focus on the bad, but to develop a strong growth mindset, we must help our students focus on the good. Going beyond saying thank you to others, gratitude is being thankful for all that we are blessed with, and is shown through acts of kindness, cooperation, and embrace. In this bonus installment of our social-emotional learning unit series, we spark discussion among students about what it means to develop a grateful heart.

What does gratitude mean to you? How do you demonstrate appreciation? What has happened, or what do you have, that makes you grateful to be you? Learning about gratitude around its context in our individual students' experiences in this great big world facilitates discussion around why it's important to practice gratefulness to not only enrich the lives of others, but also our own.

In this brand new addition to our Social-Emotional Learning lessons designed for elementary-aged students and developed in partnership with Cathy Henry of The Curriculum Corner and Free Word Work, students will explore Gratitude. Through a series of group discussions, learning activities, and literary analysis, students will increase their social-emotional awareness of how gratitude can impact themselves and others.

Download this free lesson plan unit on social-emotional learning for elementary-aged students containing:

• Activities
• Discussion topics
• Printable anchor charts, response cards, & worksheets
• School/Home Connection Ideas

Want more social-emotional learning lesson plan content? Check out our recent blog post on Social-Emotional Lessons & Activities for the Whole Child.

Do you wish you had time and tools to easily create visually-engaging lesson plans such as this one? Contact us for a no-obligation demonstration with your dedicated Education Consultant on how the VariQuest tools and resources complement social-emotional learning in your classroom and school building!