Elementary (Grades 3-5)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

• Have yellow, blue and white index cards, enough for each student to use one of each color plus some extras.

• Have a talking stick and circle center piece.

CASEL Core Competencies

• Self-Awareness

• Self-Management

• Social Awareness

• Relationship Skills

• Responsible Decision-Making

Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards

• Speaking and Listening

• Writing

NCSS Social Studies Themes

• Individual Development and Identity

• Culture

• Describe what respect feels like, sounds like, and looks like

• Use the Ouch and Oops tool to address disrespect in a non-confrontational manner

• Explain why being in a respectful classroom community is important to them

Distribute three index cards to each student, one white, one yellow, and one blue. Tell students to think about a time when they felt respected or when someone they know showed respect for another person. Give students a minute or two to think.

Now ask students to write on the yellow card a word or two that describes what they do when they are talking to one another that shows respect.

Then ask students to write on the blue card one or two words that describe what actions or behaviors show respect for another person.

Finally, ask students to write one word on the white index card that describes how they feel when someone respects them.

Ask students to circle up. Use the talking piece. Tell students that each person will state a word or two that they put on the yellow card, which describes respect when talking to one another, and then place it in the middle of the circle. Model by saying your word and then placing it on the circle centerpiece. Return to your chair and pass the talking stick to the student to the right or left. Go around circle until each student has said a word.

When the talking stick returns to you, use the same process for the blue card. After all the students share their words on the blue card, repeat the circle process for the white card, which describes how they feel when someone respects them.

Tell students you want to teach them a way to let others know when someone in the class feels disrespected.

State: If someone says something that makes a person in our class
feel disrespected or hurt, the person is going to say “Ouch.” Then we
will talk about why it was an “ouch” and figure out together how to make
things right.

State: The other word we are going to use is “Oops”. We are going
to use “Oops” when we say something and realize right away that we
shouldn’t have said what we said or we should have given our opinion or
idea in a way that wouldn’t hurt someone else’s feelings. “Oops” is our
way of “taking back” what we said. If someone says “Oops” we will check
to see if everyone is okay with the person taking it back or if we need
to talk about what was said.

Ask for a show of hands that everyone understands OOPS and OUCH and agrees to use them.

Ask students to pass their cards to the teacher, who is going to post them on the wall as a reminder of what respect looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Tell students the teacher will pass the talking stick to whoever wishes to talk first.

Ask for volunteers to state how they feel about what the members of the circle have just shared with one another. You can begin by modeling an answer: I feel at ease because I know you know how to treat one another with respect.

Homework in Preparation for Unit III, Lesson 2

Provide each student with a copy of the handout ‘Religious and Non Religious Days My Family Observes During the Year’. Tell students to list the days their family observes each year, excluding birthdays. Tell them if they need more room, they may use the back side of the paper. After each student has the homework sheet to take home, give two examples, one that is related to a religious belief and one that is secular.

Say: Someone could put the 4th of July and give the date July 4
and tell what the family does.

Ask: What would you put in the column for why it is
celebrated?

Say: Or someone could put Ash Wednesday and give the date and
tell what the family does.

Ask: If someone here observes Ash Wednesday, what would you put
in the column for why it is observed by your family?