1. Lesson Plan: Friendship as Love: Teaching the Importance of Care and Connection Through Literature

1. Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Course Duration: 4 Weeks

Primary Text: Sula by Toni Morrison

Created by: Taylor Harding

2. Justification for Grade Level:

I chose 3rd grade for this lesson plan because students at this age are transitioning from concrete thinking to more abstract thinking. They are learning how to navigate complex social relationships and are beginning to understand the consequences of their actions. By introducing the themes of Sula in an adapted and simplified way, we can help them develop important social-emotional skills such as empathy, conflict, resolution, and self-awareness. 

Additionally, 3rd graders are also at the prime age to learn about kindness, making friends and understanding their feelings towards others. This 4-week lesson plan allows them to explore these topics and provides students with multiple opportunities to practice new skills through different activities, including writing, art, and discussions. The variety of engaging activities makes learning fun and keeps students interested. 

1. Course Description: 

This 4-week course will use a simplified version of Toni Morrison’s Sula to teach 3rd-grade students about the concepts of friendship, choices, and community. Students will discover how friendships are a form of love ethic and serve as a tool for personal liberation. The course will guide students through the exploration of how friendships are formed, how choices affect relationships, and the importance of empathy and kindness. Throughout the 4 weeks, students will engage in reading, creative activities, discussions, and personal reflections to help them build social-emotional skills, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of how their actions affect others. This long-term unit allows for a more in-depth exploration of these important concepts. These abstract ideas will be simplified into practical lessons about showing kindness to friends and resolving conflicts with empathy. By practicing love ethics, students learn to strengthen relationships and experience emotional liberation through meaningful connections.

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3. Course Objectives: 

Students will understand the importance of friendship and explore how challenges can strengthen or hinder it, while connecting the concept of love ethic to their own lives. Turning “friendship as love” into a curriculum could be a thoughtful and engaging way to help students explore essential values like kindness, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

4. Course Outcomes:

By the end of the 4 weeks, students will:

1. Understand the importance of friendship and the impact of personal choices.

2. Be able to identify different emotions that character’s experience.

3. Engage in a discussion about how actions affect relationships and communities.

4. Be able to express their thoughts and feelings clearly through writing, discussion, and art.

5. Reflect on how actions and choices affect their relationship with others.

5. Chosen Text and Justification:

1. Sula by Toni Morrison (simplified version)

Justification: Sula is a story that explores friendship and the effect of personal choices. This novel is too mature and explicit for younger readers; therefore, students will read an adapted version for their grade level. This will still allow them to understand the themes of friendship and forgiveness which form a powerful foundation for social-emotional learning. This lesson is relevant for 3rd grade students who are starting to experience and form social relationships. 

2. “Enemy Pie” by Derek Munson

Justification: This story gives an engaging way for students to learn about the importance of forgiveness and kindness in resolving misunderstandings. It teaches students how relationships can be transformed through empathy and shared experiences. It also helps children develop social skills and learn conflict resolution strategies.

3. “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. 

Justification: This picture book shares the friendship between a boy and a tree. Through the narrative, it teaches emotional awareness and the consequences of actions. It emphasizes the importance of selflessness and giving, opening discussions about how relationships grow through mutual care and respect. 

4. “I Walk with Vanessa” by Kerascoët 

Justification: This wordless picture book uses its visual storytelling to highlight the ripple effect of kindness. It is perfect for sparking discussions on standing up to bullying and how small acts of kindness can strengthen communities.

6. Assignments: 

1. Friendship Journal: Throughout the course, students will keep a journal to reflect on their experiences with friendship, decision making, and community through the course. Each day, students will have a prompt related to the lesson and will write or draw in their journal. This assignment helps them process and internalize the themes explored each week.

Justification: Journals allow students to reflect on their own experiences and help them connect the day’s material to their personal lives. This is also building writing skills, which is one of the course outcomes.

2.  Character and Emotion Mapping: Students will chart the main characters in Sula (Nel, Sula and others) and the emotions they experience based on their choices. Students will create a chart that lists each character, their emotions, and their actions. They will then relate these emotions to actions taken by the characters, showing the connection between emotions and decisions.

Justification: Mapping character's feelings and choices helps students connect emotions to actions. This visualization allows students to better understand how their choices can affect others and encourages them to think about their interactions with others. 

3. Friendship Role-Play and Skits: Students will work together in small groups to act out scenarios that show positive and negative friendships. After performing, the class will discuss what was done right or wrong and why.

Justification: Skits help students to practice real-life scenarios and conflict resolution skills. By acting out positive and negative choices, they will understand their actions can have negative or positive outcomes.

4. Kindness Ripple Story: Students will write or draw a story illustrating a "kindness ripple" in their community. They will begin by describing a small act of kindness, then imagine and explain how that one act can spread kindness. This teaches students that every action leads to a reaction, whether it be negative or positive. This ties directly to the themes of empathy and inclusion found in I Walk with Vanessa.

Justification: By creating and reflecting on their own kindness ripple stories, students will better understand the power of their actions and how kindness can have an impact on those around them. This assignment also fosters creativity and writing or artistic skills.

5. Community Tree: Students will create a class mural that represents the importance of community and how personal cations contribute to the greater good.

Justification: Creating a class mural reinforces the lesson that individual actions contribute to the collective whole. This group project fosters teamwork and emphasizes the importance of each student's role in a positive, supportive community. 

7. Activities:

1. Friendship Bracelet Craft: Students will create bracelets and exchange them with other students as a symbol of kindness.

Justification: A friendship bracelet is a symbol of a bond between friends. Making a bracelet for someone requires effort and care, which teaches children that meaningful friendships require kindness and effort.

2. "Enemy Pie" Recipe Craft: After reading “Enemy Pie” by Derek Munson, students will write their own “recipes” for friendship, including qualities they believe are necessary in a friendship. Decorate the recipes with drawings of pies.

Justification: This activity encourages students to reflect on the traits that contribute to meaningful relationships.

3. Friendship Tree Art Project: After reading “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein, students will create a friendship tree with leaves representing acts of kindness they have performed or received. 

Justification: This activity emphasizes the concept that friendship grows through mutual acts of care and empathy. It will allow students to understand the importance of being kind in friendships.

4. Bullying Prevention Poster: The class will create posters that promote standing up to bullying using ideas from class discussions. Students collaborate to create solutions and messages that promote kindness and inclusivity.

Justification: Creating a poster promotes awareness about the importance of standing up to bullying, a key theme in I Walk with Vanessa. Having this poster displayed in the classroom will be a reminder for the entire class about the importance of empathy and action.

5. Friendship Bingo: Bingo cards will be created filled with prompts like "Find someone who likes to dance" or "Talk to someone new during recess." 

Justification: This activity encourages students to connect with peers and build friendships in and outside of the classroom. Through participating, students can develop social skills and learn the value of collaboration. These experiences create a nurturing environment for friendships to grow and thrive, reinforcing the importance of building bonds within their community.

8. Timeline of Assignments:

Week	Objective	Reading	Assignment	Activity
1	-Be able to identify different emotions that character's experience.  -Be able to express their thoughts and feelings clearly through writing, discussion, and art.	Sula by Toni Morrison	-Friendship Journal -Character and Emotion Mapping	Friendship Bracelet Craft
2	Understand the importance of friendship and the impact of personal choices.	Enemy by Pie by Derek Munson	-Friendship Journal -Friendship Role-Play Skits	“Enemy Pie” Recipe Craft
3	Reflect on how actions and choices affect their relationship with others.	The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein	-Friendship Journal -Community Tree	Friendship Tree Art Project
4	Engage in discussion about how actions affect relationships and communities -Be able to express their thoughts and feelings clearly through writing, discussion, and art.	I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoët	-Friendship Journal -Kindness Ripple Story	-Bullying Prevention Poster -Friendship Bingo

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4. Field Trip Ideas: 

1. Children’s Theater: Students will watch a play focused on themes of friendship, kindness, and love, specifically Charlotte's Web. 

Justification: Attending a children’s theater performance is an engaging and memorable way to teach friendship skills. Charlotte’s Web is particularly effective because its themes resonate deeply with young learners, inspiring them to think about how their own actions can impact relationships. This experience also opens opportunities for creative discussions and activities, fostering both emotional and intellectual growth.

2. Local Animal Shelter or Farm: Students can help feed or interact with the animals and hear stories of how love and care impact their lives.

Justification: This field trip teaches more than just the importance of caring for animals; it builds lifelong skills in empathy and accountability. Caring for animals helps children see the value of selflessness and encourages them to take responsibility for helping others. These lessons translate seamlessly into their relationships with friends, family, and their broader community. Additionally, a trip to a shelter or farm fosters curiosity and respect for nature, making the experience both educational and transformative.

3. Kindness Walk in the School: Student will walk around different places in the school (playground, cafeteria, etc.) and brainstorm ways to spread kindness and love.

Justification: A kindness walk bridges the gap between classroom lessons and real-life experiences, giving students the opportunity to act on the values they’ve learned. By walking around the school, students can implement what they have learned through the lesson in a school setting.

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6. Writing Proposal:

Teaching kindness, friendship, and community to 3rd graders is vital for their social-emotional development. At this age, children are beginning to form meaningful relationships with peers while learning to navigate challenges such as misunderstandings, exclusion, and bullying. This lesson plan aims to cultivate essential skills like empathy, forgiveness, and the ability to make positive contributions to their communities. The selected texts— Sula by Toni Morrison, Enemy Pie by Derek Munson, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoët—offer engaging stories that inspire students to be kind, practice selflessness, and stand up for others. These lessons aid students in recognizing the impact of their actions, articulate their feelings effectively, and promote an inclusive and compassionate environment.

To achieve this, the lesson plan includes a variety of activities. Students will create friendship bracelets to exchange as symbols of connection and kindness, and they will write "Enemy Pie" recipes to reflect on traits that strengthen relationships. Inspired by The Giving Tree, they will craft a class "Friendship Tree," adding leaves that represent acts of kindness. In small groups, they will design bullying prevention posters to promote a supportive school environment, and they will play "Friendship Bingo" to connect with their peers. Each activity validates the values of kindness and community while encouraging creativity and self-expression.

Field trips in the lesson plan allow students to get real-world experiences. A visit to a children’s theater allows students to watch a play that emphasizes themes of friendship and kindness, followed by a class discussion to reflect on the characters' actions. A trip to a local animal shelter allows students to care for animals, strengthen their understanding of empathy and responsibility. A "Kindness Walk" in the school lets students put their lessons into practice by brainstorming ways to spread kindness and performing small acts of gratitude.

Through a combination of engaging stories, creative projects, and field trips, this lesson plan equips 3rd graders with the tools to build positive relationships and foster a kind, inclusive community. It not only teaches valuable life lessons but also creates memorable experiences that will resonate with students long after the lesson ends.