Compassionate Courier
Grades 2 and 3
Compassionate Schools Project Unit 3
Unit Overview
In this unit students "attend" a party to learn about self-management practices of presence, participation, and pause. Students work on their "mindfulness muscle" through movement, mindful eating, and critical thinking. They identify emotional triggers, possible effects of unmanaged emotions and ways to "press pause" when experiencing anger.
Enduring Understandings
To be present means using my mindfulness muscle to focus on what I am doing.
To participate means to be fully engaged in what I am doing.
I can pause to think about my feelings and behavior.
Practice helps develop my mindfulness muscle.
All emotions are ok.
How I feel can affect how I behave.
Unmanaged behaviors can hurt me and others.
There are strategies for managing feelings and behaviors.
Lessons and Activities
Lesson 1: Party Presence
In this lesson students compare physical and attentional presence and absence and play Simon Says to practice mindful presence.
Lesson 2: Bring Presence
Students continue to practice physical and attentional presence through another party game. They engage in discussion and assess their own levels of presence.
Lesson 3: Tasty Presence
Students explore the mindfulness practice of presence as they try a new food. They identify ways mindful eating can help develop their mindfulness muscle.
Leson 4 : A Pause in the Party
Instead of attending a party, students listen to and reflect on Sister Bear's birthday party in Too Much Birthday. They identify different emotions in the story and the effects unmanaged excitement had on the party planning.