Social Emotional Activities

South Carolina Communication Standards: C:MC:1

The Power of Sharing

Activity 1: What do I have to share?

1. Start by creating a class definition of what "share" means.

2. Create a t-chart: one side with the title "WHAT", the other side with the title "HOW."

3. Start with the WHAT side: Discuss what things we can share. Normally, we think of sharing material things, but what else can we share? (Examples: our time, our talents, our strengths, our patience, our words)

4. Now, discuss the HOW side: Discuss how we can share. Prompt your students to be specific and go beyond "we can give it to them". (Examples: I can sit beside my friend and listen when they are feeling frustrated even if I have other things to do [I share my time], I can help my group come up with ideas during our group projects [I share my strengths], I can leave my friend a note on their desk [I share my words]).

5. Provide space for each student to pick one "what" and one "how" to accomplish this week. At the end of the week, have students share their experiences- how did you feel? How did the person you shared with feel? What will you do now?

Activity 2: The Balance of Give and Take 

1. Line up several cups on the table. (Set one to the side for later.)

2. Fill the cups to the top with water, or anything that can be clearly seen and that won't make a mess if spilled.

3. Share that these cups represent people. We start "full"- energy, patience, motivation, etc.- we are ready to go! Unfortunately, life can be hard sometimes. Discuss things that might "drain" your cup- getting a bad grade, disagreeing with a friend/sibling, getting sick, not being able to fall asleep and then being tired, disappointing someone you love, etc. As students name different things, poor a little out of different cups. 

4. Your cups should now have different amounts of water. Explain to students that this is often how our friends and classmates are- we are all at different levels of "full" on any day. 

5. Now bring out the cup you set aside, filled to the top with water. Explain that this cup represents you. Review the anchor chart you just made about the what and how of sharing. As students name different ways to share, begin pouring from the full cup, little bits into the other cups. Ask students to observe what is happening. (They should say the full cup is loosing water and the others are gaining water).

6. Share with students that taking time to care about other people is really important, essential even, but as they noticed, when we spend all our time only caring about others, we can feel drained. This is why it is important to find friends that fill our cups up too- give and take!

7. Discuss as a class how sometimes we need to give/share with our friends and other times we need to "take" from our friends or have them share with us. Create examples together that allow students to see the importance of the balance. 

8. To close, allow students to talk with each other and share with each other what they need from their friends and what they can give to their friends. 

Picture Books to Talk about Sharing