OUR HIDDEN HEROES
1
Thoughtful actions
Critical tasks
A) Identify thoughtful actions in the story.
B) Identify and illustrate a thoughtful action from your own experience.
Overview
In this two-part critical challenge, students develop an understanding of the
concept of thoughtful actions by sorting pictures and identifying the criteria for
a thoughtful action. Students apply this criteria to the actions of characters in a
story, identifying thoughtful and thoughtless actions. Finally students identify and
illustrate a thoughtful action from their own experience.
Duration: two 30-40 minute classes.
Learning outcomes
• Understand the difference between thoughtful and thoughtless actions
• Begin to appreciate the benefits of thoughtful actions
• Increase awareness of their own actions
Social responsibilities encouraged
• Contributing to the classroom and school community
• Thinking about others
Support materials
•
•
•
•
Picture collection (Blackline master 1A)
Are these thoughtful actions? (Blackline master 1B)
Sorting actions (Blackline master 1C)
Assessing thoughtful actions (Blackline master 1D)
Grade 1/2 Thoughtful actions
1
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
Suggested Activities
Session one
1A P
ictu
Introduce thoughtful actions
re co
➤
Explain to students they are going to be detectives and figure out
what is happening in a number of pictures. Select a picture from
Picture collection (Blackline master 1A), that shows children
engaging in thoughtful actions. Display the picture for students
and invite them to describe what they see. Remind students that
detectives look for details.
➤
Show students a picture of children engaging in thoughtless
actions and invite students to describe what they see. Ask
students if the two pictures are the same or different. Place the first
picture under column A on the board and the second picture under column B.
Grad
e 1/2
➤
Present a third picture and invite students to discuss, with
a partner, what is happening and to decide if it is most
like the picture in column A or B. Continue this procedure
using the remaining pictures from Picture collection.
➤
Discuss with students what is the same about all the
pictures in Column A. Encourage students to consider both
the action and the result of the action and to move beyond
words such as “nice”. Introduce the term “thoughtful” to
describe the actions in Column A and discuss its meaning.
➤
Discuss what is the same about the actions in Column B.
Introduce the term “thoughtless” and discuss its meaning.
Grade 1/2 Thoughtful actions
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© Th
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Examine and so
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Confirm that st
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© The Critical Thinking Consortium
Develop criteria for thoughtful actions
➤
Pose the questions: “How do we know if an action is thoughtful or thoughtless?” As
a class, develop criteria for thoughtful actions (e.g. helps someone, shows you were
thinking of others, makes someone feel good).
➤
Refer back to the pictures in column A and invite students to check each picture to
make sure it meets the criteria or rule for thoughtfulness. Model explaining why each
action depicted is thoughtful by identifying who was thoughtful, naming the action
and describing the result. (e.g. Jim was thoughtful when he smiled and thanked his
mom. His mom felt appreciated.)
➤
Discuss with students how a thoughtful action feels both for the doer and the receiver.
Identify thoughtful actions
1B A
re t
hese
thou
ghtfu
l actio
➤ Provide pairs of students with a copy of Are these thoughtful actions?
Sam
ns?
helpe
d cle
his b
a
n
up
rothe
r’
s bed
and Sorting actions (Blackline masters 1B and 1C). Instruct students
room
Jo
ti held
.
the d
oor o
a ma
Bill la
pen fo
n at th
ughe
to cut out the cards, discuss each situation and decide whether each
r
e gro
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cery
en H
store
arwin
drop
.
ped th
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Alex
took
.
action is thoughtful or thoughtless. Encourage students to explain
a sho
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ran ri
and
Inge
ght th
picke1C
roug
Mrs.
d up So
h
Smith
the grtin
their decision by identifying who was thoughtful/ thoughtless,
on th
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naming the action and the describing the impact of the action
ghtfu
cook
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ies to
k all
n
s
build
their
the le
new
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g
n
o
e
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e tow
hbou
Thig
could
er so
as modeled earlier.
o
r.
ughtl
not b
Mari
ess a
o
uil
Cut ou
t the
d any
A tho
.
e 1/2
Thou
ghtfu
sort
them
into
thou
Sara
ul act
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– he
lps so
meon
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kes so
meon
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py
u are
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and
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Jo wo
thing
ughtf
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and
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ghtle
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ot sit
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8
© Th
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Grad
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Thou
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Think
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9
© Th
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Watch for thoughtful actions
➤ Encourage students to continue being detectives and
be on the lookout for thoughtful actions.
Grade 1/2 Thoughtful actions
3
tical
Think
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r differentiatio
Opportunity fo
ord cards in
Replace the w
r 1B with
Blackline maste
pictures
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
Extension or alternative activity
➤ Suggest to students that people who commit thoughtless actions probably do not feel
very good “inside.” Invite them to undo the thoughtless actions in the first activity.
Provide students with a copy of Picture collection (Blackline master 1A) used in the
first activity.
➤ Instruct students to select the thoughtless action cards. Pose the question, “What
might the person have done differently to show a thoughtful action?” Invite students
to redraw the picture to represent a thoughtful action.
Session two
Review thoughtful actions
➤ Ask students if they have observed or experienced any thoughtful actions since the
previous lesson. Review the criteria for thoughtful actions. If necessary, present short
scenarios and invite students to give a thumbs up if the action is thoughtful, or a thumbs
down if it is thoughtless.
Explain the task
➤ Explain to students that today they are going to continue being detectives and look
for thoughtful and thoughtless actions in a story.
➤ Select a picture book that demonstrates thoughtful actions that contribute to the classroom and community. Refer to the online resource bibliography for suggestions.
➤ Introduce the selected story in an interactive manner. Use the pictures to identify the
characters in the story, prior to reading, and record them on the board (e.g., a boy, an
adult, a farmer).
➤ Explain to students that they are listening for things the characters do that are thoughtful and thoughtless.
Read the story and identify actions
➤ Review the criteria for thoughtful actions. Pause frequently as the story is read and
elicit students’ ideas about the thoughtful and thoughtless actions they noticed. Record
the actions under the name of each character and use happy or sad faces to indicate
whether the action was thoughtful or thoughtless. Encourage students to explain how
the action meets or does not meet the criteria.
➤ Review the actions of each character. As a class, discuss who was the most thoughtful
character in the story. Discuss how the thoughtful character might feel. Introduce the
term “self-esteem” and develop a definition with students.
Grade 1/2 Thoughtful actions
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© The Critical Thinking Consortium
Discuss thoughtful action
➤ Remind students that thoughtful actions make both
the doer and the receiver feel good. Ask students
to think about thoughtful actions they have seen,
experienced or done for someone else. Point out
that thoughtful actions could take place at home,
in the community or at school. Offer examples
from your own experience.
➤ Invite students to talk about their thoughtful experiences with a partner. Model taking turns speaking,
listening attentively and perhaps asking questions.
Encourage students to explain to their partner why
the action was thoughtful, keeping in mind the
criteria for a thoughtful action.
n
r differentiatio
Opportunity fo
reading,
ice: in the first
tw
y
or
st
e
th
Read
y line; in the
rs and the stor
te
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w
ts
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Provid
ing of the stor
ad
re
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th
g
in
rd when
cards. Dur
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up
ld
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students to
ghtless action
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a
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to
ting students
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ac
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of a thoughtful
draw a picture
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an
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or
r own
the st
tions from thei
ac
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tf
gh
ou
th
illustrate
lives.
➤ Following the partner discussion, instruct students
to illustrate one thoughtful action from their experience. Point out that the illustration should show the action and the response to the
action. Encourage students to explain why the action was thoughtful. Explanations
might be oral, written or scribed.
Assessment options
➤ Student reflection and self-assessment: Introduce the concept of a reflective journal
and invite students to write and draw about their learning. Create a format for journal
response or select one of the reflective journal formats provided.
➤ Portfolio: Collect student work throughout the unit to create individual portfolios.
At intervals throughout the unit, or at the end of the unit, students review their work
samples and select those that best represent their learning.
Nam
e:
______
______
______
______
➤ Rubric: After students have practised identifying and explaining
thoughtful actions, use Assessing thoughtful actions (Blackline master
1D) to assess their understanding of thoughtful actions.
1D A
ssess
in
______
______
Ident
ifi
thou es
gh
actio tful
ns
Evide
nce
Expla
ins a
thou
gh
actio tful
n
Evide
nce
Grad
e 1/2
Thou
ghtfu
Exce
llent
Reco
gn
not ob izes obvio
ambig vious an us,
d
of th uous exam
ough
tful ac ples
tions
.
______
______
______
g tho
ught
ful a
ction
Very
good
Reco
gnize
Comp
and
s obvio
eten
no
t
thou t obvious us Re
ghtfu
cogn
l actio
obvio izes fairl
ns.
us ex
y
of th
ample
ou
s
actio ghtful
ns.
Expla
ins in
and
very
sp
why ecific termclear Ex
an ac
plains
s
tio
thou
in
gene
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rally
l.
clear
and
sp
why ecific term
an ac
s
tio
thou
ghtfu n is
l.
Expla
ins wi
a few
th
why details
an ac
tio
thou
ghtfu n is
l.
Basic
Reco
gn
most izes the
ob
exam vious
ples
of
thou
ghtfu
l actio
ns.
s
Not ye
t able
Expla
ins in
vagu
very
e
why terms
an ac
tio
thou
ghtfu n is
l.
l actio
ns
10
© Th
e Cri
Grade 1/2 Thoughtful actions
5
tical
Think
ing Co
nsortiu
m
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
➤ Rating scale: Use the rating scale with students to discuss their level of independence
in identifying thoughtful actions.
I can do this I can do this This is hard I am not sure
by myself
with some
to do even
what to do
help
with help
Evidence
Identifies
thoughtful
and
thoughtless
actions
Grade 1/2 Thoughtful actions
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© The Critical Thinking Consortium
1A Picture collection
Grade 1/2 Thoughtful actions
7
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
1B Are these thoughtful actions?
Cut out the cards and sort them into thoughtful and thoughtless actions.
Sam helped clean up
Joti held the door open for
his brother’s bedroom.
a man at the grocery store.
Alex took a shortcut and
Bill laughed when Harwinder
ran right through
dropped the ball.
Mrs. Smith’s flowers.
Omar and his mom took
Inge picked up the garbage
cookies to their
on the playground.
new neighbour.
Jackson took all the lego to
Jo would not sit with
build a huge tower so Mario
Sara on the bus.
could not build anything.
A thoughtful action
– helps someone
– makes someone happy
– shows you are thinking of others
Grade 1/2 Thoughtful actions
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© The Critical Thinking Consortium
1C Sorting actions
Thoughtful actions
Grade 1/2 Thoughtful actions
Thoughtless actions
9
© The Critical Thinking Consortium
Name: ______________________________________________________
1D Assessing thoughtful actions
Identifies
thoughtful
actions
Excellent
Very good
Competent
Basic
Not yet able
Recognizes obvious,
not obvious and
ambiguous examples
of thoughtful actions.
Recognizes obvious
and not obvious
thoughtful actions.
Recognizes fairly
obvious examples
of thoughtful
actions.
Recognizes the
most obvious
examples of
thoughtful actions.
Explains in very clear
and specific terms
why an action is
thoughtful.
Explains in
generally clear
and specific terms
why an action is
thoughtful.
Explains with
a few details
why an action is
thoughtful.
Explains in very
vague terms
why an action is
thoughtful.
Evidence
Explains a
thoughtful
action
Evidence
Grade 1/2 Thoughtful actions
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© The Critical Thinking Consortium