Difference Maker – One

It is often difficult to find lessons that will work for kindergartners and 5th graders alike, and although this seems to be too young for 5th grade they actually responded quite positively to this lesson. They liked the abstract aspects of this story and thinking about the differences that others have made in their lives. I think it’s important that we have developmentally appropriate lessons for our older students, but to also remember that our 5th graders can discover advanced insight into most lessons and that they too enjoy lessons like these. Let me know what your older students thought or how you adapted this lesson to work for older levels in the comment section below.

Lesson Title: One

Grade(s): K-5

ASCA Standards:

• PS:C1.7 Apply effective problem-solving and decision-making skills to make safe and healthy choices
• PS:A1.7 Recognize personal boundaries, rights and privacy needs

Learning Objectives:

• Students will be able to identify negative behaviors and positive responses to those behaviors
• Student’s will recognize their power to affect the lives of others and the affect others have on their lives

Materials:

• The book One or the Technology to play One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFQB92o9n5I
• One page per student from the following handout:
  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Worksheet-Supplement-to-One-by-Kathryn-Otoshi-2295591

Lesson:

Introduce the story about One: “Today we are going to read a story about a dot named One. There is a very special lesson in this simple story that I want you to pay attention to.”

Play/Read One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFQB92o9n5I

Discussion:

• What lesson do you think I was wanting you to look for in this story?
  • Stand up for yourself and others
  • Be the one that makes a difference in the lives of others
• What did you think about the behavior of Red?
  • Red seems like a bully
  • Red gained power over his friends and they gave in
• What did One do? What do you think this was like for One
  • One stood up for his friends, but still included Red
  • One empowered the other colors to stand up for themselves
  • One may have been scared, but he was brave
• What did you notice about the ending?
  • They still included Red

“I want you to start considering how you might have the impact on someone like One did on his friends. I also want you to be reflecting on who has had an impact on your life like One did on his/her friends. I am going to handout a worksheet for you to write about or draw a picture of these people and experiences. Show the potential impact that these experiences might have on these people and on their futures. For example, if you stood up for a friend and made a difference, how might that change their future for the better?”

Find the worksheet here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Worksheet-Supplement-to-One-by-Kathryn-Otoshi-2295591