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Friendly Neighbors

Lesson 8:

From Unit Philanthropic Literature

Lesson

Handouts

Academic Standards

Philanthropy Framework

Kindergarten-2nd Grade

Subjects:

Language Arts, Library / Technology and Philanthropy

Key Words/Concepts click to view

ELA:	Miss Tizzy; Character Development; Compare/Contrast; Constructing Meaning; Fiction Literature; Group Discussions; Inferences/Generalizations; Listening; Plot Development; Predicting; Prior Knowledge; Response to Text/Others; Story Elements; Universal Themes; Vocabulary
PHIL:	Act of Kindness; Neighborhood; Time/Talent/Treasure

Purpose:

To expose students to literature that reinforces the concept of unconditional kindness and demonstrates the idea that a good deed done for others will come back to you. The story also reinforces the days of the week.

Duration:

One Thirty-Minute Class Period (more for philanthropy act)

Objectives:

The learner will:

name the days of the week.
sequence events in the story.
hypothesize why certain events take place.

Service Experience:

Although this lesson contains a service project example, decisions about service plans and implementation should be made by students, as age appropriate.

Students will make a plan and carry it out for doing something kind for someone who needs a little bit of attention.

Materials:

Miss Tizzy by Libba Moore Gray
Calendar for the weekdays
(Optional) Socks, wiggly eyes, felt and glue

Handout 1: Being a Good Neighbor

Synopsis:

The neighbors may think Miss Tizzy quite peculiar, but the children love her. They love her colorful house and her colorful clothes, but most of all they love the special attention she pays to all of them. When Miss Tizzy gets sick, the children know what to do to make her better.

Instructional Procedure(s):

Anticipatory Set:
Ask the students to think to themselves about who their neighbors are. Do they know their neighbors? Do they like to do things with any of their neighbors? Ask students to tell the class what they do with the people in their neighborhood. Can they think of something kind that they or their family has done for a neighbor? Or, can they think of something kind that a neighbor has done for them? Ask students to share any experience and talk about how it made them feel.

Hold up a copy of the book Miss Tizzy. Activate prior knowledge by asking children what they see.
Read the book to the class, having the children interact with the pages and what the characters in the story are doing.
Discuss the days of the week. Use a calendar and display a schedule of class events for each day of the week. Have students sequence the events of the story and match the events to the days of the week.
Ask students what it means when we say "a good deed done for others will come back to you." Have them give examples from Miss Tizzy. Ask students to decide how hard it is to be nice to someone. Does it take a little extra effort or time? Would the results of friendship be worth the extra time or effort? Remind students that philanthropy is "giving of your time, talent or treasure for others." Discuss why philanthropy is a desirable thing, using examples from the story and real life.
Ask students to reflect on whether there is someone in their lives who deserves a little extra attention. Ask each student to make a plan for something they are going to do for that someone else. They should write or draw their plan, carry it out, and evaluate how the plan worked and felt. (It may be as simple as a phone call to a lonely relative or bringing a treat to an elderly neighbor.)

Assessment:

Assess whether students can name the days of the week. Evaluate student understanding of the benefits of philanthropy through their participation in the discussion and the results of their plan.

Curriculum Connection:

Art Connection: Make sock puppets. The follow-up art lesson will use a sock, wiggly eyes, and precut felt for ears, noses, and other features. Students will glue the eyes and felt onto the sock. When puppets are dry, group students in teams to plan and perform a puppet show.

School/Home Connection:

For a home response to the story, it is natural that students--along with family members--find some way to give a little attention to a neighbor. Send home Attachment One: Being a Good Neighbor. Challenge your students to try one small act of kindness for someone in the neighborhood. The act may be anonymous or not.

Cross-Curriculum Extensions:

Bibliographical References:

Gray, Libba Moore. Miss Tizzy. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. ISBN: 0689818971.

Lesson Developed By:

Pamela McIntosh
Detroit Public Schools
Woodward Elementary School
Detroit, MI 48208

Handouts:

Handout 1Print Handout 1

Being a Good Neighbor

Dear Family,

In class today, we read a book about a woman and the children in her neighborhood. Many of the neighbors thought Miss Tizzy was odd, but the children loved her for the special attention she gave to them. When Miss Tizzy was ill, the children got together and did something nice just for her. In our discussion of the story, we learned about philanthropy, which is the giving of time, talent, or treasure for the common good. We also talked about how a good deed done for others will come back to you. For a home challenge, we are asking students, with the help of their family members, to do something kind for another family member or a neighbor who may need a little extra help. The kind deed may be as simple as bringing a treat, or as generous as helping with yard work. You and your child can decide. When your child has performed the act of kindness, help your child write about the experience explaining the act and describing how it felt.

Describe what you did for a family member or a neighbor.

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How did your family member or neighbor respond to the kindness?

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How did you feel after your act of kindness?

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