Skills Building: Library Lion (PK-2)

Written by Michelle Knudsen and Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

TEKS: Reading K.5(E;) 1.6(E); 2.6(E); 3.6(E); 4.6(E); 5.6(E)

Pre- Reading Questions

When have you accidentally broken the rules or hurt someone’s feelings?
When you accidentally break the rules or hurt someone else, what should you do?
How have you made amends with someone in your class?
Is there ever a time when it is okay to break the rules?

Post- Reading Questions

How did the lion show his concern when he realized he had accidentally broken the rules?
How did the lion make amends with Ms. Merriweather once he realized that he had broken the rules?
How did Mr. McBee make amends with the lion and show that he had been forgiven?
After reading the book, do you think there are times when it is okay to break the rules? What might have happened if the lion hadn’t broken the rules?
Is there anyone whose feelings you may have hurt or a rule that you may have broken for which you need to make amends?
What are some ways we can make amends when we do something wrong?

Creative Enrichment Activity: Mending with Amends (PK-2)

Overview

Mean words and actions can hurt our hearts. They can make us sad or angry. Sometimes, it’s hard to forgive others when they do something mean, even if it was an accident. It may also be hard for others to forgive us when we hurt their feelings with our actions or words. While we can’t take back what we did, we can make amends. Today, we will practice making amends with those we hurt.

Materials

Heart Puzzle Template
Scissors
Crayons/markers
Tables
Ziploc bags
Sharpies

Duration: 35 Minutes

3 minutes – Explain the activity
2 minutes – Pass out supplies
5 minutes – What I did…
5 minutes – How I was feeling…
5 minutes – How I made them feel…
5 minutes – How to make amends…
5 minutes – Finish hearts
5 minutes – Reflect and poem

Instructions

Before class, print the Heart Puzzle handout on cardstock. It can be printed on different colors of paper for more variety.
Have students sit at tables.
Explain to students that when we hurt others with our words or our actions, even if it is an accident, we need to make amends. Ask the students what “making amends” means. If they are unable to answer, explain it to them again.
Pass out a Heart Puzzle to each student, along with markers or crayons.
Have students close their eyes and think of something they did or said this week that hurt someone else. It could have been a family member, a friend, a teacher or a stranger.
First, have them write and/or draw about what they did that hurt the other person in the top left quadrant of the Heart Puzzle. Have them decorate and add color to that quadrant.
Next, have them write and/or draw about how they were feeling when they hurt the other person in the bottom left quadrant. Were they angry? Sad? Frustrated? Fearful? Have them decorate and add color to that quadrant.
Then, have them write and/or draw about how they think the other person was feeling in the bottom right quadrant. Have them decorate and add color to that quadrant.
Finally, have them write and/or draw how they are going to make amends in the top right quadrant. Are they going to write an apology? Fix something they broke? Apologize with their words? Have them decorate and add color to that quadrant.
Have them add any finishing touches (encourage them to use a lot of color), and then pass out scissors for them to cut apart the four pieces of the heart. Teachers will need to assist younger students who struggle with cutting.
Have students write their names on the back of each puzzle piece.
Give each student a Ziplock bag and write their name on it with a sharpie. This will hold their puzzle.

Reflection Questions

Instructor: “When we put our Heart Puzzle together, we can make amends for something that we’ve done. But no matter how hard we try, we can never fully put the heart back together. Our actions and words have an impact on others, and we can never fully “fix” the damage that we have done to the hearts of others. This is why it’s important to think before we act and speak.”

How did you feel when you were creating your Heart Puzzle?
How have you decided to make amends?
What is the most difficult part of making amends?
How can making amends help us be a better class?
How would the world be different if everyone tried to make amends when they hurt others?
When will you make amends with the person on your Heart Puzzle?

Skills Building: Library Lion (PK-2)

Pre- Reading Questions

Post- Reading Questions

Creative Enrichment Activity: Mending with Amends (PK-2)

“Before you speak,

think and be smart.

It’s hard to fix

a broken heart.”

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