Unit 9 Skills Building: Amazing Grace

Skills Building: Amazing Grace (3-5)

Written by Mary Hoffman and illustrated by Caroline Binch

Pre Reading Questions

Have you ever been told you couldn’t be something that you wanted to be?
How did that make you feel?
When you want to achieve something, it is important to have confidence and
believe in yourself and your abilities. Think of a time that you worked hard and achieved a goal; how might it have been if you told yourself you couldn’t do it?
Is there a phrase or saying that you tell yourself when you are trying to boost your confidence? Is there a phrase or saying that someone in your life tells you to boost your confidence?

Post Reading Questions

How do you think Grace felt when her classmates told her she couldn’t be Peter Pan? How might you have felt?
Grace’s mother and grandmother tell her that she can be anything that she wants to be; it is important to have people in our lives who support our dreams and believe in us. Who in your life encourages you?
At the end of the book, Grace’s grandmother says: “If Grace puts her mind to it, she can do anything she wants.” What is something that you want to achieve if you work hard and put your mind to i t?

Creative Enrichment Activity: Self Confidence Stars (3-5)

Overview: In the book, Amazing Grace, Grace is told by her classmates that she cannot be Peter Pan because she is a
girl and she is Black. Grace’s mother and grandmother help build her self-confidence and tell her that she can be anything that she wants to be. In this activity, you will remind yourself and others that you can all be stars!

You will create two stars; one will say what you want to achieve (e.g., “I can be Peter Pan if I believe in myself and work hard”) and the other star will have an encouraging phrase that you can tell to another person (e.g., “You can be whatever you want to be!”). Decorate the stars and hang them up to remind you that you can do what you set your mind to and that you have people who support you!

Materials

Star templates printed on cardstock
Color pencils/markers/crayons
Scissors
Glitter glue (optional)

Duration: 35 minutes (for staff: 5-minute pre-activity setup, 5-minute prep)

● 5 minutes: Introduce the activity
● 20 minutes: Create and decorate the stars
● 5 minutes: Clean up
● 5 minutes: Reflect and share

Instructions

Staff should print templates on cardstock prior to the activity.
Introduce the activity using the book.
Brainstorm some confidence-building phrases that you could say to others.
Cut out both stars.
On one star, write a sentence of something that you want to achieve.
On the other star, write a confidence-building phrase to say to yourself or someone else.
Decorate both stars with markers, crayons, and/or color pencils.
Optional: use glitter glue to some sparkle to your stars!
Clean up the materials.
Reflect as a group.

Reflection Questions

Share your two stars with your neighbor.
How would you feel if you were always reminded of these inspirational phrases when you were lacking
self-confidence?
Why is it important to support each other?
How can you use these inspirational and confidence building phrases in the future?

Skills Building: Amazing Grace (3-5)

Creative Enrichment Activity: Self Confidence Stars (3-5)

Share this content

educators