Grade+4+How+Full+is+Your+Bucket?

Unit Theme/Big Idea: How Full is Your Bucket?
 * Lesson Plan Template**

Essential questions: What does a “Full Bucket” mean? How can we let others know when our buckets aren’t full? What can we do to fill others’ buckets?

Standards: I am able to identify and communicate how I am feeling. I care about the feelings and opinions of others.

Go Around/ gathering: Ask students to quietly think about a time they may have had a “not-so-good” feeling. Ask students to think about whether or not they would have appreciated help from a friend during their time in need. Students are invited to share if they choose to do so.

Body of the Lesson: (Presentation of new knowledge and concepts in a way that contains opportunities for active engagement of young people.) (//Transfer of knowledge, Introduction, Modeling)// Teacher reads and discusses the book, “How Full is Your Bucket”. Students verbally share experiences about times their buckets have been full, and times they haven’t. Students strategize ways to fill others’ buckets, then create buckets to be filled. ||
 * ||  || Describe the activity:
 * ||  || Describe the activity:

Select one: Use pair-shares Interviews Fishbowls Cooperative learning groups

__ What connections can be made between students’ prior knowledge and this lesson? __

__ Students are asked to make connections between times they’ve been in need, and how they could have helped others when they’re in need. Student reflection on their own personal prior experience drives this lesson. __

__ How will I begin this lesson? What is the hook? __

__ This lesson is derived from the children’s book, “How Full is Your Bucket” For Kids, by Tom Rath (ISBN-10: 1595620273). Read book aloud and discuss the figural concept of a person’s “bucket”. __

__ How will I demonstrate this new concept or skill? __

__ Following the reading and discussion, students are asked to get into two concentric circles and to share their learning from the book. The first person they come to, they share their own idea. Then, when the circles move and students make new partners, they can choose to share their own original idea, or the idea that was just shared with them (making sure credit is given to whomever’s idea it was). Students take all their new ideas back to a group area for more sharing about the book, as well as ideas on how to fill others’ buckets. __

__ After the group sharing time, students are asked to use a template to create their own personal “bucket”. Buckets can be decorated however students would like, but all will include a paper-clipped level that students can move to share how their feeling at any given time, and whether or not their bucket needs to be filled. __

__ Teacher creates accessible bulletin board with all buckets. Students use ideas generated from the book and the discussion to fill others’ buckets as needed. __

__ Checklist: is the lesson geared toward multiple learning styles? __ __ (//Differentiation)// __

__ Reflection time: Students journal about their learning and how “Bucket Filling” can make a positive impact on themselves, and the others around them. __