Mindset Monday (Giraffes Can't Dance)

I have used the book Giraffes Can't Dance (affiliate link) to teach lessons on problem solving, perseverance, diversity and self-esteem and I recently realized that Giraffes Can't Dance is another great book for teaching mindset and "the power of yet".  Apparently I'm not the only one who made this connection as I found a FREE worksheet on TPT, made by The OCD Teacher in Room 112, where students are given the opportunity to reflect on something that they can't do yet and then write about how they can get there.  You can find that worksheet for FREE HERE.  I also found a packet that costs only $1.00 on TPT, made by Growth-Mindset-In-Action,  This packet, which focuses on growth mindset and ability, can be purchased HERE.  The Brown Bag Teacher also posted a great lesson on her blog. You can find that lesson HERE.  I plan to have my students create a bulletin board called "Giraffe's CAN Dance".  I will try to post a picture when it is complete.  You can purchase Giraffes Can't Dance HERE.

If you want to use Giraffes Can't Dance for other topic areas you can find some great ideas below:

Connections:

Exploring Diversity with "Giraffes Can't Dance" by Reed-Resources

Problem Solving/Feelings by Kristen-Brooks-Dankovich

Giraffes Can't Dance-A lesson on Kindness

Giraffes Can't Dance: Responsible Behavior, Self-confidence Development, Trustworthiness

Mindset Monday and The Pout Pout Fish

It has been awhile since I have done a Mindset Monday post!  I have been using The Pout Pout Fish books a lot this year and I was thrilled when I found The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School.  It is a great book for talking about mindset and the "power of yet".  There are a lot of really cheap resources on TPT that I purchased to help me teach this lesson.  You could easily teach this lesson without purchasing anything additional but I couldn't help myself:)

You can purchase The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School HERE.

The Pout Pout Fish Goes to School Writing Activity ($1.00 on TPT)

Growth Mindset lesson about New Beginnings ($1.25 on TPT)

Growth Mindset Reading Response Activities ($3.00 on TPT)

Pout Pout Fish Facts : You Are Smart (Free on TPT)

Empathy (Hey, Little Ant)

Hey, Little Ant is a great book that challenges readers to look at life from an insect's point of view.  It is the perfect book for teaching empathy.   It can be really difficult for young students to understand the concept of "standing in someone's shoes" and this book does a really good job of showing just what this means.  

Hey, Little Ant can be used to teach so many different topics.  The teacher's guide lists the following:

Respecting differences

Fostering respect for all living things

Considering stereotypes

Recognizing alternatives to resolving tension through violence

Exploring concepts of big and small, powerful and powerless

Standing up to peer pressure

Connections:
I absolutely love the lesson that lunchbuddiesplus shared on her blog.  She uses Hey, Little Ant to show the difference between  a "thinking of you" person vs. a "just me" person.

You can also get some ideas from the Hey, Little Ant Teacher's Guide.

Some good resources on TPT:
Social Skills, Perspective Taking, Thinking about others  ($3.50)


Bullying- Hey Little Ant! ($3.50)


These are all FREE on TPT:
Hey Little Ant Point of View by Lockwood's Little Learners


Ant Writing Response Pages {Freebie} by Jen Ross - Teacher by the Beach


Hey, Little Ant Opinion/Persuasive Writing by Creativity-To-The-Core



Ant Craftivity by Kelly-Morgan


Hey Little Ant Bulletin Board Writing  by Working-4-The-Classroom

Hey, Little Ant! Reader's Theater by Hanssen-House

Pouting

The Pout-Pout Fish 

I have some k-1st grade students who are getting very good at pouting!  We have been using The Pout-Pout Fish as a way of discouraging this behavior.  Pout-Pout fish swims around the ocean with a permanent pout stuck on his face.  As he swims around the ocean he spreads the "dreary wearies".  I love that this book leads to a discussion about our own behaviors having an impact on those around us. I'm sure you can find this book somewhere in your school district as it is a very popular story.  If not, you can purchase it HERE.

I have used many different FREE items that I have found on TPT with this book.  My favorite is this one:  The Pout-Pout Fish. {making bad moods better} by Kristin-Young.  It gets students thinking about their own actions.

Whitney Palyu Bright Ideas  came up with some great discussion questions:  The Pout-Pout Fish - Language Extension Activities.

Pout Pout Fish by First and Kinder Blue SKies (I used the fish template from this lesson)

The Pout-Pout Fish Reading Comprehension Activities by The Lesson Plan Diva (I used the final writing piece in this lesson:  Write and draw about a time that you felt sad)

The Pout-Pout Fish" Printables by Miss Lee's Little Learners (I used the problem/solutions page)

Pout Pout Fish Goes to School Response K-2 by Kindergarten-Keepsakes

The pout pout fish worksheet by Worksheetjunkie (goes with The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark

Rudolph (Bullying, Diversity)

I found a lesson from WWW.PACER.ORG using Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and decided to use the lesson with one of my 3rd grade classes today.  I started out showing the students the YouTube clip of Rudolph being teased for being different from his peers.  We then used the discussion questions from the teaching guide and talked about differences and shining bright.  I also showed students the YouTube clip of the misfit toys and we talked about their feelings as well.  If you don't remember the misfit toys, they are the toys who were banished to a cold island because they were unique and didn't look like the other toys.  We then used the star template included in the Activity Guide and completed the sentence, My star shines bright because________________________.

Connections:

YouTube Link: Rudolph Gets Teased by the other reindeer

YouTube Link: The Island of the Misfit Toys

Discussion and Activity Guide

Being Wendy (Careers)

I recently ordered the book Being Wendy and have been using it to plan career lessons for my 1st grade classrooms.  Last year I used Career Critters but I felt like it would have been more suitable for my kindergarten students.  Being Wendy is great because you can tie in some lessons on self-acceptance and diversity as well.  

Book Description:  Wendy lives in an odd town where everyone has to wear a box. These boxes are labeled with what each person does. The teacher wears a TEACHER box. The baker wears a BAKER box. Even the doctor wears a DOCTOR box! These boxes are worn for life and Wendy has to choose hers soon. How will she ever decide on just one box? She's interested in so many things! Wendy's moxie makes her break out of her box . . . And she sets the whole town on end when she does!

Connections:
Ms. Sepp's Counselor Corner posted some great discussion questions as well as a craftivity to go along with the story.

The Corner On Character also shared some great ideas about "thinking outside the box".

If you want a lesson for older students (3-4) you could use this lesson: schoolcounseling.weebly

http://www.sparksinslp.com/blog/thinking-outside-the-box

Being Wendy Prezi

Snowflake Bentley (Perseverance)

Snowflake Bentley is a biography about the life of Wilson Bentley, a self-taught scientist who photographed thousands of snowflakes and studied their uniqueness.  While other children built forts and pelted snowballs at roosting crows, Willie used an old microscope to look at flowers, raindrops, blades of grass, and snow.  Willie's parents bought him a camera that made it possible for him to photograph the snowflakes.  His first pictures were failures but mistake by mistake, snowflake by snowflake, Willie worked through every storm.  Even though Willie didn't give up, that winter ended and he still wasn't able to accomplish his goal.  He finally accomplished his goal the second winter, but he still faced obstacles.  Sometimes the snowflakes were broken and he had to wait hours before finding one that was just right.  If the shed was warm, the snow would melt.  If he twitched a muscle, the snowflake would break.  If he didn't work carefully and quickly the snowflakes would evaporate.  Willie's work was greatly respected near the end of his life.  He came to be known as the world's expert on snow and other scientists raised money to help him publish his book.   I have used this book to teach two different lessons.  The first lesson is on Diversity and the second is on Perseverance.  You can purchase the book HERE.

Connections:

I love this folded flap book by Buzzying with Ms. B. for teaching perseverance:

Never Give Up! Snowflake Bentley lesson by the NED Show

Snowflake Diversity on TPT by Morgan Warwick (includes a lesson and worksheet)

Video Slideshow of Bentley's Snowflake Photographs

Unique Snowflakes Lesson by counseling corner blogspot

Diversity, Tolerance, and Snowflakes by Riverbliss

Steps To Success: Goals are as different as snowflakes

TPT Freebie: Snowflake Diversity (links to activities by subject)

Slideshow for Snowflake Bentley

No Two Are Alike-Classroom Sign

We Are as Unique as Snowflakes by Miss Novellano's First Grade (lesson and bulletin board)

Related Posts:

Winter Themed Freebies

How Santa Got His Job