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Lesson Plans

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Gratitude Gifts

Students will create a handmade keepsake gift for someone special in their life.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

Steps

  • Step 1

    Showing gratitude and appreciation is beneficial to both the giver and receiver; in fact, there are scientifically proven benefits. Gratitude can open the door to more relationships and opportunities, it can improve physical and mental health, increase empathy, and even help you sleep better. Have students think about someone they would like to acknowledge with a gratitude gift.

  • Step 2

    Ask them to design a keepsake mini sculpture out of Air-Dry Clay that will hold a small card with the gift recipient's name. Encourage them to choose something that reflects the interests of the special person. They can make individual components and then assemble them into the small sculpture. While the Air-Dry Clay is moist, press the card into it to form the card holding stand. When the clay is dry students can paint the sculpture with watercolors.

  • Step 3

    While the paint is drying students can write and decorate the card. Identify the person on the front and include a customized written message on the back.

  • Step 4

    If students choose, they can use watercolor to paint customized gift wrap for this sculpture.

Standards

SEL: Social Awareness: Understand the perspectives of and strengths of others.

SEL: Relationship Skills: Establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups.

Adaptations

Have students explore holidays dedicated to gratitude around the world. For example, there is Thanksgiving in the United States; Erntedankfest ("harvest festival of thanks") in Germany during which celebrants might carry a "harvest crown" of grains, fruits, and flowers during a solemn procession; and Kinro Kansha no Hi in Japan which expresses thanks to laborers and where children make thank-you cards for policemen, firefighters, and other municipal workers.

Encourage students to write a thank-you note to a community member - perhaps a teacher who was inspirational, a librarian who recommended a great book, a coach who was motivational, etc.