Copyright 2011 by Elizabeth L. Hamilton All Rights Reserved. Love Preparation Lesson 1 of 4 Love Feels (Love requires feeling for others rather than simply doing what s best for them in a vacuum.) Affirmation: I show love when I feel for others. Print on cardstock one copy of the Love block found on page 6 and one copy each of pages 3-5. Print one copy of the age-appropriate activity sheet for each child. Introduction Say: Today we start a new character trait of the month: love. Hold up your Love block and have your listeners read it with you. Say: This is the most important block you can add to your character wall. Did you know that? Fasten the Love block on your character wall in a prominent position. Say: What do you think of when you hear the word love? (Allow suggestions, but DO NOT agree or disagree with any ideas given at this time. Simply accept them without smile, frown, or other acknowledgement. Hold up the page 3 picture of the heart card. Ask: Do you ever think of hearts when you think of love? Most of us do, don t we? We think of feelings. Say: Our story today is about feelings. Listen. Tell this story in your own words, changing it to fit your listeners culture and ages. Mr. Thomas smiled as he opened a big red box. We have a surprise today, he announced. He reached slowly into the big red box. He pulled his hands out of the big red box. Hearts! Sachiko said. Is today Valentine s Day? No, this isn t Valentine s Day, said Mr. Thomas. He gave a handful of red, cardboard hearts to Sachiko. Give one to everyone near you, he said. He gave more hearts to Peter, asking him to be sure everyone in the back got a heart. Then he lifted his hand for silence. Mr. Thomas held up a very large heart. What s the first thing you think when you see a heart, Peter? Love. Peter held a red cardboard heart against his blue sweater.
Good, Peter. Mr. Thomas, People of long ago decided that your oh-so-important heart must be what you use to feel an oh-so-important character trait. They drew a shape like the one you re holding. It didn t look just like the heart inside your body, but they called it a heart. They used it to suggest love. Mr. Thomas continued, You can t live without your heart, and you can t live a life of character without love. Every time you see a heart this month, I hope you ll think of the character trait: love. Mr. Thomas laid his heart shape on a table, and held up a big sign like this one. (Hold up the page 3 heart picture.) He said, Love Feels. Hearts mean love, and love feels. Let s think about that. Once upon a time, Samuel s parents gave him a surprise birthday party. Mr. Thomas held up a party picture. (Hold up the page 4 birthday picture.) Now this was, he continued, the most wonderful party Samuel ever had. He was so happy that he said to your parents, Wow! You must really love me to do this for me! But Samuel s father just looked at his watch, and said, Well, I guess we love you. Parents are supposed to love children. They are supposed to give birthday parties, too, I guess. Anyway, we re going to our own party now. You send your friends home early. Then clean the house and get to bed. We ll be coming home late, and I don t want to find you awake. Samuel s father did not show that he felt for Samuel. It looked as though he didn t feel at all! Mr. Thomas pointed to the picture of the birthday party. Love doesn t just do something good without feelings, he said. Love feels. Love feels for others. It s happy about doing good things for others. I have one more thing in my box, Mr. Thomas said mysteriously. Denton, would you please get it out? Denton hurried to the box. Grinning, he reached in, and pulled out a very big teddy bear! Mr. Thomas had Denton hold the bear. Mr. Thomas held up a picture. (Hold up the page 5 teddy bear picture.) Some people think love is like a big teddy bear, he said. Everyone has loved a teddy bear at some time. Teddy bears FEEL good to our touch. They feel so good that we sometimes wish our teddy bears were alive. Teddy bears always take time to listen to us. They seem to feel for us, whether we re happy or sad. Let s let the teddy bear shape help us remember that love feels for others. Mr. Thomas ended the club meeting, then, but the children remembered that love feels for others. Apply the story in age appropriate words. Hold up the 3 pictures again, one by one. 1. Hearts stand for love because love is the most important character trait. Hearts show that love feels from deep, deep inside us. 2. Feelings must be part of showing love to others like at the birthday party. You can t show love by doing nice things without feeling for people. 3. Teddy Bears help us remember that love feels for others while doing good things for them. Teddy bears take time for others. We show love when we feel for others. Close by handing out assignment sheets.
First and Last Name: I show love when I feel for others. Ask an older person to cut out the puzzle pieces for you. Then put the puzzle back together. Glue your finished puzzle on a large piece of paper. Make it look like the small heart to the right. What shape is the puzzle piece in the middle of the heart? Tell a parent what that shape helps you remember about love? Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Love #1 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2011 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
First and Last Name: I show love when I feel for others. 1. Cut out the puzzle pieces on the next page. Cut carefully. 2. Put the puzzle back together. 3. Glue your puzzle on a large piece of paper. Make it look like the small heart to the right. 4. What shape is the puzzle piece in the middle of the heart? 5. Write a story telling what that shape helps us remember. Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2011 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Love #1 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2011 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Love #1 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com