Citizenship is crucial to the success of our society. But it’s not part of any standardized test, so sometimes it’s easy to skip over it. I absolutely loved this lesson plan by Character Education Partnership. This lesson, called “Wrinkle on my Heart,” teaches about empathy, taking responsibility for mistakes when they happen and learning from them, and thinking before you speak/act. It’s very simple, but effective, especially when the teacher posts the wrinkled heart somewhere in the classroom as a reminder. Check it out:
Salt Brook Elementary School
Overview
Engage students in a discussion of the power of their words.
Lesson Objectives
Students will learn to take responsibility for their mistakes when they happen and to learn from them.
Students will learn to think before they speak and act.
Materials Needed
Black marker
Procedures
Hurtful answers may include: Tease them, call them names, hit them, gossip about them behind their back, ditch them, tell secrets about them
Continue until you have folded the heart up. Then ask the children, “What have our hurtful words and actions done to our classmate’s heart?” Answers typically include destroyed it and broken it. Ask how students think this person feels. Discuss.
Ask students, “Is there anything we can say or do to fix this heart?” As children give an answer unfold one crease in the heart.
Helpful answers may include: Apologize, say something nice, give a compliment, invite them over to play or eat lunch with you, listen to them, talk to them, be a friend to them.
After the heart has unfolded, ask the children, “How did we do? Did we fix this heart?” Usually you’ll hear a yes and then “Well, no, because it’s still kind of wrinkled.” Allow them to discuss this.
Ask how this person feels now. Lead their discussion to the idea that although we have repaired the heart, the scars are still there. Even when we say we’re sorry, people still remember the hurtful things we did. Ask, “Is it ok for people to do this?” Discuss with them that we all make mistakes and sometimes say or do something hurtful that we didn’t mean. Ask, “What can we do to try to prevent saying or doing something hurtful to someone else?” Lead the discussion to the idea that we can think before we speak.
Write on the heart: No one has the right to put a wrinkle on someone else’s heart. Hang the heart in the classroom, therapy room, or send home as a visual reminder to children.
Teachers can review the lesson with students as needed by prompting them to look at the heart displayed in the classroom.
Assessment
Credit
I don’t know about you, but I think there’s more to an apology than a sneering “sorry!” I tell ya, kids these days don’t know how to apologize… and it drives me nuts! Here’s a poster I recently saw in a lower grade classroom that I thought NAILED the issue. Although it’s not the most glamorous, it serves the purpose.
Squarehead Teachers 
