Free Lesson Plan: The Power of Gratitude - a No-Prep Thanksgiving Activity
Check out this Free No-Prep Gratitude Lesson Plan
Happy Almost Thanksgiving, Everyone!!! Last year, I wrote a blog post about the power of gratitude, and this year I wanted to turn it into a free lesson plan!
The act of expressing gratitude moves and touches people deep within the soul! Did you know it is even so powerful that psychologists suggest that simple expressions and thoughts of gratitude can boost individual well-being and could be the answer to one of life’s greatest questions: What is the key to happiness?
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Okay, before I send you off to download this freebie, let me give you a few more details about how powerful it is to be thankful! Just watch this video...
In sum, gratitude is associated with components essential to survival and crucial to individual well-being including improvedhappiness and life satisfaction, a decrease in depression symptoms, an increase in quality of life, and the strengthening of social bonds (Toussaint & Friedman, 2009; Froh, Bono, & Emmons, 2010; Toepfer, Cichy, and Peters, 2011).
Isn't the power of gratitude amazing! Now it's time for your students to show gratitude!
Here are the three gratitude worksheets included:
1) Having a Grateful Mindset
This exercise is all about shifting a negative mindset to one of gratitude. First, ask students to write down 10 things they are thankful for on the provided worksheet. Then challenge students to read the list the next time they are in a bad mood. The idea is that by shifting your mindset to thoughts of gratitude, you will improve your emotional well-being.
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
2) 7 Days of Gratitude
This is another awesome exercise. Ask students to take a few minutes each day to write down three to five things for which they are thankful. The daily practice of focusing on what they are grateful for will have a deep impact on their overall happiness and mood
“Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.”
3) A Letter of Gratitude
Step 1) Take a moment to think of someone who has profoundly impacted your life.
Step 3) Write down your feelings of thanksgiving in a letter (a card, note, email, Facebook message, etc...).
Step 2) Deliver the letters!
“The unthankful heart… discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!”
These are simple, yet incredibly powerful activities. Your students can do one or all three! Let me also note, I know expressing gratitude like this can be a little frightening for a student, but the impact on their well-being is worth any level of awkwardness! I can't wait to hear about how you used this bundle in your classroom.
References:
Froh, J. J., Bono, G., & Emmons, R. (2010). Being Grateful Is Beyond Good Manners: Gratitude And Motivation To Contribute To Society Among Early Adolescents. Motivation and Emotion, 34(2), 144-157.
Toepfer, S. M., Cichy, K., & Peters, P. (2011). Letters of Gratitude: Further Evidence for Author Benefits. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(1), 187-201.
Toussaint, L., & Friedman, P. (2009). Forgiveness, Gratitude, and Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Affect and Beliefs. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10(6), 635-654.