Begin your lesson by developing definitions of the following terms as a class:

• Respect
• Permission 
• Fair
• Kind words

Tamara is very good on the monkey bars since she uses them every day, but Melanie’s not so confident as Tamara never lets her use them. In this scene, Melanie stands up for herself and expresses that she would like a turn. Tamara is adamant that the monkey bars belong to her and does not want to be interrupted. Neither are willing to back down.

Reflect

Reflecting on the clip from Little Lunch, answering the following discussion questions:

• What happened in this clip? Who are the main characters and what are they doing?
• Does Tamara own the monkey bars? Why, why not?
• Both Tamara and Melanie are called stubborn in the clip. What does it mean to be stubborn?
• How could the Tamara and Melanie communicate better in this clip?
• Did they use kind words, for example, thank you and please?
• What could they say to be more respectful and fair?

In a circle time discussion, ask students to share their own experiences:

• Can you tell me a time when you had to share?
• How did you communicate with the people you were sharing with?
• What did you say?
• How did it make you feel?

Explore

In the playground, act out situations where you can practice asking for permission and sharing space. Practice asking, giving consent, or assertively saying no. Attempt to include phrases like please, thank you, and I’ll think about it as well as non-verbal body cues and gestures.

Use the following conversation starters:

• Can I play on the monkey bars with you?
• Can we share the bucket and build a sandcastle together?
• Do you want to play a game of chasey?
• Can I join in your game of down ball?
• Can we take it in turns to go down the slide?

Create

As a class, make a Kind Words poster. Discuss examples of words to use when asking for or giving permission, such as, please, thank you, maybe later, I understand. Write these words on the poster and add fun drawings of people using kind words.

In this scene, Sissy teaches Big Cuz a dance routine. Though reluctant at first, Big Cuz gets the hang of it and quickly gains confidence. That is until Sissy reveals to Big Cuz that she has arranged for the two of them to dance in front of the whole school at the assembly. Big Cuz is upset that Sissy do not ask her first.

Reflect

Reflecting on the clip from Little J and Big Cuz, by answering the following discussion questions as a class: 

• How did Sissy and Big Cuz work together to learn the dance?
• How did Sissy use encouraging language to help Big Cuz build confidence?
• How did Big Cuz feel when Sissy signed her up without asking?
• Why is it important to ask someone before making a decision for them?
• What could Sissy have done differently?

Take a moment for individual reflection to consider answers to the following questions:

• Has anyone ever made a decision for you without asking? How did it feel?
• What would you want them to do instead?

Explore

Imagine a time when you want to ask a classmate to join something fun, like a sport or a school play. Think of kind questions you could ask, like:

• Can I sign you up for the play?
• Would you like to join the soccer team?

In pairs or small groups and come up with your own polite questions to ask a friend.

Create

Work together to practice your teamwork and respectful communication skills by creating a short dance sequence, just like Big Cuz and Sissy. Take turns sharing your ideas for dance moves and decide as a group which ones to include. Remember to ask for permission and listen carefully to each other’s ideas as you work together.

In this clip, Lottie and Tal struggle to find a way to work together. Their disagreements get in the way of achieving their goal, a sculpture for the community art show. Tal and Lottie have different perspectives and are not very good at listening to each other or asking permission to add or change parts of their collaborative sculptures. When Tal and Lottie work together with Eddie they learn that they can cooperate as a team to achieve a collective goal. This takes compromise, being open to other perspectives, active listening, and good communication skills.

Reflect

Reflect on the clip from Eddie’s Lil Homies and have a class discussion about how differences can be strengths. Together answer these questions:

• Why did Tal and Lottie have trouble working together at first?
• How did Eddie help Tal and Lottie solve their problem?
• Why is it important to listen to each other when working as a team?
• How could Tal and Lottie use more questions to support each other’s ideas?

Think about a time you worked with a friend or family member and share your experience:

• Did you both have the same ideas, or were your ideas different?
• How did you work it out?

Explore

In the clip, Tal and Lottie did not listen to each other’s ideas very well. Remember, listening and responding with both words and body language is really important.

Let’s practice active listening with a fun game. Pair up with a friend. One person will share an idea, like, “Should we make a rainbow sculpture?” The other person must repeat what they heard, for example, “You want to make a rainbow sculpture? That sounds fun! Can we do it together?” Also, show you’re listening with your body language by looking at the speaker, nodding, or using open gestures with your hands. After that, you can share your own idea.

This will help us practice listening carefully and showing we understand each other with both words and body language.

Create

Pair up with a classmate and take a blank sheet of paper. One person will start by drawing a shape or object. The teacher will set a timer and it will go after 1 minute and you can switch. Now, the other person will add something to the drawing. Keep taking turns adding to the picture and work together to create a collaborative artwork. Combining your ideas can lead to something special and unique.

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