Grades 3-5
Grades 6-8
STEM
Reading
Writing

Spread Gratitude! Coding Activity

Engage students in a coding activity to create a public safety announcement (PSA) around practicing gratitude.

Activity Partner
Total time estimate:
30-60 minutes
Activity Objectives
  • Students will reflect on what gratitude means to them and learn how practicing gratitude can help strengthen relationships
  • Then, using a self-guided coding tutorial, students will create a public safety announcement (PSA) that encourages others to practice gratitude

This activity supports the development of the following social-emotional skill: social awareness.

Code

Using the Codesters tutorial below, guide students in coding a public safety announcement (PSA) that encourages others to practice gratitude! Explain that a public safety announcement shares important information with people, and encourages them to take helpful or important actions.

As students work on their coding projects, prompt them to think about what gratitude means to them, and why it is important to them. You might ask:

  • Who (or what) are you grateful for? Why? 
  • What are different ways to show our appreciation for others? How does this help strengthen our relationship with each other? 
  • How does practicing gratitude make us feel? How does it make others feel? 
  • Are there other benefits of practicing gratitude and showing our appreciation?
Share

Facilitate a live virtual exchange to invite students to share their public safety announcements with your Empatico partner class. Encourage students to share what gratitude means to them, how they practice and show gratitude in their own life, and someone (or something) they feel especially grateful for today!

Alternatively, you might challenge them to code their public safety announcements together over a live virtual exchange, and participate in a joint coding session!

Reflect

Guide students through a post-activity reflection by asking the following questions: 

  • Did you learn any new skills through this activity?
  • What did your public safety announcement focus on? Why did you choose this message or theme?
  • Were you inspired by any of your classmates’ announcements? What similarities or differences did you notice?
  • Who can you share your announcement with to inspire more people to practice gratitude?

This activity was created in partnership with Code.org.

Did you finish this activity? We'd love your input.