Thank You For Changing My Life

Activity Objectives

Students will express gratitude towards someone who changed their life for the better, and share the story of this experience
‍
Then, students will listen to others' stories and reflect on how their own actions may affect another person

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

Explore

‍Engage students in a conversation about people who made a positive impact on their lives. You might ask:

Who is someone who has changed your life for the better?
‍
What did they do, and how did their actions affect you? What feelings did you experience?
‍
Why do you think they chose to help you? What was the cost of helping you (e.g., their time, effort, sacrifice, money, etc.)?
‍
After thinking about this experience, do you feel inspired to show compassion to someone else? What can you do?
‍

Then, prompt students to use these guiding questions to share the story about how this person (and their actions) impacted their life (e.g., by creating artwork about them, writing them a letter, recording a video thanking them, etc.)

Share‍

Share your students’ stories with your Empatico partner class (e.g., through a live virtual exchange or a tool like Flipgrid, Wakelet, Gimkit Ink, or Padlet). Invite students to share more about their experiences and ask each other questions.

Empatico Exchange

Flipgrid Activity

Wakelet Template

Reflect

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

Who did you express gratitude towards in your story? How did you choose to share your story? What feelings did you notice during this process?
‍
Are you planning to share your story with them? Why or why not? Are there other ways you can show your appreciation for them?
‍
What did you discover about your classmates from the stories that they shared? Were there any similarities between your stories?
‍
How have others’ stories made you consider how your own actions affect others?