- Preschool/Pre-K
Community Helper Thank You Cards
Learning Areas:
- Literacy
- ECSEL
Overview
What is this activity?
ECSEL Standards
What skills are being enhanced? What knowledge is gained?
Materials
What do you need to prepare for this activity?
Instructions
Step by step guide
ECSEL Prompts
What questions can you ask to promote ECSEL thinking and discussions?
Extended Learning
How can you extend children’s thinking?
Overview
Taking a moment to think about and appreciate the many helpers in our community is important for developing empathy. Learn about them, thank them, and build empathy together!
ECSEL Standards and Learning Goals
What skills are being enhanced & what knowledge is being gained through this activity?Cause & Effect
Children will be able to participate in discussions about how their actions (writing thank you cards) might make someone feel.
Empathy & Prosocial Skills
Children will be able to participate in community-building activities (sharing and communicating with others).
Emotional Identification
Children will be able to identify their feelings about giving and/or receiving thank you cards.
CASEL Standards
Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills
Materials
- Large writing board (e.g., poster, large lined paper, white board)
- Markers
- Art paper
- Stickers
- Colored pencils
- Envelopes
Instructions:
- Introduce this activity at circle time by discussing community helpers and all of the people who make your community run smoothly (e.g. fire fighters, librarians, teachers, postal workers).
- Have each child name a community helper and write their response on the board. As they provide their responses, ask them how that person helps the community.
- When each child has contributed, explain that today we will be choosing a helper in our community and writing thank you cards for them! Have the class choose a community helper(s) for their card. Let them know that these cards will actually be delivered to these individuals.
- Have each child write a note and decorate their card. If age appropriate, support each child in independently writing their thank you card. For children who are still developing their early writing skills, support them in writing what they can, and have them watch as you write the words or phrases they need help with.
- After each card is completed, ask if any children would like to share their cards with the class. Read the card out loud and discuss how it made the class feel. Proud? Happy? Excited?
- Create a plan as a class to deliver the cards and mail them out together. Include in the envelope instructions for sending back a response. This is a great way to extend the activity and continue the discussion.
ECSEL Prompts
ECSEL Prompts are helpful questions & guiding statements you can use to provoke children’s thinking about emotions. These prompts are related to this specific activity.
What do you feel when you think of a community helper?
What would you feel if you received a thank you card?
What do you think the community helpers will feel when they read your card?
What do community helpers do to help you?
Extended Learning
Use these questions to extend children’s learning!
What is something you can do to continue to help your community? What can we do as a class to help our community at school?
When do you feel thankful? Has anyone ever helped you before?
Is there anyone else in your life you could write a thank you card for? Why?
How does being thankful make you feel?
How are you already a helper?
How do you think being a helper makes other people feel?
Preschool/Pre-K – Community Helper Thank You Cards