Cotton Ball Words vs. Sandpaper Words
Purpose of the Lesson:
Teaching students why words are so important. Bring empathy and kindness to their attention and help students cultivate friendship making skills.
Teaching students why words are so important. Bring empathy and kindness to their attention and help students cultivate friendship making skills.
Read Aloud Rainbow Fish
The story starts out in the middle of the ocean, with Rainbow Fish, a fish with scales of different colors, including shimmery silver ones, refusing to play with any of the other fish. Rainbow Fish is proud of his special scales and is too proud to play games with the others, despite their insistence that he join them. He often uses unkind words and unkind actions toward the other fish.
Meeting Blue FishOne day, as Rainbow Fish is swimming along, a small blue fish asks Rainbow Fish to give away one of his shiny silver scales. Rainbow Fish gets angry at the blue fish, refusing to share his scales and telling him to go away. The little blue fish leaves and tells the others about Rainbow Fish's rude behavior. After the other fish learn about his behavior, no one asks Rainbow Fish to play with them anymore, and they avoid him as he swims by.
Visiting OthersRainbow Fish does not like the way the others are treating him, as it makes him feel lonely, so he asks the starfish for advice. The starfish suggests that he visit the octopus cave in the coral reef, and Rainbow Fish swims out to the reef to seek her advice. The octopus suggests that Rainbow Fish give all of the other fish a scale and explains that, though he will not be the most attractive fish, he will be happy. However, Rainbow Fish is unsure about giving away his shiny scales.
Sharing His ScalesOn his way back from the reef, the little blue fish approaches Rainbow Fish again and requests a shiny scale again. This time Rainbow Fish hesitates but selects his smallest shiny silver scale to give to the blue fish and notes an odd feeling as he watches the blue fish swim away. As the other fish see the little blue fish with his shiny scale, they too visit Rainbow Fish and request shiny scales. Rainbow Fish gives his silver scales away until he has just one left. As he joins the other fish in a game, he realizes that he is happy, despite not having all of his special, shining scales.
Meeting Blue FishOne day, as Rainbow Fish is swimming along, a small blue fish asks Rainbow Fish to give away one of his shiny silver scales. Rainbow Fish gets angry at the blue fish, refusing to share his scales and telling him to go away. The little blue fish leaves and tells the others about Rainbow Fish's rude behavior. After the other fish learn about his behavior, no one asks Rainbow Fish to play with them anymore, and they avoid him as he swims by.
Visiting OthersRainbow Fish does not like the way the others are treating him, as it makes him feel lonely, so he asks the starfish for advice. The starfish suggests that he visit the octopus cave in the coral reef, and Rainbow Fish swims out to the reef to seek her advice. The octopus suggests that Rainbow Fish give all of the other fish a scale and explains that, though he will not be the most attractive fish, he will be happy. However, Rainbow Fish is unsure about giving away his shiny scales.
Sharing His ScalesOn his way back from the reef, the little blue fish approaches Rainbow Fish again and requests a shiny scale again. This time Rainbow Fish hesitates but selects his smallest shiny silver scale to give to the blue fish and notes an odd feeling as he watches the blue fish swim away. As the other fish see the little blue fish with his shiny scale, they too visit Rainbow Fish and request shiny scales. Rainbow Fish gives his silver scales away until he has just one left. As he joins the other fish in a game, he realizes that he is happy, despite not having all of his special, shining scales.
Moral of the Story:
Treating people unkind and using Sandpaper words leaves you without friends and sad. Using Cotton ball words helps build friendships and spreads happiness to all.
Cotton Ball and Sandpaper Activity
During this lesson we used almost all of our senses.
Students were each given a cotton ball. They touched and felt the cotton ball on their hands and arms, then used their descriptor words to tell each other how the cotton ball felt or how it made them feel.
Soft, Fluffy, Nice, Good, Amazing, "Like a Cotton ball"
Then students were able to touch a piece of sandpaper on their hands only for safety purposes. Again, students shared their descriptor words as to how the sandpaper felt or made them feel.
Rough, Angry, Pokey, Sharp, Scrapey "It doesn't feel good"
Students were each given a cotton ball. They touched and felt the cotton ball on their hands and arms, then used their descriptor words to tell each other how the cotton ball felt or how it made them feel.
Soft, Fluffy, Nice, Good, Amazing, "Like a Cotton ball"
Then students were able to touch a piece of sandpaper on their hands only for safety purposes. Again, students shared their descriptor words as to how the sandpaper felt or made them feel.
Rough, Angry, Pokey, Sharp, Scrapey "It doesn't feel good"
Connection
We then pointed out part of "The Rainbow Fish" story where the Rainbow Fish used both "Cotton ball words" and "Sandpaper words".
When he used sandpaper words fish did not want to be his friend then he was felt all by himself, sad and lonely. BUT, when he used cotton ball words fish were nice to him and wanted to play and share with him.
EVERYONE WAS HAPPY WHEN TREATED WITH KINDNESS
When he used sandpaper words fish did not want to be his friend then he was felt all by himself, sad and lonely. BUT, when he used cotton ball words fish were nice to him and wanted to play and share with him.
EVERYONE WAS HAPPY WHEN TREATED WITH KINDNESS