First grade Guidance Curriculum

Guidance Curriculum for First Grade

Our first grade guidance curriculum is divided into 2 sections. In September all first graders and pre-first students learn and review our bullying prevention curriculum. During the second half of the year we teach “Social Thinking” language and concepts to all first graders and pre-first students for their guidance lessons. The Social Thinking curriculum is based on Michelle Garcia Winner’s books, Think Social: A Social Thinking Curriculum for School-Age Students and You Are A Social Detective; Explaining Social Thinking to Kids.

Problem solving and Bullying Prevention lessons:

First lesson:

• SOLUTION WHEEL: Review/learn how to use 3 solutions before asking for help. 
• “DOUBLE D” RULE”: Our guide to help them decide when to tell an adult about a concern (if it is DANGEROUS or DESTRUCTIVE) and when to use the solution wheel.
• ASKING FOR HELP: Student can always ask for help if they are not sure or have tried 3 solutions and the problem is still happening. 

Second lesson:

• Focused on defining TEASING and BULLYING and the difference between NORMAL CONFLICT and BULLYING.
• TEASING: a single incident of someone using hurtful words directed at them which they might be able to handle using the solution wheel.
• BULLYING: Hurtful actions or words that are: Repeated; One-sided; unfair…that make you feel: Scared; Alone; Sad; or Unsafe.
• NORMAL CONFLICT: Happens occasionally between people of equal power; involves mutual emotional reactions, remorse and effort to take responsibility to solve the problem. Normal conflict is not serious or emotionally damaging to the other person.
• In first grade and pre-first students viewed a movie called “Sticks and Stones” which clearly showed the difference between a teasing incident which was solved using several solutions and a bullying incident which was solved by “talking it out” with the principal.
• Review: They can try 2 to 3 solutions for a teasing problem.
• If the problem keeps happening they can report the problem (see ASKING FOR HELP).
• UPSTANDER: We began a discussion about how to be an upstander. The 3 steps they learn are:
• If it is safe, tell the person to stop
• Ask the person being teased to come play
• Get help if the problem is a "Double D" or if it continues.

Third lesson:

•  Review of differences between Teasing and bullying
•   Focus on how to be an “UPSTANDER” as opposed to being a “BYSTANDER”. Two very meaningful books, Say Something by Peggy Moss in first grade/pre-first and Nobody Knew What To Do by Becky McCain in second grade/multiage were used to help the children learn what an upstander is and how to be one. They learned that if they see bullying or teasing going on they can help out by going over to the person who is being teased. They should never fight, but they can tell the person being mean to stop, (if they feel safe), ask the person being teased/bullied to come play, and help them get help from a grownup.
• The UPSTANDER poem they learned is:

                              I think you forgot you need to stop

                              Bring your friend away and say "Come play"

                              Get help from a grownup today! 

 

SOCIAL THINKING GUIDANCE LESSONS:
During the first 3 social thinking lessons our students are learning how to be Social Detectives. We read "How to be a Social Detective" by Michelle Garcia Winner. Students learn how they can use their social detective tools such as using their "eyes for thinking" about other people, about situations, feelings, figuring out what is happening and what they should do next. They learn and practice the following concepts so that they can understand the importance of showing expected behaviors. Basically, the more often they use expected behaviors, the more comfortable others will feel around them, and the more they will be able to develop positive friendships.

The terms that we have been teaching and using at Nabnasset are described below:

Expected Behavior	How you are expected to behave in social settings, based on whom you are with and where you are – the things we do and say that give people good thoughts about us
Unexpected Behavior	When people don’t follow social expectations (i.e. call out in class, run in hallway, yell, name call, tone of voice, etc.) it is unexpected. Unexpected behaviors are the things we do and say that give people uncomfortable thoughts about us.
Good Thoughts	What others think about us when we show expected behaviors
Uncomfortable thoughts	What others think about us when we are not doing what is expected
Social Smarts	The type of smarts in our brains that we use whenever we are around other people. Social smarts help our brains know that others are having thoughts about us and we are having thoughts about them
Social Detective	Someone who uses their social smarts (eyes, ears, brain, feelings) to figure out what is happening and what they should do next (what smart guess can they make about what to do)
Think with your Eyes	Using your eyes to see and think about what is happening, and to see what people are feeling
Whole Body Listening	Your whole body (eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet and brain) needs to be focused on others to show expected listening behavior
Brain in the group	Your brain is focused on what is happening and you are thinking about what others are saying, doing and feeling
Body in the group	Your body is in the group if others feel you are part of the group.  For example: when standing your body is about one arm’s length away from others and the front of your body is turned toward the group
Smart Guess	When you use all of your social detective tools (seeing, hearing, knowing and feeling) to figure things out and then make a guess about what you should do next – Smart guesses are expected and others have good thoughts about us when we make them
Wacky Guess	When we forget to use our tools to figure things out and just make a random guess. Wacky guesses are unexpected and give others uncomfortable thoughts about us

Our biggest emphasis with the first graders has been that when you use your “eyes for thinking” then you can figure out the expected behaviors for different situations.  This is called being a “Social Detective”. When you show and use expected behaviors, then others have comfortable thoughts about you and this is the way to be a good friend.

In lessons 4 and 5 we practice how to use expected conversation skills, and how to use expected game playing skills.

In lessons 6 and 7 the students review how we need to respect our friends for their differences. We discussed how teasing is an unexpected behavior, and how teasing makes others feel.
Finally we review concepts from our bullying prevention lessons including how to handle teasing using the solution wheel and how to be an upstander. We also discussed bullying problems and the importance of getting help from an adult when a problem is ongoing.