Problem Solved: A Kindergarten Lesson

Lesson Type(s) Grade(s) Description

Social-Emotional, Language Arts, Social Studies

K

Discuss small and big problems and consider 9/11 helpers.

Activity Prep Materials Heart Badges

None

September 12: We Knew Everything Would Be All Right book or video, Blank paper, markers/crayons

Rescue

INTRODUCE

EXPLAIN: Sometimes, we have problems. There are small problems; you scrape your knee on the playground, or you drop your ice cream cone, or you eat too much candy and get a stomach ache. There are medium problems: you break an arm, you leave your backpack on the bus, or you and your brother get into an argument. There are also big problems: a fire starts, a grandparent gets really sick, or there is a car accident. No matter how big the problem is, there are people who can help and eventually, everything will feel okay again.

INSTRUCT:

  1. Share a problem you’ve had with the group.
  2. We will vote on whether we think it’s a small medium, or big problem, and then discuss.
  3. You will share someone who helped with that problem.

EXPLAIN: Sometimes, problems are so big our parents or guardians can’t help so we can call people like firefighters, police, and ambulance. These are all people that help make sure everything will be alright. Today, we’re going to learn about a difficult day in our history, and how everything became all right afterwards.

EXPLORE

SHOW: First page of the book.

EXPLAIN: In New York and Washington, DC, some planes hit different buildings. A lot of people were hurt very badly and many people around the country and the world were very scared.

READ: September 12: We Knew Everything Would be All Right

DISCUSS: 

  • Who was a helper you saw in the book?
  • In what ways did the helper help the US to become all right again?

INSTRUCT: Draw a picture of a helper and the way s/he helped or draw a picture of a way the US got better after the attacks.

CONNECT

DISCUSS: How can we become helpers when there are problems?