Random acts of kindness
A random act of kindness is an action designed to spread kindness in the world. It’s the opposite of bullying, because it helps another person feel good instead of bad. It improves a person’s wellbeing, rather than diminishing it.
Year level
7-10
Duration
5 minutes
Type
In class activity
Whole school and year assemblies
SEL Competencies
Responsible decision-making
Social awareness
Relationship skills
Learning intention
Students will be able to think of and perform a random act of kindness in their life, or at school.
Key outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
identify random acts of kindness
perform random acts of kindness in their life
explain how performing random acts of kindness at school can decrease bullying behaviour.
Materials needed
A piece of paper and a pen for each student.
Mapped to
Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education
Analyse and reflect on the influence of values and beliefs on the development of identities (AC9HP8P01)
Refine, evaluate and adapt strategies for managing changes and transitions (AC9HP10P02)
Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities
Personal and Social Capability:
Social awareness
NSW PDHPE Syllabus
Applies and refines interpersonal skills to assist themselves and others to interact respectfully and promote inclusion in a variety of groups or contexts (PD4-10)
Critiques their ability to enact interpersonal skills to build and maintain respectful and inclusive relationships in a variety of groups or contexts (PD5-10)
Victorian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Investigate the benefits of relationships and examine their impact on their own and others’ health and wellbeing (VCHPEP127)
Evaluate situations and propose appropriate emotional responses and then reflect on possible outcomes of different responses to health and wellbeing (VCHPEP147)
Activity 1
Instructions
5 minutes
The boost in wellbeing from an act of kindness occurs not only in the giver and the receiver of the kindness, but also in anyone else who witnesses it.
Explain to the students that they are going to think of and write down a random act of kindness they plan to perform for another person. It may be for a classmate, or someone else at or outside of school. The act may be as simple as:
writing a letter thanking the person for doing something
helping someone with a project they are working on
paying someone a compliment
inviting someone new to the school or neighbourhood to join in an activity.
Ask the students to write down what their random act of kindness is, who it is for, when they will complete the act, how they think completing it will make them feel, and what effect they expect it will have on the other person.
Ask the students to share their idea with a partner.
