Young children explore the concept of the Golden Rule in this fun primary grade lesson. To begin, the class sings the song "The Lion and the Mouse" before discussing what the Golden Rule means and how it applies to daily life. This concept is reinforced with a real-life board game in which young scholars move from space to space, follow the directions on each square, and discussing whether the described situations obey or disobey the Golden Rule.

Concepts

classroom rules, etiquette, respect, the golden rule

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Additional Tags

golden rule, classroom rules, manners, polite behavior, politeness, respect, english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Adapt the board game activity to the size of your class by adjusting the number of game board squares you use
• Perform this lesson during the very first days of school, using it to help guide the creation of your classroom rules

Classroom Considerations

• If possible, play the game outside or in an open space like a gymnasium or cafeteria to avoid having to rearrange classroom furniture

Pros

• All the materials needed to conduct this lesson are included
• Provides a link to an article that describes 10 activities for creating classroom rules
• An optional activity is suggested that extends student learning about the Golden Rule

Cons

• None