Generosity Buddy Session 1: Introduction

GENEROSITY Arthur’s Giving and Keeping Game

Materials

Arthur Character Cards: Francine, Buster, Binky Vocabulary List (optional)

Objective: Students explore the interactive game with buddies to help them gain an understanding of what it means to share things (including time), even when it's hard to do. Book Corner

Becker, Shelly Mine! Mine! Mine! Charles, Faustin The Selfish Crocodile Cleveland, Rob Drum: A Folktale from India Henkes, Kevin Sheila Rae and the Peppermint Stick Lester, Helen All for Me and None for All Mora, Pat Birthday Basket for Tia Pfister, Marcus Rainbow Fish Polacco, Patricia Chicken Sunday

(see Appendix, Recommended Books for more selections)

30–45

minutes

GENEROSITY LITTLE B UDDY S ESSION 1: Introduction

Preview the game

Explain the concept, main idea, and format of the game. Let students know that there are three parts to the game and within each part there are lots of choices to make about sharing. You may want to say: During the next session with your Big Buddy, you are going to play a game called Arthur’s Giving and Keeping Game. In this game, you will help Arthur decide how to share three different things: chocolates, money, and his time. For each thing, he has to decide how much to share with Francine, Buster, and Binky. Point to the Francine, Buster, and Binky Character Cards. When you play the game with your Big Buddy, you will talk about whether or not it’s hard to share something and how other people might feel because of the decisions you make.

Introduce and discuss: generosity

Arthur’s Giving and Keeping Game asks students to help Arthur decide how to share things among his friends. It also considers the impact of Arthur’s generosity on others (and on himself, the giver). Students may be familiar with the concept of sharing, but they may not think about a broader definition of generosity. Begin the discussion by telling a real life experience you have had with sharing. Include the perspectives and reactions of the giver and the receiver. Encourage students to recall their own experiences in order to help them understand the concept of generosity and to get them comfortable talking about the topic before they meet their Big Buddies. Ask questions such as: •What do you think it means to be generous? What do you think it means to share something with another person?

•What kinds of things have you shared with someone? Why did you decide to share?

Did you expect to get something back from that person?

• Is it ever hard to share? Why or why not?

•Is it ever okay not share something? Why do you think that?

•How does it feel when someone shares something with you?

Now define the term generous. You can use the following explanation as a guide: When people are being generous, they share with others and are willing to give away things to other people. People who are generous share things even when those things mean a lot to them, such as their time or something special that belongs to them. Sharing your time might be choosing to help a friend for an hour rather than spending that time playing. Another important aspect to being generous is that people choose to help and share with people because they want to, not because they have to or because they expect to get something in return, and not because other people tell them they should. Being generous isn’t always easy, but it usually makes you feel good to make other people happy!

Can you think of a time when you were generous? Were you ever generous with your time? Was it easy or hard to share your time? Why was that? How did it make you feel? Has anyone ever been generous with you? What did they share with you? How did it make you feel?

Explore vocabulary

You may want to define the vocabulary words students may find challenging (see Appendix, Vocabulary Lists). Remind them that they can always ask their Big Buddy about words they aren’t familiar with.

Review communication skills

Discuss any communication issues or other problems that came up during the previous sessions. Review solutions and strategies as needed. Ask students to share how their Big Buddies helped them keep the conversation going during the buddy sessions.