Sweaters

In sixth grade we have been talking a lot about how and why people are heroes. Mother Teresa is among the “giants of our time” when it comes to impacting others. Well, just today I received a huge package from a friend in Florida. Inside were many sweaters, turtle-necks, and shirts. This got my brain thinking… how can I teach my students to help others right here in our own community? How can we be heroes to the people that we see daily? By the sixth lesson, I had a plan.

My sixth grade students came in today- the same as they do every day. Little did they know, they would be challenged with a much greater task then just speaking English.
Instead of sitting in their desks, I asked all students to come to the back of the room where a giant package was waiting. Students were asked to choose one shirt from the box. There objective was this- they have exactly one week to make a difference in somebody else’s life… with the help of one shirt. They may change the shirt, cut it, color it, keep it the same, sew other fabric on… whatever they choose to do with their shirt… as long as it helps someone in the community! They are to report back to the class in one week and share how they helped someone. Here are some great ideas that they came up with on ways to help:

1.You could make sweatbands out of the arm cuffs and neck cuff
2.You could make a scarf out of the turtlenecks
3.You could draw some encouraging pictures on the shirts and give it to someone
4.You could give the shirt to a homeless person

You could give a warm sweater to someone who is cold ... and of course we had a few say “I am helping me and keeping it”… those will learn in time that real joy comes not in receiving, but especially in giving.