Page 2 - Kind News, Jr. Teacher Guide

COMMON CORE, NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS), AND CASEL-ALIGNED ACTIVITIES

Kindergarten: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide
additional detail. CASEL Core Competencies: Responsible Decision-making, Social Awareness.
To go with “Caring for Spike”: After reading the article, review the reptile examples mentioned with students. If possible,
show students an image of a snake, a lizard, and an alligator. What do they all have in common? Discuss what a reptile is
and how Jeremiah cares for his bearded dragon. Ask them to imagine a day with a reptile in their home and write answers
to one or two of the following questions: What would they feed it? Where would it stay? How would they care for it?
Then ask them to draw a picture of their imaginary pet that goes with what they have written. Students can share their
stories with each other or the class.

First grade: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups / CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1. Follow agreed-upon rules
for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
CASEL Core Competencies: Responsible Decision-making, Social Awareness.
To go with pet quiz on p. 6: Before starting the activity, review guidelines for speaking and listening with students. After
students have taken the quiz, ask them to share which kind of pet came up as best suited for them: active, small, or exotic.
Then ask them to choose the pet that they would most like to have from that category and describe to a partner how they’d
take care of it. What would they feed it? Where would it stay? How would they entertain it? Ask pairs to share about each
other's imaginary pets with the class. To extend the activity, ask students to draw their imaginary pet in their home and
describe its environment, food, and activities in two to four sentences.
Second grade: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3. Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or
short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to
signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. CASEL Core Competencies: Responsible Decision-making,
Social Awareness.
To go with “Caring for Spike” and Humane Hero, “Lillian Barden, Kitten Kid”: After reading both of the articles, ask students
to answer Kind Question #1 if they have not yet. Then ask them to look at their answer for the last question about how they’ve
taken care of someone else, and think more about that experience. How were they given the responsibility of caring for
that person or animal, and what did they need to learn in order to do it well? Then ask students to write a story about this
event and how they showed responsibility, making sure to include words like “next,” “then,” and “finally,” and a conclusion.
To extend the activity, ask volunteers to share their stories with the class and have students give feedback, for example,
“I like how learned how to take care of a dog before she adopted one.”

BOOK NOOK

Ruby’s New Home

Written by Tony and Lauren Dungy | Recommended for ages 5-7
When mom and dad bring home a new puppy, everyone is so excited! All the kids love Ruby.
But who gets to walk Ruby? Who gets to play with Ruby? Who gets to brush Ruby? In this sweet
story, the Dungy children learn to stop saying, “Ruby is my dog,” and say instead, “Ruby is our
dog!” A charming book which teaches the importance of sharing in a sweet and humorous way.
COPYRIGHT: RUBY’S NEW HOME. © 2011 BY TONY AND LAUREN DUNGY. PUBLISHED BY SIMON SPOTLIGHT A DIVISION OF SIMON &
SCHUSTER, NEW YORK, NY.
BOOK SUMMARY FROM AMAZON.COM.