Gratitude Trees at Hancock
This lesson was created to let the students reflect on what they are grateful for, through art. Psychology studies show that focusing on gratitude helps people get greater perspective from their troubles so that they can be happier, healthier, and build stronger relationships.
Many of our art projects have social emotional learning components that involve games and connecting students by sharing their emotions in safe ways. We have observed how projects like this can improve the mood, well-being and outlook of our classrooms.
Materials: Markers, construction paper, scissors glue, pencil and paper
Directions:
1. Share with students what you are grateful for and read quotes about gratefulness.
2. Have students trace their hands with fingers apart and color.
3. Cut out a tree trunk with branches.
4. Glue tree trunk onto construction paper.
5. Cut out six leaves big enough to write on in whatever color(s) they choose.
6. On each of the leaves, ask students to write one thing they are grateful for.
7. Then, have students glue their trunks and leaves onto a fun-colored background.
8. Encourage students to share something they are grateful for with classmates.
9. Make it a game – have students find partners with similar things they are grateful for. Have the entire class connect as a chain holding hands with someone who has something they are grateful for in common.
Gratitude Quotes
“Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.” – Lionel Hampton
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – Gilbert C. Chesterton
“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” – Buddha
“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” – Mary Davis