Help Children Develop Social and Emotional Learning Skills With TeachKind Resources
Especially now, as we navigate these unprecedented times, children should be encouraged to develop their problem-solving skills, be actively aware of their own well-being, and flex their empathy muscles for others, including animals. These foundational skills can be cultivated by using TeachKind resources in the classroom, virtually, or at home.
Social and Emotional Learning
According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, the five core competencies of social and emotional learning (SEL) are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Activities that focus on compassion for animals can help students strengthen these competencies and shape them into responsible, critical-thinking, empathetic young people. TeachKind is here to lend a helping hand by providing resources that not only engage students in various aspects of SEL but also help them become compassionate and confident members of society.
TeachKind and SEL Core Competencies
Self-Awareness
The following lessons and activities teach students how to identify their emotions and how doing so can influence their behavior.
Elementary
Share the World: Practicing Empathy
Students are asked to look at examples of people showing empathy in various situations and relate that to their own experiences.
K-2
3-5
Middle and High
Cognitive Dissonance and How We Treat Animals
This activity can be used to teach about cognitive dissonance as a psychological experience, give examples of discordant beliefs and behavior in our society as a whole, and examine the dissonance that occurs between students’ opposing personal attitudes and actions.
Self-Management
The following lessons and activities teach students the importance of regulating their own emotions and behavior in various situations.
Elementary
‘Hey, Little Ant: Little Guy Makes a Big Case’ Activities
Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose helps students see the world through the eyes of an ant. It offers a great opportunity to encourage them to be mindful of other living beings and consider the consequences of their actions. When kids learn to see things from the point of view of even the smallest animals, this can lead to more empathetic behavior toward their peers.
Hobbes Goes Home Emotions Dice Game
Hobbes Goes Home is a book full of expressive illustrations, excellent for helping students identify similar situations and feelings that they and others might share with Hobbes. Use the Emotions Dice Game to prompt discussions with your students about recognizing our own emotions and how doing so can help us have more control over them and our actions toward other humans and animals.
Share the World: Golden Rule and You
This comprehensive program helps children see that we can make choices to ensure that we treat others with compassion and respect at all times—and that we should follow the Golden Rule not only in our relationships with other humans but also in our relationships with animals.
K-2
3-5
Social Awareness
The following lessons and activities teach students the importance of having empathy and respect for others.
Elementary
This pledge allows children to commit to putting the Golden Rule into action and inspires them to be respectful of all sensitive living beings as well as our planet.
Middle and High
It’s important for young people to recognize that humans have collective responsibility for the Earth and all its inhabitants—including animals. And behaving responsibly starts with becoming aware of the effects that our personal actions have on our global society.
Check out the example set by one of our kind A-list teachers, who showed his high school students how to rescue animals humanely and encouraged them to take action for even the smallest individuals. The students in this class went out of their way to save animals who found themselves lost or in distress:
Relationship Skills
The following lessons and activities teach students the importance of working effectively with others in order to build relationships and accomplish a common goal.
Elementary
‘Like You, Only Different’ Personality Quiz and Nameplates Icebreaker Activity
This fun, informative personality quiz will help students get to know each other better while building empathy for animals.
This entertaining icebreaker will get your students to flex their empathy muscles and be more considerate of both animals and peers. It’s sure to become a favorite!
Middle and High
TeachKind Rescue Stories: Songwriter and Student Save Lamb From Slaughter
This rescue story is about a California boy in a 4-H program who—with the help of legendary songwriter and PETA supporter Diane Warren—prevented his beloved lamb, Cotton, from being slaughtered.
Life of Chained Dogs: Inspire Empathy & Advocacy with TeachKind
You and your students can make a difference in the lives of “backyard dogs” using this resource.
Responsible Decision-making
The following lessons and activities teach students the importance of being conscious of others’ needs and feelings while searching for solutions to everyday problems.
Elementary
‘Meeting the Needs of Companion Animals’ Lesson
Start a conversation with your students about the importance of understanding the needs, likes, and dislikes of animals in order to care for them properly. Use the activities in this lesson to help students discover how to meet companion animals’ needs beyond the basic physical ones.
TeachKind Rescue Stories: Pickles the Rabbit
Pickles’ story can help you start a discussion with students about the importance of adopting—not buying—animal companions and caring for them properly.
Middle and High
TeachKind Rescue Stories: Teens Save a Suffering Squirrel
Use this story to inspire your students to help those in need—regardless of species.
We know kids love animals, so let’s use that natural tendency to help them develop these SEL competencies so that they can deal effectively and ethically with life’s challenges and contribute to their communities in a positive way for years to come.
Compassion in Action
After spending weeks watching bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow of Big Bear Valley, raise their two eaglets on a live nest cam in science class, students at John Baldwin Elementary School in Danville, California, felt a strong connection to the eagle family. So, when they learned that building development could threaten the birds’ habitat, they sprang into action. Through bake sales, lemonade stands, plant watering, leafleting, and handmade origami eagles, the students raised awareness and collected donations to help protect the land.
Through this project, students demonstrated several key SEL competencies:
✅ Social Awareness: Students developed empathy for Jackie and Shadow after observing the eagle family and learning about threats to their habitat.
✅ Responsible Decision-Making: Rather than feeling powerless, students identified meaningful ways to help and took action to support conservation efforts.
✅ Relationship Skills: Students collaborated with classmates, teachers, families, and community members to raise awareness and funds.
✅ Self-Management: Students channeled their concern into productive activities, including fundraising, advocacy, and community outreach.
🎥 The students’ dedication even caught the attention of local news media, which featured their efforts to raise awareness and funds to help protect Jackie and Shadow’s habitat.
I learned that I am small, but my voice can be very loud.
John Baldwin Elementary School Student
Inspired by the students’ passion for protecting Jackie and Shadow’s habitat, another teacher adapted her persuasive writing unit, encouraging students to write letters to family members, community leaders, influencers, and celebrities, urging them to support the conservation effort through donations.
Recognizing the students’ compassion for animals and the teachers who empowered them to make a difference, TeachKind honored John Baldwin Elementary School with a Guardians of the Eagles Award and a well-deserved vegan ice cream party.
🦅 Thank you for being champions for animals, John Baldwin Elementary School! 🏅
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