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Being Nice

Kindergartners learn what being nice looks like — sharing, helping, saying please, and giving hugs — and how nice actions make friends feel good.

KindergartenCASEL: Social Awareness25 minutes1 class periodCASEL SELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain being nice.
  • ✓Tell nice from not nice.
  • ✓Do nice things.
  • ✓Make friends happy.
Essential Question

Being nice makes everyone feel good! What are some nice things you can do, and what things are not nice?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Nice or Not Nice?

Project this and sort each thing into nice or not nice.

💛 Sort each — nice or not nice?Try it
💛 Nice
💔 Not Nice
Tap a thing, then tap a box.
The Lesson · SEL Flow (Check-In · Learn · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

25 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Check-In — Nice Feels Good

3 min

Being nice makes everyone feel good — what is nice?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a check-in.
  • Ask about nice things.
  • Be caring.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Check in.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Being Nice

7 min

Children learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show nice things.
  • Show not-nice things.
  • Say nice helps.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn nice.
  • Learn not.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Nice or Not

7 min

Children practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Nice or Not Nice?
  • Sort each one.
  • Talk about them.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort them.
  • Talk.
  • Explain.
4

Apply — Being Nice

5 min

Children apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a nice thing.
  • Say a nice word.
  • Help a friend.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Do it.
  • Say it.
  • Help.
5

Reflect — Reflect

3 min

Children close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a nice thing.
  • Say why it helps.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say why.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL 5 Social & Emotional Learning Competencies.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Recognize nice and unkind actions.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Show kindness to others.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Care about others’ feelings.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Build friendships.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Nice/not-nice cards.
  • Sentence frame: “Being nice is ___.”
  • Role-play nice acts.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with sharing vs. grabbing.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Use pictures.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Do a nice deed.
  • Make a kindness chart.
  • Explain how nice feels.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 💛Picture cards
  • 💻Nice or Not Nice?
  • 🧸A toy to share
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

nicekind and friendlykindcaringsharegive some to othershelpmake things easierpleasea nice wordhuga friendly squeezemeannot nicefriendsomeone you’re nice to
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name a nice thing to do.
Sharing, helping, saying please, or giving a hug.
QUESTION 2
Is grabbing a toy nice or not nice?
Not nice.
QUESTION 3
How does being nice make friends feel?
Good and happy.

Reflect: be nice.

Have children do one nice thing today, like sharing or helping. A printable nice sheet is in the SEL library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Social Awareness: Being NiceFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Social Awareness: Being NiceQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Social Awareness: Being NicePrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: friend, help, hug, kind, mean, nice, please, share
  1. someone you’re nice to
  2. a friendly squeeze
  3. not nice
  4. caring
  5. give some to others
  6. a nice word
  7. kind and friendly
  8. make things easier

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name a nice thing to do.
  2. Is grabbing a toy nice or not nice?
  3. How does being nice make friends feel?
Answer key — Part A: 1) friend · 2) hug · 3) mean · 4) kind · 5) share · 6) please · 7) nice · 8) help
Part B: 1) Sharing, helping, saying please, or giving a hug. 2) Not nice. 3) Good and happy.