Hope

Hope Guidance Lesson 

By: Evan Kruschke, Meaghan Logan & Lauren Mills

Introduction:

This guidance lesson is intended to address the theme of Hope and the importance for students to have hope in their own lives for themselves and others. This lesson works to teach students about hope, apply it to their personal life, identify why it is important to them, and give them time to practice using hope in everyday scenarios. The theme of hope is incredibly personal for each individual, and we aim for our lesson to give flexibility for students to view it in their own way.

Resources/Supplies needed:

●        Posters

●        Markers

●        Blank bookmarks

●        Scenarios

●        Worksheets about hope

Overview of Guidance Lesson:

Introduction:

●        Explain a school counselor's’ role to the students and explain why we are visiting their classroom that day. 

●        Introduce the concept of Hope and activate students’ previous knowledge about Hope.

○        “Who thinks they know what hope is?”

○        “Can anyone tell us when you might need to have hope?”

○        “What does it mean to have hope?”

○        “How can we demonstrate hope in our lives?”

○        “Who are people we know that show hope?”

●        Define Hope

●        Create anticipation: Getting students excited for the lesson: We are so excited to teach you about Hope and hear your ideas! If you share an answer you will get a piece of candy!

Developmental learning activities:

This lesson can be adapted to any grade level K-8. Here are a few activity options to teach students the concept of hope!

Draw it out:  Give students time (10-12 min) of a time they were hopeful at school. Counselor can walk around and offer support to generate ideas, more support needed for younger students. Then select a few students from the group to present their poster to the class and posters will be hung up/left for the teacher to use if they want!          

For Kindergarten-2nd grade classes: Read the short poem and give them time to decorate their bookmarks (example below). Additional activity can include, “What Do You Hope For?” worksheets.

 Poem: “Hope is believing your dreams will come true, It’s knowing you’ll be successful in all that you do. You will need to work hard and have patience too, but when you have HOPE each day is brand new!”

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what the sunflowers do.” ~ Helen Keller

 For 3rd grade and up: Break into small groups and give them a scenario, ask them to work together to come up with a skit/role play of how they would show hope in each scenario.

Scenario Ideas: Someone who is struggling with an assignment, someone has a family member who is sick, someone who did not get chosen for their favorite game at recess/PE, etc.

Closing and follow up/ Assessment:

●        Give students a recap of activities we did during the lesson and what we learned today

●        Ask students to share out their favorite new thing they learned today

●        Throughout the lesson we will ask thumbs/thumbs down questions to check for understanding