Fun with Character: Broken Heart
To prepare for this activity, find or create a simple picture of a large heart. Cut the heart into small pieces so that there is one piece for each student. You may get as creative in cutting apart the heart as you wish; just make sure that the students will be able to re-assemble the heart. As you begin this activity, remind the students of the discussion about the types of hurts. Distribute a piece of the heart to each student. Have each student write their name on the piece they receive. Now challenge the students to heal this broken heart by re-constructing the pieces. To make it easier, you may want to have the outline of the actual heart, drawn on a piece of cardboard or on a bulletin board. Drawing the lines around each piece will make it even easier especially if students can’t all work together closely. If a student is missing, save them a piece. Once the heart is together (even if it is missing a piece from an absentee), explain that as a group, the class has a heart. When any one of its members is hurting, the whole class hurts. That’s why it doesn’t make sense for students to hurt each other. When an absentee returns, be sure to let them add their piece to the heart. Leave this heart displayed in the classroom the rest of the month.
To process the activity, ask these or similar questions:
How difficult did you think it was going to be to put the heart back together?
Was it fun to see the shape of the heart coming together as pieces fit?
Did you need help finding where your piece fit?
How did it feel when your piece fit in?
Does seeing the heart with all of the names help you feel connected to the rest of the class?
Do you agree with the statement: when one of us is hurting, we all hurt?
How does bullying a classmate affect the rest of the class?
Will you remember the heart of the class, the next time you feel like saying something unkind to a classmate?