Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills

Giving Back

December 1, 2025October 29, 2025 by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

This is the time of year when I always share a family story…

When I was 12-years-old, my great-grandfather gave me Avon face powder for a holiday gift. Needless to say, I was disappointed by this gift. Instead of lecturing me about being ungrateful, or exchanging the powder for a different gift, my mother agreed that this was not a great gift for a girl my age. She suggested that perhaps there was a woman somewhere, that might not be getting gifts for the holidays, who would appreciate this gift.

This was before the internet, Giving Trees, etc., and it took many phone calls for my mother to find an agency that was collecting gifts for needy families. We ended up “adopting” a family for the holidays. Our whole family picked out gifts for this family. This was a tradition we continued throughout my childhood, and a tradition I continued with my own children, and now my grandchildren.

With the internet, Toys for Tots, Giving Trees… There are so many ways for children to become authentically engaged in the spirit of the holidays. Children can be given examples of ways to make the holidays special for others, can choose to engage in these activities/organizations, or come up with new authentic ideas.

It doesn’t need to cost a lot, or anything, to make someone else happy during the holidays. A handmade card, delivered to someone you know, or don’t know, can make a difference to someone else during the holiday season. And what a great lesson for your students to learn.

Happy December! Happy Authentic Teaching!

Tis the Season to Give Back

November 1, 2024September 25, 2024 by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

From the book Tex the Explorer and The Jared Box Project

Illustration by Eyen Johnson

As many of you know, I am passionate about two things, authentic teaching, and The Jared Box Project. These two things work together perfectly, when you are authentically teaching about giving. It is so important all year, but especially this time of year, to remember to give back.

Jared McMullen was diagnosed with an incurable brainstem tumor in 1999. He carried a backpack full of toys and games to all appointments and questioned why the other children didn’t bring toys to their exam rooms. Jared shared his toys and invited the other children to join him in a game of UNO. At just 5 years old, he demonstrated faith, wisdom and compassion for others.

Jared’s classmates sought to honor his memory and created boxes filled with toys for the patients at their local hospital. What was intended as a one-time project has grown into a nonprofit that reaches into the hearts of children and their families across all 50 US States, and also internationally.

I did a presentation last year at a special education school. These children had a great deal on their plate, but all engaged and enjoyed making Jared Boxes. They already earned credit at their school store (for task completion and behavior), and during the Jared Box Project (the name of the project and a project!) they used their credit to buy items for the Jared Box that they were going to make. The students were all engaged, proud, learning, and eager to share their finished boxes.

For more information about The Jared Box Project visit TheJaredBox.org

Happy Fourth – Kindness Counts!

July 1, 2024May 9, 2024 by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

As the United States celebrates its 248th birthday, I think it might be a great time to look at where we are as a country, and what is going on in the world. No, I don’t intend to get into this in this blog. Everyone has their own views, insights, and feelings about our country/world today. But, I think we all can agree that right now, and always, the world could use a little kindness.

It is so important to teach children (and young adults) the importance of doing something for others. Nothing makes me feel better than helping others. (This is one of the major reasons I write my blog, maybe I can help an educator or a parent in some small way.)

So, in America, as we celebrate our birthday in a few days, what is one small gesture we can do to make a difference for someone else? Have your students/campers/children make Happy Birthday America cards for folks in a retirement home. Have them call someone who might not get many calls to wish them a Happy Fourth. Make cupcakes or cookies for someone. Invite someone to a picnic, family gathering, fireworks viewing…

If you are not in America, what holiday is coming up in your country that you can include others. Teach children that every kind gesture counts!

Authentic Project Ideas – What to do with those Holiday Cards

November 21, 2020November 23, 2020 by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

For the first time, I am making my own holiday cards this year. I realized while I was doing this, that I have a huge stash of new holiday cards from previous years that I will probably never use. I did a little digging on line and found out that nursing homes love to receive new holiday cards for their residents to use.

This would be a great authentic project. Collecting new cards and donating them to a local nursing home. Finding out which nursing homes or organizations would like cards donated, organizing this, getting the word out, having a drop off spot…

All of these authentic activities could cover many different academic goals. Reading – researching on line. Math – counting, tallying, predicting, graphing. Writing – composing letters/emails to ask for donations, writing to organizations asking if they would like new cards donated. Social Responsibility Skills – donating time and effort for others.

This may also lead to an authentic project of sending greeting cards to residents of a nursing home or hospital.

I also have a collection of cards that I have received over the years. They are just too gorgeous to throw out. I found out that St. Jude collects used cards to recycle for future use. Just doing the on-line research is an authentic activity that could lead to many authentic projects.

Safe and Happy Holidays!

Authentic Project Ideas – Thanksgiving

November 14, 2020November 14, 2020 by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

I am feeling a little guilty looking at these guys knowing that the American holiday of Thanksgiving is coming up. I was going to write a blog about authentic experiences cooking, but then I looked at these guys and decided to go a different route.

What is the history of Thanksgiving in the United States? What similar holidays do other countries have? What are the different traditions of these holidays that remind us to be thankful for what we have?

Research these holidays, write a report, develop a timeline, propose a new holiday… And a wonderful authentic project would be to have learners do something special for someone who is less fortunate than they are. Especially now, these are easy times to fall into feeling sorry for ourselves, instead of looking at what our blessings really are.

And speaking of fortunate…I found out those guys in the photo are pets!

Authentic Project Ideas – Lemonade Stand That Makes a Difference

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020 by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

Summer is finally here, and kids are out of school and home for the summer. (Officially that is – most have been home for months.) This is the time that summer lemonade and baked good stands start to appear.

With so many people struggling to make ends meet due to the Coronavirus and the economic impact of the shutdowns, it would be a great authentic project to turn these summer stands into fundraisers for local food banks.

An authentic project such as a lemonade stand with home-made cookies includes reading recipes, using math to make the lemonade and cookies, writing signs, more math to sell the lemonade and cookies…the authentic experiences are endless.

And it is never too early for kids to learn how good it feels to help those in need, and that every little bit helps. It may not seem like much to donate a few dollars to a food bank, but it means the world to the family that gets food due to that donation.

Authentic Teaching – Protecting Our Environment

May 16, 2020January 9, 2021 by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Authentic Teaching, Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

QUILT BY CHRIS STAVER

The last two months have been a fascinating look at what happens to our planet when we cause less pollution. Photos of Venice and the clean water are astounding. Pictures of the clean sky over Los Angeles – amazing. Animals coming back to their old habitats. All of this in just a few months.

Obviously, at some point we will all re-emerge and begin to interact more with our environment. But maybe some good will come out of this and we will do it a little more responsibly. We have certainly seen how quickly our planet can begin to recover from some of the damage caused by humans.

I have written about several project ideas that have a theme of protecting and cleaning up our environment. Teaching children how to learn and think authentically is something I am obviously passionate about. We also need to take a good, hard look at what we are doing to our planet, and what we are leaving behind for our children and grandchildren. What better way to cover both than an authentic project about our environment. And the timing, with what is currently happening in our world, is perfect for this authentic exploration.

There are some really neat organizations out there that are making a big difference in cleaning up our environment. For example, 4ocean sells bracelets made of beads from plastic pulled out of the ocean (a huge environmental problem). For every bracelet they sell they pull a pound of plastic from the ocean.

There are many other grassroots organizations, businesses, and charities that are making a huge difference. Most started as a simple project. (Read about the start of 4ocean, it is an interesting story.) A really cool authentic project could be to develop a new way or idea to clean up, or prevent pollution, on our planet. Who knows…this project may become something that makes a difference.

Stay Safe!

Caring Cards

March 28, 2020March 28, 2020 by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

With approximately one-third of the world’s population under some sort of restrictions, there is no better time to reach out to relatives, neighbors, and friends who are feeling isolated.

I have been making and sending cards out to people I know, and the reception has been humbling. It is amazing the difference getting a card in the mail can make to someone feeling isolated and alone. And it also helps me to feel less isolated, by reaching out to others.

Our children are feeling isolated as well. This is a great time for children to make cards for others. Not only are they authentically learning about giving and compassion for others, making the cards will help them feel less isolated. (And they are also authentically practicing writing skills.)

Don’t forget to have them address the envelope – possible authentic geography lesson. They should also put on the postage – this may lead to an authentic project about the cost of mailing letters, the history of stamps, stamp collecting…

For teenagers, they might want to make and send cards to nursing homes and thank you cards to hospital staff and first-responders. They can do the research for what they would like to do, find addresses, etc.

And the above photo is a virtual “thinking of you” card for all of you. Stay well!