Activity
1. Have students write down a few things for which they are most thankful.
Suggest a variety of ideas so that students understand that that this could be a physical gift, an experience or simply time spent together with family and friends. For example, the list could include new books, going the zoo or a home-cooked family dinner.
2. Ask students to pick one of the things on their list to craft a thank you note to express their gratitude.
3. Choose a format that is most appropriate for your students.
Some ideas:
- Download and print this thank you template. Most of the note is written, but younger children can fill in the blanks and draw a picture above.
- The fill-in-the-blank sentences in our template were designed to orient students to both notice the intentions of the gifter and to recognize the personal value that the gift adds to their lives. Research suggests that these reflective elements foster gratitude.
- Use the “Writing” folder in the Masterpiece Gallery to write “Thanks” or “Thank You” in cursive on their card.
- Choose art from the “Thank You Cards” folder in the Masterpiece Gallery.
- Take a photo of themselves or their gift, or search for related images online, to use for their card.
4. Split students into individual stations with Osmo, a printed template or blank paper, and writing instruments at each station.
4. Instruct students to open the Masterpiece app to create the art for their card and to write a note to the thank you recipient.
Remind them to resize the art especially if you are using the thank you note template so that the art fits into the frame.
