This lesson, inspired by social media "challenges" and Project 365[1], encourages students to explore many areas of their lives in which they see and/or experience gratitude. 

Learning Outcomes

Students will define gratitude, identify what they are grateful for and express gratitude visually.

Materials Required

• photos require access to cameras or phones
• art projects can be done in any medium, for example drawing, painting, collage

Teaching and Learning Activities

1. ACTIVATE THINKING: Co-create a class definition of gratitude by finishing the sentence stem; "Gratitude is...."

• This can be done as a large group or with a partner or individually.
• If using computers or tablets/iPads, students can search a variety of sources for definitions.
• Share student findings with the class and come to a consensus on the top 3 or 4 words that are most popular or common.
• According to the world's leading gratitude researcher Robert Emmons[2], Gratitude is an affirmation of goodness where we affirm that there are good things in the world.)

2. Ask students "What are you grateful for?" Make a classroom list of their answers.

3. Use the following categories to inspire student's creative interpretation of what they are grateful for.

• health
• bodies
• can’t live without
• something new
• neighbourhood
• season
• basic needs
• transportation
• family
• favourite food
• smile
• books
• something funny
• nature
• something old
• animals
• memories
• friends
• what brings joy
• emotions
• tradition
• culture
• music
• diversity
• beauty
• laughter
• love
• kindness
• where you sleep
• self-portrait

4.  Introduce the project as an activity to create and/gather images (photos, art, words and phrases) that depict what they are grateful for within a category that they choose.

5. Create time and space for students to share their work.

Adaptations

• Begin the session with Gratitude - the video by Louie Schwartzberg.

• Use the list as a 30-day challenge, addressing a new category every day.

• Include discussions on gratitude awareness and expression through all 5 senses. For example: What does gratitude look like? Smell like? Feel like? Taste like? Sound like?

• Have students choose a unique category from the list, with no duplications in the class. When the final products are shared, a wide range of gratitude categories will be covered with varying perspectives.

• Engage multiple classes or the entire school with a gratitude focus.

Follow Up Activities

• Assign a creative writing assignment - journal, short story or essay.

• Present photos/art to other students, parents or the wider community.

• Deepen the connection to gratitude from artistic expression to performing acts and gestures of gratitude at home, school and throughout the community.