K1 Activity 4 – Allies Stick Together

Introduction

Allies are students who stick together and stand up for each other. They are a powerful
asset to a school that is working with issues of teasing and bullying. Just as tape holds things together and fixes things, allies can be the adhesive that supports friendship and community. Many students may not have heard the word “ally” before. This is an excellent word to introduce to students because it helps them know that help is available if they look for it!

Description

Students learn what an ally is and how allies can help hold together friendships and communities by working together.

Principle Overview

A sense of belonging is absolutely necessary for our health and well-being. The fragile “roots of belonging” are planted and nurtured in the elementary years. It is a crucial time for students to feel their place and purpose in the school group. From these roots, the whole child blooms into a contributing member of community. IM4U challenges all of us to seek out our purpose and experience that purpose in our lives.

Materials:

Goals and Objectives:

  • Identify one’s role in a positive relationship with peers.
  • Discuss how peers can help and support each other to establish positive relationships.

  • Preview the Let’s Stick Together puppet skit video to better facilitate class discussion.
  • Collect student pictures and create a class book.
  • Provide pictures of various allies in stories and comics and allow students to create a class collage.
Cooperation and teamwork are integral skills for creating a sense of community. When students discover the benefits of working in groups, they learn how cooperation promotes a feeling of purpose and helps everyone feel like they are a part of a learning community. Working with others encourages important learning skills such as listening, communicating, taking turns, and participating with the group. Group work can increase creativity, problem solving, and help with difficult tasks. When we work as a team, we can win together.

  • Throughout the unit activities, review skills that are important for cooperation. For example:
    • Listen to everyone in the group.
    • Take turns.
    • Do your part.
    • Say encouraging words.
  • Note how allies cooperate together and reinforce cooperation skills in the activity.
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Activity Steps

  • Watch the Let’s Stick Together puppet skit video. Introduce the concept of an ally by using it to define the action in the video. Ask:

    Who is the ally in the skit?
    How was Martin an ally for Sammy?

  • Invite students to think about what the word “ally” means to them. Share the dictionary definition as a means of illustrating the conversation. One definition states: “to join (yourself) with another person, group, etc., in order to get or give support.”

  • Encourage students to brainstorm their own definition of the word. Youcan ask:

    What does the word “ally” mean to you?
    Do you have someone in your life that is your ally?
    In what ways do allies cooperate and work together?
    Can you think of any characters in books you’ve read or heard in class that might be an ally?

  • Offer the students an opportunity to suggest specific ways an ally helps others.

  • Record their ideas on the board or have them illustrate pictures or make a class book.

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