How Can We Make Our School a Kinder Place?
Ms. Shapel LaBorde
PS 136Q The Roy Wilkins School / ENL Grades 3-5
INTRODUCTION:
Your Mission: Be a Kindness Policy Detective!
Welcome, Public Policy Detectives! 🕵🏽♀️🕵🏾♂️
You
have just joined a special team at your school:
The School Kindness
& Respect Squad!
You are now a Public Policy Analyst, a special kind of detective who helps
solve problems in our school.
Your principal needs your help. Some students are feeling left out. Others are being teased or ignored. This is a big problem and it needs a smart solution. That’s where YOU come in.
In this WebQuest, you will take on the role of a Public Policy Analyst. A public policy is a rule or action made by leaders to help solve problems and make things better for everyone. You will:
● Find out what the problem is in your school.
● Collect information.
● Think about what causes the problem.
● Look at how the school is trying to help already.
● Create a new idea to help make your school a kinder place.
You will work in teams. You’ll use pictures, videos, short stories, and group discussions to help you. At the end, you’ll share your policy idea with your class or even your principal!
🔎 Are you ready to investigate, imagine, and make change?
Let’s begin your mission as a real-world Public Policy Analyst!
TASK
Create a Kindness Policy for Our School!
🎯 Your Goal
You and your group will work together as Public Policy Analysts
to help solve a real problem:
Some students feel that our school
is not always kind or respectful.
You will:
- Define the problem: What’s happening in our school?
- Gather evidence: Ask others, watch stories, and take notes.
- Find the cause: Why is this happening?
- Look at policies: What is the school doing already?
- Make a solution: What new rule, activity, or idea can help?
- Create a final product to show your solution.
✨ Your Final Project Can Be…
(Choose one as a group)
✅ A poster that explains your idea
✅ A Google Slides or Canva slideshow
✅ A short skit or video about your solution
✅ A kindness contract with class rules
🕒 Time Frame
You will have 1–2 weeks to finish all parts of the WebQuest during class.
● Days 1–2: Learn vocabulary & explore stories
● Days 3–4: Do research & interviews
● Days 5–6: Plan and write your solution
● Days 7–8: Create and practice your final project
● Day 9: Present to the class
● Day 10: Reflection and celebration! 🎉
📚 Language Supports
● Sentence starters
● Word banks
● Visual organizers
● Small group help
● Bilingual tools or dictionaries
PROCESS
Let’s solve the problem together!
👥 How You’ll Work
You will
work in small groups of 3–4 students.
Each group will have roles (can rotate):
● 📝 Recorder: Writes group ideas
● 🗣 Speaker: Shares ideas aloud
● 🔍 Researcher: Finds information
● 🎨 Designer: Helps with visuals and final project
Your teacher will help you practice teamwork and use sentence frames.
Step 1: Define the Problem
What is the problem at our school?
📚 Resource: Read Have You Filled a Bucket
Today? or watch a video about kindness.
🎯 Task: Discuss and write 1 sentence with your group.
✏ Sentence Frame: “One problem we see is ________.”
Step 2: Gather Evidence
What do people say about this problem?
📚 Resource:
● Interview 2 classmates or a teacher.
● Watch Sesame Street: Showing Fairness with Brett Goldstein
● 📋 Task: Fill in a chart like this:
|
Who did we talk to? |
What did they say? |
Was it fair or kind?
|
✏ Sentence Frame: “I learned from ______ that ______.”
Step 3: Identify the Causes
Why is this happening?
📚 Resource: Use a “Cause Tree” graphic organizer.
🎯 Task: Brainstorm 2–3 reasons.
✏ Sentence Frame: “This happens because ________.”
4. Evaluate an Existing Policy
Step 4: Evaluate a Policy
What is the school already doing?
📚 Resource: Review a kindness poster or your
school’s rules.
🎯 Task: Decide if it works or not.
✏ Sentence Frame:
● “The rule says _______.”
● “It works because _______.”
● “It doesn’t work because _______.”
Step 5: Develop a New Solution
What could help make the school kinder?
📚 Resource: Use a “Solution Star” organizer.
🎯 Task: Pick one idea as a group and write it down.
Examples:
● Kindness Week
● New class rule
● Buddy
program
✏ Sentence Frame: “Our group thinks the school should ______.”
6. Select the Best Solution (Feasibility vs. Effectiveness)
Step 6: Create an Action Plan
Let’s share our idea!
🎨 Choose ONE way to present:
● Poster
● Slideshow
● Skit or short video
● Class contract
📚 Resource: Canva for Kids, Google
Slides, drawing materials
🎯 Task: Plan your project, create it, and present it to the class!
EVALUATION
You will be graded as a group using this rubric. Each part of your work will be scored from 1 (Needs Work) to 4 (Excellent).
|
Category |
4 - Excellent |
3 - Good |
2 - OK |
1 - Needs Work |
|
Group Participation |
Always helped and shared ideas |
Mostly helped the group |
Sometimes helped |
Rarely helped |
|
Speaking |
Spoke clearly and used key words |
Spoke clearly |
Hard to hear or understand |
Did not speak |
|
Writing |
Used full sentences and vocabulary correctly |
Used some complete sentences |
Had errors or missing words |
Did not write |
|
Evidence & Cause |
Collected useful info and explained causes clearly |
Collected info and gave some causes |
Few causes or unclear info |
No info or unclear ideas |
|
Final Project |
Clear, creative, and complete |
Mostly complete |
Missing some parts |
Hard to understand or not done |
CONCLUSION
🎉 Congratulations, Public Policy Analysts!
You did important work. You explored a real problem in your school and thought deeply about how to make it better. Along the way, you practiced being a researcher, a team member, a presenter, and a problem solver.
Now, take a moment to reflect:
● What did you learn about fairness and kindness?
● How does it feel to help your community?
● Why is it important to share your voice and ideas?
Your role as a Public Policy Analyst doesn’t end here. You can use these skills anytime you see a problem in your school, your neighborhood, or even the world.
💡 Always remember: you have the power to make things better through teamwork, creativity, and care.
Keep asking questions.
Keep speaking up.
Keep making change. 🌍
STANDARDS:
This interdisciplinary WebQuest aligns with key learning standards from New York State Next Generation Learning Standards, Social Studies Framework, and NYS English as a New Language (ENL) Standards.
📖 English Language Arts (ELA) – Grades 3–5
Standard 1 – Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
● Locate and use school and public library resources.
● Understand and follow multi-step directions.
Standard 3 – Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.
● Identify different points of view and support opinions with reasons.
Standard 4 – Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
● Engage in respectful conversation, group discussion, and presentation.
🌍 Social Studies Framework – Elementary Level
Civic Participation (Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action)
● Recognize a problem and gather evidence about it.
● Collaborate with others to propose and express solutions.
● Consider multiple perspectives and fairness in decision-making.
Government & Civics
● Understand roles of rules, laws, and public policies in school and community.
● Explain the importance of respectful behavior and rights/responsibilities of individuals.
🌐 NYS ENL Standards (Language Progressions)
Standard 1 – English Language Learners will communicate for social and instructional purposes.
● Engage in cooperative group work using academic language frames and scaffolds.
Standard 5 – English Language Learners will communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for social studies.
● Use visual and written supports to describe cause-effect relationships.
● Construct meaning from read-alouds, videos, and class discussions.