Smile!

Our classroom is a special place where we get to learn together and have fun with one another. Today, we will share our ideas for how to make others smile. It feels different when you are laughing with others versus laughing at others. How can you tell the difference between laughing with others and laughing at others? In our classroom, we will only laugh with one another not at one another.

1. Begin by drawing a smiley face on the board. Ask students to brainstorm different things people do, hear, or say that make them smile or laugh. Some ideas may include: hearing or telling funny jokes, watching funny movies, sharing silly stories or ideas, playing a fun game, or making silly faces.
2. Ask several students to share the different things that make people smile or laugh. Encourage the students to describe the ‘action’ or a verb associated with that thing. For example, instead of sharing “a joke” as their answer, students could say ”telling a joke.” As the students share their ideas, draw or write them on the board or a piece of paper.
3. Make sure to validate each idea that is shared, and make sure to reiterate that jokes and stories that promote discrimination are never welcome.
4. Invite students to choose one action from the list. Then, go around in a circle and have students act out one of the silly or fun actions without making any sounds. Invite students to guess which silly action the student is acting out. After several guesses, move on to the next child.
5. End the game when all students who would like to play have had a chance to act.

• Why do you think it’s important to know what makes other people smile?
• How did it feel to make others smile at school?
• When are times in our school day when it is good to be silly and make classmates smile? When might not be a good time? How do you know?
• How would you change this activity for the next time we play?

For primary school students:

• Invite students to choose any animal and show it with gestures and facial expressions in a funny way. Then, invite students to think about how it felt to laugh together.
• Start “Laughing Minutes” where students work in pairs or teams to make each other laugh.
• Students can create emojis to represent positive feelings and emotions. Use the emojis as a signal for when it is time for a “Laughing Minute.” Place the emojis in in a classroom space for students to use whenever they need.
• Create opportunities for students to write and draw about funny moments in their lives. Practice sharing stories aloud by inviting students to share stories with a partner or the whole class.

For students in grades 5-6:

• Pair students and ask them to try to make their partner laugh in 10 seconds. Students can tell a joke, a story, or show a funny facial expression while the other partner ties not to laugh. After 10 seconds, if the partner can’t help but smile, they try to say a silly word in a serious way (e.g., “pickle,” “pink elephant,” etc.). After, partners switch roles.