As those of you who have attended our recent PD sessions know, after using the lessons for our original Forgiveness book, "I Forgive You" by Nicole Lataif, with our students, we were not happy with our book choice.
We are happy to report that we found two fantastic books to address March's Catholic Virtue of Forgiveness and are sharing the full lesson plans with you!
"The Bad Birthday Idea" by Madeline Valentine shares the story of two siblings. When the older brother accidentally breaks his sister's birthday present before she even receives it, he learns the importance of apologizing and making amends. His gracious sister offers her forgiveness and their relationship is healed.
March Forgiveness 2: The Bad Birthday Idea
Our other choice to demonstrate the Catholic Virtue of Forgiveness is "Horrible Bear!" by Ame Dyckman. When a bear inadvertently breaks her kite, the young girl is furious. Her anger at the bear spills over into her home, and she herself accidentally breaks a toy. The story culminates with an apology and forgiveness on both sides.
March Forgiveness 3: Horrible Bear!
The secondary text we chose for April is a powerful photo essay about the plight of refugees in our world. This book has limited text, but the real life images of refugees highlight the challenges that they face in having their basic needs met. Your students will be encouraged to think about what they can do to welcome newcomers to our community in an age-appropriate manner.
