Why Its Cool To Be Kind British English Teacher

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
WHY IT’S
COOL TO BE
KIND
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet
Expemo code:
1BPS-P7V9-CD1T
1 Warm up
In pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.
a) Which, if any, of these emotions did you feel today?
sad happy angry mad glad
exhausted frustrated inspired resentful afraid
b) How do emotions connect with kindness?
c) What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘’kindness”?
FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/10

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Maria Dolores Rodriguez's lessons.
HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
WHY IT’S COOL TO BE KIND
2 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Match the following vocabulary with their definitions.
1. cultivation (n) a. part of the essential nature of something
2. insensitive (adj.) b. straightforward or direct in speech or manner.
3. blunt (adj.) c. ability to show the good judgement of something
4. inherent (adj.) d. an act of kindness or generosity
5. alleviate (v) e. reduce the severity of something
6. altruism (n) f. caring about the needs of others, even without personal gain
7. contagious (adj.) g. deliberately improving something through effort
8. good deed (phr.) h. able to spread to others
9. discernment (n) i. not caring about the feelings of others
Part B: Complete the gaps with the vocabulary above.
1. Members of the Scouts Organisation have to do a every day.
2. I say I am honest and direct but some people describe me as .
3. He showed great when choosing which college to attend.
4. The painkiller helped his headache.
5. The of wealth is a goal for many people.
6. The young girl’s laugh was . She put everyone in a good mood.
7. Voluntarily donating blood is an example of .
8. Risking your money is an part of all gambling.
9. He was really after I lost my job. He just told me to stop crying

and get over it.
FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/10

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
3 Reading for gist

Part A: You are going to do a reading about kindness. One of the sub-headings is: ‘’The surprising
benefits of kindness”. Can you predict any of the benefits the article will describe?
Part B: Now, read the text and add the correct heading to the paragraphs (A-J). There is one which is
not needed.
• Kindness starts with being kind to yourself

• The ripple effect of kindness
• We need kindness to survive
• A different kind of to-do list
• What is kindness?
• Kindness in social media
• Kindness needs compassion
• The surprising benefits of kindness
• Kindness can cost the giver
• Kindness can be complex
• Is empathy the same as kindness?

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
Kindness
A big-small behaviour
1
A.
Kindness is showing consideration to others, as opposed to being insensitive, harmful or uncaring. All beings,
humans and animals, appreciate kindness.
2
B.
Kindness is a quality that seems inherent in human beings. As social animals, we need others’ kindness to survive.
3
C.
What does it mean to be kind? If someone asks for something that might be harmful to them, for instance, an
alcoholic asking for a drink, is it kind to give it to them? Which economic policies are the kindest? When does
kindness mean pushing past one’s own limits?
4
D.
Houston Kraft, who co-founded CharacterStrong, a program that teaches social and emotional skills to students
says: ‘’I hear people say, "Why aren’t people more kind to each other? It doesn’t cost you anything." And I’m
like, "No, it definitely does." "If I don’t spend time first identifying what people are going through, what they’re
navigating, what they actually need, then my kindness is going to typically serve me more than it does the person
on the far side. Probably the biggest cost for most people is comfort.”
5
E.
The cultivation of compassion, empathy, and discernment will enhance kindness. Everyone has challenges, many
hidden from sight.
6
F.
One must first learn to be kind to oneself and practise self-compassion. When we are unkind towards ourselves,
it is very difficult to be kind to another. Be kind to yourself when you make a mistake. Not doing so may lead
to others becoming the target of the anger, frustration or disappointment that we really feel about ourselves. Dr
James Kirby, a psychology lecturer at The University of Queensland says: "If I am being kind towards myself, the
same regions light up if I’m receiving kindness from another person or giving kindness to another person. That’s
why we tell people, when you have a setback or difficulty, what’s the tone of your self-talk like? Do you talk to
yourself in an aggressive, matter-of-fact, blunt way, or can you speak to yourself in a friendlier way?
7
G.
Kindness can also cause a kind of ’ripple effect’. A 2018 study of employees at a Spanish company found that
workers who received acts of kindness became happier and the effects of the altruism were contagious. However,
those who delivered the acts of kindness benefitted even more.
8
H.
According to research from Emory University, when you are kind to another person, your brain’s pleasure and
reward centres light up, as if you were the recipient of the good deed - not the giver. It also releases two chemicals,
oxytocin, which reduces inflammation and can protect the heart by lowering blood pressure, and serotonin. ‘’It’s
not uncommon to experience a ’feel-good rush’ after you’ve been kind to another person,” says Dr Kirby.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
9
I.
Jamil Zaki, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Stanford University, says that empathy alone can lead us to
feel bad for people who are suffering and still do nothing to alleviate that suffering. He says empathy encapsulates
sharing, thinking, and caring. Sharing means asking yourself: "Do I know what you’re feeling?" Thinking is more
of the cognitive form of empathy. "How do I imagine myself in your experience?" Caring is the active component.
That’s where kindness comes in.
10
J.
Houston Kraft suggests that instead of writing only a ’to-do’ list, we should also focus on how we want to be. So
we should also write a ’to- be list’ which focuses on the questions: ‘’Who do I want to give my kindness to today?
What do they need today?”
Sources: UNESCO, Health Harvard, ABC.net
4 Listening: discussion
Watch the following video from Houston Kraft. He is a speaker and author of ‘’Deep Kindness”. Then
discuss the following questions.
1. What do you think about what he said?

2. Are we too self-obsessed?
3. Is it difficult to be kind sometimes? Why/why not?
5 Language point: adjectives with ing and ed
Part A: There are many common adjectives which are used to describe emotions and feelings which
can end in either ing or ed:

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
• Adjectives that end in -ed are used to describe how people feel, eg: I’m interested in the
movie.
• Adjectives that end in -ing are used to describe things and situations, eg: The movie is
interesting.
-ed -ing
annoyed annoying
bored boring
confused confusing
depressed depressing
excited exciting
frustrated frustrating
frightened frightening
satisfied satisfying
shocked shocking

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
• Usually the ‘thing’ ends in ing. So the thing is interesting, boring, amazing etc.
The book is interesting.
The person is interesting.
The situation is interesting
• All of these are nouns or things.
• So remember, the thING is interestING, borING, amazING etc.
• But, note, in some cases a person can be like a thing. Look at these sentences:
Tom is so bored at school. → Tom is not interested in

school. It does not hold his interest.
Tom is so boring at school. → Tom is the reason other

people feel bored. He does not hold their interest.
• The feelings of the person usually end in ED.
• So, you can imagine a person named Fred. FrED feels interestED, borED, amazED etc.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
Part B: Circle the correct option in each sentence.
1. You look really bored / boring. Why don’t you go find something to do?
2. I got the job! I can’t believe it, I am so excited / exciting!
3. My little brother is always making noise. He’s so annoyed / annoying.
4. The instructions were so confused / confusing that we accidentally put the doors on backwards..
5. Her colleagues were really surprised / surprising that she didn’t get fired.
6. I read such an interested / interesting article the other day.
7. My dogs get really frightened / frightening when there are fireworks.
8. His behaviour in class was really disappointed / disappointing.
6 Roleplay activity
Look at the wheel of emotions below. In pairs, you are going to each select an emotion and then do
the dialogue on page nine using that emotion. Your teacher will give you more instructions.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
Person A: Hello, welcome to Burger Yum Yum. What would you like to order?
Person B: I’d like a Burger Yum Yum special, please.
Person A: Okay, would you like fries and a drink to go with that?
Person B: No, thank you.
Person A: Are you sure? The burger is $7, but if you get the menu it will be $7.50.
Person B: I’m not that hungry.
Person A: Okay, no problem.
Person B: Oh wait, can I please have ketchup instead of mayonnaise on the burger?
Person A: Sure, that will be $7.50.
Person B: But, I thought the burger was $7.00.
Person A: It’s 50 cents extra for changes.
Person B: Okay well in that case... actually, never mind. Here you go.
Person A: Thank you, and have a nice day.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
7 Homework/extension task
Brainstorm some additional acts of kindness to add to the list of ideas. Choose one to do this week.
Ideas
1) Pick up one piece of rubbish from the ground and throw it in the bin.
2) Write a thank-you note to someone.
3) Hold the door open for someone.
4) Offer someone who needs a seat on public transport.
5) Make a donation to charity.
6) Give someone a compliment.
Other acts of kindness
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
Transcripts
4. Listening: discussion
Speaker : Think about all the feelings you feel on any given day. Maybe it’s mad, sad, glad, afraid,
afraid. Maybe it’s exhausted, frustrated, inspired, resentful.
Speaker : I would suggest that over the course of any given day, most of the feelings I feel are about
myself, my survival, my productivity, my fears, my celebrations.
Speaker : Most of my primitive programming is designed to keep me safe. Most of my cultural

programming is designed to keep me busy, productive. I would suggest then, that most of
these feelings don’t actually lend themselves to something like kindness.
Speaker : How is it then that we can escape this selfish storyline and contribute to something
meaningful in the world?
Speaker : How do we make time for something like kindness or generosity when most of the time,
unconsciously or consciously, we don’t really feel like doing it.
Speaker : It’s an ongoing battle for most thoughtful individuals, a constant wrestling match between
what we know is right or worthwhile or good and what we actually feel like doing.
Speaker : So, the question then becomes this: is what we’re fighting for in this world bigger than our
feelings?
Speaker : Most people unconsciously make decisions based on what they feel like in the moment.
Our emotions drive everything, and if all of my actions are driven purely based on how I
feel, then my life is roughly the size of myself.
Speaker : When we get really clear on what we’re fighting for and we decide that that fight is so much
bigger than ourselves, we can more often align our actions to our altruistic aspirations
rather than just our fleeting emotions. We can choose our purpose, even though it is
challenging or awkward or terrifying, and to adapt a quote from GK Chesterton, how much
bigger your life gets when you make yourself smaller in it.
Speaker : When we dedicate our lives towards something massive and purposeful, when we make
decisions not just based on our personal feelings, but a worthy cause, a worthy fight that
is so much bigger than us, for the common good, the greater good, our life becomes that
much larger.
Speaker : So choose a fight and make your life so big that you can’t help but live it beautifully.
FOOOOTERAPPENDIXRIGHT
Learn without forgetting! i
HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
Key
1. Warm up
10 mins.
In pairs or small groups, students can discuss question a).
Let them know they can talk about emotions they felt recently, such as yesterday or this week, if they’d prefer.
Note that this question and these emotions are part of the video which they will watch shortly.
For questions a. and b. these will be their own answers. However, regarding b), as a sample answer, it is important
that they can recognise their own emotions so they can be kind to themselves as well as be able to recognise
others’ emotions and empathise, which is a key part of kindness.
For question c) as an alternative you could write ‘’kindness” on the board (or have them write it on their own paper)
and then have the students do a word association or brainstorm on the topic.
2. Focus on vocabulary
Part A:
5 mins.
For Part A, students can match the vocabulary to the definitions. Monitor and assist with pronunciation and stress.
1. → g. 2. → i. 3. → b. 4. → a. 5. → e. 6. → f. 7. → h. 8. → d. 9. → c.
Part B:
5 mins.
In Part B they complete the gaps in the sentences to reinforce the vocabulary.
1. good deed 2. blunt 3. discernment

4. alleviate 5. cultivation 6. contagious
7. altruism 8. inherent 9. insensitive
3. Reading for gist
Part A:
5 mins.
Students can briefly discuss what benefits of kindness they think will be described in the article.
Answers in the text:
1) "...your brain’s pleasure and reward centres light up, as if you were the recipient of the good deed - not the
giver."
2) "It also releases two chemicals, oxytocin, which reduces inflammation and can protect the heart by lowering
blood pressure, and serotonin."
Part B:
5 mins.
Students can now complete the gaps. The sub-header which has not been used is ‘’Kindness in social media”.
Students can do the reading by each reading part out loud or silently to themselves. Help them with any unknown
vocabulary or phrases.
FOOOOTERAPPENDIXLEFT
Learn without forgetting! ii
HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
1. What is kindness? 2. We need kindness to survive

3. Kindness can be complex 4. Kindness can cost the giver
5. Kindness needs compassion 6. Kindness starts with being kind to yourself
7. The ripple effect of kindness 8. The surprising benefits of kindness
9. Is empathy the same as kindness? 10. A different kind of to-do list
Sources:
https://mgiep.unesco.org/article/the-science-theory-and-practice-of-kindness-a-brief-overview
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-heart-and-science-of-kindness-2019041816447
https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-science-of-kindness
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/the-science-behind-the-warm-glow-of-kindness/11749268
https://greatist.com/live/deep-kindness#Why-should-kindness-be-a-practice-rather-than-just-a-concept
4. Listening: discussion
10 mins.
Play the video for the students. You can explain that Houston Kraft is a speaker. He is a co-founder of an American
non-profit organisation which goes around schools teaching social and emotional skills. He is also the author of a
book on kindness called ‘’Deep Kindness” and is known as a ‘’kindness advocate”.
Before putting students into pairs or groups to discuss the video, briefly check their understanding of the video
so that you can play it again or help them understand it more.
Then put students in pairs or small groups, then they can use the discussion questions to respond to the video.
If there is time you could ask them to change partners so they can discuss more with others.
In the end, you could ask if anyone wants to share anything interesting they may have discussed.
5. Language point: adjectives with ing and ed
Part A:
5 mins.
Ask students to read the content in the boxes. They are likely to already be familiar with this and may only need
a brief refresh.
Part B:
5 mins.
Students can now do a simple practice of choosing the correct option in each sentence.
1. bored 2. excited 3. annoying 4. confusing

5. surprised 6. interesting 7. frightened 8. disappointing
6. Roleplay activity
10 mins.
First, have students look at the circle. You can tell them this was invented by Dr. Gloria Willcox, a psychotherapist
and author. The wheel was originally created to help people identify their emotions.
Students can roll a die to select an emotion from the inner wheel (start with red as 1 then go clockwise to end on
purple as 6).
If you don’t have a die you can draw a circle on a piece of paper, and draw lines to make 6 segments which you
then label 1 through 6. Students can spin the pen around in order to select the number.
FOOOOTERAPPENDIXRIGHT
Learn without forgetting! iii
HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
Once the inner circle has been selected, have them roll again to select a more nuanced emotion. Help them with
the definition if they need it or they may need to look it up if they are not clear.
Each student should end up with a different emotion.
Then they will act out the dialogue using their selected emotion.
For example, you may have Person A who is ‘’hostile” and Person B who is ‘’playful”. They will have to use this as
their ‘role’ when acting out the dialogue.
As an alternative you could ask each pair to alter their dialogue slightly (or write a completely new dialogue if
there is time and interest).
They can then choose to ‘perform’ their dialogue for the others. You can decide if this would be appropriate for
your students.
Source for image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/The_Feeling_Wheel.png/1195px-
The_Feeling_Wheel.png
7. Homework/extension task
10 mins.
Students can come up with some ideas and then choose one to do during the week. If they want they can report
their ‘good deed’ next time.
FOOOOTERAPPENDIXLEFT
Learn without forgetting! iv

Why Its Cool To Be Kind British English Teacher

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Why Its Cool To Be Kind British English Teacher

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

a) Which, if any, of these emotions did you feel today?

sad happy angry mad glad

exhausted frustrated inspired resentful afraid

b) How do emotions connect with kindness?

c) What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘’kindness”?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/10

WHY IT’S COOL TO BE KIND

1. cultivation (n) a. part of the essential nature of something

2. insensitive (adj.) b. straightforward or direct in speech or manner.

3. blunt (adj.) c. ability to show the good judgement of something

4. inherent (adj.) d. an act of kindness or generosity

5. alleviate (v) e. reduce the severity of something

7. contagious (adj.) g. deliberately improving something through eﬀort

8. good deed (phr.) h. able to spread to others

9. discernment (n) i. not caring about the feelings of others

Part B: Complete the gaps with the vocabulary above.

1. Members of the Scouts Organisation have to do a every day.

2. I say I am honest and direct but some people describe me as .

3. He showed great when choosing which college to attend.

4. The painkiller helped his headache.

5. The of wealth is a goal for many people.

7. Voluntarily donating blood is an example of .

8. Risking your money is an part of all gambling.

9. He was really after I lost my job. He just told me to stop crying

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/10

WHY IT’S COOL TO BE KIND

3 Reading for gist

• Kindness starts with being kind to yourself

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/10

WHY IT’S COOL TO BE KIND

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/10

WHY IT’S COOL TO BE KIND

Sources: UNESCO, Health Harvard, ABC.net

1. What do you think about what he said?

5 Language point: adjectives with ing and ed

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 5/10

WHY IT’S COOL TO BE KIND

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 6/10

WHY IT’S COOL TO BE KIND

The book is interesting.

The person is interesting.

The situation is interesting

• All of these are nouns or things.

• So remember, the thING is interestING, borING, amazING etc.

Tom is so bored at school. → Tom is not interested in

Tom is so boring at school. → Tom is the reason other

• The feelings of the person usually end in ED.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 7/10

WHY IT’S COOL TO BE KIND

Part B: Circle the correct option in each sentence.

2. I got the job! I can’t believe it, I am so excited / exciting!

3. My little brother is always making noise. He’s so annoyed / annoying.

6. I read such an interested / interesting article the other day.

7. My dogs get really frightened / frightening when there are ﬁreworks.

8. His behaviour in class was really disappointed / disappointing.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 8/10

WHY IT’S COOL TO BE KIND

Person B: I’d like a Burger Yum Yum special, please.

Person B: No, thank you.

Person B: I’m not that hungry.

Person A: Okay, no problem.