Teaching respect in your classroom? Give students the respect, activities, and skills they need to be good friends and good students.
Respect Activities, Books, and Videos for the Classroom
You can help your students develop a sense of respect by teaching them how to treat others with respect. This is a crucial skill for children to develop, shaping the way they interact with others as they mature into adults. Here are 10 books and five videos you can use as respect activities in the classroom.
Good books and videos are excellent tools for teaching your students about respect. That’s because they tell a story in a fun but informative way, giving kids the chance to see what respect looks like in a real-life situation.
Table of Contents
- Respect Activities, Books, and Videos for the Classroom
- Books that Teach Respect Activities
- 1. Do Unto Otters – Laurie Keller
- 2. The Golden Rule – Ilene Cooper
- 3. Respect and Take Care of Things – Cheri Meiners
- 4. Lying Up a Storm – Julia Cook
- 5. The Thankful Book – Todd Parr
- 6. Whoever You Are – Mem Fox
- 7. Good People Everywhere – Lynea Gillen
- 8. The Crayon Box That Talked – Shane Derolf
- 9. The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect – Jan Berenstain
- 10. Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage To Be Who You Are – Maria Dismondy
- Videos that Teach Respect Activities
- Respect Activities in a Complete Classroom Resource
- More about Teaching Respect
Books that Teach Respect Activities
Here are 10 books you can use to teach respect activities in the classroom.
1. Do Unto Otters – Laurie Keller
This book is all about treating others as you would want to be treated. This is key to teaching respect, as we all have a desire to be treated nicely by others. If a child is unsure about whether they’re doing the right thing with a friend, they can use this book to reflect on good manners and what respect truly means.
2. The Golden Rule – Ilene Cooper
We’ve all heard the saying, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” but what does that mean for a student? Kids need a way to see and experience the Golden Rule to develop an understanding of it. This book provides students with an opportunity to learn about this respectful rule in a way that is easy to understand.
Teach and encourage children to follow the Golden Rule in the classroom every day. Get them to practice saying and coloring their own poster to hang on the wall. Grab the Golden Rule Poster for free down below!
3. Respect and Take Care of Things – Cheri Meiners
Respect isn’t just about treating others how you want to be treated. It’s also about treating objects and belongings with courtesy. This book helps teach kids about treating their belongings with care, showing them that special items should be stored instead of being scattered throughout their bedroom. It also teaches them to ask about using something that doesn’t belong to them, which shows respect for the belonging, as well as the person to whom it belongs.
4. Lying Up a Storm – Julia Cook
Telling the truth is an essential part of respect, and this book does an excellent job of teaching children that lesson. In this story, the main character learns that lying puts a cloud over you and, oftentimes, leads to more lying. This can hurt relationships with others, as well as make him feel sad. What an excellent way to teach children respect and honesty.
5. The Thankful Book – Todd Parr
Being thankful and respecting the earth are essential character traits taught in this book. With it, students will learn to appreciate the world we live in and to treat it with respect in return.
Encourage kids to express gratitude for the things in their lives daily. Provide them with note cards to write down something that they are thankful for each week and share with the class. Click here to check it out.
6. Whoever You Are – Mem Fox
All human beings are alike. We may look, sound, and think differently, but we are all human beings. This book teaches this knowledge to students, helping them understand that even though someone is different from them, they should still be treated with tolerance and respect.
7. Good People Everywhere – Lynea Gillen
If you want to teach your students to be grateful and caring, this is the book for your classroom. This book helps teach children to look for the good in everyone, fostering respect and appreciation.
8. The Crayon Box That Talked – Shane Derolf
This book will teach kids to respect diversity, celebrating the differences that make each person unique. Teaching kids this will help them strive to become better individuals as they grow up.
Use the book as a mentor text and teach some meaningful follow-up activities. Focus on the poem in the book and practice it often. Have kids create their own crayons with unique things about themselves. Click here to see more!
9. The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect – Jan Berenstain
The Berenstain Bears are here to teach your students all about respect. In this story, the whole family learns a little more about respect during a family outing.
10. Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage To Be Who You Are – Maria Dismondy
In addition to respecting others, your students need to learn how to respect themselves. This book helps teach kids to love who they are and to celebrate what makes them unique. This will help them develop respect for themselves, an important quality to possess as they grow older.
Videos that Teach Respect Activities
Children also love watching videos, making it an excellent tool for teaching them essential skills and character traits. If you want to teach your students all about respect, these five videos can help.
1. Sesame Street – Respect (Word on the Street)
Sesame Street is back, and they’re here to teach kids all about respect. In this video, kids will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of respect and how it applies to their lives. It provides kids with a great visual representation of what respect looks like in a normal situation.
It is essential to provide children with opportunities to practice being respectful from a young age. Have pairs stand up and act out a scenario from a respect scenario card. Ask the class for suggestions on ways to show respect. Click here to check it out.
2. All About Respect (song for kids about respect)
Now you can use music to help teach kids about respect. This song teaches children how to respect people and their belongings in a fun and upbeat way. This catchy tune is sure to become a classroom favorite.
3. Respect Song
Here’s another excellent song that will teach your students about respect. In it, they sing about how every person is special and that you should treat them with respect. Your students will quickly pick up on the lyrics and sing the song even after the video is over.
Encourage kids to express the ways they show respect and record them on an anchor chart. Have them choose a few and draw them on a respect hat. Kids will love making their own respect hat to show what they have learned. Click here to check it out.
4. Use Polite Words
When you show respect to others, you use polite words to show that respect. A student learns this important lesson during lunch, after discovering he was not polite to the lunch lady. A friend teaches him that polite words should be used when talking to others.
5. Classroom Rules
If your students love Minions, this is the video for them. In it, a fun video of the Minions includes slides about respect. This includes such classroom rules as being a good friend, always following directions, and respecting others.
Teaching your students all about respect is so important. By teaching them to be respectful in the classroom, you’re giving them the skills they need to be good friends and good students.
Free Respect Golden Rule Poster
When it comes to respect, having a reminder for students is always a great idea. Try hanging this FREE Golden Rule poster in your classroom for excellent results.
Click the image below to sign up for your copy!
Respect Activities in a Complete Classroom Resource
The Complete Respect Unit includes numerous helpful lessons and activities designed to help children learn about showing respect, honesty, gratitude, and acceptance.
More about Teaching Respect
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