Unit Plan 33 (Grade 1 Counselor): Safe, Kind, and Respectful Choices
Teach Grade 1 safe, kind, and respectful choices with boundary practice, scenario sorting, trusted adults, and school safety support.
Focus: Combine safety, boundaries, and social decision-making. The counselor uses classroom, hallway, recess, and group-work scenarios for students to sort into safe/unsafe and kind/unkind choices. Students practice explaining what makes a choice safe, kind, and respectful, and when they should ask an adult for help.
Grade Level: 1
Subject Area: School Counseling (Safety • Kindness • Respectful Choices)
Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
This Grade 1 counseling lesson helps students connect several important skills they have practiced throughout the year: making safe choices, respecting body boundaries, using kind words, and choosing responsible actions in school spaces. Students learn that one choice can affect their own safety, other people’s feelings, classroom routines, and the whole school community.
The counselor uses classroom, hallway, playground, cafeteria, and group-work scenarios to help students decide whether a choice is safe, unsafe, kind, unkind, respectful, or needs a better choice. Students practice explaining why a choice helps or hurts and when a trusted adult should be asked for help. The goal is for students to understand that safe, kind, and respectful choices help everyone feel welcome, protected, and ready to learn.
Essential Questions
- What makes a choice safe?
- What makes a choice kind?
- What makes a choice respectful?
- How do personal space and boundaries connect to safe choices?
- When should students ask an adult for help?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify safe, unsafe, kind, unkind, respectful, and disrespectful choices in common school scenarios.
- Explain how personal space, body boundaries, safe touch, and respectful words help classmates feel safe.
- Practice respectful boundary language such as “Please stop,” “I need space,” and “No thank you.”
- Identify kind words and actions that help classmates feel included, encouraged, and respected.
- Choose safe and responsible actions in classroom, hallway, playground, cafeteria, and group settings.
- Recognize when adult help is needed for unsafe situations, repeated problems, boundary concerns, or choices that hurt others.
- (Optional Session) Apply safe, kind, and respectful decision-making through scenario sorting, puppet practice, boundary phrase practice, school-space matching, or safe-choice reflection.
Standards Alignment — Grade 1 (ASCA-based Custom)
- C:S6.1b — Respect Personal Space and Boundaries
- Understand personal space, body boundaries, safe touch, and respectful ways to say or hear “stop.”
- Example: A student practices saying, “Please give me space,” and respects a classmate who asks for space.
- C:S6.1c — Make Safe and Responsible Choices
- Choose safe, respectful actions in classroom, hallway, playground, cafeteria, and group settings.
- Example: A student chooses walking feet in the hallway, keeps hands to self, and tells an adult about an unsafe situation.
- C:S3.1a — Use Kind Words and Actions
- Demonstrate kindness through helpful words, friendly invitations, encouragement, and respectful behavior.
- Example: A student says, “You can play with us,” when noticing a classmate standing alone.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can tell if a choice is safe or unsafe.
- I can tell if a choice is kind or unkind.
- I can explain what makes a choice respectful.
- I can respect personal space and body boundaries.
- I can use kind words and actions.
- I can ask an adult for help when something feels unsafe or too big.