Unit Plan 33 (Grade K Counselor): Safe, Kind, and Respectful Choices
Review Kindergarten safe, kind, and respectful choices with picture sorting, body boundaries, helpful actions, and adult-help decisions.
Focus: Combine safety and social skills by helping students identify choices that are safe, kind, and respectful. The counselor uses picture cards from classroom, hallway, playground, and group-work situations. Students sort the choices and practice explaining what makes a choice helpful or unsafe.
Grade Level: K
Subject Area: School Counseling (Safety • Kindness • Respectful Choices)
Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
This Kindergarten counseling lesson helps students bring together many of the safety and friendship skills they have practiced throughout the year. Students learn that strong school choices often fit three important questions: Is it safe? Is it kind? Is it respectful?
The counselor uses picture cards, puppets, school scenarios, and sorting activities to help students recognize safe, kind, and respectful choices in the classroom, hallway, playground, cafeteria, bathroom, carpet area, and group-work settings. Students practice explaining why a choice helps the class or why a choice may be unsafe or hurtful. The goal is for students to make thoughtful choices that protect bodies, respect boundaries, and help classmates feel cared for.
Essential Questions
- What does it mean for a choice to be safe?
- What does it mean for a choice to be kind?
- What does it mean for a choice to be respectful?
- How can students respect body space and boundaries?
- How can safe, kind, and respectful choices help the classroom community?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify safe, kind, and respectful choices in common school situations.
- Recognize personal space, safe touch, and respectful body boundaries.
- Practice kind words and helpful actions with classmates.
- Sort choices into safe/helpful and unsafe/not respectful categories.
- Explain how a safe, kind, or respectful choice helps classmates, learning, or the school community.
- Identify when adult help is needed for an unsafe or unkind situation.
- (Optional Session) Apply safe, kind, and respectful choice skills through puppet practice, picture card sorting, hallway/playground/classroom scenarios, boundary practice, kind word scripts, or a reflection page.
Standards Alignment — Grade K (ASCA-based Custom)
- C:S6.Kb — Understand Personal Space and Boundaries
- Recognize basic personal space, safe touch, and respectful body boundaries.
- Example: A student practices asking, “Can I have a hug?” or choosing a wave instead.
- C:S6.Kc — Make Safe and Responsible Choices
- Recognize safe, respectful choices in common school situations.
- Example: A student chooses walking feet in the hallway or tells an adult about an unsafe situation.
- C:S3.Ka — Practice Kind Words and Actions
- Use kind words, friendly actions, and helpful behavior with classmates.
- Example: A student says, “Do you want to play?” or helps a classmate pick up materials.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can choose safe actions.
- I can use kind words.
- I can respect body space.
- I can keep my hands and feet safe.
- I can help classmates.
- I can tell why a choice is helpful.
- I can ask an adult for help if something is unsafe.