Being Helpful and Turtle Flipping

After sharing my turtle flippin’ situation cards in my latest post, I had a few people reach out for more details on how I help students be helpful, kind, and empathic towards others by learning to flip turtles.

Here is a little story about how I facilitate this lesson in first and second-grade classrooms.

“I am here today to talk to you about what it means to be helpful. Who can tell me what being helpful means?”  

Most kids yell out something like:

• “It’s when you help someone!”  
• “Doing things that are nice to help people!”  
• “When someone falls, you help them up!”  

It’s interesting how hard it is for kids to put the definition of helpful into words.  

Be Helpful, Flip the Turtle

“I’m going to show you a video. We are going to work together to decide if the creatures in the video choose to be helpful or choose not to be helpful.”  

I then put on some version of this video.  I do not own this video; it’s just super cute, hooks my student’s attention, and helps make my point pretty clear. Mute the volume and let it play.  

While the video is playing, I start the meat of the lesson by saying, “This turtle over here is flipped over on his back (point to the upside turtle). Who knows what happens when a turtle is flipped over like this?”  

Eventually, we get to the answer that they cannot really flip themselves back over. We discuss how, for the most part, that flipped turtle will have to wait until someone comes along and offers help before getting back on its feet. They need someone to decide to be helpful.

They need a turtle flipper.

Be a Turtle Flipper

“That’s right, he’s upside down and helpless. He needs someone to come and help him get back on his feet. He can’t do it all by himself. How do you think that turtle feels right now?”  

I get a wide array of answers, such as scared, sad, mad, frustrated, upset, hopeless, etc.  

We discussed how if we came across a turtle flipped over, it would be super easy for us to be helpful and flip him back. We would use our hands and just pick him up. Well, turtles don’t have hands. The only tool they have is their head.

I asked students to imagine if I fell on the floor right then, and the only way they could help me to get back up was by using their heads. I ask students how easy they think that would be.

They usually get wide-eyed and whisper about how they would break their necks if they tried that, which I try not to take too personally.

The students shared how lifting me with only their heads would be pretty difficult. I draw the comparison that this is exactly how hard it is for the turtles from the video to help each other. The turtle in the clip is working so hard to help his buddy! We talked about how easy it would be for him to give up and walk away.  

Being Kind Changes Lives

I make a big deal about how hard the turtle is still trying. We talk about how he could give up, but he keeps trying because he sees someone in need. This turtle is showing kindness towards others when it matters.

We take a vote to see who thinks the turtle is going to be able to flip his friends and who thinks he’s going to give up.

They watch in anticipation, and every class I’ve had starts to cheer the little turtle on. One class even chanted, “You can flip him! You can flip him!” and clapped loudly and applauded when the turtle landed on his feet.  

“Yayy! He did it! Since he was so helpful, his turtle friend is now on his feet and ready to go. How do you think he feels now?”  

I get a mix of happy, excited, calmer, etc.  

The takeaway from this video is that it was difficult for this turtle to accomplish helping his friend. He had to work really hard, but in the end, it was totally worth it because he helped to save the other turtle.

It may not always be easy to help someone else, but it is almost always worth it. 

Situation Card Game (How Could You Help?)

I then move into my situation card game to challenge students to be helpful in various situations.  

“I have some cards here that have situations on them that challenge you to help out, to be turtle flippers, just like the turtle in our video. Let’s do a few together.”  

I read three or four situations and let them answer in a class discussion format. We then give every student a card and have them utilize the stand-up, hands-up, and pair-up strategy for students to partner up and discuss their cards.  

Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up

They each stand up, put their hands up in the air, and then find a partner who also has their hand in the air. Once they’ve made a match, they both put their hands down.

Students who still need a partner look for someone with their hand up. Once they are all partnered up, they read their card to their partner, and their partner answers. The other partner then reads their card and waits for an answer.

After a few minutes, I say, “switch cards, hands up, pair up.” The students switch cards and are off to find a new partner.  

I laminate the cards so they can be disinfected after use; I ensure all students use hand sanitizer before we begin.

Activity Sheets about Being Helpful

When ready, I collect all the cards and have all the kids return to their seats.   We then start on our activity sheet. I display the sheet on the smartboard and have students read the prompt. We then discuss what they should do with the activity sheet.  

I Can Be Helpful!

After students understand that I want them to draw a picture and write a sentence about how they can be helpful, I pass out the sheets and let them get to work.  

It is so fun to see where their minds go! Kids are so creative.

When we are finished, I let them keep the worksheets as a fun memory of our time together.

Some teachers have decided to collect the sheets in the student’s leadership notebooks. I love that I am doing a lesson the teachers feel is worthy of including in such an essential notebook.

You can get your own copy of the turtle flippin’ situation cards from my TeacherPayTeachers store.

You can also find the free download of the “I Can Be Helpful” worksheet in my TeachersPayTeachers store or my free resource library on my website.

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Take your first step to teaching your students to be kind and helpful with these turtle flippin’ situation cards.