I Take, I Give

Have you ever been in a fight with a friend or someone close to you, and want to make it better? Sometimes we hurt people and feel bad afterwards. It can be painful to know you’ve hurt someone you love. Sometimes all we want to do is show that person kindness, gentleness, and appreciation.

The best way to repair hurt feelings—for both you and the other person—is to show that person how much you appreciate them. The people close to us give us things (love, kindness, shelter, food, care) and we give them things in return. What are things people give you? Maybe your friend has given you their sweater when you were cold. Maybe your friend gave you a hug when you were sad.

In this exercise we think about this exchange but with animals, plants, and beings in the natural world. Mother Nature gives us so much every day. Do want to give her something in return?

What do the singing birds in the trees give you? What does the dirt in the ground give you? What about the stars way up above?

What would you give back to them?

Step 1: Brainstorm

  1. Name all the words you think of when you think of “bird”, “soil”, and “stars.”
  2. Make a list of a few descriptor words for “bird”, “soil”, and “stars.” (For thinking of descriptor words remember the five senses are touch, hearing, taste, smell, sight.)

See the example poem below if you need ideas to get started!

Step 2: Exercise

The bird gives me her ________________, I give her back ____________________________.
The bird gives me her ________________, I give her back_____________________________.
The bird gives me her ________________, I give her back_____________________________.

The soil gives me ___________________, I give back ________________________________.
The soil gives me ___________________, I give back ________________________________.
The soil gives me ___________________, I give back ________________________________.

The stars give me ___________________, I give ____________________________________.

The stars give me ___________________, I give ____________________________________.

The stars give me ___________________, I give ____________________________________.

Step 3: Share!

Example:

The bird gives me her call, I give her back her voice
The bird gives me her call, I give her back her song
The bird gives me her call, I give her back her feather

The soil gives me plants, I give her back her worms
The soil gives me softness, I give it back her depth
The soil gives me darkness, I give her light

The stars give me a map, I give them my adventure
The stars give me beauty, I give them mine
The stars give me their shine, I give them my gold

Photograph by Zdeněk Macháček.

 
 
 

Contributor: 

Education Level: 

Preschool
Kindergarten

Genre: 

Poetry

Format: 

Writing Prompt

Time Frame: 

Self-paced

Required Materials: 

Paper, pencil