Three Good Things Exercise | Facing History & Ourselves

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Two students look to the front of the classroom with smiles on their faces.
Activity

Three Good Things

Students practice gratitude by naming and recording three good things that have happened that day.

Subject

  • Advisory
  • Civics & Citizenship
  • English & Language Arts
  • History
  • Social Studies

Grade

6–12

Language

English — US

Published

Updated

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Overview

About The Three Good Things Exercise

This exercise helps students practice gratitude, an important component of well-being. Students intentionally focus on positive thinking by naming and recording three good things they have experienced or witnessed that day. On Twitter and Instagram, people around the world use #threegoodthings to share their own “three good things.”

Preparing to Teach

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The following teaching strategy is referenced in this activity. You may wish to familiarize yourself with it before using the activity.

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Procedure

Steps for Implementation

  1. Start the exercise by asking students to sit in silence for one minute, perhaps closing their eyes, to reflect on positive things happening in their lives, communities, or the world right now.
  2. Then have them choose three good things to list in their journals and reflect on one that feels most significant to their well-being at this moment.
  3. Finally, in pairs or triads, have students share one of their good things and explain why they chose it. Alternatively, share in a Wraparound activity.

Related Materials

Variations

Project or, if your school’s tech policy allows, have students use their personal devices to scroll through some posts with the hashtag #threegoodthings on Twitter or Instagram. Then instruct students to write or sketch in their journals a list of their own three good things and then reflect in writing on the one that feels most significant at this moment. Students can share one of their good things in the chat or in a remote Wraparound activity by unmuting when called on. Alternatively, create a “Three Good Things” Padlet or Flipgrid where students can reflect and share their ideas rather than doing so in their journals.

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