Lesson Plan: The Happiness Challenge/The Happy Man’s Shirt

Essential Questions

• What is happiness? What makes us happy?
• How can we build positive habits?

Literature Connection

• Nonfiction: A Year of Positive Thinking for Teens by Katie Hurley
• Novel: A Kind of Paradise by Amy Rebecca Tan

Activate Prior Knowledge (5 minutes)

Ask students, “What is happiness? What makes you happy?” As students volunteer experiences that make them happy, ask them to think of other “feelings words” that relate to these experiences. For instance, you might say, “How else do you feel when you win a soccer game? Proud? Is that what happiness is?” or “How else do you feel when you play with your little cousins? Loved? Is that what happiness is?” Encourage students to discuss the different feelings they associate with being happy.

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Guide students to locate the articles. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

• Read the title and subtitle of the first text. In your own words, what is a habit? What are examples of habits you have? A habit is a behavior that is repeated regularly. Answers to the second question will vary and might include whistling, waking up early, or biting your nails.
• Read the title and subtitle of the second text and look at the illustration. Based on these text features, what do you think the story is about? Answers may vary. Sample answer: In the illustration, a man is singing in a field. He looks happy, so he’s probably the happy man mentioned in the story title. Another man is approaching on a horse. He seems to be a king, based on his clothing and the crown he wears. Maybe the happy man is happy because of his shirt, and the king wants to know why.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary boxes.  Read the words (adopt, mindset, productive, gratitude, ambassadors) aloud and discuss their definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan: 

• Set a purpose for reading by telling students that the articles discuss different ideas about what makes people happy.
• Tell students that after they read, they’ll synthesize information from the two articles to better understand habits and mindsets (ways of thinking) that can make us happier.

Guide students to read the articles. Once they understand them well, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)

• In the introduction to the first article, the author states that you might think it would take a million bucks to make you happy. What point does she go on to make? (author’s craft) The author mentions getting a million bucks as an example of a huge, life-changing event that might seem like the surest path to happiness. But she goes on to present a simpler, more realistic, and possibly more effective path to happiness: adopting a few simple daily habits. She’s making the point that what people think of as the key to happiness might not really bring them much joy.
• How did doing the happiness challenge affect Emmanuella and Daniel? What changes did they notice after two weeks? (cause and effect) At the end of the two weeks, Emmanuella came to realize that there’s more to life than constantly doing schoolwork. Daniel noticed that it made him happy to make other people happy. Both of them plan to keep their new habits.
• What is the moral (or the lesson) of the story “The Happy Man’s Shirt”? (central idea) Sample answer: The moral of the story is that happiness comes from being thankful for what you have. It is a mindset, or a way of thinking. The poor young man is happy because he is able to enjoy and be satisfied with what he has, even though he doesn’t even have a shirt.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• In “The Happy Man’s Shirt,” the king says the priest isn’t truly happy because the priest likes the idea of making a change. Do you agree with this idea? Can a person be happy and also have hopes and dreams? (critical thinking) Answers may vary. Some students might say that wanting more out of life means a person isn’t truly happy. Others might argue that some people are actually happiest when working to reach a goal.
• Which of the five tips in “The Happiness Challenge” seems the easiest to you? Which one seems the most difficult? Why?  (making a personal connection) Answers will vary. If students are stuck, you may point them to Emmanuella’s quote, “I’m normally a shy person, so [giving praise] was really hard at first,” and ask if this quote resonates with them.
• Can you think of other tips, beyond those offered in “The Happiness Challenge,” to boost your mood? What actions have worked for you? What new habits can you build—or what old ones can you break—to bring more joy into your life? (making a personal connection) Answers will vary. Encourage students to look for underlying themes in the texts—e.g., being organized, being kind to others, losing yourself in an activity, feeling connected to others, and appreciating what you have—for help coming up with new ideas.

• Have students work in pairs to complete our Synthesizing Skill Builder.  (Click here to view all of your Skill Builders.)
• Writing Prompt: Imagine that you are one of the wise people that the king in the folktale asks for advice. Using information from the two texts as well as your own experience and imagination, write a note to the prince suggesting some actions he can take to boost his mood. (Think about kind, active, or productive things the prince might do.) Start your note with “Dear Prince,” and finish by signing your name.