Are you looking for a meaningful way to bring Eleanor H. Porter’s timeless classic “Pollyanna” to life in your classroom or homeschool?
We picked up the novel as a unit study to have at least one book for each of the New England states, but the book turned into so much more for us.
Coupled with the 1960s movie, it’s a great look at the power of positivity despite circumstances and so many wonderful lessons about building community and being resilient within relationships.
- Why Pollyanna Deserves a Place in Modern Education
- Materials to get started
- Philosophy and Psychology Connection
- Project: Personal Perspective Shift Challenge
- Bringing Pollyanna’s “Glad Game” to Life: 3 innovative project-based learning ideas
- Want more? Here’s what’s Included in the Pollyanna Quick Start Guide PDF
- Novel Study Quick Start Guide for Pollyanna
Why Pollyanna Deserves a Place in Modern Education
Published in 1913, “Pollyanna” might seem like just another old-fashioned tale from a bygone era. But in today’s world where children face unprecedented challenges, Pollyanna’s philosophy of finding something to be glad about in every situation is more relevant than ever.
So many children are stuck in the digital and social media age, not connecting with others and only seeing their world through a very narrow view. Many gave convinced themselves their situation is much different than it is.
But, this heartwarming story of an orphaned girl who transforms an entire town with her optimism offers profound lessons about:
- Developing resilience in difficult circumstances
- The power of positive thinking as backed by modern psychology
- Building community through empathy and connection
- Finding joy in everyday experiences
For your convenience, I have linked the book, movie, and other helpful resources on Amazon. I earn from qualifying purchases. I hope that you enjoy your study and please don’t hesitate to reach out for help implementing!
Materials to get started
- Pollyanna book or audiobook
- Pollyanna Movie
- The FREE quick start guide appropriate for who you’re teaching
- A binder or portfolio for each student to keep all of their novel study projects and papers in one place
Philosophy and Psychology Connection
Project: Personal Perspective Shift Challenge
• Introduction to Concepts:
• Constructivism: Philosophical and psychological idea that individuals build their own reality based on experiences and perspectives.
• Emotional contagion: Describes how emotions and attitudes spread from person to person like a ripple effect.
• Activity:
• Pick one daily frustration (e.g., a rainy day).
• Write your initial negative thought.
• List three positive spins (e.g., “Great for reading indoors!”) using Pollyanna’s Glad Game.
• Act out both perspectives with a friend, noting emotional contagion.
• Reflection:
• Did your perception or mood shift?
Bringing Pollyanna’s “Glad Game” to Life: 3 innovative project-based learning ideas
📱 Glad Game Social Media Campaign
Transform Pollyanna’s message for the digital age! Students create a mock social media campaign that Pollyanna might run today to spread her message of optimism. This project involves:
- Designing shareable “Glad Game” graphics with uplifting quotes
- Creating short video challenges encouraging acts of kindness
- Drafting posts that translate Pollyanna’s historical experiences into modern scenarios
- Tracking the theoretical “spread” of positivity through a classroom network map
🌱 Glad Garden Community Project
Connect literature to environmental science and community service! Students design and implement a “Glad Garden” that:
- Features plants mentioned in the novel or appropriate to the time period
- Includes educational signage connecting plants to themes from the book
- Incorporates sustainable gardening practices
- Serves as a community space for practicing gratitude (perhaps with a weather-resistant gratitude journal station)
🎭 Perspective Transformation Theater
This interdisciplinary arts project challenges students to explore how perspective changes everything:
- Students select challenging scenarios from their own lives or the novel
- Working in small groups, they write and perform short skits showing the same situation from different perspectives
- Each skit must demonstrate how changing one’s outlook transforms the experience
- Performances are recorded and edited into a short film about the power of perspective
Want more? Here’s what’s Included in the Pollyanna Quick Start Guide PDF
Our guide takes a modern, multidisciplinary approach to this classic.
📚 Literary Analysis & Discussion
📝 Vocabulary Enrichment through word study games and activities
🧪 STEM Connections such as “Create your own prism experiments to demonstrate light refraction” or map-making activities showing Pollyanna’s Beldingsville. In the classroom guide, there’s even an engineering challenge to design accessibility solutions for those with limited mobility
Novel Study Quick Start Guide for Pollyanna
Get the Quick start Guide for teaching Pollyanna
Choose the option that suits your needs:
Choose this if you are a classroom educator or teaching a homeschool co-op where students can be grouped.
Choose this if you are a homeschooler, learning at home and/or teaching mixed age groups All at once.
Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 6 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!
Leave a Reply