SEL Read Aloud: The Bad Seed by Jory John
Summary
“The Bad Seed” by Jory John is the story of a sunflower seed, who has come to see himself as a bad seed. He does all kinds of things — big and small — that annoy and inconvenience other the seeds. They talk about him behind his back, and he knows it. He used to be a pleasant seed, but was scarred after a series of negative experiences. That was when his bad behaviors started and he began to look at himself differently. He decides to change, but it’s a long, difficult process. He’s starting to do some good behaviors, but he can’t completely stop doing his bad ones — at least not all of the time. He gradually begins to have a new self image, and the other seeds take notice too.
Comprehension Questions
Six questions aligned to Bloom’s taxonomy for teacher’s to evaluate students’ comprehension
- Remembering: Name two behaviors that show the Bad Seed is trying to change.
- Understanding: Explain what the Bad Seed means when he says he feels “kind of good, sort of a mix.”
- Applying: What are some ways the Bad Seed can continue to show he is trying to be better?
- Analyzing: Discuss the challenges the Bad Seed faces in trying to be good.
- Evaluating: Would you consider the Bad Seed successful in his quest to be better? Why or why not?
- Creating: Imagine a day in the life of the Bad Seed after the story ends and write a short narrative.
CASEL Discussion Questions
Five questions aligned to the CASEL competencies for teachers to foster an engaging discussion and foster social-emotional learning
- Self-Awareness: Can you identify a time when, like the Bad Seed, you realized something about yourself that you wanted to change? How did you feel?
- Self-Management: The Bad Seed takes it “one day at a time” to improve himself. Why do you think setting small, daily goals is effective for self-improvement?
- Social Awareness: The story shows that the Bad Seed heard others calling him “bad.” How do you think this affected him, and why is it important to be kind in our words?
- Relationship Skills: How might the Bad Seed start building positive relationships with the other seeds after deciding to change? Discuss steps he could take.
- Responsible Decision Making: Reflect on a decision you made that had a positive impact on others. How did you decide what to do, and what did you learn from that experience?
Design Thinking Challenge
Take students’ learning even further by incorporating the Imagineerz design thinking framework
Create a “change for the better” journal
Understand
- Start with a reading and discussion of “The Bad Seed” by Jory John, focusing on the seed’s journey from being labeled as “bad” to making efforts to change. Discuss the concept of personal growth and how everyone has the capacity to change over time.
Ideate
- Challenge students to brainstorm ideas for a “change for the better” journal that they can use to document their own journeys of personal growth, much like the Bad Seed did. They should consider what sections they might include, such as daily reflections, goals, achievements, and moments of kindness.
Prototype
- Students will design and create a prototype of their journal using paper, art supplies, and other materials available in the classroom. They should think about how to organize the journal to encourage regular reflection and self-improvement, including spaces for drawings, photos, or other creative expressions of their journey.
Test
- Students will share their “change for the better” journal prototypes with the class or in small groups, explaining how each section will be used and how they envision the journal supporting their growth. Encourage feedback from peers on the journal’s layout, design, and potential effectiveness in tracking personal change.
- Conclude with a reflection session where students discuss how the process of creating their journal has influenced their understanding of personal growth. Talk about the importance of acknowledging progress, no matter how small, and how this journal could serve as a reminder that everyone is capable of change, just like the Bad Seed.
Read Aloud
If you appreciated getting to read this book with your class, you might also want to share this book with them!
Additional Resources
Copyright Notice
The image on this page comes from the book The Bad Seed by Jory John. Copyright © 2017 by Jory John.
