Grade 2: A Healthy Body
A Sample Unit on Emotional Support

Information Sheet 2.1 — Weaving links

 

Grade 2: A Healthy Body: Lesson 2
Topic: Emotional support			Activity: Come sit by me...
Decision-making Process Stop!			Resources Come sit by me What you Can Do About AIDS When Someone You Know has AIDS
Foundational objectives Students will increase their knowledge of the human body Students will identify sources of support for healthy living Students will help members of their family, class, and community achieve physical, mental and social well-being (PSVS) Students will develop attitudes necessary for healthy living (PSVS)			Learning objectives Students will: appreciate experiences with literature (C) infer the feelings of others through observation of illustrations and through reading (CCT) understand some problems of physical health, one of which is HIV/AIDS recognize the need for healthy personal relationships with members of their family, friends and others in the community gradually incorporate the vocabulary for expressing feelings and for social interaction into their talk and writing (C) recognize that family and friends are sources of support explore and develop empathy for all persons demonstrate compassion for people suffering from ill health, including people with HIV/AIDS
Note: This lesson incorporates HIV/AIDS education Procedure Read the title of the book Come sit by me. Show the cover to the students and ask what they think the story is about. Read the story, interrupting from time to time to elicit comments and ask the students to predict what will happen based on the illustrations, the story and their own experiences. Some moments in the book are particularly appropriate for this purpose: When Karen arrives and all the children want her next to them, what must she be feeling? When Nicholas hasn't been at school for "a long time", what do the students think might be wrong with him? What do the students think when Karen asks her mother whether she can catch AIDS by playing with Nicholas? What do they think when some parents don't want their children to play with Karen? If they were in Nicholas' class, would they play with him? Why or why not? In this story, some parents thought that their children might catch AIDS by playing with Nicholas. Ask the students what they know about HIV/AIDS. Build on their responses as needed, making sure the following facts are mentioned: AIDS is an infectious disease: it is caused by a virus. The virus which causes AIDS is called HIV, or the HI virus. HIV does not spread the way colds or chicken pox do. This virus does not survive in the air or on objects. HIV is much harder to catch than colds or chicken pox. HIV is spread through direct contact with infected blood: a person whose blood comes in direct contact with the blood of a person who has the virus could catch it Review situations when a person's blood might be in direct contact with another person's blood, and what should be done to avoid putting oneself at risk: Providing assistance to a person who has a bleeding injury, and accidental poking with an infected syringe are the main risk situations for children. Students should be advised to seek assistance from an adult in these situations. Explain that as a precaution, people who handle such situations should be wearing latex gloves to avoid transmission of various blood borne germs and viruses, including HIV Go over the illustrations at the end of the book to show the ways the HI virus is not spread. Invite the students to identify in which of those situations one might get other germs or viruses. Elicit personal responses to the story with questions such as: How do you think Nicholas felt when no one wanted to play with him? What effect could the other children's behaviour have on Nicholas? Build on the students' responses as needed: Nicholas is very sick, but he also feels lonely, isolated; he cannot share his feelings with his friends, he must feel that what is happening to him is not fair, etc. How does he feel at the end of the story, when the parents understand his disease better and let their children play with him? Could this be helpful for Nicholas? Could the children's behaviour have consequences on Nicholas' health? Build on students' responses and emphasize the importance of compassion. Explain that sick people need more than ever to feel protected, loved and accepted. Emphasize the link between moral support for sick people and the effects on their health; remind the students of the observations made during the "Spider spins its web" activity.			Notes Review grade one activities if needed. The students might mention the blood brother/blood sister ritual gesture as a risk situation: some people seal their friendship by poking the tip of their finger and mixing their blood with the blood of their friend. If students know about this gesture, make sure they do understand that it is a health-risking situation because blood can carry viruses and germs. In their journals, the students might draw or write about a situation when they felt lonely and rejected by others. Assessment: Observe students' participation in activities and record significant information in anecdotal records: Do the students share personally significant experiences? Do they demonstrate respect and empathy?
Online Resources			Extensions

 

Grade 2: A Healthy Body: Lesson 3
Topic: Emotional support			Activity: Stay in bed...
Decision-making Process Stop!			Resources F.Y.I. For Your Imagination: Focused Imaging
Foundational objectives Students will better understand the basic elements of social and emotional well-being (PSVS) Students will identify sources of support for healthy living			Learning objectives Students will: recognize the need for healthy personal relationships with members of their family, friends and others in the community gradually incorporate the vocabulary for expressing feelings and for social interaction into their talk and writing (C) recognize that family and friends are sources of support
Procedure Guide the students through a focused imaging session. A script such as the following might be used: Picture yourself walking slowly into the kitchen to have breakfast. Your eyes are watery. They feel like they are so swollen. Puffy... Itchy... Your nose is plugged and red. You cannot breath too well. Your dad asks if you are okay. You sneeze... and again. You are shivering... Brr... It seems so cold in the kitchen. Your dad feels your forehead. Your forehead is hot... Your head hurts. It seems so heavy... You are so tired. Your dad helps you to go back to bed. "Well, no school today," he says. And for the next few days, you will be staying home because it looks like you have the flu. Invite the students to think about what will happen after this scene, during the rest of the day, and then the next few days. Ask what they might do to get better, and what other people might do to help them feel better. Record their responses. These might include: Stay in bed, rest Drink plenty of fluids Eat chicken noodle soup Read or listen to stories read by someone else Receive get well cards or phone calls Play quiet games in your bed See a doctor Take some medicine Discuss cause and effect relationships between the actions listed and their results. Ask questions such as the following: Why do you need to rest? What might happen if you do not rest? Why do you need to drink plenty of fluids? How does it help your body when you are sick? How does eating chicken noodle soup help you get better? How does it help you? What does the doctor do? How does the doctor help you get better? Why do people send get well cards? How do you feel when you receive a get well card or phone call? Why is it good to read or play games when you are sick? How does it help you? How do you feel when someone reads you a story when you are sick? Build on the students' responses and invite them to seek more information on some of the actions that help us feel better when we are sick. For example, a nurse might go over some of the above questions with the students. Focus the students' attention on the people who help them get better when they are sick: health professionals, family, friends... Point out that when we are sick, family and friends do play an important role in helping us feel better as they keep us company, make us laugh, let us know that they care.			For more information on focused imaging, and for practical ideas to enhance this lesson, refer to F.Y.I. For Your Imagination: Focused Imaging Assessment: Observe the students' awareness of the role of family and friends as sources of support. In discussions throughout this unit, ensure that both genders are equitably represented as providers of medical and emotional care.
Online Resources			Extensions

 

Grade 2: A Healthy Body: Lesson 4
Topic: Emotional support			Activity: Recipes for good health
Decision-making Process Explore... Go!			Resources
Foundational objectives Students will treat themselves and others with respect (PSVS) Students will help members of their family, class, and community achieve physical, mental and social well-being (PSVS) Students will develop their ability to make decisions (CCT) Students will develop attitudes necessary for healthy living (PSVS)			Learning objectives Students will: increasingly accept responsibility for themselves and others actively contribute to the improvement of the well-being of the community (PSVS) explore and develop empathy for all persons (PSVS) suggest several possible courses of action and explore the long- and short-term consequences of these actions (CCT) demonstrate compassion for people suffering from ill health (PSVS)
In grade two, students should make at least one health-related decision and carry out an action plan to implement that decision. Selection of the topic for this real life application of the Decision-making Process should be based on local needs. The activities below are suggested as examples of a decision and action plan that would fit within this unit. Teachers might otherwise select only some of these activities for students to practise levels B and C of the Decision-making Process.
Procedure Ask the students if they ever do things to help their parents, siblings, grandparents or friends feel better when they are sick. Draw up a list of things children can do. Responses might include: Visit with someone who is ill (if the person is not contagious) Draw or write "get well" cards Read stories to entertain someone who is sick Do some grocery shopping Do household chores Prepare or help prepare meals (e.g., soup, a sandwich) for a someone who is ill ... Explain that sometimes, people may not be ill, but are in situations where they really appreciate companionship, social interaction, or help with chores or groceries. Our actions, all those little things we do to provide some support to them, do contribute to their well-being. Broaden the discussion to include the importance of emotional support in promoting well-being: one should not wait until a friend or family member is ill to give them support and do some of the actions listed above. Point to the Decision-making Process poster displayed since the beginning of the year. A decision the students might make within this unit is to design and carry out a class project to provide emotional support to people. Teachers might invite the students to explore options for a community living type of project, using the actions listed earlier as a starting point for ideas. The final decision might be to do some baking for people at the local hospital or senior citizen home for example. Involve the students in planning various elements of the project: what would they do, when, how, who would help, etc. For example, they might prepare a recipe twice a month for a certain period of time, with the help of the teacher and parent volunteers. An extension of this activity might be to discuss the purpose of the flour, water, sugar, salt and other ingredients in recipes. Ask the students what would happen, for example, if they forgot to add water when making bread. Explain that both liquid and dry ingredients are needed if the recipe is to work. Two kinds of ingredients are also necessary for good health: medical care and moral support. Suggest that the students make a book of "Recipes for good health" (see the example on Information Sheet 2.2 — "A Recipe for good health").			Notes Make sure that both boys and girls get a chance to share personal experiences where they provided support to someone. Refer to the Decision-making Process sample unit for details. Have equally high expectations for both genders for participation in all steps of the project.
Online Resources			Extensions

Information Sheet 2.2 — A Recipe for good health

Smile cake Ingredients One cup of fresh smiles One teaspoon of big hugs Two very funny stories One card with nice colours and kind words One bouquet of flowers Mix the smiles and hugs. Add one funny story. Allow to laugh for five minutes. Add the second story and leave to laugh a bit more. Start to read the pretty card and give the flowers (add a smile or two if you wish). Enjoy the good taste of kindness.

Grade 2: A Healthy Body: Lesson 5
Topic: Emotional support			Activity: And if I needed help myself...
Decision-making Process Stop! Explore... Go!			Resources
Foundational objectives Students will identify sources of support for healthy living Students will treat themselves and others with respect (PSVS) Students will develop their ability to avoid danger or react to it in ways likely to reduce any harmful effects			Learning objectives Students will: recognize that the community provides facilities and services to help its citizens enjoy better physical and mental health increasingly accept responsibility for themselves and others demonstrate safe behaviours in simulations of dangerous situations
Procedure Point out that sometimes, we need help ourselves. Brainstorm with the students a list of situations where a child might need help. Explain that people do not always know when others need help, so you have to let them know. And it can be difficult: you might not know how to ask, or who could help, you might be too embarrassed, or you don't dare and you are afraid of the consequences of telling someone about a problem you have. Teachers might share a personal experience when they were embarrassed to ask for someone's help, then ask whether the students have ever been in similar situations. Tell the students that in such situations, you have to make decisions. And it is best to practise making such decisions so that if you ever are in situations where you need help, you will know who might help and how to ask for help. Describe a situation such as the following: "Robbie was at the children's festival with his class. When he stopped to watch the clowns, no one noticed, and the rest of his class went on without him. When Robbie realized he had been left behind, he didn't know what to do. There were so many people! How was he going to find his group again?" Ask what Robbie could do, and who he could turn to for help. Invite the students to role play ways he could deal with this situation. Invite the students to role play other situations in which a child needs to ask for help (from Block Parents, the police, a relative, the recess supervisor, etc.) Situations could be based on specific incidents that actually occurred. Start a list of people and organizations one can go to for help. Post it in the classroom and add to it as more situations are discussed throughout the year. Invite someone from a support organization such as Block Parents, to explain what kind of work the organization does, why it is important to ask for help, and how to go about asking for help. Tell the students that you are always ready to assist them in contacting the people or organizations that could help them, and that they should not hesitate to come to you with a problem. Sometimes, students are more comfortable initiating a call for help by writing a note. Some teachers have a special "mailbox" in the classroom and tell their students that if they have a problem, they can leave a note in it; the teacher can then approach students and help them explain what is bothering them.			As part of this unit and several times during the year, students should have opportunities to practise contacting sources of help. With them, make a list of what to do (e.g., when you phone a support organization: speak clearly, say your name, say that you need help, explain the problem). Keep this list posted all year long and refer to it each time the students participate in simulations of situations in which a child needs help from someone. Teachers play an important role in protecting children from abuse or neglect. Refer to the Instructional and Administrative Guidelines section in this curriculum guide for information on reporting cases of abuse or neglect.
Online Resources			Extensions
Danger Has Many Faces - three lesson plans for students in K- Gr. 7