Activity 1
Topic/Concept: Freedom of Expression (Consideration of others' Rights and Feelings).
Title: How does it make you feel?
Level: Primary (K-3).
Outcomes: to involve children in experiences that will facilitate the development of an understanding of the feelings evoked by particular positive and negative behaviour.
to develop an awareness of the rights and responsibilities inherent in the act of responding to particular situations.
to encourage children to use various means of expressing ideas, thoughts and feelings.
to provide an opportunity for children to share and compare their ideas, thoughts, and feelings through group discussion.
Curriculum Connections:
It is expected that students will:
Language Arts: speak and listen to explore, extend, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences.
communicate information and ideas effectively and clearly, and respond personally and critically.
interact with sensitivity and respect, considering the situation, audience, and purpose.
be able to use writing and other forms of representation to explore, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and learning; and to use their imagination.
Social Studies: demonstrate an understanding that people interact with their physical environment to create and refine their social environment.
demonstrate an understanding that people are organized into groups to achieve common and specific goals.
demonstrate an understanding that effective citizenship requires a sense of personal commitment, a willingness to act, and a concern for the future.
Art: understand and make use of the ability of the visual arts to convey ideas in a non-verbal, symbolic language.
Health: apply knowledge and practise skills which foster emotional well-being.
Strategies
The children, through role playing activities, respond to particular scenarios described by the teacher:
Scenario 1 - The teacher asks, "How do you feel when someone calls you by a nickname? How do you feel when your peers tease you with this nickname?"
Scenario 2 - The teacher asks, "How do you feel when the teacher raises his/her voice when talking to you?"
Scenario 3 - The teacher asks, "How do you feel when you are hugged by someone you love?"
Scenario 4 - The teacher asks, "What do you do if you are in line for the bathroom and one of your classmates pushes you aside?"
Scenario 5 - The teacher asks, "What do you do if your friend is hurt? How does it make you feel?"
The children, through drawing/painting, respond to particular scenarios described by the teacher:
Scenario 1 - The teacher says "You are lining up for the afternoon bus. You notice that five children are already in line. How do you feel? What would you do about your feelings? Paint your response."
Scenario 2 - The teacher says, "You need a pencil. How do you feel? You notice that your friend has two pencils. How do you feel? What would you do? Draw your response."
Scenario 3 - The teacher says, "You feel very uncomfortable because your chair is too close to the heater in your classroom. What would you do? Draw your response."
Scenario 4 - The teacher says, "You feel embarrassed because you're late. What would you do about those feelings? Paint your response."
Scenario 5 - The teacher says, "You hurt your friend's feelings. What would you do? Draw your response."
Following the role playing experiences and the illustrating experiences children come together in a group to discuss the responses and behaviours, which they represented. As a group they arrive at some decisions for possible responses which could be appropriate for similar situations in the future.
Implications for Teaching/Learning: