Core Concept:
To invite students to increase understanding of themselves and
others, to challenge them as to how they view other people.
Purpose:
To increase the students understanding of their identity, that
of others within the class, the world in which they live. To
understand the meaning of self-esteem. To appreciate and respect
individuality, difference and diversity. To focus on ability
rather than disability.
Resources:
Worksheet 'who
am I'
Worksheet 'myself'
Markers
Paper
www.challengingimages.com
www.2003worrldgames.com
Procedure:
Gathering Information
Discussion Group
Activity Report
Detailed procedure:
Gathering Information
Distribute student Worksheet 1: who
am I? And
get students to fill it in.
Distribute student worksheet 2: on myself
and get each student to fill in as much information as possible
in each box 1-4. Ask the students to put a + sign beside all
positive words and a - sign beside all negative words and then
complete the worksheet for answering the questions at the bottom
of the page.
Discussion:
Follow this with a group discussion. Questions may include.
·
Which box comes closest to representing the true picture?
Which box represents the least true picture?
Why is the content of each box different?
What do the boxes tell you about your own self-esteem?
What do you mean by 'self esteem'? A possible definition may
be how you value yourself!
Ask students to give example of things on which we place high
value, e.g./ money, jewellery, property and rare objects. A
number of points could then be made.
[a] In order to value something, we must first know it [recognize
money - all money is of equal value to small children.
[b] We may recognize value, but someone who knows more understand
how valuable something is - if you found a diamond ring, would
you know its value?
Would a jeweller know its value?
[c] Anything rare is of value - for example, certain postage
stamps.
[3] Babies are born with a sense of value. They are the centre
of their universe. All babies are happy with who they are. Tell
any 2-3 year old child that they are beautiful, handsome, clever
and they will agree with you. Then ask:
[a] At what point do children become less sure of themselves?
[b] At what point is their childhood self-worth changed?
Group Activity
The teacher divides the class into groups of 6/7. Let each group
elect a leader to report findings to the class. The teacher
distributes copies of the photographs to the groups. Each group
is allowed time to study thee photographs and fill in the answers
on the worksheet. Each group reports back to the main class.
The teacher can note the findings on the blackboard of a large
sheet of paper.
Discussion
The teacher leads a discussion based on the activity and explores
the following points:
What is the image of the perfect body for men/women?
What messages do certain cloths portray?
Who presents us with these images?
When we are presented with these perfect images, how does this
make us feel about ourselves?
The teacher draws attention to the fact that physical characteristics
are: Fashionable/unfashionable depending on when or where we
live. For example pale skin was fashionable for women in Victorian
times, in parts of the world plumpness is seen as beautiful
and prosperous, and to be thin is a sign of poverty. The teacher
refers back to the photograph activity and draws attention to
how the class has made a number of assumptions based solely
on image. To illustrate this point, the teacher may ask the
students to complete the following sentences:
Thin people are…
Fat people are…
Old people are… People with a learning disability are…
Report Get the students to write a short report on what they
have learned from this exercise about themselves and others
to whom they listened.
Core Concept
In this lesson students will share a little of their world with
others in the class. They will also endeavour to find out what
they can about a fellow EU country.
Purpose
To create a project that gives us a window into the students
world. Their life, interests and hobbies outside of school,
where they live, and what they enjoy doing. To understand that
we belong to a wider European family where difference and diversity
is celebrated, and that we play a central role within it.
Resources
Challengingimages.com
Netdayseurope.org
Leargas.ie
Markers Pen +paper Microsoft PowerPoint Scrapbook Disposable/digital
camera Detailed Procedure · Print and distribute some of the
images from challengingimages.com. People of different ethnic
backgrounds, different cultures, some physically challenged,
all reflecting human diversity.
All with a story to tell.
Can the students notice any differences in the photographs from
the different countries?
Encourage them to observe architectural, cultural, and social
differences. · Get the students to write down all they know
about the countries shown e.g. Italy, Germany and Hungary. ·
They will now have the chance to share some of their life through
art, photography, and essay. 1. Get the students to take photographs
via disposable/conventional/digital camera that represent their
life in some way that is meaningful to them e.g. where they
live, family, hobbies, interests and friends. They can augment
this with written information and /or artwork based on this
theme. They can find out information about one other European
country and incorporate it into their project. Information can
be found from libraries, language and Geography departments
in school, netdayseurope.org, Microsoft Encarta CD ROM 2. This
information can be disseminated in a number of different ways.
Project material can be gathered together and pasted into a
scrapbook · Students can create a PowerPoint presentation. ·
Students can host a photographic/Art exhibition featuring the
work that they have produced. (Get the photographs developed
to 12 by 9 inches encourage each student to give a three-minute
presentation on what they have produced.
Did any presentation surprise them?
Was their much of a difference between their lifestyle and that
in a different European country?
Were they surprised to learn that there could be many facets
to a person not just the one displayed in school?
|
The following
are suitable Action Projects for CSPE teachers
|
As an introduction, conduct the following exercise. Ask for
a volunteer to go outside the classroom door for a moment. ·
Inform the class that they are to begin talking about any topic
e.g. football, music, film etc for three minutes. · Instruct
them to ignore completely the student who comes back into the
class. They are not to interact with him/her in any way for
any reason for the duration of the exercise. This includes the
teacher. You will invite them to write a fictional exercise
at your command. · Invite the student to rejoin the class with
a discussion in flow. Inform the class they have 3 minutes to
answer the question you posed. They should all begin writing.
Anybody not finished will have substantial extra homework! ·
The volunteer should now be very frustrated at being isolated
by his peers and at a loss when ignored. This exercise highlights
the isolation experienced by many who are learning challenged.
Ask the student how it felt to be ignored?
What did the class learn from the exercise?
Would they like this to be the way they were treated?
Host a Special Olympics awareness week. Find out all you can
about the forthcoming games.
Are you near a host town?
Invite a representative to your class to tell you more. · Chart
and keep a record of all media coverage given to the Special
Olmpics in the build up to it. · Adopt a country-find out all
you can about their participation. Chart their progress during
the games. Get school support. · Hold a poster competition to
advertise and promote the games in your school · Design a brochure
of your town highlighting all local amenities for visiting athletes.
Survey school/local facilities for people with a learning disability
· Research and visit a centre for those with learning disability
e.g. KARE · Research and find out about the 'Hole in the wall
gang camp' at Barrettstown Castle. See project resources for
web address · Host a civvies day to support their work · Download
the pictures from challenging images and display in school to
promote their work.
