Honouring Diversity Activities: Grades 4-6 (Shannon Booth)
To teach students about how we can identify and prevent depression, we will dedicate a class to having a grand conversation about the topic followed by an activity.
To begin the class, the teacher will play the first half (until 1:42) of the World Health Organization video "I Had a Black Dog, His Name was Depression:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc); the video is also posted below.
The teacher will then ask the class what are some of the things the black dog did to the man in the video?
After a few responses, the teacher will ask the students by show of hands if they have heard of or talked about depression before. The teacher will then take the opportunity to talk to students about depression, and explain to them that the dog in the video represents depression and all the things the black dog did to the man and the way that the black dog made the man feel is how individuals with depression feel. The teacher will tell students that being depressed is more than being sad or blue for a short time. It is when a person feels empty and hopeless for a prolonged period of time. When someone is depressed all aspects of their life are affected (emotions, physical health, relationships and work).
The teacher will then go back to some of the qualities of the black dog to put them into perspective for the students of a depressed individual.
Depressed individuals feel:
Once this is complete, students can return to their desks and read their warm fuzzy page. Ask students by show of hands if they felt good when they read the nice things their classmates had to say about them.
As an extension, the teacher will create individualized smaller warm fuzzies which they will keep in the classroom. The teacher will explain to the students that if they ever notice one of their classmates looking down or if they just want to remind one of their classmates how special they are, they can help themselves to the warm fuzzies (not in place of doing class work) and give them to their peers to help brighten their day.
To begin the class, the teacher will play the first half (until 1:42) of the World Health Organization video "I Had a Black Dog, His Name was Depression:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc); the video is also posted below.
The teacher will then ask the class what are some of the things the black dog did to the man in the video?
After a few responses, the teacher will ask the students by show of hands if they have heard of or talked about depression before. The teacher will then take the opportunity to talk to students about depression, and explain to them that the dog in the video represents depression and all the things the black dog did to the man and the way that the black dog made the man feel is how individuals with depression feel. The teacher will tell students that being depressed is more than being sad or blue for a short time. It is when a person feels empty and hopeless for a prolonged period of time. When someone is depressed all aspects of their life are affected (emotions, physical health, relationships and work).
The teacher will then go back to some of the qualities of the black dog to put them into perspective for the students of a depressed individual.
Depressed individuals feel:
- Empty
- Have a lack of appetite
- Can't concentrate
- Low levels of confidence
- Embarrassed about the condition and don't want others to find out
- Think and say negative things
- Irritable
- Exhausted
Once this is complete, students can return to their desks and read their warm fuzzy page. Ask students by show of hands if they felt good when they read the nice things their classmates had to say about them.
As an extension, the teacher will create individualized smaller warm fuzzies which they will keep in the classroom. The teacher will explain to the students that if they ever notice one of their classmates looking down or if they just want to remind one of their classmates how special they are, they can help themselves to the warm fuzzies (not in place of doing class work) and give them to their peers to help brighten their day.
warm_fuzzy.docx | |
File Size: | 78 kb |
File Type: | docx |
individual_warm_fuzzies.docx | |
File Size: | 76 kb |
File Type: | docx |