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Stay Alive I Supplements

Lesson 2: “A Loving Family Can Bring Happiness”

I. PICTURE 

Mind Picture

Teachers: Read the following questions to your students, pausing occasionally to give time to envision details.

“Picture the faces of your family or loved ones. Envision those who are with you now and those who are no longer with you. Think of how they smile and laugh, how they work for you and care for you. Think of a time when you felt very happy and peaceful together. What were you all doing? How were you treating one another? Envision this happy time with your family in detail.

Now envision a house for your future family, a home where you live together with your husband or wife and your children. Envision some happy times with them in this house: washing the new babies and dressing them in clean clothing, stirring delicious food in a pot, mending the roof, sweeping the floor clean, talking and laughing together.

Now take some time to have the students write their ideas in their notebook or draw pictures. Some may even want to share their ideas.

II. PRINCIPLE

1. Have students draw a picture of their future home and a road leading to that home. In the road to the home, write a list of attributes and actions that will lead them to a happy home life. These may include: finish my education, choose a kind and loyal spouse, stay faithful and true to my husband/wife, make good choices, avoid disease, practice patience and love, avoid hurting those I love, work hard, be responsible…

2. Have the students draw a picture conveying the memory of a happy family moment in their notebook.

3. Think of ways your students enjoy expressing themselves creatively and ask them to represent things they have learned about families in those ways, such as:

  • Write a poem about how a family can bring happiness.
  • Write the letters of the word FAMILY (or the name of a loved one) going vertically down a page and fill in with loving thoughts about family. For example:

F–fun to be with

A–asks for forgiveness

M–makes me feel happy

I–isn't selfish

L–loves me no matter what

Y-yearns to be together

  • Write a song about the things happy families do together
  • Write a chant about loyalty and respect within a family
  • Make a play about the things that have been discussed to present to the families of the students.

4. Discuss local proverbs and stories relating to family virtues.

 III. PRACTICE

Happy Family Pyramid

Label rocks with important attributes that make a happy family. Have the students make suggestions (i.e. respect, loving, cheerful, listens, trustworthy, responsible, honest, manners, chores, shares, etc.). Then have the students build a pyramid with the rocks, deciding which attributes are most important for creating a happy family on the bottom as the foundation. Then take away a few of the bottom rocks and talk about what happens to a happy family if some of those important attributes are gone.

Family Web

Have the students sit in a circle. The first person takes a ball of wound up string, wraps the end around their finger, and tells one way that a family can make them happy. Then they throw the ball of string to another person across the circle. That person wraps a bit of the string around their finger and tells one way a family can make them happy and throws the ball to someone else. This continues until everyone has caught the ball of string and shared a way a family can make them happy. Then have the students look at the “web” their string has made. Explain that they are all connected and the “web” is strong. If desired a light-weight ball could be bounced on the string “web” and a discussion can take place about how families are connected by the things they do for each other and that makes them strong.

Family Ball

Have students sit in a circle. Have one student hold a ball and say one way a family can make them happy, then throw the ball to another student and have them say one way a family can make them happy, they then throw the ball to another student. Continue until everyone has had a chance to catch the ball and share a way families bring happiness and safety.

Hand Help

Ask for a volunteer. Have the student come to the front of the room and try to pick up some items using only one finger from one hand. Next have one or two more students come up and assist in the task, each using only one finger. The family is like a hand. When we all work together, we can do more.

IV. PLEDGE 

Have the students write a pledge in their Stay Alive Notebook:

I, ______________, pledge that I will help my family this week by
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________.


V. PARENT/GUARDIAN PARTICIPATION


Lesson 3: “People Who Love Me Will Care About Me”

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