TOPIC AREA: Diversity
CONCEPT: We all like different things. That does not make some of us right and others of us wrong.
Liking different things allows us to have dozens and dozens of cereals lining the shelves of the supermarket. It is what drives the advertising and clothing industry. No one would argue that we should all be clones of each other, that is until we start talking about culture, ethnicity, appearance, etc. Then we begin to stereotype those who are different than ourselves. We also become very judgmental of anything that smacks of difference. Our kids needs to understand that differences are OK and that just because someone likes to dress or look a certain way, it does not make that person inherently bad or worth less to society.
METHOD: Classroom activity
TIME NEEDED: 20 minutes and discussion time MATERIALS NEEDED:
1 newspaper page of comics for each participant, plus a few extras. The pages must be from different days.
Scissors (1 pair for every 5-6 people) Masking tape
A pencil and paper for each participant
ACTIVITY: You will need to bring in a page of comics from the newspaper for each participant. You
will nee to collect these over a number of days since each participant needs a completely different set of comics. Pass out the pages. Explain that you want each person to determine which comic on their page is the funniest one for that day. If a person just can’t find any one on the page that is funny, have a few extra pages for them to look over. After they have found the one that is funny to them, have them post it on the wall with masking tape. On the masking tape write a number or letter so people can designate one from another. Once everyone has posted the comic strip that they think is funny, have each person make a list from one to however many you have and rank the comics from the funniest to the least funny. Compare results.
DISCUSSION IDEAS:
How difficult was it to select a funny comic strip to place on the wall? How hard was it to rank the comics from really funny to not so funny? How did your choices compare to the class choices?
Should everyone agree on the same comic? Why or why not?
Does it make any difference what anyone else thinks if you don’t agree?
How do many different opinions on the same topic help make our society a better place to live? What would happen if we all agreed on everything?
If someone disagrees with you, are they a bad per son? How does our background help shape how we think?
Should we ignore our background when we are look ing at various issues? Explain.
GLACIERS
TOPIC AREA: Addiction
CONCEPT: Alcohol and other drug use have long term effects. Things happen to your body over a
period of time. Certain factors, such as increased use or use at a young age can speed up the occurrence of these effects. Even if we can’t see the effects taking place, they are still happening within our body, no matter how slowly. Over time the results of this damage will begin to show. Circumstances such as being genetically predisposed to addiction or using drugs that have certain characteristics can also speed up addiction or bodily effects.
METHOD: Classroom activity
TIME NEEDED: 10 minutes and discussion time MATERIALS NEEDED:
1 ice cube per team of three 1 roll of paper towels
1 watch with a second-hand
ACTIVITY: Divide your group into teams of three. Give each team an ice cube. Explain that the
activity consists of seeing how long it takes each team to completely melt their ice cube. They may only use their hands and breath to melt the ice cube. They may not rub it on the floor or on their clothes. As each team finishes, have them raise their hands and you call out their finishing time.
DISCUSSION IDEAS:
What did you find to be the best method for melting the ice cube? What problems did your team have?
How cold was the ice cube when you first started? After you got going did it stop feeling as cold? Explain. (Once your skin becomes numb you don’t feel the effects as much)
Why didn’t all the teams finish melting their ice cubes at the same time? How could this activity apply to addiction?
How could this activity apply to long term effects of alcohol and other drugs?
List some circumstances or behaviors that increase the speed at which alcohol and other drugs can harm us.
GRAB IT!
TOPIC AREA: Alcohol
CONCEPT: When alcohol is in your system, you can not react as quickly to events around you or
perform as well. Judgment, thinking speed and reaction time are just some of the areas that are affected. This slowing down of the brain can cause automobile accidents, poor decisions, and poor school or job performance.
METHOD: Classroom activity
TIME NEEDED: 20 minutes and discussion time MATERIALS NEEDED:
You will need something that comes in three different colors. I have used poker chips since they come in red, blue and white. I have also used different colored construction paper, marbles, spray painted rocks, etc. You will need about thirty items for each group of eight. Have different amounts of each color. Maybe 5 red poker chips, 10 blue chips and 15 white chips.
1 pair of dice for each group. Masking tape
ACTIVITY: Divide into groups of eight. Use the masking tape to make a three foot square on the
floor. Have the group of eight divide into two teams of four. Place one player from each team on each side of the square. Spread out your thirty items at random in the square. Choose one player to begin the game. Give him/her th pair of dice. They are to roll the dice in the square. If the dice add up to an even number, then everyone reaches in and tries to grab as many items as they can. If the dice add up to an odd number, then no action is taken and the player rolls again. The first round continues until each player has had a chance to roll the dice.
Scoring is as follows: Designate each color to be worth a certain number of points. The most numerous color will be worth one point. The middle item is worth five points and the least number of items is worth ten points. This means that the players are trying to grab the colors that are worth the most points. Add up each team’s score after each roll of the dice. If a player grabs, or even touches, any items when the dice show an odd number, then those points are deducted from the team’s total score.
For round two, the rules change slightly. Everything is the same except that each person on the team which is not rolling the dice must say the phrase “Alcohol slows you down”, after the dice has stopped rolling, before they may reach for any of the items. If they reach before they finish saying “Alcohol slows you down”, then the points they get are subtracted from the team’s total. They do not say the phrase one at a time, they all say it at the same time.
How well did you do seeing if the dice added up to odd or even? Did it make any difference if you were the one rolling the dice? Why or why not?
What strategy did you use to get the most points? How well did you do going after the high point colors?
Did you and one of your teammates ever go after the same item? What difference did the new rule make about saying the phrase first? After saying the phrase were there many high point colors left to get?
How can saying the phrase compare to being under the influence of alcohol?
What are some things that you do everyday that would not be done as well if you were using alcohol?
If your thinking process was slowed down, how would this affect your daily life? What impact would drinking have on your future goals? Explain.