Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.2A Grade 4 CPI 3

 

Standard: 2.2 - Integrated Skills

 

Strand: A -   Communication 

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 3 -  The student will describe and demonstrate the effective use of communication skills, including refusal, negotiation, and assertiveness.

 

Grade: 4

 

Sample Activities:

 

·    WHO ARE YOU? - Use puppets or stuffed animals to introduce three characters that represent the ways people handle conflicts:

Mouse: Meek, weak, doesn’t stick up for his/her own ideas
Monster: Bully, pushes ideas on others
Me: A balance between a monster and a mouse

Model how each character might handle the same conflict situation. Allow student volunteers to participate in the demonstration. Then divide the class into small groups, and give each group a situation. Students determine if the character in the situation is responding as a mouse, monster, or “me”. If the mouse or monster is in control, the group rewrites the situation to handle the conflict more appropriately. Groups present the original role-play and then the rewrite. As the students present their skits, they discuss the skills needed to manage conflict in a healthy way.
 

·    CREATE A SONG - Students choose a popular or classic song and rewrite the lyrics to present an anti-violence message. Other students may choose to write a story about a young person confronted with a problem and how he/she solved it and then put the story to music. Students share songs and stories and discuss the types of conflicts and strategies used in the creations.

 

·    RESILIENT ME -  Prepare for this activity by making three sets of cards, each set containing two cards: one red and one green. On the front of the red cards, write a situation. On the back of the card, write an inappropriate solution to the problem. On the front of the corresponding green card, write the same situation, but on the back write a positive, health-promoting solution. Ask for two volunteers and give each volunteer one of the cards. Explain that both cards involve the same situation. The student with the red card reads it aloud and then takes one step back. The student with the green card takes one step forward. Discuss the situation and possible solutions. Emphasize the need for strong decision-making skills.

SAMPLE SITUATIONS: DECISIONS
-    I forgot to do my homework.
-     My best friend and I had an argument.
-    I broke something at home and hid it.
-    My friend wants to borrow my homework.
-    My friends want to steal some candy from the corner store.

Variation: Divide the class into small groups. Students role-play each situation and decide on the best solution to the problem. Videotape the role-plays or present the skits to other classes for feed-back.

 

      Variation: Each student develops a list of wise choices and adds to the list during the school year. Post the lists in a visible area and allow students to compile a class list of wise, health-promoting choices.

 

·    THE RIVER CROSSING - Divide the class into groups of five to seven students. Give each group a scooter board and a jump rope. Draw a line (or use mats) at one end of the course and place another line (or mat) about 20 to 25 feet away. About halfway across the course, tape a hoop to the floor. Tell students to imagine this is a roaring river and they must travel across it to get to the other side. The goal is for all team members to get to the other side successfully. Any player touching the floor (the river) must return to the beginning of the course. If the team member is carrying equipment, he/she must also return to the beginning of the course. The only safe place is the rock (hoop) located in the middle of the river. Allow teams time to plan the crossing. After a designated time period to cross the river (all teams will not be successful), ask the following questions:

 

      -    Was your group successful? Why or why not?
-    Who went first? Why? How was the order decided?
-    Did certain people take control, or did the group make the decisions?
-    What problems arose that you did not anticipate? How did you solve those problems?

After discussion, validate the use of decision-making and problem-solving skills. Discuss how the skills might be used differently if the activity is repeated (using what you know—your experiences— to influence your decisions).

Variation: Add equipment to each team or assign roles to team members (e.g., a visually impaired-person, a small child, a person who cannot speak).