I finally have a chance to enrich a small bit of knowledge and break misconceptions about SCI in my "how to teach health and safety" elementary education class. The problem is whatever we teach has to meet the North Carolina standard course of study objectives. The objective states (6th grade health cirriculum):
Competency Goal 3 - The learner will interpret health risks for self and others and corresponding protection measures.
3.02 Identify practices that prevent spinal cord injury.
So I HAVE TO address how to prevent spinal cord injuries. That's actually what I'm suppose to teach/talk about, but I told my teacher that things like that are so repeatitive and nobody really listens (i.e. w ear a seat belt, dont drink and drive, etc...). I'd really like for them to obtain a better understanding of SCI and how it is.
Because our time is very limited to approx. 10mins. I cant just teach about it. She wants us to do an activity where the students are involved and the teacher doesnt really talk. The "students" are actually my classmates who are also going to be elementary teachers.
I really really want to bring in my spare old wheelchair and another one if I can get ahold of one for them to do relays with. My teacher wants me to make pamphlets about SCI so that I am teaching them preventive ways, but I also can include other knowledge about SCI. Such as not sweating below level of injury->heat stroke if you leave a child out too long that is SCI, level of injury issues, multi-tasking with hands and how to offer alternatives in their P.E. activies (cant have a child in a w/c compete trying to carry balls and push himself, hills, difficulty in transfers, moving objects out of the way in classrooms etc...
Do you think the relay idea is an ok one or should I do another type of activity such as everyone gets a banana which symbolizes their spinal cord. Have them to leave it unpeeled and tap on the banana which simulates the "accident". Notice how the outside of the banana is unchanged, it will only turn brown saying it's bruised but the inside is dented/damaged which would be all of the "nerves" and connections in the spinal cord. The banana isnt cut, the nerves are just messed up which is the result of a spinal cord injury.
If the relay activity sounds like it would be good to do in 10mins in the classroom, what kinds of activities could I have the class doing in groups of 2-3. There are 26-27 students in my class so 3 groups would work better than 2 if I am able to get enough extra wheelchairs. Either way I would like about 15 different activies that I could assign them to do in their groups.
1. first person in line has to go open the classroom door (it opens inward into the class so that will be harder than making them close the door. They can get a small idea of how it's hard to juggle a moving wheelchair and tyring to open a door). Make them stick a sticker on the outside of the door as they open it with their team number on the sticker then close the door so the next team has to do the same task.
2. carry an empty 2 liter bottle of drink across the room and bring it back in a wheelchair.
3. give them a pocketbook since all girls are used to carrying them and then seeing the challenge of trying to carry your personal items in an everyday thing you take for granted.
4. write something as high as they can on the chalk board to realize it's hard to reach up high where everyone can see it.
5. Have one sit indian style on the floor so they are less likely to use their legs and then try to get back into their wheelchair.
6?
7?
15...?
****** NOTE *********
Come up with simple tasks b/c any type of materials you name I HAVE TO BRING IT TO CLASS. I cant carry my whole house in so the less or no materials you can come up with in activities the better it is for me and more likely I will incorporate it.
Thanks!
Competency Goal 3 - The learner will interpret health risks for self and others and corresponding protection measures.
3.02 Identify practices that prevent spinal cord injury.
So I HAVE TO address how to prevent spinal cord injuries. That's actually what I'm suppose to teach/talk about, but I told my teacher that things like that are so repeatitive and nobody really listens (i.e. w ear a seat belt, dont drink and drive, etc...). I'd really like for them to obtain a better understanding of SCI and how it is.
Because our time is very limited to approx. 10mins. I cant just teach about it. She wants us to do an activity where the students are involved and the teacher doesnt really talk. The "students" are actually my classmates who are also going to be elementary teachers.
I really really want to bring in my spare old wheelchair and another one if I can get ahold of one for them to do relays with. My teacher wants me to make pamphlets about SCI so that I am teaching them preventive ways, but I also can include other knowledge about SCI. Such as not sweating below level of injury->heat stroke if you leave a child out too long that is SCI, level of injury issues, multi-tasking with hands and how to offer alternatives in their P.E. activies (cant have a child in a w/c compete trying to carry balls and push himself, hills, difficulty in transfers, moving objects out of the way in classrooms etc...
Do you think the relay idea is an ok one or should I do another type of activity such as everyone gets a banana which symbolizes their spinal cord. Have them to leave it unpeeled and tap on the banana which simulates the "accident". Notice how the outside of the banana is unchanged, it will only turn brown saying it's bruised but the inside is dented/damaged which would be all of the "nerves" and connections in the spinal cord. The banana isnt cut, the nerves are just messed up which is the result of a spinal cord injury.
If the relay activity sounds like it would be good to do in 10mins in the classroom, what kinds of activities could I have the class doing in groups of 2-3. There are 26-27 students in my class so 3 groups would work better than 2 if I am able to get enough extra wheelchairs. Either way I would like about 15 different activies that I could assign them to do in their groups.
1. first person in line has to go open the classroom door (it opens inward into the class so that will be harder than making them close the door. They can get a small idea of how it's hard to juggle a moving wheelchair and tyring to open a door). Make them stick a sticker on the outside of the door as they open it with their team number on the sticker then close the door so the next team has to do the same task.
2. carry an empty 2 liter bottle of drink across the room and bring it back in a wheelchair.
3. give them a pocketbook since all girls are used to carrying them and then seeing the challenge of trying to carry your personal items in an everyday thing you take for granted.
4. write something as high as they can on the chalk board to realize it's hard to reach up high where everyone can see it.
5. Have one sit indian style on the floor so they are less likely to use their legs and then try to get back into their wheelchair.
6?
7?
15...?
****** NOTE *********
Come up with simple tasks b/c any type of materials you name I HAVE TO BRING IT TO CLASS. I cant carry my whole house in so the less or no materials you can come up with in activities the better it is for me and more likely I will incorporate it.
Thanks!
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