Teachers Guide - Operation Respect
Teachers Guide - Operation Respect
Teachers Guide - Operation Respect
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The Torn Heart<br />
Students explore the effect of “put-downs”<br />
and “put-ups.”<br />
Activity Level: Low<br />
Concentration Level: High<br />
Activity Time: 50 minutes<br />
Preparation Time: 10 minutes<br />
Objectives<br />
• To develop empathy in children<br />
• To build children’s awareness of actions that constitute put-downs and put-ups<br />
• To develop children’s commitment to positive interactions<br />
• To create a common language around put-downs, put-ups, and thumbs-down, thumbs-up<br />
behavior<br />
Materials<br />
• A large paper heart with the words “I am important” written on it<br />
• Tape (masking or clear)<br />
• A story about a child who is put down by her parents, siblings, teachers, and/or peers.<br />
Copy the model provided here or create one of your own.<br />
• A VCR and the “Don’t Laugh at Me” video, cued to the second track where Peter Yarrow<br />
performs the song<br />
• “Don’t Laugh at Me” song CD<br />
Gather Together (5 minutes)<br />
• In a go-round, ask each student to assign a number value to how he or she feels today,<br />
from -5 (today is the worst day in my whole life) to +5 (today I’m feeling the best I could<br />
ever imagine). Ask for a show of hands for children whose response range is –5 to –2?<br />
–1 to 1? And +2 to +5? Record student responses in these ranges on the board as indicated<br />
below. Then ask for a few children to share a word that describes how each one is feeling.<br />
Acknowledge the broad array of feelings expressed by the students in the room.<br />
From –5 to –2 From –1 to +1 From +2 to +5<br />
• Introduce the idea that you will be exploring issues of how to treat one another with caring<br />
and compassion through the Don’t Laugh at Me project and video. Explain that throughout<br />
the project you’ll be thinking about ways we hurt one another’s feelings, and how we can<br />
make sure everyone in the class feels safe and cared for and is not laughed at or treated<br />
disrespectfully in your classroom. You’ll also be looking at ways to bring that commitment<br />
of caring to the larger community of your school and even your town or city.<br />
Expressing Feelings © 2000 <strong>Operation</strong> <strong>Respect</strong>, Inc. and Educators for Social Responsibility 17
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