School Health Education to Prevent AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) : Teachers' Guide (UNESCO - WHO, 1994, 117 p.): Unit 4. Care and support: 4 What could you do?

School Health Education to Prevent AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) : Teachers' Guide (UNESCO - WHO, 1994, 117 p.)

Unit 4. Care and support

		(introduction...)
		1 Who discriminates? - Definition and case studies
		2 The story of two communities - Two communities react differently to someone with AIDS
		3 Why compassion? - Explores reasons for compassion
		4 What could you do? - Compassion for two people with AIDS
		5 How to’s of care giving - Information on how to care for someone with AIDS
		6 How to keep yourself safe - Precautionary care for someone who is looking after someone with AIDS
		7 What do you know? - Two tests to determine what students know about caregiving
		8 Support for responsible behaviour - How to show support for someone who has made healthy decisions
		9 Compassion, tolerance and support - Showing support outside the classroom

4 What could you do? - Compassion for two people with AIDS

Purpose

It is important to know of ways to be compassionate and when and how to help.

What the teacher does

1. Decide on a method to teach this activity:

a) Provide each student with an activity sheet and have them complete the activity individually or in pairs.
b) Write the stories on the blackboard and have the students complete the activity individually or in pairs (only one activity sheet needed).
c) Place the students in small groups and give each group one activity sheet. The groups must reach a consensus on the ways to help Minori and Dwari.

2. Allow the students to suggest other ways of being compassionate. Have them place these in the blank spaces on the “Helping heart”.

3. Ask for suggestions for ways to help with Minori’s heart and Dwari’s heart. Ask students to explain their choice.

4. Answer the question under “Teacher asks”. Suggested answers are provided below.

What would be most difficult for you if a friend or relative of yours had AIDS?
Responses will vary but they may include: the death of a loved one; the pain and depression many will experience; the loss of health and vitality; the changes in appearance; the loss of control of bodily functions
What would be most difficult for the person with AIDS?
Responses may include: acting naturally; sharing emotions (laughing, crying); celebrating special days without showing despair.

What the peer leader(s) does

Peer leaders could help by:

· Putting the activity on the blackboard
· Being in charge of a small group
· Volunteering answers to various questions

What should be done by parent(s)
(if a Parents’ Guide is used)

This would be an excellent activity for students to take home and complete with parents. Students could pick their 4 “helps” and parents could do the same and they could explain to each other why they chose the ones they did.