Tag Archives: discussion

Weight of Words

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Some people have mental retardation (intellectual disabilities). While mental retardation is not a bad word, when used to describe someone or something you think is bad or stupid it becomes another thoughtless hurtful word. People with intellectual disabilities are not bad. Their condition is not bad. The prejudice and discrimination to people with intellectual disabilities is BAD…and WRONG! Please stop using the word ‘retard’. It hurts individuals and families of those with disabilities.

Wisdom

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Eleanor Roosevelt said “Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.” Have a group discussion about this quote. What does it mean? How true is it? Can you think of cases where it might not be true? In what kinds of situations would this quote be most useful to remember?

Advertising 101

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Have everybody in the class bring in one or two advertisements aimed at teenagers. These can be cut out of magazines or taped off of TV. Have a class discussion to evaluate the ads by asking the following questions: How is this ad attempting to appeal to me? What assumptions does this ad make about me? How is this ad intended to make me feel about myself? Is there anything about this ad that’s intended to make me feel is ad intended to make me feel better about myself, or bad about myself? In what way is this ad attempting to appeal to me? Would I be most vulnerable to this ad if I had high self esteem, or low self-esteem?

Self Esteem Bucket

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Self-esteem has been compared to a bucket of water. It starts out full when we’re born, but whenever we develop negative beliefs about ourselves, it’s like poking little holes in that bucket and our self-esteem drips out.* Have the group brainstorm a list of things we do or say to ourselves or to others that pokes holes in the self-esteem bucket. Put this list on the wall to serve as a constant reminder.

choices in a jar

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I just purchased this from www.freespirit.com. What’s your choice—to have to walk on stilts the rest of your life, or to always have to roller skate to get around? To have no short-term memory, or no long-term memory? To not eat for two days, or to not sleep for two days? Choice provokes thinking, and thinking is fun. Each card presents a delightful dilemma—sometimes unusual, always challenging—to spark conversation or controversy. Change your choice and change your mind.

how respectful are you?

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Here’s a fun way to talk about respect. Have students fill out the survey and discuss how difficult it is to always be respectful, then show a Simpsons video or any other sitcom/cartoon that is age appropriate. Students will mark respectful and disrespectful moments during the Simpsons video. Just about any cartoon/sitcom can work for this. Print out the quiz and discussion questions below!

Are You a Respectful Person?
(take this quiz to find out)