Before you get started

• The following activities are an introduction to changes that occur in the family structure including birth and death, as well as ways of coping with change.

• It is recommended that the teacher only use these activities once they have an understanding of each student’s family life and current situation.

• Similarly themed stories can be used to illustrate changes within the family, e.g. Cinderella, 101 Dalmatians, Babe.

• Teachers should know and understand the protective interrupting technique and what, why, when and how it is needed and used.

Whole Class

This activity develops students' understanding of positive and negative change and feelings associated with those changes. Specifically, it looks at changes that occur in the family structure, including birth and death, as well as introducing ways of coping with change. 

1. As a class, use the brainstorm teaching strategy to identify changes that may occur within a family, looking at both positives and negatives, and how it could make students feel, e.g. ideas may include the death of a pet, birth of a baby brother or sister, separation of their family, etc. Write responses on a large sheet of butcher's paper.

2. Read or watch The Lion King or alternative story. (Note: students can watch over a series of 3 or 4 lessons).

   • Either complete the story or stop at intervals to discuss the feelings associated with the changes in the family structure from the perspective of the chosen characters.

   • Examine and discuss the effect of changes in the family in the chosen story.  Identify which changes might be viewed as positive or negative.

3. Chart the class findings in a Cause and Effect diagram. For example:

4. Discuss the ways the family coped with change in the chosen story, e.g. "How did Simba cope with the death of his father?". Was this a good way of coping?

Note: The concept of 'coping' may need further explanation and specific examples may need to be provided.

Independent or Small Group

Students identify specific strategies to cope with changes in their own family.

1. Encourage students to consider what might have been other and/or more effective ways of coping to the strategies used by the characters in the chosen story.

   • Use an explosion chart or mind map strategy to record student ideas.

   • If the story of the Lion King was used in the Whole Class activity, students can individually complete the Student Activity Sheet: If I were Simba.

   • To build up a bank of ideas for coping with change, students complete the Student Activity Sheet: I can cope.

2. Have students describe or draw about what they have discovered about helpful ways of coping with change (e.g. talk to a friend, parent, sibling, teacher, have a cry, hug or talk to your pet).

Reflection

Choose some of the following questions to discuss and/or write responses to.

• What is a family?

• Where can we find families?

• Do families always have to live in the one place together or do some families live in different houses/towns/countries?

• Do we find out different information about other families from TV shows and ads? If so, what?

• Do the families you see on TV shows or ads mostly live in the one house together, and mostly have a Mum, a Dad and some children?

• How do you think people might feel if their own families weren't like the ones on TV or ads? Why?

• What could the people who make TV shows and ads do to change this?

• Why do we live in families?

• When might change occur in a family?

• How do people cope with changes in their family?

• What would you do to cope with a change in your family such as....?