Class Summary - Today in class, we did a couple things regarding our unit on mental illness. To help create empathy for students with ADHD or anxiety we played a game called 'spot it.' We played the game normally once first and then had a student try to distract the previous winner. We discussed the frustration that was felt, the feeling that they 'should' be able to focus just fine etc. Then we did some art therapy and discussed what some psychologist decided the colors might mean. We thought that some times when kids cannot express a feeling or emotion, that they may be able to communicate through art. Then we watched a clip of a man who is also part of a TED talk. He was dealing with bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety and tried to take his life by jumping off the golden gate bridge. The part that was the most important was how he talked about the support group he formed after the incident. He still dealt with the hard emotions and feelings but was able to handle them in a positive way.
Homework - None
Objectives - Students will create empathy for others with mental illness. Students will learn to find ways to deal with mental illness in a positive way. Students will understand that people with mental illness can feel better.