Session 6: Co-operation and Contribution

Strengthening Families For The Future

On this page:

• Objectives
• Check in
• Discussion
• Activity: I'm a Star
• Family Meetings
• What did we learn? / Home activity
• Praise Circle: Sharing the Star

Objectives

At the end of the session, children will:

• be able to recognize that their contributions to the family and the community are important
• realize that they can contribute to the family and the community in many meaningful ways.  

Session Outline	Minutes	Materials and Handouts
1. Check in	10
2. Discussion a. How can I help out? b. Have I done a good job?	a. 5 b. 5
3. Activity: I'm a star a. Introduction b. Completing the activity c. Using the star	a. 10 b. 10 c.  5	a. flip-chart, markers b. markers, Handout 6A: I'm a Star c. flip-chart, markers
4. Family meetings	5
5. What did we learn? / Home activity	5
6. Praise circle: Sharing the star	5

1. Check in (10 minutes)

Purpose

• to review the group rules
• to help the children feel more comfortable discussing things with the group

Procedure

• Post the group rules/promises on the wall.
• Choose one group rule to highlight this week.
• Ask each person to share with the group one good thing that happened to him or her this past week.
• Remind the children that in the last session you talked about feelings. Ask them whether they talked to anyone about their feelings in the past week.

2. Discussion

2a. How can I help out? (5 minutes)

Purpose

• to introduce the concepts of co-operation and contribution
• to have the children generate a list of ways they can help out at home, at school and in the community
• to come up with one way each child can help out at home and one way he or she can help out at school or in the community (to fill in the second and third points of the star for the activity that follows)

Procedure

• Start a discussion about co-operation and helping out by asking the following questions:
  • Does anyone know what the word “co-operation” means?
  • When people co-operate with each other it means that they are all working together to reach the same goal—like they are all on the same team.
  • When everyone is helping out, they are all making a contribution or doing their bit toward completing a task or job—like when you and your friends or family do a puzzle together—you are all working together to finish it.
• Have the group generate a list of things that they do, or could do, to help out at home, by asking:
  • What are some of the things that need to be done in your home (e.g., making meals, keeping the home tidy and clean, doing yard chores)?
  • How are you helping out at home? How could you be helping out at home?
• Have the group generate a list of things that they do, or could do, to help out in their community.
• Tell the children to think about their classroom at school. Ask them what role they play in keeping the classroom tidy. What are some things they could do to keep the classroom tidy?
• Ask the children to think of ways they could help with other activities and people outside school (e.g., with their friends, at church, at camp).

2b. Have I done a good job? (5 minutes)

Purpose

• to help the children learn to recognize when they have contributed
• to help the children develop satisfaction simply from doing a job well

Procedure

• Explore with the group how they know when they have made a contribution. Ask the children: How does it feel to have made a contribution?
• Use some of the examples they generate to help them think about these questions: How do you know when you have done a good job? Does someone usually say something to you? How do you feel when you are told you have done a good job?

3. Activity: I'm a Star

3a. Introduction (10 minutes)

Purpose

• to introduce the activity that the rest of the session will be built upon

Procedure (Flip-chart, markers)

• Display a five-pointed star on flip-chart paper.
• Explain to the children that they will be filling in their own star.
• Briefly outline each of the following areas of the star:
  • something I like to do
  • one way I can help out at home
  • one way I can help out in the community
  • something that makes me feel good
• Introduce the final point of the star, I am special because . . . . Start a discussion about what it means to be special, by saying something like: Each of us has at least one thing that makes us special. It might be that you are very helpful, that you have a good sense of humour, that you are sensitive or that you are good at something.

3b. Completing the activity (10 minutes)

Purpose

• to have the children think about their contributions to family and the community

Procedure (Handout 6A, Markers)

• Give each child Handout 6A: I’m a Star.
• Have each child print his or her name on the handout.
• Help the children to complete their stars.

3c. Using the star (5 minutes)

Purpose

• to have the children use the star to help them feel good

Procedure (Flip-chart, markers)

• Start a discussion about feeling “down” by saying something like: Do any of you ever feel down or call yourselves names? Why might someone start to feel down about himself or herself ? How do you feel if someone picks on you, if you make a mistake or if someone criticizes you?
• Record responses on flip-chart paper.
• Explain how the children can use the star to make themselves feel better, by saying:

Did you know that you can use the star to make yourself feel better? You can read the five parts of your star, or make up a new star, and tell yourself you are a good and special person. Because you are!

4. Family Meetings (5 minutes)

Purpose

• to prepare the children for talking again about family meetings in the family session

Procedure

• Let the children know that in the family session they will be talking again about family meetings (which were introduced in Family Session 5), and using what they just learned about co-operating and helping out at home.
• Tell them that in the family session they will practise holding a family meeting and will work on a family job chart.

5. What did we learn? / Home activity (5 minutes)

Purpose

• to review the key points of the session
• to prepare the children to report about the session later, in the family session
• to get the children to practise skills at home

Procedure

• Ask the children what you talked about today. Make sure the key points are covered:
  • ways to contribute at home, at school and in the community
  • using the star to feel good
  • how to participate in a family meeting.
• Ask the children to practise co-operating and helping out during the week, at home, and at school or in the community.

6. Praise Circle: Sharing the Star (5 minutes)

Purpose

• to use Handout 6A: I’m a Star to get the children used to praising themselves
• to end the session on a positive note

Procedure

• Sit in a circle.
• Explain that today, instead of saying nice things about others, they are going to use their stars and say nice things about themselves.
• Have each group member read aloud the five points of his or her star.
• Have everyone applaud after each person reads his or her star.

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