This document provides lesson plans for a program called "Understanding Friends" which aims to educate children about differences and foster empathy. It includes three main parts: 1) an activity showing how all children are both different and the same in certain abilities, 2) experiential activity centers that simulate challenges, and 3) a receptive language demonstration where a student follows instructions in another language to set a table. The program can be presented generically or can focus on a specific class or student to help classmates better understand them. Confidentiality is important, and any specifics require permission.
This document provides lesson plans for a program called "Understanding Friends" which aims to educate children about differences and foster empathy. It includes three main parts: 1) an activity showing how all children are both different and the same in certain abilities, 2) experiential activity centers that simulate challenges, and 3) a receptive language demonstration where a student follows instructions in another language to set a table. The program can be presented generically or can focus on a specific class or student to help classmates better understand them. Confidentiality is important, and any specifics require permission.
This document provides lesson plans for a program called "Understanding Friends" which aims to educate children about differences and foster empathy. It includes three main parts: 1) an activity showing how all children are both different and the same in certain abilities, 2) experiential activity centers that simulate challenges, and 3) a receptive language demonstration where a student follows instructions in another language to set a table. The program can be presented generically or can focus on a specific class or student to help classmates better understand them. Confidentiality is important, and any specifics require permission.
A program to educate children about differences, and to foster empathy
Catherine Faherty, Asheville TEACCH Center (author of Aspergers...What Does It Mean? )
Understanding Friends is designed to be presented to classes of students in the elementary
and middle grades. Adaptations are made for older classes. This article contains lesson plans and a list of supplies that you will need. After fifteen years of presenting this program to thousands of students, I have found that it is most effective, in most cases, to go beyond the generic program and to discuss specific issues, giving accurate information about real students. The two options (B and C) will help you with this.
A. Introduction to Understanding Friends: The Generic Program
Understanding Friends can be presented as a "generic" program. Important concepts and issues will be presented and discussed; however specifics about a particular child or group of children are not brought up. The introduction is a complete program in itself and contains the following three parts. A complete description is given, beginning on the next page.