Life Skills Journey 7-10 Facilitator Quick Guide by Métis Settlements Life Skills Journey (MSLSJ)

Ages 7-10 Quick Guide

MĂŠtis Settlements

Life Skills Journey Ages 7-10 Quick Guide

Principal Author: Fay Fletcher Allison Cardinal

Alicia Hibbert Roberta Ladouceur

Susan Ladouceur Therese Salenieks

Table of Conte nt s

Day 1: Fun & Research Day

Day 2: Communication Skills

Day 3: Community & Neighbourliness

Day 4: Kinship

Day 5: Self-Esteem

Day 6: Anger & Conflict and Resolution & Bullying

Day 7: Alcohol

Day 8: Smoking & Drugs and Media Messages

Day 9: Grief & Loss and Hopes & Dreams / Spirituality

Day 10: Research & Fun

LIFE SKILLS JOURNEY - AGE 7-10 - FACILITATOR QUICK GUIDE

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/. Printed in Canada.

Day 1: Fun & Research Day Time

Activity

10:00-11:00

Facilitator Camp Set-Up and Morning Meeting

11:00-11:20

Campers Arrive, Snacks Handed Out, Attendance, Free-Time

11:20-11:30

Create Camp Teams

11:30-12:00

Active Game

12:00-1:00

Warm Fuzzies and Camp Rules

1:00- 1:45

Lunch and Free-Time

1:45-2:00

Game

2:00-2:10

Mindfulness Practice

2:10-3:15

Pre-Camp Survey

3:15-3:45

Game

3:45-4:00

Snack Time, Camper Clean-Up and Exit

4:00-5:00

Facilitator Camp Clean-Up, Daily Debrief

No Life Skills Content will be taught. Instead fill in the schedule with games, and other activities. On day one, campers should be organized into camp teams. These groups will stay together throughout the camp, led by pairs of facilitators who will lead small group discussions, activities, and supervise lunch. Group size will be based on the number of campers and facilitators present. Groups should make camp rules and each group member should make a warm fuzzy envelope. Make sure to allow time for pre-camp surveys to be administered on day one.

Identity Portfolio • Purpose: to make a portfolio for work/art projects created throughout camp. • Use a folded piece of Bristol board as the portfolio. Campers can decorate their portfolio however they want. • On the front cover write out each camper’s name, vertically, have them come up with an adjective to describe themselves for each letter of their name.

Day 2: Communication Skills Time

Activity

10:00-11:00

Facilitator Camp Set-Up and Morning Meeting

11:00-11:20

Campers Arrive, Snacks Handed Out, Attendance, Free-Time

11:20-11:30

Question Box Review

11:30-12:00

Active Game

12:00-11:00

Life Skills Content: Discussion, Movement Sentences, Telephone, in Good Order

1:00- 1:45

Lunch and Free-Time

1:45-2:00

Game

2:00-2:10

Mindfulness Practice

2:10-3:15

Life Skills Content: Discussion, Guess the Emotion, Blind Art, Blindfold Walk

3:15-3:45

Active Game

3:45-4:00

Snack Time, Camper Clean-Up and Exit

4:00-5:00

Facilitator Camp Clean-Up, Daily Debrief

Facilitator Checklist Please review the day carefully so that you are familiar with the activities and discussion material for the day. This checklist will help you to make sure that you are prepared for the day.

Materials • Post-its • Blank paper • Pencils/pencil crayons/markers • Chart paper • One blindfold for every 2 campers • Extra equipment for games (balls, cones, ropes etc.)

Life Skills Content Overview 1. Communication Discussion: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication 2. Movement Sentences 3. Telephone 4. In Good Order 5. Communication Discussion: Expressing Feeling, Guess the Emotion, Who to Talk to 6. Blindfolded Walk, Blind Art

Communication Discussion: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication • What we do with our bodies says as much as or more than what we say with our words. • Have campers show the body language you describe (eye contact, fidgeting, relaxed shoulders, etc.) • The tone of our voice also has meaning, provide an example.

Movement Sentences • Build movement sentences: have the team guess a sentence without saying anything. • Was it easy to guess the movement sentences? • Did you find anything confusing?

Telephone • Pass message around circle. • What was the hardest part of the activity? • What tricks would you use to pass the message next time?

In Good Order • Give out post-it with numbers to children, have them get in order without using words, then in order by birthday. • What was the hardest part of the game? • What tricks did you use to line up? • How did you communicate without using words? • How can we communicate better in our group?

Communication Discussion • Expressing feelings is difficult for many people. • Use “I statements” to express feelings (I feel____ when ____) and do not call names, swear, yell, use violence, blame. • Important to be friendly in school; some ways to make fiends are: get involved, ask others about themselves, talk to people you might not normally talk to. • Smile, don’t take others’ moods personally. • Tips to be a better listener.

Guess the Emotion • Emotion charades: pick an emotion, have the group guess. • How do you feel when someone smiles at you? • How do you feel when someone frowns at you? • How can you tell how others are feeling? • What can we do to make everyone feel good?

Blindfolded Walk • Have campers get in partners; one partner puts on a blindfold. • Sighted partner leads the blindfolded partner around.

Blind Art • One person draws a picture, hides it from others; tries to describe picture so that other can replicate their picture. • Was this task difficult? • What did it teach you about communication? • What did you learn by giving your instructions? What about as a listener?

Day 3: Community & Neighbourliness Time

Activity

10:00-11:00

Facilitator Camp Set-Up and Morning Meeting

11:00-11:20

Campers Arrive, Snacks Handed Out, Attendance, Free-Time

11:20-11:30

Review of Learning From Previous Day, Question Box Review

11:30-12:00

Active Game

12:00-1:00

Life Skills Content: Community History, Blob Tag

1:00- 1:45

Lunch and Free-Time

1:45-2:00

Game

2:00-2:10

Mindfulness Practice

2:10-3:15

Life Skills Content: Discussion, Around the World With a Hula Hoop, Giant Stick Figure

3:15-3:45

Active Game

3:45-4:00

Snack Time, Camper Clean-Up and Exit

4:00-5:00

Facilitator Camp Clean-Up, Daily Debrief

Materials/Preparation • Guest • Hula hoop • Chart paper • Pencils/pencil crayons/markers • Extra equipment for games (balls, cones, ropes etc.)

Life Skills Content 1. Community History 2. Blob Tag 3. Community Discussion: Your Communities 4. Around the World With a Hula Hoop 5. Giant Stick Figure

Community History • Invite a guest to present a story and any pictures they might have about the community history (Ideally an elder, stress importance of elders, the hard work they put into building what we have today and the wisdom that they have). • Allow campers to ask any the guest questions that they might have about the community.

Blob Tag • Three individuals start out being it, once a person is tagged they link up with the player who is it (forming a blob). Play until everyone is tagged. • How does it feel to be it in a normal game of tag? • How did it feel to be it in blob tag? Why do you think it’s different or not? • What does this game tell you about communities?

Community Discussion • A community is a group of people connected by a common goal or interest. What does that mean to you? • What are some examples of communities you belong to? (write answers on chart board). • What kinds of things do you have in common with the people in these different communities? (write beside the communities). • Everyone in community is connected to each other. Important to treat everyone with respect to have a happy community. • Community rules , ways, beliefs and interests make up its culture. • Can you describe the camp culture? • Can you describe your community (_______ Metis Settlement) culture? • Responsibilities are things we do or are expected of us. Think about responsibilities you have in one of your communities. What are some examples? Around the World With a Hula Hoop • All campers stand in a circle holding hands. Have two campers let go of each others hands and rejoin hands in the middle of a hula hoop. Pass the hula hoop all the way around the circle without anyone breaking hands. • What was the hardest part of the game? • What kinds of tricks did you use to move the hula hoop around the circle? • If you played this game again what would you do to make it go faster? • How can we cooperate better in this group? • What are some things we can do everyday to include others? Giant Stick Figure • Draw a stick figure on a piece of chart paper to confirm that everyone knows what a stick figure looks like. • Have all of the campers organize themselves so that they are arranged to make a giant stick figure. Give the figure instructions to follow. • How did this activity compare to the hula hoop activity? • How did the group work together? • How does good communication help a group of people working together? What communication tools did you use?

Day 4: Kinship Time

Activity

10:00-11:00

Facilitator Camp Set-Up and Morning Meeting

11:00-11:20

Campers Arrive, Snacks Handed Out, Attendance, Free-Time

11:20-11:30

Review of Learning From Previous Day, Question Box Review

11:30-12:00

Active Game

12:00-1:00

Life Skills Content: Discussion, Respectful Relationships, Family Tree, Family Role Models

1:00- 1:45

Lunch and Free-Time

1:45-2:00

Game

2:00-2:10

Mindfulness Practice

2:10-3:15

Life Skills Content: Guest Role Model, Talent Show Practice

3:15-3:45

Active Game

3:45-4:00

Snack Time, Camper Clean-Up and Exit

4:00-5:00

Facilitator Camp Clean-Up, Daily Debrief

Materials/Preparation • Guest • Large paper rolls • Paint • Paintbrushes • Family role models photocopy • Chart paper • Pencils/pencil crayons/markers • Extra equipment for games (balls, cones, ropes etc.)

Life Skills Content Overview 1. Discussion: Kinship And Family Relationships, Roles And Responsibilities 2. Respectful Relationships 3. Family Tree 4. Family Role Models 5. Guest Role Model 6. Talent Show Practice

Kinship Discussion • Kin are special people that you are connected to, often as close or extended family but can be connected by other types of relationships as well. • Brainstorm about what makes a family-write down ideas on chart paper. • Think of three important people in your life. Think about how they are connected to you. • What are some of the types of relationships that you have? • Many types of families exist, can you think of any that we have not mentioned yet?

Respectful Relationships • A healthy relationship requires respect, trust, communication, safety, boundaries, fairness, honesty and a willingness to work on it. Relationships are never perfect and require constant care and work, but that’s what makes them so valuable too. Use flip-chart paper to record your discussion of the below questions with campers. • W hat do you think makes a relationship respectful? • W hat type of qualities do the people in respectful relationships have? • How do people in respectful relationships treat each other? • W hat are some of the behaviours that might be seen in a respectful relationship?

Family Tree • Use large rolls of paper and have each camper depict their family tree. Use paint, family stencils, markers and any other materials necessary. • What is interesting about your family? • How does your family contribute to the community? • How did your ancestors come to this community? • Does your family include someone who does not live with you? • Does your family tree include an adult not related by blood or marriage? • Hang the trees up on the wall and use flagging tape to show connections between the trees.

Family Role Models • Different family members have different responsibilities to each other and different roles. • Family members can put positive or negative peer pressure on you (examples). • A person who has a positive influence on you is a role model. • What are examples of some of the qualities that a role model might have? • Having role models can have a positive effect on youth.

16 • Use the family role models sheet and have each camper complete for a family role model. Write the name of the role model in the sun, their qualities coming out of the rays and how they make the camper feel in the leaves. • In nature what does sunlight do for leaves? That’s what your role model can do for you! • What do your role models positive qualities do for you? Do they make you feel good? • Do you think that you are a role model for anyone? How can you be a role model for them?

Guest Role Model • Have someone from the community talk to campers about achievements, making good decisions and a positive role model that they might have had in their lives.

Talent Show Practice • Provide time to practice for a talent show that will take place on Day 5.

Day 5: Self-Esteem Time

Activity

10:00-11:00

Facilitator Camp Set-Up and Morning Meeting

11:00-11:20

Campers Arrive, Snacks Handed Out, Attendance, Free-Time

11:20-11:30

Review of Learning From Previous Day, Question Box Review

11:30-12:00

Active Game

12:00-1:00

Life Skills Content: Your Life Story, Parachute Games

1:00- 1:45

Lunch and Free-Time

1:45-2:00

Mindfulness Practice

2:00-2:30

Life Skills Content: What Are My Strengths?, Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s In Your Name?

2:30-2:45

Active Game

2:45-3:45

Talent Show

3:45-4:00

Snack Time, Camper Clean-Up and Exit

4:00-5:00

Facilitator Camp Clean-Up, Daily Debrief

Materials • One hand mirror for every 1-4 campers • Blank paper • Large parachute • Coffee (a few small cups) • Paintbrushes • Chart paper • Pencils/pencil crayons/markers • Extra equipment for games (balls, cones, ropes etc.)

Life Skills Content Overview 1. Discussion: Explain Self-Esteem and Self-Image 2. Activity: Your Life Story 3. Activity: Parachute Games 4. Discussion: Thinking About Your Personal Strengths 5. Activity: What’s In Your Name? 6. Talent Show

Discuss Self-Esteem and Self-Image • Self-esteem: what you think about yourself and your worth. • Self-image: the way you see yourself and how you believe that other people see you. • Positive self-image can be developed, takes practice, can lead to better habits and success. • Negative self-image may lead us to making bad decisions. • Fearing that you aren’t good enough is normal, it’s okay to feel bad about ourselves every once and a while, but important to be able to bounce back from such feelings. • Emotions like anger, fear, jealousy and shame can hurt our self-esteem; positive selfimage can help us deal with such emotions and difficult life experiences.

Your Life Story • Purpose- to think about where we came from and where we are going. • Tear white paper to make it look like a hide. Draw a spiral in the middle- at the center of the spiral start to describe earliest memory, as move out around the spiral draw important life moments. When finished with drawing important moments draw things that you want to accomplish or be in the future. • Crumple paper and use coffee to paint around the edge of the ‘life story’ so that it looks like it is on an animal hide. • Invite campers to share their story.

Parachute Games • Purpose-to get to know each other, recognize differences and similarities. • Take a minute to practice with the parachute. Play the switching spots game. Start by having a leader count to three. On three, everyone lifts the parachute over their head and the leader yells out a statement about themselves (for example: I have two brothers). Then, everyone for whom the statement is true must change places with someone else for whom the statement is true. • Do you think that we are all the same? Do you think that we are all different? • How do you feel about being different? Is it okay to be different? • Is it okay to be good at some things and not others? • What do you have in common with the people beside you? What does the group have in common?

Discussion: Thinking About Personal Strengths • A strength is something that you are good at or some quality that benefits you. • Have each camper think about some of their strengths and share one with the group. Discuss something that the group has done well, that the community has done well. • Discuss ways that we can make someone feel better about themselves so they can recognize strengths. • If we set goals and then achieve them we can feel positive about ourselves. • Eat healthy and exercise- feel better in general and sleep better. • Smile.

20 • Focus on your personal best, not others personal best. • Hang out with people that make you feel good. • Play strength charades- have each person act out a strength/something they like/a way that you help other people and have the group guess what it is (swimming, drawing, running).

What’s In Your Name? • Our names are part of who we are. It is important to call people by their names correctly in order to show them respect. • Do you like your name? • Were you named after someone? • How do you feel when someone spells or says your name wrong? • Do you have a nickname you like? • Have the group write out their first and last names vertically down on a sheet of paper and have each child write a positive word after each letter that describes who they are. • What positive word did you use for that letter? • Remind campers that a name is just one part of our identity. Other parts of our identity include who our family is, our language, where we were born and grew up, and our religion. All of these things make up our self-identity.

Talent Show • Allow campers or groups of campers to show off their talents/skills in a show.

Day 6: Anger & Conflict Resolution and Bullying Time

Activity

10:00-11:00

Facilitator Camp Set-Up and Morning Meeting

11:00-11:20

Campers Arrive, Snacks Handed Out, Attendance, Free-Time

11:20-11:30

Review of Learning From Previous Day, Question Box Review

11:30-12:00

Active Game

12:00-1:00

Life Skills Content: Conflict Discussion, Angry Giants, Dancing Bears, DIY Stress Balls

1:00- 1:45

Lunch and Free-Time

1:45-2:00

Game

2:00-2:10

Mindfulness Practice

2:10-3:15

Life Skills Content: Bullying Discussion and Emergency Contacts, Meeting The Bullyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conditions, Role Play, Emergency Contacts, Bullying Contract

3:15-3:45

Active Game

3:45-4:00

Snack Time, Camper Clean-Up and Exit

4:00-5:00

Facilitator Camp Clean-Up, Daily Debrief

Materials • Chart paper • Pencils/pencil crayons/markers • Extra equipment for games (balls, cones, ropes etc.)

Life Skills Content Overview 1. Conflict Discussion 2. Angry Giants, Dancing Bears 3. Let Me in the Circle 4. Bullying Discussion and Emergency Contacts 5. Meeting the Bully’s Conditions 6. Bullying Role-Play

Conflict Discussion • Conflict can happen when people disagree, it is normal so it’s important to know how to deal with it. • Responses to conflict can be violent or nonviolent. • What does a violent response look like? • What does a nonviolent response look like? • To solve problems, first the problem must be acknowledged. Feelings need to be expressed in a respectful way and if emotions are running too high then take a break before attempting to resolve the conflict. • Steps to conflict resolution: 1: calm down; 2: discuss the situation; (state perspectives, I statements); 3: Think of solutions; 4: Decide on a solution; 5: Act on your solution • Go through an example with the group • When do people have problems with conf licts? What are the good points about compromising? • Does a peaceful agreement mean less hurt feelings?

23 • What are the bad points about compromising? Will you always get your way? • What can you do if neither of you come to an agreement? Can you ask someone else to help you decide on a solution? • What are some ways that you can deal with anger when it starts to get out of control?

Do It Yourself Stress Balls • Put rice in balloons to make stress balls.

Let Me in the Circle • Campers on the outside of the circle try to get in the circle. • How does it feel to be left out in this game? • How does it feel to exclude people from the circle? • What about in real life? How about on the schoolyard, how does it feel then? • Should we exclude people like this in our lives? Why or why not?

Bullying Discussion and Emergency Contacts • What is bullying? What does it look like? • Have you ever felt lonely or left out at school? How do you feel when this happens? • What is lunch time like at your school? Who do you sit with and what do you talk about? • What is it like to ride the school-bus? • Do you ever see kids calling each other names or teasing? How does this make you feel? • Do your friends ever leave kids out of activities? • Have you ever been scared to go to school because you were afraid of being bullied? • So what does everyone think about bullying?

Throwing Out the Past! • Write about or draw a picture about a time you were bullied. Have everyone rip up the paper when they are done.

Meeting the Bully’s Conditions • Campers line up at one end of the playing area, the ‘bully’ is in the middle. • Campers ask ‘Please, please, can I get across?’ • Bully responds ‘only if_____’ and those campers who meet conditions get to cross to the other side. Once they have, the other campers have to try and get around the bully to the other side without being tagged. If they get tagged then they become it. • Do you have any idea of what you can do to help others when they are being bullied? • Who do you normally see being a bully? Someone who is older? Bigger? A boy or a girl? • How do you think the bully feels when they are bullying someone? • Why do you think that they bully? • How can we help bullies understand other peoples feelings?

Bullying Role-Play • Provide scenarios to the campers and act them to act them out. Include bullies, victims, bystanders and upstanders in the scenarios. • Where does bullying happen? • Have you ever told a friend about it? How about an adult? Did it help? • What is the difference between being a tattletale and asking for help? • How do adults in the community deal with bullying? • What can the facilitators and other adults do to help stop bullying? • What else do you think needs to happen?

Emergency Contacts (RCMP, Police, Childrens Crisis Line, Child and Family Services, School, Hospital) • Discuss the different emergency contacts available to campers in their community.

Day 7: Alcohol Time

Activity

10:00-11:00

Facilitator Camp Set-Up and Morning Meeting

11:00-11:20

Campers Arrive, Snacks Handed Out, Attendance, Free-Time

11:20-11:30

Review of Learning from Previous Day, Question Box Review

11:30-12:00

Active Game

12:00-1:00

Life Skills Content: The Beast, Word Search, Rcmp Guest Presentation

1:00- 1:45

Lunch and Free-Time

1:45-2:00

Game

2:00-2:10

Mindfulness Practice

2:10-3:15

Life Skills Content: Discussion, Bullying Role-Play, Bag Decoration

3:15-3:45

Active Game

3:45-4:00

Snack Time, Camper Clean-Up and Exit

4:00-5:00

Facilitator Camp Clean-Up, Daily Debrief

Materials • Guest • Word search photocopy • Liquor bags from local liquor store • Chart paper • Pencils/pencil crayons/markers • Extra equipment for games (balls, cones, ropes etc.)

Life Skills Content Overview 1. The Beast 2. RCMP guest presentation 3. Word Search 4. Discussion 5. Alcohol Role-Play 6. Bag Decorating The Beast • Team members sitting on the floor, back to back with their arms linked must stand up together (first partners, then 3, then 4, then everyone together). • Is it easy to stand up without losing your balance? • What happens when you lose your balance? • What tricks can we use to help the beast get up? • Effect of alcohol: balance, hearing, vision, judgment. • Alcohol poisoning: decreased heart rate, vomiting/choking.

RCMP Guest Presentation • RCMP to present on consequences of and harmful effects of drinking.

Word Search • Hand out word search photocopy to campers to complete. Older campers can challenge themselves by doing it sideways or upside down.

Discussion • Drinking can hurt you and the people around you. So why do people choose to drink? • Why people choose to drink: dealing with sadness/anger, fitting in, stress. • How much is too much: hangovers- the body being affected by alcohol into the next day; binge drinking among youth-alcohol poisoning, risky behaviour. • Drinking because of peer pressure: through put downs and reasoning tactics. • Can anyone provide an example of peer pressure? • Refusal skills: “No, I’d rather____”, “I don’t want to drink because I want to stay in good shape”, “Drinking costs too much money”. • Avoid people who do not accept your refusal and continue to put pressure on you.

Role Playing - Practice Refusal Skills in Small Groups • Campers start at one end of the gym (lined up in teams) 5 pylons (for each team) are spaced out on the route to the end of the gym (or outside space). • Have facilitators be the peer pressure monsters who are trying to give the campers drinks (pieces of paper). • Teams have to get to the other end of the gym, one camper at a time. At each pylon, campers will be pressured to take a ‘drink’ and must use their refusal skills. • The first team to get all players across wins.

True-False Quiz • Read the true false quiz to your team and give them one team point for every question that they answer correctly.

Bag Decoration • Decorate bags from a local liquor store, send messages to adults telling them to avoid drinking and driving (1-3 bags/child).

Day 8: Smoking & Drugs and Media Messages Time

Activity

10:00-11:00

Facilitator Camp Set-Up and Morning Meeting

11:00-11:20

Campers Arrive, Snacks Handed Out, Attendance, Free-Time

11:20-11:30

Review of Learning From Previous Day, Question Box Review

11:30-12:00

Active Game

12:00-1:00

Life Skills Content: Smoking & Drugs Discussion, Rabbits

1:00- 1:45

Lunch and Free-Time

1:45-2:00

Builders and Bulldozers

2:00-2:10

Mindfulness Practice

2:10-3:15

Life Skills Content: Media Messages, T-Shirt Brand, Self Portrait, Body Trace

3:15-3:45

Active Game

3:45-4:00

Snack Time, Camper Clean-Up and Exit

4:00-5:00

Facilitator Camp Clean-Up, Daily Debrief

Materials • One drinking straw per camper • One plain white t-shirt per camper • T-shirt markers/t-shirt paint • T-shirt practice sheet photocoy • Chart paper • Pencils/pencil crayons/markers • Extra equipment for games (balls, cones, ropes etc.)

Life Skills Content Overview 1. Smoking and Marijuana Discussion 2. Rabbits 3. Making Difficult Decisions 4. Media Messages Discussion 5. T-Shirt Brand 6. Self Portrait 7. Body Trace

Smoking and Marijuana Discussion • Tobacco: contains nicotine which can cause a very short-lived pleasant feeling, which caused people to become addicted to smoking; it also contains over 4000 other chemical, over 50 can cause cancer! • Tobacco can be sold as chew, plug, snuff and as cigarettes- all are very bad for you. • Why do people smoke? • People smoke because they are curious, think it’s cool, think it makes them more adult, they want to fit in, they are addicted. • Smoking is the leading cause of death in Canada- cancer, stained teeth, bad breath, gum disease, breathing problems.

30 • Settlement rules state there is no smoking in buildings. • Some people also smoke marijuana (pot, weed, joints, blunts). It is an illegal drug that slows down your body, causes dry mouth, makes you sleepy, makes it hard to focus, and can lead to problems with brain development, and lead to anxiety, panic attacks and paranoia. • Our lungs are very important and we use them every second of every day - let’s not put them to more work than they are doing now.

Rabbits • Have campers travel between set points, doing a different task every time they do (run, crab walk, crawl, roll). • Do this until campers are out of breath, give them a rest and ask them to think about how much harder it would be if their lungs weren’t working well because they were clogged with gunk from smoking. • Repeat with each child breathing through a straw.

Making Difficult Decisions • Complete the choices worksheet with your team, write answers down on chart paper rather than doing individually. • Practice refusal skills for smoking.

Media Messages Discussion • Media are the many ways you receive messages. Media can influence your decisions because it influences how you think of yourself, how you should behave and how you should think. • What are some examples of media? • Print, electronic, new media. • Media sends messages of glamorous lives, being liked, being popular, cool, accepted and fun. It often ignores real life, real people and risks associated with products or images being sold. They may try and use role models to make you want a product. The messages sent might be wrong- for example tobacco companies promote smoking as being cool and part of growing up.

31 • There are things to think about when you see or hear media messages in order to see them more clearly. Who makes money from this? Who is the message for? What is not being said? • Sometimes media tells us how we should act, for example by creating stereotypes about how men and women should act- these messages are false. • A brand is an image or idea that is linked to a product or service. • What are some brands you know about? Why do you like them? What brands won’t you wear? Why?

T-Shirt Brand • Make t-shirt brand to show the campers individual strengths and skills. • Have campers design their brand on the brainstorming t-shirt photocopy. • Hand out t-shirts and t-shirt markers/paint once they can present their plan for their brand. • What did it feel like to think of positive or important things to you? • What is one thing that you learned about yourself doing this activity? • What is something that you learned about someone in the group?

Self Portrait • Campers look at themselves closely to see their own beauty. • Use mirrors- ask campers to draw themselves-start with shape of face, then eyesdraw the shape, eyebrows, , nose-shape and size, mouth, unique features, ears earrings, hair. • What is beauty? • How can you look closely at yourself and feel good?

Body Trace • Children will trace their bodies and write nice messages for each other so that everyone can feel good about themselves.

Day 9: Grief & Loss and Hopes & Dreams / Spirituality Time

Activity

10:00-11:00

Facilitator Camp Set-Up and Morning Meeting

11:00-11:20

Campers Arrive, Snacks Handed Out, Attendance, Free-Time

11:20-11:30

Review of Learning From Previous Day, Question Box Review

11:30-12:00

Active Game

12:00-1:00

Life Skills Content: Circle Discussion, Letting Go Letter / Canoe Release / Memory Box

1:00- 1:45

Lunch and Free-Time

1:45-2:00

Builders and Bulldozers

2:00-2:10

Mindfulness Practice

2:10-3:15

Life Skills Content: Hopes & Dreams / Spirituality Discussion, Tree of Hope, Guest and Story Time

3:15-3:45

Active Game

3:45-4:00

Snack Time, Camper Clean-Up and Exit

4:00-5:00

Facilitator Camp Clean-Up, Daily Debrief

Materials • Guest • Hula hoop • Chart paper • Pencils/pencil crayons/markers • Envelopes, shoeboxes, photos, magazine clippings • Extra equipment for games (balls, cones, ropes etc.)

Life Skills Content Overview 1. Grief & Loss Discussion 2. Letting Go Letter / Canoe Release / Memory Box 3. Hopes & Dreams / Spirituality Discussion 4. Guest/Video About Hopes & Dreams / Spirituality

Grief & Loss Discussion • People often feel a deep sadness known as grief when they lose someone or something important to them. Loss can include, death, divorce, separation (friends). • Grief is an emotional and physical response, it can affect the entire person. • How do people grieve? • Grief is different for everyone: what it look like and how long it lasts. • Any way that a person feels when they grieve is normal, but holding it in can cause harm. • When we are confronted with the grief of others, how can we respond? • Respond with kindness, understanding and acceptance. Ask about happy memories, provide a hug, and listen while they express their feelings.

Letting Go Letter / Canoe Release / Memory Box Activity 3A: Letting Go Letter • Help children write a letter or draw a picture for a person, pet, or thing that they have lost. Fold the letter/picture and place in an envelope. Activity 3B: Canoe Release • Help children write a letter or draw a picture for a person, pet, or thing that they have lost. Fold the letter/picture into a canoe and release in a river OR burn in a fire. Activity 3C: Memory Box • Children may fill their box or cover their box with pictures, drawings, or clippings that remind them of the person, pet, or thing that they have lost.

Hopes & Dreams / Spirituality Discussion Choose only ONE of these sections that best suit your community and your program’s goals. They are developed to be standalone options for this module. Route 1: Hopes & Dreams Discussion • Knowing your values helps build a foundation for developing goals and achieving your hopes and dreams. Values can be what we expect from friends, what you want in life, how to interact with people. • What are some things that you value? • Some common personal values are: respect, responsibility, understanding, effort, caring, nature. • When you know what your values are, it’s easier to practice refusal skills and avoid situations that might pressure you to compromise them. • What values have you been taught? Where have they come from? • What are some values that are common in your community? • 7 grandfather teachings: wisdom, love, bravery, honesty and truth, love and respect, humility. • Your hopes and dreams are closely related to your mental and spiritual health.

35 • By having hopes and dreams, and by achieving them, you will be mentally and spiritually healthy. • What is a hope or a dream? Can you think of an example of a hope or dream you had today? Can you think about a hope or dream you have for this week? This year? For the future? • It’s important to be respectful of others’ values even if they are not your own. • Set up a sharing circle (many Aboriginal traditions revolve around a circle) and go around asking everyone to share something that makes them happy; then invite campers to share their personal values, goals, hopes and dreams.

Route 2: Spirituality Discussion • Spirituality is defined by everyone a little differently. Part of spirituality is our values. This can be what we expect from friends, what you want in life, how to interact with people. • What are some things that you value? • Some common personal values are: respect, responsibility, understanding, effort, caring, nature. • When you know what your values are, it’s easier to practice refusal skills and can avoid situations that might pressure you to compromise them. • What values have you been taught? Where have they come from? • What are some values that are common in your community? • 7 grandfather teachings: wisdom, love, bravery, honest and truth, love and respect, humility. • As well people have different beliefs, some may pray to God in Church, while others light sweetgrass to send prayers to the Creator. • It’s important to be respectful of others’ beliefs even if they are not your own. • Set up a sharing circle (many Aboriginal traditions revolve around a circle) and go around asking everyone to share something that makes them happy; then invite campers to share their personal values/beliefs.

Tree of Hope • Each camper will decorate a leaf with their personal hopes, dreams or goals. They may bring in items from home that have special meaning to them (such as photos, quotes, drawings, and images of role models or heroes) or use the craft materials to write words and draw. • Allow time for making leaves. Once children are finished, break into small groups for discussion. • What is a hope or a dream? • Can you think of an example of a hope or dream that you had today? What about this week? This year? For the future? • Give each camper time to share what they included on their leaf and why it is important to them.

Storytime • Invite a guest or several guests to come and read or tell a story. • Alternatively show an inspirational video about Hopes & Dreams, Spirituality or goal setting.

Day 10: Research & Fun Time

Activity

10:00-11:00

Facilitator Camp Set-Up and Morning Meeting

11:00-11:20

Campers Arrive, Snacks Handed Out, Attendance, Free-Time

11:20-11:30

Review of Learning From Previous Day, Question Box Review

11:30-12:00

Active Game

12:00-1:00

Post-Camp Survey

1:00- 1:45

Lunch and Free-Time

1:45-2:00

Sharing Stories, Personal Pledge

2:00-2:10

Mindfulness Practice

2:10-3:15

Focus Groups

3:15-3:45

Box Town

3:45-4:00

Snack Time, Camper Clean-Up and Exit

4:00-5:00

Facilitator Camp Clean-Up, Daily Debrief

Materials • Certificates for each child • Cardboard boxes • Duct tape

Life Skills Content Overview 1. Sharing Stories 2. Personal Pledge 3. Box Town

Sharing Stories • Sit in a circle, and use a talking stick/rock/sash to show who is speaking • Ask the children to think about a special moment during the program • Was it easy for you to talk about your happy moment? • How do you think you can make it easier to express yourself? • What did you learn from listening to each other? • Is there anything that has come up a few times that we should talk about more?

Personal Pledge • With the children, write a pledge about healthy decision-making and peer support, using the knowledge they have learned throughout the program.

Box Town • Using many large boxes, have children make homes that combine to create a Box Town.

Li fe Sk i l l s Jo u r n e y