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| HELPING HANDS FOR FAMILIES |
written by Deanna Sundstrom
Sting Cancer
Green Bay Preble High School's "Sting Cancer" Awareness Group is a passionate and committed collaboration of high school students, faculty and staff dedicated to reducing the effects of cancer by initiating and supporting programs and activities for the school and its surrounding community. |
Cancer can have a devastating effect on patients and their families. Helping Hands for Families assist cancer patients and their families with meal preparation, household chores, fun crafts and projects, financial assistance, cancer awareness, and other supportive activities. |
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Social Studies |
9th-12th grade |
Health |
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Family & Consumer Science |
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Business Education |
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| Family/Consumer Sciences |
- 1. Understands the family as the basic unit of society
- 2. Understands the impact of the family on the well-being of individuals and society
- 12. Understands how knowledge and skills related to nutrition and food affect the well-being of individuals, families, and society
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| Health Education |
- 2. Understands the history and trends of health care, both past and present
- 11. Knows health risk factors and techniques to manage and reduce those risks
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| Health |
- 1. Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information
- 2. Knows environmental and external factors that affect individual and community health
- 5. Understands essential concepts about nutrition and diet
- 8. Knows essential about prevention and control of disease
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| Economics |
- 1. Understands that scarcity of productive resources requires choices that generate opportunity costs
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| Life Work |
- 2. Uses various information sources, including those of a technical nature, to accomplish specific tasks
- 7. Displays reliability and a basic work ethic
- 8. Operates effectively within organizations
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Thinking and Reasoning |
- 5. Applies basic trouble-shooting and problem-solving techniques
- 6. Applies decision-making techniques
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| Working with Others |
- 1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group
- 3. Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
- 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
- 5. Demonstrates leadership skills
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UNIT OBJECTIVES |
- Students will meet every two weeks after school to discuss or implement service projects; or to share cancer awareness information.
- Students will investigate cancer and cancer prevention.
- Students will share information about how cancer affects patients and their families.
- Students will plan how to offer assistance to those families.
- Students will implement their assistance plan.
- Students will follow-up with the families that they have assisted.
- Students will plan several fundraising events: Family Fun Day, a benefit dinner, and t-shirt and/or cap sales.
- Students will implement the events.
- Students will decide on the distribution of the money earned from the fundraising events.
- Students will communicate their commitment to reducing the effect of cancer through school announcements and community publications.
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ASSESSMENTS |
An overall unit rubric is provided for student assessment. |
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LESSONS CONTAINED IN THIS UNIT:
| Family/Consumer Sciences |
- 1. Understands the family as the basic unit of society
- 2. Understands the impact of the family on the well-being of individuals and society
- 12. Understands how knowledge and skills related to nutrition and food affect the well-being of individuals, families, and society
|
| Health Education |
- 2. Understands the history and trends of health care, both past and present
- 11. Knows health risk factors and techniques to manage and reduce those risks
|
| Health |
- 1. Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information
- 2. Knows environmental and external factors that affect individual and community health
- 5. Understands essential concepts about nutrition and diet
- 8. Knows essential about prevention and control of disease
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| Life Work |
- 2. Uses various information sources, including those of a technical nature, to accomplish specific tasks
- 7. Displays reliability and a basic work ethic
- 8. Operates effectively within organizations Thinking and Reasoning
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Thinking and Reasoning |
- 5. Applies basic trouble-shooting and problem-solving techniques
- 6. Applies decision-making techniques
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| Working with Others |
- 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
- 5. Demonstrates leadership skills
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| LESSON OBJECTIVES |
- Students will meet every two weeks after school to discuss or implement service projects; or to share cancer awareness information.
- Students will investigate cancer and cancer prevention.
- Students will share information about how cancer affects patients and their families.
- Students will communicate their commitment to reducing the effect of cancer through school announcements and community publications.
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| MATERIALS |
- Information regarding cancer and cancer prevention
- Clip from A Lion in the House, DVD player, monitor, and Discussion Questions (PDF)
- Guest speakers
1. Cancer patients and family members
2. Medical professional
3. Caregivers
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- Supplies such as sunscreen when prevention of skin cancer is discussed
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| PROCEDURE |
Note to Teacher: Please review the suggested Discussion Questions (PDF) prior to the group viewing. You may need to adjust the questions according to the unique make-up of your group. For most active viewing of the material, please engage group in both pre-viewing and post-viewing discussions.
Please emphasize the difference between childhood cancer, which has few known causes, and adult cancer, which may have environmental and lifestyle causes. Childhood cancer is never the child’s fault .
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1. Lead group pre-viewing discussion questions. View the clip, The Impact of Cancer on Family Life. Lead group post-viewing questions. It may be possible to view the entire 4-hour film in parts or view all four clips in this Kit and explore the related discussion questions.
2. Invite a guest speaker to talk with the students about tips and lifestyle changes recommended to help reduce the likelihood of cancer. Also invite a guest speaker to talk about how cancer may affect all members of the affected family.
3. Brainstorm with students how they can package the health information provided by the guest speakers into public service announcements for school-wide use. Provide technical support for the announcements such as a computer with a projection unit or recording equipment for an audio message to be played on the school public address system.
4. Follow-up announcements with an informal evaluation of their effectiveness.
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| ASSESSMENT |
- Follow-up evaluations which may include self-assessment questions:
1. What steps do you take to reduce your chance of getting cancer? Possible responses may include wearing sunscreen, not smoking, eating healthy foods, etc.
2. How can you promote healthy choices in your family and community?
3. Do you believe that you, your family and community are aware of the devastating effect cancer can have on individuals and their families?
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- Participation and insight in group discussions
- Level of awareness raised among group about needs of families fighting cancer.
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| EXTENSIONS |
- Students can share information with family and friends.
- Students can promote healthy choices for cancer prevention.
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Back to Lessons
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| Economics |
- 1. Understands that scarcity of productive resources requires choices that generate opportunity costs
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| Life Work |
- 2. Uses various information sources, including those of a technical nature, to accomplish specific tasks
- 7. Displays reliability and a basic work ethic
- 8. Operates effectively within organizations
|
Thinking and Reasoning |
- 5. Applies basic trouble-shooting and problem-solving techniques
- 6. Applies decision-making techniques
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| Working with Others |
- 1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group
- 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
- 5. Demonstrates leadership skills
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| LESSON OBJECTIVES |
- Students will meet every two weeks after school to discuss or implement service projects; or to share cancer awareness information.
- Students will plan several fundraising events: t-shirt and/or cap sales, Family Fun Day, and a benefit dinner.
- Students will implement the events.
- Students will decide on the distribution of the money earned from the fundraising events.
- Students will communicate their commitment to reducing the effect of cancer through school announcements and community publications.
- T-shirt and cap sales will help earn capital for future activities while raising awareness about cancer and the group’s mission.
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| MATERIALS |
- Suppliers for t-shirt and hat production
- Logo and design prototype
- Funds to pay supplier a down payment and shipping prior to production. Initial funds can be donated or loaned
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| PROCEDURE |
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1. Introduce and discuss with students the goals of a t-shirt and hat sales. With their involvement, develop a plan to implement the sale that includes the following steps:
• Design the logo to be used on the t-shirts and/or hats. Students will create various logos using publishing software and then vote on which logo will be used.
• Decide on quality of clothing and/or hats.
• Decide on color options.
• Contact suppliers for pricing.
• Discuss the price of the product and the amount that you will charge. Emphasize keeping the price low yet earning a profit. The profit will be used to fund Helping Hands for Families projects.
• Determine where the start-up cash will come from. This includes the money needed to purchase and ship the custom-designed items to you as well as the change needed for each sale location/opportunity.
• Decide who will serve as a treasurer and handle collecting, counting and depositing the money raised during the sale. |
2. Organize the sale of t-shirts and hats. A date and time will be set for the sale. Students may sell hats and t-shirts before or after school, during the lunch periods and at extra-curricular events.
3. Students will divide into teams and be assigned to different locations. Each team will sign out a moneybox and change for their location with the designated treasurer ensuring that accurate recordkeeping occurs of the moneybox’s contents. Immediately upon completion of the each sales opportunity, the moneybox will be returned to the treasurer who will then sign in and document the contents of the moneybox. The treasurer will then count, record and deposit the money raised during that sale opportunity.
4. After the sale is completed, the treasurer will deduct the expenses for the manufacturing and shipping of the shirts and t-shirts. The treasurer will then report back to the group the income, expenses and profit of the sale.
5. Donors of initial funding will be thanked or loan will be re-paid. |
| ASSESSMENTS |
- Analyze the profit made on the t-shirt and hat sales.
- Evaluate how the funds were distributed.
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EXTENSIONS |
| Students may organize other sales to raise funds. |
Back to Lessons
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| LESSON 3: COMMUNITY SERVICE > Family Fun Day Fundraiser |
| Economics |
- 1. Understands that scarcity of productive resources requires choices that generate opportunity costs
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| Life Work |
- 2. Uses various information sources, including those of a technical nature, to accomplish specific tasks
- 7. Displays reliability and a basic work ethic
- 8. Operates effectively within organizations
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Thinking and Reasoning |
- 5. Applies basic trouble-shooting and problem-solving techniques
- 6. Applies decision-making techniques
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| Working with Others |
- 1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group
- 3. Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
- 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
- 5. Demonstrates leadership skills
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| LESSON OBJECTIVES |
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- Students will meet every two weeks after school to discuss or implement service projects; or to share cancer awareness information.
- Students will plan several fundraising events: t-shirt and/or cap sales, Family Fun Day, and a benefit dinner.
- Students will implement the events.
- Students will decide on the distribution of the money earned from the fundraising events.
- Students will communicate their commitment to reducing the effect of cancer through school announcements and community publications.
- Family Fun Day additionally raises capital for the Helping Hands project, while raising awareness about cancer and the group’s mission.
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MATERIALS |
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- Silent Auction Donations
- Silent Auction Description and Bid Forms
- Variety of Children’s Games
- Prizes for Games
- Food and Drinks for Concession Stand
- Flyers and News Articles for Advertisement
- Music
- Game for Teens such as Dunk Tank
- Teachers/Principals for Dunk Tank
- Crafts
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PROCEDURE |
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1. Decide on how the money earned will be distributed to cancer patients and their families. It is helpful to discuss possible distribution of funds prior to the event. Therefore, students will have the motivation to work hard towards their goal.
2. Formulate ideas for Family Fun Day Silent Auction. Contact possible businesses and individuals for donations.
• Gift certificates from local restaurants
• Gift certificates from local cinemas and entertainment venues
• Clothing from surrounding schools and businesses
• Basket of scrap booking materials
• Basket of cooking supplies and/or utensils
• Gift certificates for car wash and/or gasoline cards
• Variety of spa products
• Garden and/or yard tools
• Unique hand-made products
• Cleaning services
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3. Create forms to describe auction items and forms for bidding.
4. Discuss and decide upon games for the children’s area. The games should be appropriate for toddlers and young children.
• Fishing game
• Plink-Plunk
• Basketball game
• Face-painting
• Ring Toss
• Balloon Toss
• Lollipop Tree
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5. Purchase prizes for games. The money for the purchase of the prizes would be provided for from previous fundraising. If this were the first fundraising effort, then the money would be reimbursed to the individual who purchased the prizes after the Family Fun Day. Prizes can include candy, stickers and small trinket toys.
6. Survey group regarding food they enjoy and would like served at Family Fun Day. Discuss which foods can be made and served safely during Family Fun Day. Purchase the food from a local grocery store or food service.
7. Develop craft projects. Set up a craft station, which contains all the necessary supplies and instructions for the projects. Purchase or receive donations of the supplies.
8. Encourage the participation of older students by having a game/activity that interests them. A suggestion is a dunk tank where students could try to dunk their teachers and/or principals. If using a dunk tank, find a local group or individual to allow you to use the tank for free.
9. Get feedback from students regarding the music to be played during Family Fun Day. Students may even provide some of their personal music.
10. Produce flyers to be distributed to the elementary, middle and high schools in area advertising Family Fun Day. Get approval of flyers from the school district before distributing.
11. Advertise Family Fun Day in local newspapers and radio stations.
12. Implement the games, activities, and silent auction.
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- Survey staff, faculty and students regarding Family Fun Day
- Provide feedback regarding the positive and/or negative results
- Evaluate the fundraising objective
- Write thank you letters to participating businesses and individuals
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- Students may suggest new games, projects or ideas related to Family Fun Day.
- Students may recommend changes to the format of the day.
- Students may create new avenues for fundraising.
- Cultures represented in the group may suggest culturally specific activities for extra fun.
- Prizes, such as cool t-shirts or hats can be given away to cancer patients and survivors present at the Family Fun Day.
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Back to Lessons
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| LESSON 4: COMMUNITY SERVICE > Helping Hands for Families |
Family/Consumer Sciences |
- 1. Understands the family as the basic unit of society
- 2. Understands the impact of the family on the well-being of individuals and society
|
Health |
- 1. Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information
- 2. Knows environmental and external factors that affect individual and community health
|
| Economics |
- 1. Understands that scarcity of productive resources requires choices that generate opportunity costs
|
| Life Work |
- 2. Uses various information sources, including those of a technical nature, to accomplish specific tasks
- 7. Displays reliability and a basic work ethic
- 8. Operates effectively within organizations
|
Thinking and Reasoning |
- 5. Applies basic trouble-shooting and problem-solving techniques
- 6. Applies decision-making techniques
|
| Working with Others |
- 1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group
- 3. Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
- 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
- 5. Demonstrates leadership skills
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| LESSON OBJECTIVES |
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- Students will meet every two weeks after school to discuss or implement service projects; or to share cancer awareness information.
- Students will investigate cancer and cancer prevention.
- Students will share information about how cancer affects patients and their families.
- Students will plan how to offer assistance to those families.
- Students will implement their assistance plan.
- Students will follow-up with the families that they have assisted.
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MATERIALS |
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- List of needs from a cancer patient, family members or friends
- Tools/supplies for yard work
- Food for meal preparation
- Craft supplies for special projects
- Gift basket which may include hand lotion, candles, chocolate, fruit, soup, bread rolls, journals, picture frames, etc.
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PROCEDURE |
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1. Brainstorm with students how they might provide assistance to families dealing with childhood cancer. Possible plans could include a work-day at their home, raking leaves, shoveling snow, craft projects with family, decorating the family’s home for the holidays, automobile or home repairs, cleaning, shopping, caring for pets, a rotating schedule of providing meals, and/or visiting with family. An option may be to “adopt a family” and work together to relieve many burdens. Use the strengths of the students to find practical resources that can be offered. To offer help to siblings or children of cancer patients, please see the Unit Helping Hands to Siblings.
2. Contact cancer patient, family member or friend and inquire about needs and wishes. Individuals are found by word-of-mouth because of confidentiality laws, such as HIPAA ( Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Therefore, it is important to make contact with individuals in a very sensitive manner.
3. Discuss appropriate behavior in the home of a cancer patient, including proper hygiene, leaving things better than when you got there, and being respectful of the family’s schedule of rest and medication.
4. Implement plan.
5. Group leader should keep tabs on activities and check with family to make sure all is going well. Any inappropriate behavior must be corrected immediately.
6. Follow-up with letters of encouragement or another visit. |
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- Follow-up evaluations
- Discuss with group if the objectives of the plan were met
- Conversations with families about how they were affected by the project
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- Students can communicate with the patient, family and friends after Helping Hands period. Students can continue to meet with the patient, family and friends to encourage them.
- Students can promote healthy choices for cancer prevention
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Back to Lessons |
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| LESSON 5: COMMUNITY SERVICE > Benefit Dinner Fundraiser |
| Economics |
- 1. Understands that scarcity of productive resources requires choices that generate opportunity costs
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| Life Work |
- 2. Uses various information sources, including those of a technical nature, to accomplish specific tasks
- 7. Displays reliability and a basic work ethic
- 8. Operates effectively within organizations
|
Thinking and Reasoning |
- 5. Applies basic trouble-shooting and problem-solving techniques
- 6. Applies decision-making techniques
|
| Working with Others |
- 1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group
- 3. Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
- 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
- 5. Demonstrates leadership skills
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| LESSON OBJECTIVES |
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- Students will meet every two weeks after school to discuss or implement service projects; or to share cancer awareness information.
- Students will plan several fundraising events: t-shirt and/or cap sales, Family Fun Day, and a benefit dinner.
- Students will implement the events.
- Students will decide on the distribution of the money earned from the fundraising events.
- Students will communicate their commitment to reducing the effect of cancer through school announcements and community publications.
- The benefit dinner is a nice way to cap off the unit and also serves as place to celebrate some of the successes earlier in the year.
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MATERIALS |
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- Door Prizes Donations
- Guest and speaker lists
- Invitations
- Menu for a five–course dinner
- Food and food service
- Place settings
- Centerpieces
- Live Music such as String Quartet or Jazz Band
- Party favor for each place setting
- Presentation to recognize an individual or the group
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PROCEDURE |
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1. Brainstorm with students to select a beneficiary to receive funds raised from the dinner. Develop a plan that includes the following:
• Source of money needed to purchase supplies and resources
• A treasurer to handle and deposit all moneies
• Date, place and time for benefit dinner
• Menu options and food preparation (You might consider the culinary arts courses in your high school or vocational school to prepare and to serve the dinner.)
• Recruit guest speakers
• Design programs and invitations
• Develop a guest list and mail invitations with RSVPs |
2. Form ad hoc committees to plan and implement the following:
• Create centerpieces and party favors
• Contact a group to play background dinner music such as a string quartet or a DJ to play pre-recorded music
• Collect donations for the door prizes
• Arrange for the setup of the dinner along with a sound system
• Create a presentation that shows the individual and group accomplishments from the past school year |
3. Verify the number of guests with food service.
4. Enjoy the dinner. |
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- Survey staff, faculty and students regarding the benefit dinner
- Provide feedback regarding the positive and/or negative results
- Evaluate the fundraising objective
- Write thank you letters to participating businesses and individuals
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- Students may suggest new ideas related to benefit dinner
- Students may recommend changes to the format of the dinner
- Students may create new avenues for fundraising
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Back to Lessons |
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- Discuss the positive outcomes of the projects. Reflect upon difficulties that were experienced and how they were handled. List ways to improve upon projects in the future.
- Share stories of the experience.
- As a group, students should maintain a portfolio of materials created:
1. A copy of cards created for cancer patients and their families
2. Thank you cards received from cancer patients and their families
3. List of potential guest speakers
4. List of cancer and cancer prevention resources
5. Inventory of supplies used for Helping Hands Projects
6. Follow-up evaluations
7. List of contacts for Silent Auction donations
8. Inventory of prizes and games
9. Examples of advertising
10. Inventory of T-shirts and caps
11. List of suppliers
12. Guest list from Benefit Dinner
13. Contact list for music and food preparation from Benefit Dinner
14. Copy of invitation for Benefit Dinner
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- Maintain a scrapbook of students working different events such as Family Fun Day and Benefit Dinner.
- Create a presentation to reflect on the past year and to encourage involvement in the next year.
- Post photos from their events, excerpts from essays, invitations, and other mementos on the Scrapbook page.
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Back to Lessons |
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