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| WELCOME BACK BAG
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written by Christy Clawson and Maryann Ziemer |
Children who are battling pediatric cancer are often absent from school due to illness from the cancer and the treatments. Many times the reentry process is made more difficult for the child because the other students know very little about cancer and may even be fearful that it is contagious. Students also may have little understanding about the effects of treatments and how their classmate may be affected. By learning about the illness, treatments, and some potential side effects, students can become more compassionate toward their friend and better able to make the return to school a positive experience.
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| Language Arts |
6th - 12th Grade |
| Health |
| Working with Others |
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Language Arts1 |
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Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
- 7. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts
- 8.
Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes
- 9. Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media
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Working with Others1 |
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- 1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group
- 3.
Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
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Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
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Health2 |
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- 3.
Demonstrates the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health
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Demonstrates the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks
- 6. Demonstrates the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health
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- Students will learn some basic facts about pediatric cancer.
- Students will learn about common treatments, procedures, and medications used to battle pediatric cancer.
- Students will understand possible side effects of treatment on cancer patients.
- Students will learn that through their actions they can give emotional support to a classmate who is returning to school following a cancer diagnosis and/or treatment.
- Students will write for various purposes and audiences (e.g., informal journals, business letters, essays, and reflections) based on the readings and information relating to childhood cancer.
- Students will organize and implement a service project to support a classmate who is battling pediatric cancer.
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| ASSESSMENTS |
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A rubric is provided after the Community Service lesson to help you and your students assess the overall project. |
RESOURCES |
- There are many resources available to learn about cancer, medical treatments, procedures, and side effects through the National Partners websites.
- The Trish Greene Back to School Program, sponsored by the Leukemia Lymphoma Society has several resources for teachers, parents, and group leaders. Also, there are videos available to help children and teens have a better understanding of the issues surrounding pediatric cancer and going back to school.
- Starlight Starbright organization provides teen-targeted webisodes, “Coping with Chemo.”
- A LION IN THE HOUSE: Five Children. Six Years. True Stories from the War on Cancer, edited by Margaret McGurk, Orange Frazer Press, Inc. (2006)
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LESSONS CONTAINED IN THIS UNIT:
| LESSON 1: OVERVIEW FILM PROJECT AND PURPOSE |
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Note to teachers: Students may be interested in learning about how the film was made before viewing the film clip. See the A Lion in the House website for information. 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 your students in both pre-viewing and post-viewing discussions.
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| LESSON OBJECTIVES |
- Students will view the “How to Help your Buddy” film clip.
- Students will participate in a class discussion.
- Students will write a response to the film and discussion on an exit card.
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| MATERIALS |
- Computer with Web access
- Viewing equipment (Television and DVD player)
- Discussion Questions (PDF)
- Index cards for exit response
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| PROCEDURE |
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1. Provide an overview of the film project to help students build background knowledge. See the A Lion in the House website for more information.
2. Prepare group for active viewing by leading them in a discussion based on the pre-viewing questions.
3. Watch the “How to Help Your Buddy” clip (10 minutes).
4. After viewing, discuss the film and review the Discussion Questions with your class or group.
5. Exit Card: Ask students to write a response to the film and discussion on an index card at the end of class. |
| ASSESSMENTS |
- Class participation
- Student participation in class with Discussion Questions
- Exit Card
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Back to Lessons
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| LESSON 2: LEARN ABOUT PEDIATRIC CANCER, TREATMENTS, MEDICAL PROCEDURES, AND SIDE EFFECTS |
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Note to Teachers:
This lesson is meant to provide some background knowledge about pediatric cancer, treatments, medical procedures, and side effects. Emphasize the importance of compassion by impressing on the students that these treatments, procedures, and medications help fight the disease, but also create health issues that patients must deal with. Please review all resources before sharing them with your class to be sure they are appropriate for the age group. A very important point for students to understand: Cancer is NOT contagious.
Cancer is a complex disease that can occur in many parts of the body. The medication and procedures used to treat cancer are also complex and may vary from patient to patient. Because of the complexity of cancer and its treatment, student research in this lesson will be limited, and the lesson will be initiated and guided by the teacher with basic information provided by a series of information sheet handouts.
In spite of its complexity, it is important for students to have an overview of cancer, its treatments and medications, and possible side effects if they are to understand their returning classmate’s experiences and respond to his return to the classroom with appropriate empathy. The overall purpose for this lesson is to enable the returning student to reenter the classroom comfortably and take his or her place among peers.
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Health2 |
- Demonstrates the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health
- Demonstrates the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks
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| Language Arts1 |
- 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
- 7. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts
- 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes
- 9. Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media
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| Working with Others1 |
- 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
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| LESSON OBJECTIVES |
- Students will learn basic facts about pediatric cancer.
- Students will discuss their learning about the topic in the classroom setting.
- Students will be familiar with basic treatment and side effect information that may influence their response to the returning classmate.
- Students will prepare themselves, through understanding and with compassion, for their classmate’s return.
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| PROCEDURE |
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1. Explain to students that they will be learning about some of the common cancer treatments, related medical treatments, and medications. They will also learn about the potential side effects that patients may experience. The reason for learning this information is to give them a better understanding of some of their returning classmate’s experiences. Emphasize that we want to welcome this classmate back and that he or she may appear or act differently than before. Make sure your students understand that a patient may not experience all of the side effects or undergo all of the medical procedures and treatments. Refer back to the film clip and discuss any of the treatments and side effects that students noticed while viewing.
If you are at all uncomfortable with this topic, invite a guest speaker from the local Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (or any other cancer support organization) to help teach about the common side effects and problems cancer patients are facing. They are often very knkowledgeable as they typically facilitate support groups.
2. The subjects to be covered are complex, so students will concentrate on the basics. You will develop and direct this lesson using four prepared information sheets which you will probably want to print and copy for students.
3. Explain the nature of the information you will present. Discuss each point on the information sheet. If student interest level seems to focus on a particular point, suggest that the student research that subject on a deeper level, taking notes with complete reference citations. Given as handouts, the subjects are:
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After students have working definitions and understand the medical procedures and treatments, discuss with students the fact that most of these have side effects, and explain what a side effect is. Talk about how most medications have side effects. For example, if you have to take antibiotics, you might get an upset stomach. Other medications might cause you to have a metallic taste in your mouth. Explain that side effects are something that medications for cancer treatment have also. Discuss the more common side effects that a patient might encounter.
| 5. Discuss how a patient might be feeling about some of the changes that are happening to his or her body. Possible discussion points: |
• How would you feel about losing your hair? (Emphasize that hair will grow back and will grow back normally. It's a common misconception that hair will never come back or will grow back a strange color.)
• What would it be like if food no longer tasted good to you?
• Try to get your students thinking in terms of how they would cope with these side effects relating to the illness and its treatment.
• Talk about how important a positive attitude can be in dealing with difficult times. Talk about how “normal, everyday life” can seem truly wonderful when you are living through a difficult time.
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Ask students to brainstorm about ideas of how they can be supportive of the student who will be returning to school after encountering some of these difficulties.
7. Wrap up with a class discussion. Make sure your students understand that cancer is NOT contagious. Help them realize that their actions and compassion make it easier for a student who has pediatric cancer to return to school – and that this might be the one “normal” thing in this person’s life right now.
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| ASSESSMENTS |
- Student engagement in tasks
- Student notes
- Group participation
- Class discussion
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| EXTENSIONS |
- Discuss with students the types of cancer they have encountered in literature, the A Lion in the House film clip, and in their own circle of acquaintances.
- Role-play situations where students practice what they could say or do to a fellow student returning to school after a cancer diagnosis. Ask students to consider “How would you want to be treated if you were the patient with cancer?”
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Back to Lessons
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| LESSON 3: COMMUNITY SERVICE > WELCOME BACK BAGS |
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Note to Teachers: When a cancer-diagnosed child is absent from school, his classmates plan how they can welcome him back to school in a way that lets him know he was thought about often the whole time he was gone. They can do this by bringing in items to be placed in a decorated Welcome Back Bag that is kept at the child's desk or chair or a special spot in the classroom. Upon his return, his class buddies present him with the Welcome Back Bag and their stories of why and how they chose the items in the bag.
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Language Arts |
- 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
- 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes
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| Working with Others and Personal Development |
- 1. Contributes to the overall effort of the group
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Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
- 4.
Displays effective interpersonal skills
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| Health |
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Understands the relationships of family health to individual health
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Knows how to maintain emotional and mental health
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| LESSON OBJECTIVES |
- Students discuss ways to welcome back their absent classmate.
- Students implement their welcome back plan.
- Students explore sensitivity issues.
- Students identify sensitive subjects or feelings and how they might best be handled.
- Students demonstrate reliability and responsibility.
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MATERIALS |
- Writing materials
- Art supplies
- Large shopping-type gift bag
- Items representing students’ contributions to the Welcome Back Bag
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PROCEDURE |
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1. Give an overview of what this lesson is about:
• Review that the class has been learning about cancer and some of the medical procedures in its treatment in order to understand some of the things their absent classmate has experienced. (Review sources in earlier lessons, if necessary.)
• Through their learning, they know what to expect when their buddy returns to class so they are better able to welcome him back, and this makes it more comfortable for him to come back.
• Explain that as a class, you will develop another way to welcome your buddy back to school. Each student will contribute items or momentos to a Welcome Back Bag. |
| 2. Discuss and encourage examples of mementos we like to keep because they remind us of special times, places, people, or events. Lead students to brainstorm about objects they have that are special to them. |
• Make a list of those items and why they are remembered fondly.
• Note if the item was given by someone.
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3. Now ask students to think of something that reminds them of their absent classmate -- something that he said, or did, or felt, or wanted, or was involved in. Make a list of those things.
4. Develop the idea of collecting items with the absent classmate in mind. The item could have a humorous connection, or be more serious, but it should be heartfelt. Items could be handwritten messages or hand drawn cards. Each item should have the giver’s name attached to it.
5. Before a student puts an item in the Welcome Back Bag, he or she shows it to the class, tells what it is, and explains why it was chosen.
| Note: This step provides the teacher or group leader and students with an opportunity to discuss, question, and perhaps redirect what may be inappropriate or insensitive. |
6. Upon the student’s return to class, he or she is presented with the Welcome Back Bag and asked to withdraw one item at a time, reading the name of the giver attached to it. The giver stands up and explains why that item was chosen. |
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- Typically students who have cancer will intermittently miss school for appointments and further treatments. Having the classmates create a video to send home to the student is a wonderful way to keep the student connected when he or she is not able to attend school. Recording school events or simply recording peer greetings can be a terrific way to lift the spirit of a student stuck in the hospital or at home.
- Class members write a weekly newsletter about “what’s happening here” and send it to the absent child. Students’ use of “we” and “you” helps convey a sense of inclusiveness.
- Counselors and other staff who have worked with the child who has cancer could also add items or written notes to the Welcome Back Bag and be part of the welcome presentation.
- Students who finish their work early could use their time to write messages or make cards for the returning student’s Welcome Back Bag.
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Back to Lessons
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| UNIT REFLECTION |
- Have your students create a journal containing their notes, handouts, and reflections about their learning throughout the project.
- Please share writings and photographs with the mylion Scrapbook. We would love to communicate news of your project to help inspire others to join in the battle against childhood cancer.
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