Families may change

This activity develops students' understanding of positive and negative change and feelings associated with those changes. Specifically, it looks at changes that occur in the family structure, including birth and death, as well as introducing ways of coping with change. 

1. As a class, use the brainstorm teaching strategy to identify changes that may occur within a family, looking at both positives and negatives, and how it could make students feel, e.g. ideas may include the death of a pet, birth of a baby brother or sister, separation of their family, etc. Write responses on a large sheet of butcher's paper.
2. Read or watch The Lion King or alternative story. (Note: students can watch over a series of 3 or 4 lessons).
   • Either complete the story or stop at intervals to discuss the feelings associated with the changes in the family structure from the perspective of the chosen characters.
   • Examine and discuss the effect of changes in the family in the chosen story.  Identify which changes might be viewed as positive or negative.
3. Chart the class findings in a Cause and Effect diagram. For example:

4. Discuss the ways the family coped with change in the chosen story, e.g. "How did Simba cope with the death of his father?". Was this a good way of coping?

Note: The concept of 'coping' may need further explanation, and specific examples may need to be provided. See below. 

Coping: things that people do to help themselves deal with problems and manage uncomfortable emotions. 

Examples: hugging a teddy or pillow when feeling sad, going for a walk outside when feeling worried. These are small things that might make someone feel better. 

Students identify specific strategies to cope with changes in their own family.

1. Encourage students to consider what might have been other and/or more effective ways of coping to the strategies used by the characters in the chosen story.
   • Use an explosion chart or mind map strategy to record student ideas.
   • If the story of the Lion King was used in the Whole Class activity, students can individually complete the Student Activity Sheet: If I were Simba.
   • To build up a bank of ideas for coping with change, students complete the Student Activity Sheet: I can cope.
2. Have students describe or draw about what they have discovered about helpful ways of coping with change (e.g. talk to a friend, parent, sibling, teacher, have a cry, hug or talk to your pet). Other examples and prompts may include hugging or playing with a favourite toy, watching a funny movie or television show, colouring in and spending time outside.