Suggested Grade/Age Range: Grades 4-6 (ages 9-11)

Activity Objective: The goal of this activity is to help children recognize the importance of getting help from an adult when they notice their friend is in distress or when their friend tells them so

Learning Goals
Big Messages to Kids

Link to Ontario Curriculum

Materials Required:

• Chart paper to write down some of the children’s responses
• Markers

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Review over lesson plan and key discussion points

Task Time: 30 minutes

• Present scenarios
• Discuss key messages

Activity Description:

Activity:

1.       Tell the class that sometimes when friends are in trouble or distress, we need to go to a trusted adult to get help for them. Together, you’re going to look at a few scenarios and discuss how to get help for the friend who is in trouble. Emphasize the importance of getting help from an adult

2.       For each scenario, have children share which adults they can approach to get help for their friend. Why did they choose that adult? What can they do if that adult cannot help them? (Tell another adult and keep doing so until they get the help they need). Here are the scenarios:

• You see your friend lying on the school playground crying. They seem to be injured.
• You see an older kid bullying your friend after school
• Your friend tells you that a family member has hit them and it really hurt. Your friend tells you to not tell anyone
• Your friend discovers that they can’t find the money their mom gave them for pizza lunch

3.       Write down the children’s responses around solutions to getting help and/or barriers for each scenario on  chart paper or on the board

4.       After exploring all of the scenarios, emphasize again the importance of getting help from an adult when an individual themselves is experiencing distress or when one notices a friend is in distress. Tell the class that it is okay to share worries/problems between friends, but friends may not be able to help in the ways needed in a serious situation. It is important to get help from an adult and to keep telling until one gets the help they need

Activity Extensions:

Take children through the Kids Help Phone website to help them become aware of this resource and of its availability in times of need

Additional Comments:

You may want to give children the opportunity to offer some other scenarios they can think of and also give them an opportunity to voice any concerns around barriers of getting help

Additional Resources:

• Kids Help Phone
• You may also choose to review the Getting Help Literature Review before implementing this activity. It can be found here