Education Section: Part 5
Resources and lesson plans for primary schools
Promoting positive body image in children
Bodywhys believes that teachers are often best placed to help detect, prevent and support young people affected by eating disorders or body image concerns. Teachers can effectively promote balanced guidelines in relation to food and exercise and promote positive body image within the school setting. Teachers can also work with school pastoral care teams and management staff to remove barriers which may prevent a student with body image issues or an eating disorder from reaching their full potential.
What can Bodywhys offer primary schools?
Staff training
Bodywhys training for school staff will provide teachers with an understanding of eating disorders and body image issues to support them in early recognition of an eating disorder or body image concerns in a student and the correct pathways to follow should a concern arise. Early intervention and treatment of an eating disorder can greatly increase the likelihood of a successful recovery and the long term well-being of the person affected. If you are interested in receiving training please contact Bodywhys to sign up for the next available training event in your area.
The ‘Happy To Be Me’ programme
The ‘Happy To Be Me’ Resource has been developed to provide teachers with fun, easy to use materials to promote positive body image and self-esteem in primary school children. Traditionally, programmes aimed at improving body image have focused on adolescents. However, we are now aware that body image concerns can develop while children are still in primary school. Young children’s body image begins to develop early alongside the growth of their physical, cognitive and social abilities. Even infants have a general sense of their bodies.
Research in Ireland indicates that body image is a widespread issue for young people, that body image and related concerns are on the rise in both males and females and worryingly that rates of eating disorders are rising in preteens. It is important that teachers are aware that such issues can occur in primary school children and that they are equipped to deal with any such issues which may arise.
About the ‘Happy To Be Me’ programme
This resource has been developed to counter the current pressures to body image described by young people, taking into account the average age that children encounter new technology and become more exposed to media ideals and media messaging. All materials are age appropriate and media literacy lessons are introduced gradually from 2nd class onwards. It is hoped that the lessons will encourage children to embrace individual differences and diversity, and that the resource will provide additional support in promoting a positive peer supportive environment to facilitate development of positive body image, which is vital to emotional well being.
The focus of the ‘Happy To Be Me’ resource is to provide teachers with easy to use materials to promote positive body image and self esteem in primary school children. The resource also includes information to promote early identification of body image or eating disorder issues in students and outlines the appropriate steps to follow in the school setting to involve parents, to ensure early intervention to promote a successful recovery and to enhance long term well-being for the student affected.
Testing the ‘Happy To Be Me’ programme
All lessons have been designed in conjunction with the SPHE curriculum. All lessons include group and individual exercises and include videos, images, arts and crafts and some dance or movement so that the lessons are fun and memorable for students to ensure maximum benefit from the programme. The ‘Happy To Be Me’ Programme was tested in 4 schools nationwide and has been reviewed and endorsed by the PDST Team for Wellbeing in Primary Schools.
“Amazing resource”
“ The lessons are very well pitched, age appropriate and full of varied activities that will engage the children”
“This is really set within an Irish context and meeting a definite need”
Programme Outline
All lessons have been designed in conjunction with the SPHE curriculum. All lessons include group and individual exercises and include videos, images, arts and crafts and some dance or movement so that the lessons are fun and memorable for students to ensure maximum benefit from the programme.
Junior Infants: Giraffes Can’t Dance
Giraffes Can’t Dance
This best-selling children’s book is beautifully illustrated and the story of Gerald the giraffe who wants nothing more than to dance like the other animals is an engaging way to help students to understand and discuss feelings and friendship. The 4 lessons are based on the book and linked to the SPHE curriculum.
“Great choice of book. Excellent lessons”.
“10/10 Stimulating lessons – very engaging. The children loved the active part of the lessons making it very enjoyable”
Senior Infants: Lovely Louis Llama
Lovely Louis Llama
This book has been written and designed for Bodywhys to encourage children to appreciate their strengths, to realise that we are all different and to celebrate diversity. The lesson plans are all linked to the SPHE curriculum.
“Beautiful Story. Love the illustrations! The baby clothes is a gorgeous idea”
“10/10 The children loved the Louis Llama story and images and saw how one can be liked for lots of different reasons. They loved the kindness garden”
First Class: Tarzan in our class
Tarzan in our class
The classic story of Tarzan is used as a base for lessons which encourage the students to teach Tarzan how to get along in our society and to learn from Tarzan too. The lesson plans are based on a synopsis of the Tarzan story and/or film footage and cover themes from the SPHE curriculum.
“Relaxation/meditation component very valuable”
“10/10 The children really enjoyed the tasks and there was lots of discussion. They really enjoyed the ‘good birds’ video too”
Second Class: The Magnificent Toby Plum
The Magnificent Toby Plum
Toby Plum wishes he could be just like everyone else but everything changes when a funny little creature called Differ appears at his window. When Toby goes on his magical adventure he learns that the world around us is full of magnificent differences and he learns to appreciate the things that make him unique and special.
“I love the relaxation and role models – so important. Great list of resources”
“Students love teacher reading a book!”
Third Class: Speedy Jumper
Speedy Jumper
Speedy Jumper came here from the future and landed in the classroom when she entered the wrong code into her time machine. She is from the year 2075 where people are named after what they are good at. Lessons are centred on themes from the SPHE curriculum.
“10/10 They loved it as they thought about what they were good at. They really enjoyed seeing what each brought in to represent life now!”
“Great ideas here and also mindful of newcomer children in classrooms and their culture”
Fourth Class: The Moustachio Nut
The Moustachio Nut
The central book for these lessons brings up some important issues in a quirky way that will provide a good basis for exploring themes around body image and self esteem. The 4 lessons are linked to the SPHE curriculum.
“10/10 Children enjoyed this lesson: prompted good class discussion”
“Excellent”
Fifth Class: Happy Being Me
Happy Being Me
The Happy Being Me programme for 5th Class was devised by a team of psychologists in La Trobe University in Australia. It has been piloted and evaluated in schools in Australia and the UK and has received very positive results including significant improvements to body satisfaction, body image conversations and body image comparisons. The lesson plans and accompanying resources have been amended to fit the SPHE programme.
“Great lessons. Very good lesson plans around body talk and media literacy”
“10/10 Pupils enjoyed the lesson. They were able to relate to the people discussed – popstars/celebrities”
Sixth Class: Be You
Be You
The lessons for sixth class are designed to prepare students for secondary school, to encourage them to reflect on their influences and to become more critical of media messaging. The lessons in this section also highlight the link between thoughts and feelings and explore how to feel better about ourselves by becoming aware of our self talk, illustrating how our thinking affects our feelings and discussing optimism. These lessons provide an opportunity for students to reflect on what they enjoy.
“Brilliant. Great lessons around self-talk. Really good preparation for secondary school. Very well considered”
“10/10. It’s excellent”
USING THIS RESOURCE
There are four lessons included in this resource for each class.
These include a range of exercises designed to engage students including arts and crafts, videos, reading, writing, class or group discussion points and Physical Education or movement exercises.
To ensure students get maximum benefit from the lessons please include the activities that are best suited to your class group and try to make the lessons as fun and enjoyable as possible.
It is not expected that you cover every exercise but rather that you pick those more suited to the group and present them in a way that provides a break from regular class work. You could ask students to move seats, sit in a circle or start with an icebreaker exercise to signify the change from class work to ‘fun’ time. Perhaps you could offer students a choice of which exercise they might enjoy most by voting, if appropriate. Prioritise making the lessons fun. Click here to access the ‘Happy To Be Me’ Programme.