By Jess Lawrence, Director of Cairn Guidance
About ten years ago, I came up with the idea to create cards that students use in health class engaging them using the health skills in variety of ways. Initially, my idea came to me when I was thinking how to create and active student audience when they observe a role play of other students. My idea was that students hold up the card when they see or hear a communication technique. I thought it might look something like:
“I feel angry when…” Student audience holds up “I Messages” card.
“So, what I’m hearing is that you…” Student audiences holds up “Active Listening” card.
It might also work with non-verbal skills, when students observe a subtle or not so subtle nonverbal technique, the student audience might identify what they see and what it might mean.
Our team took my initial idea and created a set of cards that students or groups of students can use to demonstrate their understanding of the skill standards and sub-skills.
The Skills on a Ring (SOAR)™ Set includes sub-skills for the National Health Education skill standards. We are in the process of finalizing middle school and high school activity booklets that include over 100 activities in nine different content areas over the seven skill standards. Some of the activities are for individual student use. At times, the activities call for partner or group work.
SOAR provides opportunities for:
- Implementing formative assessments
- Sequencing and progression of skills
- Learning what skills-based health education is
- Understanding how functional knowledge and skills intersect
- Supporting modification and adaptations for different learners
- Observing student growth
- Utilizing more visual tools
- Ensuring differentiation
- Engaging all students in fun and interactive ways
For more information on how these may be used, check out our brief Powtoon.
To order actual sets of cards on a ring (individual or classroom sets), click HERE.
Once the Middle and the High School Activity Guides are finalized, they will be available for purchase on our site as well.
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