CHRISTIAN RESPONSE

Lesson Objective The students will be able to C-5 identify with Jesus' compassion toward the sick as they express compassion toward persons with AIDS and other serious illnesses. Overview After students imagine an experience of being alone, frightened, or sick, Jesus' miracles of healing the sick are dramatized. Then a comparison is made between his behavior toward the sick and the students' attitudes toward persons with AIDS. Cards or letters are written to real or imaginary persons with AIDS. Suggested Teacher Religion or science teacher Basic Information and Vocabulary The teacher should read Section 11, pp. 9-11, of Called to Compassion and Responsibility by National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Vocabulary: (* = in Glossary) *compassion

Suggested Materials New Testament with at least one story selected concerning Jesus and the sick. Suggested passages for dramatizing: Matthew 12:9-13 the person with the shriveled hand John 9:1-11 the blind person Luke 9:37-43 the possessed child John 5:1-9 the person by the pool Transparency Master # 11b Address of an AIDS hospice if the teacher chooses to have students write letters to real persons with AIDS Teaching/ Learning Activities A. Introduction Sit quietly, close your eyes, and imagine you are on the playground. A group of your classmates begin to "pick" on you. They call you names. One even bites you. Other students who are passing by join the group and begin to tease you. You are alone. Imagine how you feel. . . . Suddenly your close friend runs across the playground and yells at the group. They feel ashamed. Most walk away. Some of those students tell you that they are sorry. Imagine how you feel. . . . Give students silent time to ponder this. Possibly use another example on illness; e.g., the student is ill at home, mother keeps all friends away, doctor finally

says you are cured and you can join your family, friends, etc. How do you feel? B. Bible Story Read the selected Gospel story. Ask for volunteers to take the parts for a dramatization or improvisation as the story is re-read. C. Response Ask the students to write answers to questions such as these: 1. If I were the sick person, how would I feel? 2. If I were someone in the crowd, how would I feel? 3. When Jesus told stories, he always taught us how to act. What was he trying to teach us in this story? Select some answers of these for sharing with the entire group. D. Application In the beginning of this lesson we imagined what it would be like to be alone, frightened, isolated. We heard the story of Jesus and how he treated the sick. Many people in our country today are very much alone, very sick, very frightened. Many of these persons have AIDS. What can the example of Jesus and the sick teach us about how we should treat persons with AIDS? (Elicit answers.)

The word "compassion" means the ability to suffer with someone. How could you treat a sick friend with compassion? (Elicit answers.) How could you show compassion if your friend lived far away? (Elicit answers.) We know that it is safe to visit persons with AIDS. (Use Transparency Master # 11b to review.) Some of us may know specific persons with AIDS. The rest of us know that many people have AIDS and are alone. How could we show compassion to them? If you were to write a letter to or make a card for a person with AIDS, what would you say? Brainstorm - put words, phrases on board. Closure Assign for class time or homework the task of making a card or writing a letter to a person with AIDS. The teacher should decide in advance if persons should be real or imaginary. If real, the products would be mailed or distributed to persons with AIDS at a hospice or home. Review the concept of compassion and how it allows us to find a way of imitating Jesus' care for others. Ask students to note examples of compassion whenever they observe it anywhere; e.g., newspaper, TV, radio, playground, classroom, home, etc. Ask for these examples in any spare moments before class or dismissal.

Lesson # 18

BASIC INFORMATION

Lesson Objective The students will be able to B-5 describe the body's immune system and its destruction by the AIDS virus. Overview After using transparencies to review information previously taught, new information regarding the body's immune system is introduced. Students then make a mural describing all the facts they have learned about the AIDS virus. Suggested Teacher Science, religion, or health teacher

Basic Information and Vocabulary The teacher should review Lessons # 11, 15, and 16 as well as the related orientation material. If factual material has been learned in science or another class, concentrate on the importance of compassion for the ill. Vocabulary: (* = in Glossary) *immune *cell *"T" cells *system *virus *white blood cell Suggested Materials Transparency Masters # 18a, # 18b, and # 18c Transparency Masters for review (# 11a, # 11b, # 15a, and #15b) or notes summarizing prior lessons Mural paper

Teaching/ Learning Activities A. Review Review basic factual information by using Transparency Masters such as # 11a, # 11b, # 15a, and # 15b. B. Presentation We know some facts about the AIDS virus. Does anyone know how the name AIDS was determined? Allow students to respond, then complete or confirm using Transparency Master # 18a. We have already used the term "virus." Elicit from students or explain that a virus is an organism too small to be seen by the unaided eye. Some viruses cause disease among people. One of these is the AIDS virus. We already know something about the body's "immune system." Today we will learn more about that. Explain Transparency Master # 18b, emphasizing the main ideas: A healthy immune system protects the body from infection and disease. Special white blood cells known as "T" cells defend the body when it is in danger of illness. Let us compare the healthy system to an unhealthy one: (Use Transparency Master # 18c.) The AIDS virus kills the special "T- cells. For that reason, a body infected with the AIDS virus has a weak defense system and can easily catch other illnesses. This is the main difference in very simple terms. It is important to note that only a doctor can diagnose AIDS.

Now let us look again at the words represented in the name "AIDS." (Transparency Master # 18a) Can anyone use one or more of these four words as you explain AIDS? Try to have all four words used in meaningful explanations about AIDS. (Examples could be similar to these: When people acquire AIDS, their immune systems have a deficiency. We call the resulting condition a syndrome.) Closure To summarize the information about AIDS, organize the class into five groups and assign each group one of these topics: AIDS - definition AIDS - how children can get the AIDS virus AIDS - how children don't get the AIDS virus AIDS - its effects AIDS - the role of the Church - compassion Each group's members should study their notes or copies of overhead masters from previous lessons regarding their assigned topics. Next they should decide how they will display their information on one section of a mural. Mural paper - perhaps with spaces outlined for each topic - is placed in a large work area. Each group then completes one fifth of the mural with art work, pictures, etc. The mural could be exhibited and shared with other classes. It could also be used at a special liturgy or para-liturgical service to pray for persons with AIDS.

Lesson # 19

TRANSMISSION AND PREVENTION

Lesson Objectives Students will be able to T- 8 give examples of refusal skills that can be used to say "no" to any risk behaviors; T- 9 articulate the morality of drug abuse and risks involved in any use of unsterilized needles; T-10 suggest ways to deal with peer pressure. Overview Two drug-related situations will be analyzed by discussion in groups. A signed commitment may be formulated to encourage students to say "NO" to illegal

drugs. The motivation will focus on morality as well as the health concerns related to drug-related transmission of the AIDS virus. Symbols of personal commitment could be offered at a liturgy with parents invited. Suggested Teacher Religion, science, or health teacher Basic Information and Vocabulary The teacher should review Lessons # 12 and # 16 as well as related orientation material in this publication.

Vocabulary: commit commitment Suggested Materials Handout # 19, "Put Yourself in the Situation," for each student plus an extra copy for each recorder. An alternate approach would be to read each situation aloud with students recording their responses in their notebooks. Commitment papers, if desired, for each student. Teaching/ Learning Activities A. Introduction Invite students to tell personal stories about peer pressure in their own lives - at school events, at home, at the shopping mall - or ask them to cite examples from college basketball, professional baseball, etc., that show individuals giving in to or resisting peer pressure. Also invite stories that show how a peer group can be very helpful or supportive. B. Presentation Students often find themselves in dangerous situations because of peer pressure. Sometimes they are urged to do what is morally wrong. Sometimes they can also risk getting the AIDS virus, e.g., if they inject drugs with infected needles. The ability to say "NO" is always difficult but always possible. C. Discussion Divide the class into groups of 6-8, appointing a recorder in each group. Distribute Handout # 19 - one per student with an extra copy for each recorder - with these directions: Put yourself in Situation #1 and #2 as you slowly read them. Then write one or more ways that you would respond to each situation. You will have about ten minutes for the reading and writing of your responses. After about ten minutes, continue Now in your group, generate a master list of suggested responses for the situation. Then discuss reasons for your responses. Suggestions would then be read by the recorders to share ideas - both responses and reasons - among all the groups. The teacher should listen for both moral and health reasons - or elicit additional responses in a missing area. Should any student respond to the illicit offers in a

positive way - allow other students to clarify the danger. If that does not occur, the teacher’s response should be clear, strong, calm. The teacher may also want to talk with some students privately. When discussing Situation # 1, the teacher should remind the students that one injection with an infected needle is all that is needed for the AIDS virus to pass from person-to-person -- unless a student mentions this fact. With Situation # 2, the teacher should mention that illegal drugs can affect a person's ability to make good judgments and, for that reason, often lead to wrong actions. Closure Review the fact that the AIDS virus can be transmitted person-to-person through infected needles. Students in Catholic, Gospel-based settings should have greater support in saying "NO" and should be able to help each other in positive ways. Ask the students to suggest ways in which they could support each other in resisting illegal drugs. If appropriate, act on one of the suggested ways. One example follows: A very simple statement could be developed. Sample: We, in Fifth Grade at St. John's School/ Parish, commit ourselves to say "NO" to using illegal drugs. Depending on circumstances, the statements may be handled in various ways such as the following: · children may choose individually whether or not to take the statement home and share it with parents; · children may be allowed privately to sign or not sign a personal copy of the statement; · statements could be brought up during a prayer service, during the preparation of gifts at a class Mass, etc.

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