Students will explore the concept of grief, understand its impact, and discuss how resilience plays a role in the grieving process. They will engage with the story Badger’s Parting Gift by Susan Varley, reflect on their emotions, and brainstorm ways to help themselves and others while coping with grief. Finally, they will use these discussions to engage in hand-on craft activities to create symbolic representations of hope and light for their Table of Friendship.
Talking about grief and loss in early childhood is an important way to help students process their feelings, validate and acknowledge their loss, and offer healing and copy strategies. Students who have not experienced grief and loss may have many questions or worries after the lesson, and it is wise to leave time in the days following to continue to share resources and remind students that you are there to answer any questions that have come up for them.
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