Think First for Big Kids
is a unique, literature-based curriculum for grades 4-6 that teaches
children important risk-prevention strategies while helping them improve
their critical thinking, reading and writing skills.
The Big Kids program focuses on brain and spinal cord anatomy, injury
prevention, violence and conflict resolution, risk taking, and alcohol
use/abuse.
These areas are addressed through the following mediums:
- Literature- Mick Harte Was Here and The Whirligig
- Writing assignments
- Group projects
- Classroom discussions
- Brain models
- In-class presentation
by Think First
Mick Harte
Was Here and The Whirligig, two short works of fiction,
form the centerpiece for a variety of discussion and writing exercises,
and classroom projects.
The three-to five-week
program is designed to be flexible, allowing teachers to integrate
the program's core topics with other subjects or use them as the
basis for a more extended course.
Developed with guidance
from educators, the Big Kids curriculum also was designed with many
of the Oregon Education Content Standards and Benchmarks for grade
5 in mind.
The Think First programs were identified as an example of a best
practice in the category, Comprehensive Community
Based Prevention Strategies, by Life Span Adaptation Projects,
University of Toronto, in July 2000.
Our goal is to help students develop safety habits that will minimize
their risks of sustaining a brain or spinal cord injury. Our intent
is to make the learning experience fun, yet meaningful, and to involve
not only teachers, but also parents and the community.
To schedule Think First for Kids in your school, please contact
Think First Oregon at (503) 494-7801 or e-mail thnkfrst@ohsu.edu.
Satisfied teachers share their experience of the Think First for Big Kids
Program:
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"The lesson plans were clear and easy to follow." |
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"The concepts were
presented in a format that ensured the students [will] remember
key ideas."
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