TOPIC AREA: Gangs
CONCEPT: Protection is one of the reasons that we hear kids join gangs. Gangs give kids a group
they can hang around with and that can provide help when they need to deal with other people. This sense of belonging and comfort is very important during the teen years. We know that gangs fill a real need in our youth. If a need wasn’t being met, then gangs would not exist. We need to find ways that these same feelings and needs can be met outside of gang involvement and in a more positive manner.
METHOD: Classroom activity
TIME NEEDED: 15 minutes and discussion time MATERIALS NEEDED:
3 spring type clothespins per person A watch with a second hand on it
ACTIVITY: Give each person three spring type clothespins. Explain that the object of the activity is
to try to clip your clothespins on the backs of the other players. Each player tries to avoid being pinned. Pins may only be clipped above the waist and below the neck. You may not grab and hold players. Give them a time limit of about three minutes. You can adjust the time to fit your group while they are playing. Set some boundaries so they won’t be running all over the place. The area of play should not be too large. You do not want them to spend all of their time chasing each other around instead of placing their pins on the backs of each other. At the end of this first round compare how many pins are on each person’s back.
For round two, have them divide into teams of three people. Explain that the object is the same. They still want to place as many pins on the backs of others as they can. They want as few pins as possible to be placed on the backs of their own team. This means that they will want to work out a plan that will protect each other. Round two is played the same way as far as time limit and boundaries go. Once again, at the end of the time compare to see how many pins are on the backs of the various players. Have the teams stand together so you can see how they did protecting each other from enemy pins.
DISCUSSION IDEAS:
How did you do during the first round of play?
Was it hard to protect yourself from others when everyone was after everyone else? How did you feel when everyone was chasing you?
How hard was it to place your pins on the back of other players? How did you do during the second round of play?
Was it harder or easier to keep pins off of your back when you were part of a team? How did the team concept make the game different? Explain.
How can you compare this activity to gangs? Do gangs provide protection from others? Are all gangs bad? Why or why not?
For what reasons other than protection do people join gangs?
How can protection and other needs be met without joining a gang?
What are the benefits of being involved with an organized group such as a club, an activity group like Scouts or a sports team?
BY YOURSELF
TOPIC AREA: Suicide
CONCEPT: Some things are best done by ourselves. But there are times when we need the support of
others to get through a problem we are facing or a situation we are in. This support network needs to be formed before we have a problem. If we have not cultivated people around us that we can turn to in a time of need, then by the time we have found someone to help us it might be too late.
METHOD: Classroom demonstration
TIME NEEDED: 5 minutes and discussion time MATERIALS NEEDED:
Four whistles or other noise makers that you blow
ACTIVITY: Bring one person to the front of the room. Give them one of the noisemakers and ask
them to make an even and continuous sound in the background while you explain something. Tell them to start and then you begin to talk. It doesn’t matter what you talk about. You just need to keep talking longer than they can keep blowing. Eventually they will falter. When they do, explain to them again that you need to have them hold a steady and continuous sound while you are talking. Have them try it again. Go through this same charade about three times. Then invite three more people up and give each of them a noisemaker. Ask the group of four if they can think of any way that between the four of them they could keep an even sound while you talk. If they can’t think of a solution, open the question up to the entire class. The solution to the problem is that each one starts to whistle before the other one runs out of air. By having all four of them work together, they can keep the sound going on an even note for as long as they need to. Be sure you have them demonstrate this.
DISCUSSION IDEAS:
What happened when just one person was trying to keep the sound going? What happened when other people helped the first person out?
How can this demonstration be applied to our lives?
What situations can we get ourselves into where we need the help of others? Have you had any friends that found themselves in a situation like this? Explain. Who are the kinds of people that we can turn to when we need help?
What kinds of things can people do to help us?
Is it a sign of weakness when we ask others to help us with a problem? Have you ever been able to help a friend when they needed it? Explain. Have you ever been helped by someone when you needed it? Explain.
What can happen to us when we have problems but are not willing to let others help us? Who could you turn to right now if you needed help?