Life Skills Curriculum (Grades 9-10)

TABLE OF CONTENT

SESSION DESIGN 5

STRUCTURED SESSIONS 5

UNSTRUCTURED SESSIONS 5

GOALS AND AGREEMENT SIGNING 8
FIND THE LEADER 10
THREE MONKEYS 12
GOUP POEMS 14
JUNK INSTRUMENTS 16
FIND THE TREE 18
TREE TALK 20
BEAUTIFUL YOU 21
RIDESHARE 23
TWO UP, TWO DOWN 25
WHERE I'M FROM 27
BLIND TAPS 30
PORTRAITURE 32
PAPER DROP 34
THAT'S SO TRUE 36
MILLING WITH QUESTIONS 37
YES, LET'S 39
PATTERN POEMS 41
PLACE MAKING USING PEOPLE 43
AIRPORT EEXRCISE 44
STEP INTO THE CIRCLE 46
DEALING WITH PARENTS ROLE -PLAYS 48
GENDER STADIUM 50
STREET THEATRE 53
DREAM TREE 55
NAME OF THE ACTIVITY SENSITIVITY LINE 57
ALIEN CONFERRENCE 59
GRATITUDE WALL 61
GROUP MAP/MIND MAP/CELEBRATION 63
GRADUATION 65

PREFACED

Dream a Dream is an Indian non-profit organisation in India working to transform the experience of education for the 130+

million children living in poverty in India. Our aim is to change the purpose of education towards the idea of Thriving forevery child.

The core of our philosophy is the belief in the inherent potential of every child. At the same time, we recognise that children

and young people facing adversity, such as poverty, violence and social exclusion, often experience significant challenges in

their personal, social and educational development. The Covid-19 pandemic has also highlighted the struggles of young people

and the challenges they face. Hence it is important for government systems, educators and teachers to recognise andwork

towards mitigating the long term impact that adversity has on the lives of young people.

We believe education is no longer merely about developing skills, but about holistic development of children, including

disadvantage and equip young people with the skills and mindset necessary to lead fulfilling and successful lives. To address these

unique needs and challenges, the Life Skills Curriculum and Facilitator Handbook will guide the facilitators to create

safe, supportive environments and provide opportunities for children and young people to amplify their strengths, nurture

positive relationships, develop self-expression and other life skills.

The 4 Levels of the Life Skills Curriculum were developed based on the educational format and skills mentioned in the

National Education Policy 2020. The Facilitator Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the curriculum

framework, pedagogies and session designs that support in conducting engaging sessions for the learners.

With this curriculum, we look forward to a future wherein well-being and life skills are at the core of our education systems

both nationally and globally. We hope to redefine success in education systems from narrow academic

or economic outcomes topreparing students to thrive at an individual, societal and planetary level. Fuelled by

support from teachers, committed donors, strategic partners, governments, longtime supporters, and a global call to action

around SDG4- we look forward to changing narratives and shifting mindsets until all young people, have a more equitable

and inclusivesociety to live in.

Suchetha Bhat CEO, Dream a Dream

Date: July 2023

Session Design

Structured Sessions

What are “structured” sessions in Life Skills Curriculum?

The curriculum outlines structured sessions that focus on building specific life skills and include clear activity steps, discussion questions, personal story instructions and reflection prompts.

CHECK-IN (5 MINUTES)

Instruct the learners to quickly check-in with themselves about their moods using several, fun questions.

LIFE SKILLS ACTIVITY (15 MINUTES)

Facilitate given activities focused on developing healthy behaviours related to one targeted life skill. Note that each life skill activity includes activity steps, discussion questions and a space for facilitators to prepare personal stories to share with the learners.

REFLECTION (10 MINUTES)

Lead a discussion on key messages or life skills focused on that day's session. Ask the learners for feedback on what they learned during the session and how they can connect lessons to real life.
Address any conflict that occurred during the session and how the group can resolve it.
Praise a participant for at least one strength that they demonstrated during the session.

CHECK-OUT (10 MINUTES) Instruct the learners to quickly check-out with themselves about their moods using several fun questions.

Ustructured Sessions

What are “unstructured” sessions in the Life Skills Curriculum?

Unstructured sessions are space given to facilitators to design and deliver the life skills activities and interventions based on the need of their learners. This curriculum does not outline the steps for unstructured activities, but you (facilitator) should use many of the same rituals as in your structured sessions. Begin each session with check-in activities, conclude with a Reflection Circle, and make the most of your Caring Facilitator Time. Use kilos¹*,

*Refer Facilitator’s Handbook for details3

How should a Facilitator balance structured and unstructured sessions?

Take support of co-facilitators, other class teachers and staff, headmasters, principal, volunteers and learners to decide how to integrate and schedule structured and unstructured sessions into your school calendar. You should complete all structured sessions at least once in a year and use the rest of the time for unstructured sessions.

How can a Facilitator lead a Reflection Circle in an unstructured session?

Praise at least one learner every Reflection Circle and ask some of the following questions:

· How did today’s session make you feel?

· What did you learn in today’s practice?

· What was your favourite or least favourite part of today’s session?

· Were there any conflicts in today’s session? How can the team resolve the conflict?

· Is there anything important going on in your life that you would like to share?

USING THE LIFE SKILLS CURRICULUM

· Please read through each session twice, a day before facilitating, so that you are properly prepared.

· Refer to the Facilitators handbook as a guide while you work with learners and keep in mind that the:

o Words in italic font are instructions for learners which you need to read to learners as it is.

o Words in normal font are instructions for you to read on your own.

o
Outcomes are for your reference and you need not share them with the learners.

o Reflection questions are just guiding questions. You can refer to them based on where your learners are at.

o Check-In and Check Outs questions are mapped considering the main activity and age appropriateness.

Identify your learners' learning needs and use unstructured sessions to meet those learning needs in case the are not covered in the curriculum.

GOALS AND AGREEMENT

OUTCOMES

Learners are united and work as a team in the classroom.
Learners become self-aware and express their needs of an agreement to create safety.
Learners can negotiate the points that need to go on the list.

MATERIALS: Marker Pens and one or more charts to write the list of Agreements and Written goals sheet to present to the learners.

FACILITATOR NOTES

This activity intends for the learners to reflect and come up with a common list of ground agreements (rules) for the life skills sessions as we advance. As a facilitator, you are creating a space for them to feel that this is their learning process, and the ownership lies with them. Make sure you write the goals on the chart paper before entering the classroom. Don’t forget to decorate the chart paper with lots of colours.

CHECK IN: What is one thing you love that most people hate?

INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome the learners with lots of excitement and smile. Introduce yourself and your name, where are you from and what role you play in the session. Invite learners to share their name and favourite food. Afte that, set the context and present the below goals and agreements which you prepared before entering the session.

Show the chart paper you have created (don't forget to decorate it a little! Make it attractive and fun) with the following goals:

TO EXPAND OUR CREATIVITY
TO LEARN FROM PEOPLE DIFFERENT THAN OURSELVES
TO EXPLORE OUR INNER LIFE
TO DISCOVER WAYS TO WORK ON WHAT WE CARE ABOUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES
HAVE FUN!

Go through each goal with the group. Read out the sentences in Italics. If the group gets stuck, you can suggest some of the points. Show lots of curiosity and positivity while you explain the goals of the programme in your own understanding once done. Please share below mentioned Agreement and invite learner to come up with some more agreement which they need to fully participate.

Address the Classroom.

"Today, we will create an agreement for our life skills classes. Think about all the agreements you need for this class to create safety for everyone. We are going to have life skills classes throughout the year. In these classes, we will be sharing a lot about ourselves, learning many things and having fun. But we must ensure that we don't act in ways that can stop us from sharing our learnings and having fun. As the word 'agreement' suggests, these are not rules someone else sets. While working together as a classroom, the entire classroom takes these decisions together. What are some of the agreements we would need?" (Pause here and allow the group to come up with their responses).Some sample agreement points could be:

1. Be on time.

2. Be willing to try new things.

3. Listen well to others.

4. Refrain from teasing others.

If you feel something important needs to be added as an agreement, ask it out to the classroom, and after consensus, add it to the list. For effectiveness and ease of remembering, it is best if community agreements are few (not more than 10 or 12) and are written in an easy-to-understand and short form. Also, instead of having don'ts (negative statements), ask the group to rephrase that more positively.

Once all the agreements are on the chart, ask the learners to read through them to see if they agree. You might need to remind them that these are not rules written in stone. Instead, they are intentions we will hold for our time together. Once they've looked through the agreements, it's time to seal the deal. You can tell the learner, "If you can go with these agreements, please raise your right hand in the air and put your left hand out in front of you. On the count of 3, bring your hands together in a clap and say 'yes' so loud that people in (pick a faraway place) can hear us. OK, 1, 2, 3, Clap."

CHECK OUT: If you can express your feelings about today's session in one word, what would that be?

2 FIND THE LEADER

OUTCOMES

à Working together,

à Dealing with Frustration,

à Imagination and Concentration.

à Leadership, Empathy, Support

MATERIALS: No need

FACILITATOR NOTES

Create a safe space for learners to play the game, encourage them and ensure lots of fun in the class by inviting different learners to volunteer.

CHECK IN: If you could have the opportunity to spend an entire day outside the classroom, what activities will you do?

INSTRUCTIONS

· Ask the learner to make a circle and invite one learner (A) to leave the room.

· Ask the learner to choose a leader who will make a simple pattern of claps, leg pats and finger clicks that everyone else will follow.

· Invite (A) to return to the room by calling their name on the count of 3.

· When they return, (A) will stand in the middle of the circle and try to point out who the leader is. The leader must change the pattern while (A) is in the middle. Everyone else should try to hide the leader by copying as closely as possible and not staring at the leader.

· Person A has three tries to guess. Coach them gently if they are having trouble.

· Play a couple of times with different volunteers. The leader can vary the movements as the game goes on.

· Depending on what happens, you may want to mix the reflection circle into the game and do a mini reflection after each round on what the experience of each leader and the finder was.

REFLECTION

1. What happened in the game? Was it easy or difficult to find the leader?

2. What was difficult? What would you have done differently to make it easy?

3. How did you support your leaders?

4. What did you learn from it?

5. How do you use this learning in life?

OUTCOMES

à Learn new and creative ways to communicate with each other.

à Learn to work together to achieve a common goal.

MATERIALS: A small soft toy or any object, four chairs if available to sit on it.

FACILITATOR NOTES

Set up a safe space for learners to play the game and arrange the chair as shown in the below activity instructions.

CHECK IN: What colour was your day today and why?

INSTRUCTIONS

In this activity, five learners participate first. The rest of the class's learners will sit and watch what is happening as an audience until their turn comes.

· Begin by inviting five learners and blindfolding one learner out of five.

· Place an object somewhere in the room without showing to the blindfolded learner.

· Tell the blindfolded learner to find the object with the help of the other four learners.

· The other four learners arrange themselves as follows:

Three learners sit on chairs in a row with their backs facing the blindfolded player. These learners are allowed to speak. The fourth learner sits facing the blindfolded learner, with a line of three sitting between them and the blindfolded learner. This learner is not allowed to speak.

· All five learners must work together to help the blindfolded learner to get the object.

· The learner who cannot speak will point to the learner in the chairs who will attempt to talk about the gestures and direct the blindfolded learner to get the object. The results are funny, frustrating, and satisfying but learners will have lots of fun.

· Once these learners complete the task, invite other learners to play the game.

· Continue until everyone gets the chance in the game.

Learner 3

Below table gives you an idea how to arrange the players.

REFLECTION

1. What did you notice or experience during this game?

2. What kinds of dynamics did you see?

3. What were the strongest emotions you saw in this activity?

4. What was the communication like?

5. What can we learn about communication?

6. Where have you seen communication like this before?

7. When we have trouble communicating, what can we do?

8. What are your strongest or weakest communication strategies?

9. How will your communication strategies shift after this discussion?

CHECK OUT: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?

Text Box: 4 GROUP POEMS

OUTCOMES

à Gain an understanding of working with different ideas in a team.

à Using imagination and creativity to create something new.

à Working Together, Self-Expression, Writing, Creative Risk, Compromise.

MATERIALS

· A Paper, A Penfor each learner.

· Chart paper for a group.

· A watch or timer for facilitator.

CHECK IN: Choose an animal for how you are feeling. Without telling us what it is, act out how you would behave if that animal felt like you.

INSTRUCTIONS

· Invite learners to get into groups of five and sit in a circle.

· Instruct them to take out a pen and paper, discuss and write words representing a healthy and unhealthy community in two columns.

Three words Free write:

· Instruct the learners, as a group, to choose three words from the discussion they just had.

· Ask them to write freely for exactly 3 minutes, using all three words. (facilitator to keep the time and inform when to start and stop)

· After 3 minutes, ask them to Stop.

· Ask them to choose three more words.

· Continue to write for 3 minutes using all three words.

· Repeat one more time.

· Reread your work and underline your favorite three lines.

Line Selection

· Take some time to choose the lines you like the best.

Group Poem Creation

· Stand near someone whose lines, you think, matches yours in any way.

· If they think their line matches someone else's, they can stand with that person on their other side.

· Line up as closely as possible connecting lines that go together.

· Read the lines out in the order you are standing. Move around to shift the lines. Try reading again.

· Now try reversing the order. As a group, discuss which seems like the first line and which seems like the last. Which should be read loudest? Which softest?

· Reread it. Add actions if any lines seem to demand it. Give a round of applause for your group poem!

REFLECTION

(Remember, these questions are just guidelines. Please do NOT ask them as they are written below. Listen to what the youth share and follow their lead in this conversation.)

1. What was it like to write together?

2. Was anything frustrating? Were you inspired?

3. What kinds of thoughts did you have throughout the process?

4. Where do we see dynamics like this?

5. Have you ever worked on a project together in a group?

6. Did any of the same kinds of communication happen?

7. What will you try next time you are in a group situation?

CHECK OUT: If your mood right now was a vehicle of any kind, what would it be?

Text Box: 5 JUNK INSTRUMENTS

OUTCOMES

à Use imagination to create something new.

à Practice active listening

à Learn how to work in a team to achieve goals.

MATERIALS

· Bottles, string, rubber bands, tin cans, strong tape, paper clips etc.

· You will need somewhere the learners can walk to in a group. A ground is best, but even a terrace, a rooftop, or a safe and quiet street will do.

FACILITATOR NOTES

Ensure learners have some junk instruments to perform. Encourage them to take creative risks and hold space for everyone to add their bit to create the music. If the learner cannot bring the things, you can arrange a few, like a bottle or chocolate wrappers.

CHECK IN: What is a song that you love? How do you feel when you hear it or sing it?

INSTRUCTIONS

· Each learner can pick one item of junk in the classroom or outside of their classroom to use as in musical instrument of their own.

· You can add any other junk or garbage you find.

· The idea is to make an instrument with a unique/different sound.

· Take five minutes use the differently materials to create an instrument and come back to the circle.

· Go in pairs, help each other watch out for traffic, etc.

When they return, do a sound circle:

· Begin by walking together on the beat.

· The first learner will add a sound using their instrument and repeat the sound on the beat