Lori Runkle. Prereading Exercise for the book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”.
By Stephen Chbosky. Before the students read this book, I want to do a lesson ...
Lori
Runkle
Prereading
Exercise
for
the
book
“The
Perks
of
Being
a
Wallflower”
By
Stephen
Chbosky
Before
the
students
read
this
book,
I
want
to
do
a
lesson
with
them
on
the
topic
of
teenage
depression.
The
main
character
in
the
book,
Charlie,
is
a
teenager
who
has
suicidal
tendencies
and
mental
health
problems.
The
lesson
I
chose
will
help
them
understand
and
empathize
with
Charlie,
and
apply
what
they
learned
about
mental
health
issues
to
their
own
community.
By
introducing
my
students
to
this
topic,
something
many
high
school
students
experience
themselves,
I
want
to
open
up
the
topic
for
discussion,
make
it
something
they
feel
comfortable
talking
about,
and
help
them
to
develop
empathy
for
their
classmates
who
may
be
going
through
bouts
of
teenage
depression
or
experiencing
suicidal
thoughts.
The
assessment
activity
will
be
authentic
and
require
them
to
do
research
in
their
own
community.
The
product
of
the
assessment
will
be
used
at
the
school
to
inform
students
about
mental
health
services
available
to
them
in
their
own
community.
I
will
use
the
“Suicide
Prevention”
lesson
plan
from
the
PBS
Web
site
at
this
link:
Gasparini,
K.
Public
Broadcasting
Services.
In
the
Mix:
Depression,
Mental
Health
and
Suicide:
“Suicide
Prevention:
Lesson
Plan.”
Retrieved
on
May
2,
2009,
from
http://www.pbs.org/inthemix/educators/lessons/depression2/index.html
The
reason
I
chose
this
lesson
plan
is
because
a
trained
professional
created
it,
and
for
the
topic
of
suicide
prevention,
I
want
to
use
highly
credible
materials.
The
blurb
on
the
PBS
Web
site
discusses
the
author’s
credentials
like
this:
About
the
Author:
Kathleen
Gasparini
has
her
Master's
in
Curriculum
and
has
taught
secondary
health
education
for
over
20
years.
She
was
the
"Health
Teacher
of
the
Year"
for
state
of
North
Dakota,
and
presently
is
on
the
National
Health
Standards
Committee
for
the
National
Board
for
Professional
Teaching
Standards.
She
is
a
state
HIV
trainer.
She
teaches
grade
10
health
classes
in
Grand
Forks,
as
well
as
School
Health
at
the
University
of
North
Dakota.
Objectives
as
stated
in
Gasparini’s
lesson
plan
are
as
follows:
I.
Summary:
For
grades
7‐12,
students
will
use
cards
to
sort
and
understand
a
large
quantity
of
information
regarding
suicidal
teens
and
then
apply
what
they
learn
to
analyses
of
case
studies.
Students
will
also
watch
the
PBS
video
Depression:
On
the
Edge.
II.
Objectives:
*
To
learn
key
concepts
of
suicide
prevention
*
To
understand
the
characteristics
of
students
who
are
at
higher
risk
to
attempt
suicide,
warning
signs
of
suicidal
teens,
and
what
to
do
if
a
friend
is
suicidal
*
To
practice
needed
skills
by
studying
stories
of
suicidal
teenagers
*
To
discern
facts
and
myths
of
suicide
The
entire
lesson
plan
is
discussed
in
detail
at
the
PBS
link
cited
above.
A
detailed
description
and
outline
for
the
film
Depression:
On
the
Edge
can
be
found
at
this
link:
Public
Broadcasting
Services.
In
the
Mix:
Depression,
Mental
Health
and
Suicide:
“Depression:
On
the
Edge
Program
Discussion
Guide.”
Retrieved
on
May
2,
2009,
from
In
the
film,
teens
talk
about
small
town
life
in
the
video
and
what
leads
to
depression
as
well
as
ways
to
overcome
it.
As
an
assessment
activity,
I
would
use
one
of
the
recommendations
listed
in
the
film’s
outline
on
the
PBS
Web
site
in
section
two.
ASSESSMENT
ACTIVITY:
Ask
students
to
research
where
to
get
help
in
the
local
community;
for
example,
hotlines,
youth
services,
churches,
mental
health
clinics,
a
local
chapter
of
a
mental
health
association,
etc.
Have
them
consult
both
the
blue
and
yellow
pages
in
the
phone
book,
and
eventually
create
a
"help
sheet"
for
distribution
in
the
school.
[Note:
I
chose
this
activity
as
the
assessment
activity
because
it
is
authentic
and
takes
Charlie’s
story,
they
story
they
will
be
reading
after
this
lesson
is
complete,
and
applies
what
they
are
reading
to
their
own
community.
They
will
produce
something
that
can
be
shared
with
the
school
community.
I
will
require
my
students
to
visit
the
youth
services
centers,
churches
and
mental
health
clinics
as
they
gather
their
research.]
