• What kinds of things make you happy? • What lessons have you learned about happiness through the tough times in your life? • What advice do you have for my generation about having a happy life? Once the students have completed their “happi- ness interview,” prepare a chart made of four large pieces of paper. Three of the pieces should include one of the above questions. The fourth sheet is for any other questions students asked. Students contribute to the four sheets by sum- marizing the answers they received for each question (this may be done in point form).
Once the chart is complete, review the answers with the class as a group. Ask the class to point out similarities and dif-
ferences. What are some of the key lessons from this? Do students agree with the advice that has been given? How does the interview information compare with the information that the media gives us about happiness? Follow this up with some key points about happiness and well-being from the list below:
The relationship between happiness and health: Happy people tend to seek out and act on health information Happiness and well-being have been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease Positive states of well-being tend to correlate with better physical health Happy people tend to live longer Positive moods can lower blood pressure Hope has been associated with increased chances of survival for cancer patients Immune systems are positively affected by high levels of positive emotions There is some evidence that happy people are less susceptible to cold and flu viruses
The relationship between happiness and social interaction: Social relationships are essential to well-being Happy people tend to have healthy social relationships Interpersonal skills have a strong association with life satisfaction People who report high life satisfaction and happiness may have a greater tendency to volunteer in the community Social and community service has a strong association with life satisfaction
Happy Places (Grades K-3)
Objectives: 1) Students will identify places that make them feel happy.
2) Students will understand the qualities of that place and why these qualities make them feel happy.
3) Students will appreciate the people who may have created that place or the natural environment
4) Students will understand the value of respecting and protecting these happy places.
Instructions: Invite students to think of a place in their home, neighbourhood or nearby that they would call a happy place. This is a place that makes them feel happy. Ask students to share with the class what that happy place is, what it looks like and why it makes them feel happy. Use this discussion to guide students to under-
stand that these kinds of places contribute to their health and well-being because positive emotions are very healthy for us. The nature of the discussion will determine for you how to draw out some of the following points: • places that are beautiful are often happy places – we can help to keep these kinds of places beautiful by not littering or breaking things
• happy places may be fun places to play – let’s appreciate the people who created those places and respect the places because it might be someone else’s happy place
• perhaps the happy place is in their backyard or inside their home – appreciate the people who have helped to make it a happy place
• the happy place may be a natural area such as a beach, forest, or lake – reinforce the value of protecting these areas because it is a happy place for others, animals, trees and plants
• perhaps they have helped to create a happy place – by planting a garden, creating an art piece that is on display at home, etc.
Page 6 GREEN TEACHER 93
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