Child a

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LESSON PLAN

Child Abuse
Introduction: Play a tape of a crying baby, loudly, from the time the students enter the room,
throughout roll call and while instructions are given to the class. Continue to play the tape
during the writing assignment.
Writing assignment: While listening to the crying baby students are to write an essay entitled
“My Expectations of Parenthood”. After the time period and the papers have been collected,
discuss the feelings and frustrations of the students.
1. How did they feel when subjected to constant crying?
2. How do you react to crying children?
Emphasis should be placed on the fact that this crying baby only lasted a few minutes. In actual
parenting, crying babies and whining children can go on indefinitely.
Group Activity: Divide up into groups and discuss the following situations in “Is this Abuse?”
Then summarize with the class about each situation to see if anybody has different views.
Video Clips: Watch a few clips from the movie Mommy Dearest that portrays a mother’s abuse
of her child. This movie is based on the true story of Joan Crawford, the two children she
adopted, and how she treated them. Then we will discuss the clips and what you feel is wrong
about the situations in each clip.
Some questions to think about: “Is there a difference between child abuse and discipline?”
“Where do we draw the line?” “If you were the nanny in this household what would you have
done?”
Lecture:
• Define child abuse. Ask students to come up with a definition for child abuse.
o Before listing examples of abuse ask students what some examples are. What
constitutes child abuse? . (What would the students consider child abuse? How
about smoking, drinking, or taking drugs while pregnant?)
o After discussing this type of abuse ask students to identify it in the film clips they
previewed.
o Differentiate between the types of abuse – physical, emotional, neglect, and
sexual.
o List signs of abuse (physical and...