WHAT HEALTH MEANS TO ME
UNIT 1: LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• To create a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere; beginning to develop a sense of group cohesion.
• For participants to gain a clear idea of the demands and opportunities provided by the course.
• To begin to establish a particular style of learning, starting from people’s own knowledge. This can be used to identify more general themes, contradictions and initiate debates.
• To explore the distinction between medical and social perspectives in relation to health.
Unit 1: SUMMARY OUTLINE
Exercise
Number
Exercise
Alterations/Suggestions
Alternative Exercise/
Handouts
1.1
Welcome, Introductions
Extended ice – breaker
What course is about – spend more time on key concepts, check understanding of terminology
Zola Handouts
1.2
What affects our health
None
AH 1and AH 2
1.3
Medical and Social Explanations
Complete the world health organisation definition
none
1.4
Different ways of thinking about health
New exercise looking at different ways of thinking about health
None
1.5
Recap and summary
Take time to ensure key messages understood
None
Unit 1: ADDITIONAL TUTOR SUMMARY NOTES
Unit 1 is the scene-setter for the course so it is vital to take time to get it right. Young people can be put off if they feel the course is too formal or doesn’t relate to them. It maybe useful to think of how you brand the course as the title ‘Health Issues in the Community’ may not mean that much to young people.
A useful idea would be to have an introductory session to help the group bond. The session could contain a series of ice breakers and cover exercises 2 and 3. Try to spend more time covering what the course is about and translate the key definitions/concepts into language the young people understand and can relate to.
Exercise 1.1: Ice breaker
To help the group settle and bond it is recommended that there is a getting to know each other session in which a few ice breakers are used (see additional exercise ‘a handful of icebreakers’ sheet: AE 1)
Exercise 1.2: What affects our health?
Run through the exercise as normal. You may want to give out the additional handouts on positive/risk factors for health: AH 1and AH 2
Exercise 1.3 Medical and Social Explanations
Original exercise with inclusion of world health organisations definition of health
Exercise 1.4 Different ways of thinking about health
New exercise to look at how the different models of health affect how people view health and treatment of illness
Exercise 1.5: Recap and Summary
Try to spend a bit more time than normal on this exercise to ensure key messages have been learned.