How to Teach Children About Health Care Reform
The best way to handle a nation's health care will always be a matter of debate. As a teacher, you should try to teach children about the health care debate so that they are able to make informed opinions on the topic. Take a multifaceted approach so that children learn about health care from a variety of angles.
Instructions
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Develop age appropriate lesson plans. The age of your class will play a big factor in how you teach about health care. Young children may only be able to learn the basics, while high school students should be able to debate the topic. Choose resources that fit with your class.
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Use text, video and pictures to teach children about health care reform. Children learn best when you approach the same topic in different ways. You could, for example, show them opinion pieces from the newspaper, video clips of politicians speaking about health care and graphs that illustrate some of the main points. You may also want to bring up the way that other countries approach health care so that children have a basis for comparison.
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Present both sides of the debate evenly. Be sure to take a neutral approach when discussing the issue so that you don't appear biased. Showing a bias--in either direction--could anger some parents. Explain that some people think that the government should make sure that all citizens have health insurance while others believe that the current system works fine and government involvement is too expensive.
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Invite guests to speak to the class about their views of the issue. Find community members that have a strong opinion on the topic. For example, you may want to bring in someone that works in the health industry to explain how health insurance works. You could also invite someone from another country to talk about his experience with health care in both America and his own country.
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Allow students to present individual views on the topic. Give an assignment that gives students the chance to demonstrate their knowledge about the issue and their personal viewpoints. For example, you could have students write their own letter to the editor of the local newspaper or allow students to debate the topic.
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