Image 4A: Worried Child

(An image of a young girl, perhaps 8-10 years old, with a worried, sad, or angry expression. Her body language might suggest distress, such as slumped shoulders or hands clenched.)

Teacher Note: This image is meant to be a visual prompt to initiate discussion about strong feelings.

Image 4B: Ask for Help

(An image depicting a child reaching out to a trusted adult, or a thought bubble above a child's head with a question mark or a speech bubble saying "Help?")

Teacher Note: This image reinforces the idea that it's okay and important to ask for help.

Image 4C: Support

(An image showing a diverse group of people (children and adults) standing together or holding hands, symbolizing community and mutual assistance. The word "SUPPORT" is prominently displayed.)

Teacher Note: This image introduces the concept of support and personal networks.

Image 4D: Signals for Help

(An image illustrating various non-verbal cues or symbols representing thoughts, feelings, and actions that might signal a need for help. For example, a thought bubble with confused expressions, a face showing sadness, or a child withdrawing.)

Teacher Note: This image helps students visually understand the different ways a need for help can manifest.

Kyra–Someone Like You

Kyra is a fourth grader who loves playing soccer with her friends, especially at recess. She's also really good at math and enjoys helping her classmates understand tricky problems.

Lately, things at home have been tough. Her parents have been arguing a lot, and sometimes they don't even talk to each other. Kyra often hears hushed voices after she's supposed to be asleep. This makes her feel a knot in her stomach, and sometimes she just wants to scream.

To make things even harder, her grandpa, who she loves very much and always tells her funny stories, is in the hospital. He's been there for a few weeks, and Kyra misses their weekly visits. She's worried about him, and it makes her sad when she thinks about him being all alone.

Because of all this, Kyra hasn't felt like herself. She used to love eating her mom's homemade cookies after school, but now she barely touches them. Her best friend, Maya, tried to get her to play soccer during recess, but Kyra just wanted to sit by herself and draw. She's also been going to bed much earlier, sometimes even before her parents tell her to, and she sleeps a lot more than she used to.

She knows something is wrong, but she doesn't want to talk to anyone. She feels embarrassed and confused by all these strong feelings. What if someone asks her questions she doesn't want to answer? What if they can't help?

Questions:

1. What is Kyra feeling and why?
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What should Kyra do and why?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

My Support Network

It's important to know who you can turn to when you have strong or troublesome feelings.

Part 1: Who's in Your Network?

Think about the trusted adults and friends in your life. Write down their names in the categories below. You can have more than one person in each category!

Family Members (e.g., parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling):

School Staff (e.g., teacher, counselor, principal, coach):

Other Trusted Adults (e.g., neighbor, religious leader, family friend):

Friends (people your age who you trust and can talk to):






Part 2: Reaching Out

Imagine you are having a really tough day and your feelings are becoming troublesome. Look at your support network above.

1. Who would be the first person you would try to talk to?
   
   
   

2. Why would you choose this person?
   
   
   
   
   

3. What are some ways you could reach out to them (e.g., talk in person, call, text, write a note)?
   
   
   
   
   

4. What would you say or do if the first person wasn't available or couldn't help right away?