Rich Henderson's Diary
The First 180 Days

Rich's Diary: A Lesson for Life

Week 31

Note: Last week, Rich Henderson's school was closed for spring vacation. In this week's entry, Rich describes another favorite classroom lesson.

"It's a matter of life or death." What a powerful statement! We may hear those words in movies and on television shows when there is a moment of crisis and the characters need to take immediate action. One character will utter this phrase and the other characters -- and the viewing audience -- become completely enthralled by the gravity of the situation. This past school year, I taught a science unit on a serious subject that grabbed my students' attention: AIDS. Perhaps no other thematic unit I taught this year carried with it such a sense of importance -- and apprehension -- as this one. That is why I consider it one of my favorite lessons of the year.

As part of my school district's fifth-grade science curriculum, the subject of AIDS must be taught to our students. The lessons must cover the information that answers the following questions: How does our immune system work? What are communicable and non-communicable diseases? What is a virus? What is HIV and how is it transmitted? What is AIDS? How can people protect themselves from getting HIV?

Those are some tough questions to answer. At the beginning of the school year, my reaction to the topic was one of concern. I thought, Why teach this subject in fifth grade to 10-year-olds? Aren't they too young for this? However, as the year progressed, I quickly realized that they were not too young to learn about the subject. They needed to know how the disease could affect them, their loved ones, their friends, and people they may never meet.

I soon discovered that not only did they need to learn about AIDS, they wanted to learn about the subject. They had heard so much about AIDS but had been afraid to talk about it in school. They were eager to have their questions answered and misconceptions clarified. For more than two weeks, we talked about the many facets of HIV and AIDS. Many times, I just listened to my students, surprised at the high level of maturity and compassion they exhibited. No one laughed or giggled during some of the more "sensitive" topics. They were understanding and empathetic. I was very proud of them during those discussions.

Perhaps this thematic unit on AIDS did not have some of the fun and excitement that some other lessons over the past year have had. However, in terms of its educational value, this unit was one of the most important. I hope that the lessons learned and the information gathered remain with my students for years to come.

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Rich Henderson
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