Mind Matters: Creatively Exploring Global Mental Health

Step 1: Creative Research and Exploration

• Begin the class by introducing World Mental Health Day and its significance.
• Briefly explain SDG 3 and how mental health fits into the broader context of well-being.
• Present the project overview and learning objectives to your students.

• Divide students into small groups of 3-4.
• Provide large sheets of paper and colorful markers to each group.
• Ask groups to create artistic mind maps exploring mental health challenges and support systems in their community.
• Introduce students to digital mind mapping tools like MindMeister or Coggle.
• Have students recreate their paper mind maps digitally, adding links to relevant local resources or statistics.
• Guide the students on how to share their digital mind maps in the board section of the Class2Class.org platform.
• Prepare the students for their meeting with the partner class in the project by explaining the Class2Class.org coexistence policies.

• Test the video conferencing tool (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet) before the class.
• Provide clear guidelines for respectful cross-cultural communication.
• Each class should present their artistic mind maps.
• Encourage the students to explain the symbolism and creativity behind their maps.
• Encourage the students to ask questions and make comparisons between the different cultural perspectives.
• Congratulate the classes on their excellent work and the cultural knowledge they've gained.
• Lead a brainstorming session to highlight key points from the topic and encourage any questions or comments.

Assessment and reflection ✍️

• Throughout the project, observe and take notes on each student's participation in discussions, contributions to group work, and engagement with international peers.
• Create a simple checklist with key behaviors to look for, such as active listening, sharing ideas, respecting others' opinions, and showing initiative.

• Provide students with a simple rubric to evaluate their own work and that of their peers. Include criteria such as:
• Originality of ideas (1-5 scale)
• Quality of collaboration (1-5 scale)
• Clarity in communicating mental health concepts (1-5 scale)
• Ask students to give one specific example for each criterion to support their rating.

• At key points in the project (beginning, middle, end), have students write short reflective entries (5-10 minutes) addressing:
• What they've learned about mental health so far.
• Challenges they've faced and how they overcame them.
• How working with international peers has changed their perspective.
• One thing they're proud of and one area they want to improve.

• Create a simple scoring guide for the final mental health campaign presentations, considering:
• Content accuracy
• Creativity and innovation
• Cultural sensitivity
• Effectiveness in promoting mental health awareness
• Involve students in co-creating some of the evaluation criteria to increase their investment in the assessment process.

• After the project, facilitate a class discussion where students can share their experiences, learnings, and growth.
• Use prompts like "I used to think... but now I think..." to encourage reflection on changed perspectives.

Teacher tips 💡

• Create a supportive classroom environment where students feel safe to express themselves creatively and discuss mental health openly.
• Be prepared to provide emotional support or resources if students share personal experiences related to mental health during the project.
• Foster a supportive and inclusive learning environment that values diverse perspectives and experiences.
• Provide clear guidelines and expectations for respectful communication and collaboration. We suggest you review the coexistence policies of Class2Class.org.