Mindful Moments: Sharing Global Wellness Practices

Step 1: Empathize 
a) Introduction: 

• Start the class by briefly explaining World Mental Health Day and its importance.
• Introduce the project and its objectives.
• Show a short video on mental health. 
• Ask students: "What does mental health mean to you?" 
• Write key points on the board or a shared digital document.

• Explain the homework: Students will interview a family member or community elder about traditional mental wellness practices.
• Provide a handout with sample questions like:

1. What activities do people in our culture do to relax or de-stress?
2. Are there any traditional practices for improving mood or mental well-being?
3. How do people in our community typically deal with feelings of sadness or anxiety?

• Use the Class2Class.org platform to introduce students to their international partners.
• Have students post a brief introduction about themselves and their initial thoughts on mental health.
• Use the board section on the Class2Class.org platform for students to introduce themselves to their international partners.
• Ask the students to post a brief introduction about themselves and their initial thoughts on mental health.

• In pairs or small groups, have students share what they learned from their interviews.
• Ask each group to list 3-5 wellness practices they found most interesting.
• Using the Class2Class.org platform or a board virtual, have students share their findings with their international partners.
• Ask students to identify mental health problems common to adolescents from both cultures.

• In pairs or small groups, students should choose a mental health problem to focus on (e.g. stress, anxiety, loneliness) to directly impact with a solution. 

• Introduce basic brainstorming rules: no idea is bad, quantity over quality, build on others' ideas.
• Ask the groups or pairs to brainstorm how their discovered wellness practices could address the mental health issue they have chosen.
• Have them list at least 10 ideas.

• Guide the students to evaluate their ideas based on criteria such as effectiveness, ease of application, and cultural significance.
• Each pair or group should select one practice from their culture to further develop.

• The students begin outlining their chosen practices, considering:
• How is it performed?
• How does it benefit mental health?
• Any cultural context or history?

• Demonstrate how to use a simple design tool like Canva (https://www.canva.com/).
• Show examples of infographics or posters about mental health.

• Each pair or group creates a digital guide explaining the two chosen practices.
• Guide should include:

1. Title of the practice
2. Step-by-step instructions
3. Benefits for mental health
4. Cultural background (if relevant)
5. Visuals (illustrations or photos)

• Ask the students to post their work in the board section of the Class2Class.org platform so that their partner classmates can view it.

• Ask students to review the other teams' guides.
• Provide a feedback form with questions like:
• Is the guide clear and easy to understand?
• Does it explain the mental health benefits well?
• What's one thing you really like about this guide?
• What's one suggestion for improvement?

• Teams review feedback and improve their guides.

• The classes that have been associated with the project are brought together in a video call. 
• Provide clear guidelines for respectful intercultural communication. 
• Each class should present their mental health guides.

Assessment and reflection ✍️

• Participation and collaboration:
• Create a simple checklist to track student engagement during the project:
• Active participation in class discussions .
• Contribution of ideas to the team.
• Respectful interaction with peers from different cultures.
• Initiative in researching and sharing wellness practices.
• Use this checklist during project activities to note student behaviors.
• Consider setting up a point system (e.g., 1-5 scale) for each item to quantify participation.
•  Digital guide evaluation:
• Develop a rubric to assess the students' digital guides on wellness practices:
• Clarity: Is the information easy to understand? (1-5 points)
• Creativity: How original and engaging is the presentation? (1-5 points)
• Effectiveness: Does it clearly explain the wellness practice and its benefits? (1-5 points)
• Cultural Context: Is the practice well-connected to its cultural background? (1-5 points)
• Share this rubric with students before they start creating their guides.
• Use the Class2Class.org platform to share and evaluate these digital guides.
• Final Reflection:
• Provide students with reflection prompts to guide their final thoughts:
• What new things did you learn about wellness practices from other cultures?
• How has your understanding of global well-being changed through this project?
• What surprised you most about working with international peers?
• How might you incorporate some of these practices into your own life?

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.