Dawna's Handy Guide ~ Introduction

A note from Dawna

It is my hope that these brief lessons will help you impart fun and factual health information so God's "little temples" will grow to be strongholds for Him. Although these health lessons were written for children, they may also be used with a general audience. I have presented them in many countries to literally thousands of adults and children and they have been well received.

If using the lessons for adults you will need additional information which can be found under References or in the Supplemental Materials supplied with each lesson. Each lesson is formatted as follows:

Objectives

• To give God the glory for being a unique, caring Father who created us in His image, and made provision for our good health and happiness.
• To educate children in the relationship between the cause and the effect of lifestyle choices on their bodies.
• To motivate children to take personal responsibility for their own health and lifestyle choices.
• To make it easier for parents to have the child's cooperation in developing healthy habits.
• To impart accurate scientific information.
• To teach child nutrition
• To promote healthful living

References (3 sources)

• A sample of the

  Bible's

   wealth of health-related texts. (They are often paraphrased for simplicity.)
  
  

  Example: I Corinthians. 3:16,17 (You are to be the holy temple of God in which the Holy Spirit may dwell, so care for your body wisely.)

  When God created the world, He made provision for all of our health needs. Read Genesis chapter one to find out what many of those provisions were.

• Inspired Words of Wisdom:

   "The knowledge that man is to be a temple for God, a habitation for the revealing of His glory, should be the highest incentive to the care and development of our physical powers... He bids us make it our study, to understand its needs, and act our part in preserving it from harm and defilement." MH 271

  See Appendix for listings of inspired source books and their complete titles.

• Informational Resources

   Source materials for additional information. Most references are available for purchase from Christian Book Stores or from the Adventist Book Center (1-800-765-6955). They would be useful additions to church or school libraries.

Supplies

Use a big dose of imagination along with the materials listed for each activity. Collecting teaching supplies takes planning ahead as well as always being on the lookout for bargains and items that can be used in the lessons. Clearance and secondhand stores, and party or toy catalogs are excellent places to find unique "treasures" along with the very useful $$$$ stores.

This section should be used in conjunction with that of Activities # (with the same corresponding Activities number following later on in the lesson).

Facts

Brief informational tidbits, in addition to the references, to save the teacher time in preparation of the lesson. The lessons contain "Additional Facts".

Activities

Active, attention-getting illustrations, stories and object lessons designed to involve the children's imaginations. The activities are designed to encourage active participation and to motivate them to take responsibility for their own lifestyle choices.

Many lessons have more activities than can be used in a limited time. Use the ones that fit the teacher's time and talents. The unused portions can be used as additional teaching materials at another time, as separate lessons or in conjunction with other lessons. For example, the "Daniel" and "Habits" lessons are reviews of the other lessons, so the same materials could be used to teach them too.

Summary

Ending summarization of the key thoughts and concepts taught in each lesson.

Give-Aways

Items (objects, papers, stickers, crafts) for the children to take home to remind them of the lessons they have learned.

Activity Sheets

Use a copy machine to reproduce these pages for children to take home and color to reinforce learning.

Review

Use at the session following the one in which the lesson was taught. This will serve to remind the students of the lessons as well as help the teacher evaluate what was learned by the students.