Overview
The purpose of this lesson is to encourage students to examine how living with asthma impacts the lives of young people. In this lesson, students will read a real-life account of a person living with asthma, learn why people were offended by the way in which a character with asthma was portrayed in the movie Jimmy Neutron, and develop an idea for generating civic awareness about asthma.

Grade Levels 6 through 8

Subject Area Language Arts

California State Standards

1.0 Writing Strategies
Students write clear, coherent and focused essays. The writing exhibits students' awareness of the audience and purpose. Essays contain formal introductions, supporting evidence and conclusions. Students progress through the stages of the writing process as needed.

1.0 Written and Oral English Language Conventions
Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions appropriate to this grade level.

2.0 Speaking Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Students deliver well-organized formal presentations employing traditional rhetorical strategies (e.g., narration, exposition, persuasion, description). Student speaking demonstrates a command of standard American English and the organizational and delivery strategies outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0.

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to do the following:

• Prepare an oral presentation to exhibit an understanding of the issues surrounding asthma
  
• Synthesize information from a variety of sources
  
• Interpret facts and express meaning through writing activities

Assessment
To assess students' understanding of the above learning objectives, teachers may rate students on the quality of their writing, their presentations and their participation in group discussions.

They may also have students complete this self-evaluation:

• What did I learn from this lesson?
• What do I still want to learn about this topic?
• What part of my work on this lesson gives me a sense of achievement?
• What would I do differently next time?
• In what ways was I able to work effectively with others?
• What did I like most about this lesson?

Teachers may also wish to conduct individual conferences in which they discuss the students' self evaluations and their own observations of students' participation in the lesson activities.

Time
Two to three 50-minute class periods and one homework assignment

Materials and Teacher Prep
Videotape Bay Window: Children and Asthma
Internet access
Drawing and writing supplies
Straws

Bookmark the following Web sites:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/lungs/asthma_basics.html
http://www.phoenixchildrenshospital.com/kidstories/krystal.html
http://www.aafa.org/
http://www.aanma.org/cityhall/ch_jn_nancy.htm
http://www.aanma.org/playtime/pt_stories.htm
http://www.lungusa.org/asthma/ascchildhoo.html
http://www.lungusa.org/asthma/ascpedfac99.html
http://www.whatsasthma.org/
http://www.epa.gov/rgytgrnj/programs/artd/air/quality/asthma.htm
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/asthma/introduction.html

Pre-Viewing Activities

Activity 1
The purpose of this activity is to provide students with an understanding of what it might feel like to have asthma.

1. Tell students that they are going to experience what it feels like to have asthma.

2. Read the directions from the "Asthma Basics" section of the Kid's Health Web site.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/lungs/asthma_basics.html
Teacher Note: For this activity, you will need a straw for every student.

3. Ask students to complete the activity on the Web site.

4. Elicit and discuss students' reactions as to what it would feel like to have asthma.

Activity 2
In this activity, students will read a real-life account about a young person with asthma.

1. Assess students' background knowledge on asthma by asking students what they know about asthma.

2. Read the following real-life story about Krystal's experience with asthma.
http://www.phoenixchildrenshospital.com/kidstories/krystal.html

3. Ask students to spend a few minutes writing down a list of questions, or things they want to learn about asthma.

Focus for Viewing

1. Tell the students to divide a piece of paper into five equal sections and write their list of questions from Activity 2 in one section.

2. Have students write each of the following questions in one of the remaining four sections of the paper:

• What can trigger asthma?
• What can people do to avoid an asthma attack?
• How is asthma treated?
• What is it like to live with asthma?

3. Ask students to record pieces of information in the appropriate sections while they are watching Bay Window: Children and Asthma.

Post-Viewing Activities

Teacher Note: Students may use the information from the Bay Window: Children and Asthma program, KQED's Bay Window: Children and Asthma Web site, and the Web sites listed below as well as from any other resources.

http://www.kqed.org/baywindow/asthma/
http://www.aafa.org/
http://www.lungusa.org/asthma/ascchildhoo.html
http://www.lungusa.org/asthma/ascpedfac99.html
http://www.whatsasthma.org/
http://www.epa.gov/rgytgrnj/programs/artd/air/quality/asthma.htm
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/allergy/asthma.html
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/asthma/introduction.html

Activity 1
In this activity, students will read a letter that was written to Nickelodeon objecting to the way a character with asthma was portrayed in the movie Jimmy Neutron and develop an idea for generating civic awareness about asthma.

1. Visit the Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) Web site at http://www.aanma.org/cityhall/ch_jn_nancy.htm.

2. Provide time for students to read Nancy Sander's letter to Nickelodeon and Nickelodeon's letter of response. You may also choose to copy the letters from the site and pass them out to the students.

3. Do a "Think-Pair-Share" activity in which students pair up, discuss questions, then participate in a large-group discussion. Begin by discussing the following questions:

• Why do you think some movies choose to include a character with a chronic illness, disease or disability?
• Can you think or some examples of movies that have included characters with a disease or disability?
• Were these characters portrayed in a positive or negative manner? Explain.
• Do you think people with disabilities, diseases or chronic illnesses should ever be included in movies? Explain.
• Do you think Nancy Sander should have written to Nickelodeon about this issue? Explain.
• From reading this letter, what did you learn about asthma and the problems facing those who have asthma? Explain.
• What did you think of Nickelodeon's response? Explain.

4. Brainstorm ways in which people can get a message out to the general public, corporations or the government about an issue.

5. Divide the class into groups of two or three students.

6. Tell students that they are going to choose an issue surrounding asthma and develop a plan to help educate a target population. This project will be presented orally to the class. Topics might include the disproportionate number of cases of asthma among poor, minority children living in urban areas, or any of the issues that affect asthmatics listed on the AANMA Web site. http://www.aanma.org/cityhall/ch_issuesthataffect.htm

7. Explain to students that their project should include the following:

• Topic
• Statement of problem or issue
• Necessary background information
• Target audience (the general public, a corporation, the government and soon
• Their message
• Explanation of the format they will use (letter, ad campaign, song and soon
• How they will get the message to its intended audience

8. Provide time for students to present their project to the class.

Activity 2
In this activity, students will read stories written about young people living with asthma and write a children's book that portrays a person with asthma in a positive manner and explains some aspects about asthma or living with asthma.

1. Send students to this site to read stories about young people with asthma.
http://www.aanma.org/playtime/pt_stories.htm

2. Discuss the following questions:

• What do you think was the purpose for writing these stories?
  
• How were the children portrayed in the stories?
  
• What were some of the medical, social and emotional issues in the stories?
  
• What were some of the day-to-day facts of life that people with asthma face?

3. Tell students that they are going to write a children's story about a young person who has asthma. The story will be used to teach younger children about asthma and what it is like to live with asthma. The story should portray the character in a sensitive manner.

4. Students may use the Bay Window: Children and Asthma program and the list of Web sites, as well as class or library resources to gather background information for the story.

5. Illustrate and bind the finished stories.

6. Share the books with students from an elementary class.

Extension Activities

Activity 1
Watch the Jimmy Neutron movie with your class. Rescript the scenes to portray the character Carl Wheezer in a positive light.

Activity 2
Create posters to educate the public about asthma.

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