Ask the class:
- What does it mean to have an allergy?
- What do you know about asthma and diabetes?
Give each student one of the symptoms below. If needed, symptoms can be repeated so that everybody has one.
- shortness of breath
- increased heart rate
- chest tightness
- extreme tiredness
- frequent toilet trips
- unusual thirst
- severe hunger
- flu-like symptoms
- unusual weight loss
Tell the students to consider the symptoms they have been given and arrange them into three groups: asthma, diabetes or allergies.
- tightness in throat
- difficulty breathing
Work through and discuss the symptoms for each by having students read out their suggestions.
Read out the following scenario and discuss the questions:
You and a classmate are playing a game in the playground. It is just before lunch and your friend is getting irritable. Then, she starts shaking and wants to be on her own. You know she has diabetes.
- What is the likely cause?
Too much or too little insulin, too much exercise, eating too much or too little or the wrong kind of food.
- What should you do?
Get her to a teacher and say that she has diabetes.
- Once she is okay, what should she do to stop it happening again?
Prepare a talk to Year 6 students about asthma, diabetes and allergies. What are the most important things to mention?
Examples of approaches: Make it funny, use drama, cartoons and music.
Students present their ideas and the class offer constructive feedback.
Is there evidence to suggest that asthma, diabetes or allergies are becoming more common?
Turn this into an assembly
- Ancient Greek and Chinese doctors knew about asthma.
- 100 million people in the world have it.
- Attack happens when tubes carrying oxygen to lungs get narrow and inflamed.
- This causes difficulty in breathing.
- Dust can trigger the airways to tighten too.
Students could try out their ideas with the assembly audience.
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