Life Education Kits

Designed to help parents and children learn about the nature of emotions and how to respond in a positive and resilient manner. It is based on the concepts explored in the Atlas of Emotions, based on research by Paul and Eve Ekman (initiated by the Dalai Lama).

Atlas of Emotions describes a three part emotional journey:

Emotional trigger

• context of the current situation (present)

• past events that shape our response (past)

• expectation of what we anticipate will happen in the future (future)

Actual emotion

• our physical/physiological response and its intensity

• our mental response and its intensity

Resulting response or reaction

• constructive response that helps us grow and be resilient

• ambiguous response that gives us time to process things

• destructive response that discourages growth and makes us more sensitive to future events

Emotional Journey Examples

The child performed well in the exams (context of the situation), and the child’s friend is angry or unhappy with him/her (the current event), so the child feels like the friend is jealous of his/her results (expectation).

The resulting response or reaction of the child is to feel ENJOYMENT that causes an adrenaline rush and a feeling of righteousness that the friend is in the wrong because the child has worked hard to achieve the results.

The child is getting urges to either gloat (a destructive response to the friendship), to be humble and explain to the friend about the effort put into achieving the results (a constructive response to the friendship) or to try and celebrate the result with the friend (an ambiguous response to the friendship) but is not sure what to do.

The parent can use the kit to understand and talk through the scenario with the child, keeping in mind that emotions are difficult to define exactly, and that responses need to be appropriate and may be different depending on the context of the situation.

Designed to help conceptualize the challenges of making a decision when trade-offs need to be made in weighing up the factors involved.

The track (base structure and additional blocks used to extend the track)

Used to represent the path that the trolley takes in favor of one option or the other

The trolley (the round token)

Used to represent the scenario that triggers a decision to be made

The stakes (the square token)

Used to represent the stakes that are lost based on the decision to be made

Using the Trolley Dilemma Kit to teach/learn about difficult of a decision making process (often involving the assignment of moral values to things)

First, set up the track with the base block and any number of extension blocks to either the top or bottom lane.

Second, pick a token to represent a type of scenario, and tokens to represent factors that add to the entities that will be sacrificed in the scenario.

Finally, based on the scenario created, ask the child to pick a particular lane and explain their rationale.

Example

A storm is about to hit the neighbourhood and everyone has been evacuated safely. You have enough time to get your parents to drive by your grandparents' house or your best friend's house to save some items. In your grandparents' house there are (x, y, z) and in your best friend’s house there are (a, b, c). Which house would you ask your parents to drive to?

Designed to provide an inclusive and accessible means of communication the social space requirements for individuals in a social or group context.

Common area

Used to represent a common space that is shared by all members of the group, and connects to the personal areas

Personal area

Used to represent the personal space owned or designated to a member of the group, and can be connected to the common area (but not to other personal spaces)

Meeple

Used to represent individuals that form a group

Using the Social Space Communication Kit to define and communicate personal space requirements

First, select a common area block that best represents the number of individuals within the group.

Second, assign a personal area block and meeple to individuals within the group.

To indicate that your personal area is open to the group, connect it directly to the common area. To indicate that your personal area is closed to the group, disconnect it from the common area. Place the meeple in the common area to indicate your need for social connection, or if you want to indicate the need for some solitude, place the meeple in your personal area.

Group interactions are defined by the general code of conduct of the group, and applies to all meeples in the common area. Personal communication requirements are defined by individuals, and applies to meeples in their personal area.