Guide Dogs launches on-line teacher resource

Guide Dogs launches on-line teacher resource

Designed to support – and cross-referenced to – the national curriculum, the packs provide practical and enjoyable tasks, helping to make learning interesting for young people.

Plans and resources are prepared in detail for teachers.  The content is written to aid the personal, social and emotional development of youngsters; from communication skills to language and literature. Young people are encouraged to empathise with those who are blind or partially sighted, value their own vision, gain a basic understanding of eye care, and understand the work of Guide Dogs.

The packs also give students the chance to design a safe street environment, using their understanding of sight loss to make a real difference to the lives of visually impaired people.

Advertising boards and overhanging hedges, scaffolding and wheelie bins; these dangerous hazards all appear on many local streets.  The challenge for young people is to consider a real pedestrian environment, and as a class project, propose the re-positioning or preventing of these obstructions, so that people with sight loss don’t keep bumping into obstacles every time they walk along the pavement.

There are no ‘cash asks’ from Guide Dogs, but the Citizenship Packs gives schools the chance to sign-up to the ‘coolest’ fundraising event - with a chance to make money for school funds as well as charity - whilst learning about eye care.  Shades Day is all about donning sunglasses - looking like the stars - whilst understanding why it’s important to protect our eyes from harmful sunrays. To find out more about Shades Day 2007, taking place on Friday 29 June, log-on to www.shadesday.org.uk

There are also suggestions for recycling and raising money for Guide Dogs, from old mobile phones and inkjet cartridges, to jewellery and foreign coins.

The Citizenship Packs are a free education resource, which can be downloaded by logging-on to the Teachers and Education section of the site.