Love, Compassion, Empathy, and Connecting as Elements of Educational Curriculum for Life
This page outlines teaching curriculum ideas for Love, Connection, Compassion, and Empathy for oneself and all other things as elements of the “Caring” category of the Curriculum for Life component of the open source Education for Life Program. This curriculum is meant as a globally collaborative and ever-expanding archive of ideas to be combined with the Teaching Strategies for Life component, and Learning Tools and Toys for Life component, to create endless Lesson Plans for Life purposed to grow and evolve what we feel will be the most comprehensive, effective, and diversely applicable free-education program and open source and free-shared project-launch usable education blueprint in the world.
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LOVE & CONNECTING CURRICULUM
The following is a list of love and connection curriculum topics divided into two categories: “Love and Connection to Self” and “Love and Connection to All Other Things.” If you have an idea or section that you believe should be included here, please send it to us using our Suggestions Page. Visit our Lesson Plans Page for lesson plans designed to integrate this curriculum.
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NOTE: Curriculum with asterisks is curriculum we consider “core curriculum” that is central to the lesson plan design process. To identify these subjects we adopted the California Department of Education guidelines (because they are some of the most comprehensive and strict in the nation), added in the national SAT/ACT expectations for grade 7 and beyond, referenced the US Common Core State Standards Documents, and then double checked our curriculum and goals against the best selling and #1 teacher recommended Spectrum Test Prep workbook series. Curriculum with “*” is curriculum identified through these methods as foundational to 1st-6th grade learning. Curriculum with “**” is curriculum identified through these methods as foundational to 7th-12th learning.
Love and Connection to Self
EMOTIONAL HEALTH CURRICULUM
PHYSICAL HEALTH CURRICULUM
- Structured exercise: yoga, tai chi, qi gong, aerobics, obstacle courses*
- Less structured exercise: sports, games, dancing, building, hiking, running, etc.*
- Physical components of life, jobs, etc.*
- Benefits of exercise and physical activity*
- Biomechanics and activity*
- Types and systems of exercises*
- Specific teaching about and/or improving balance*
- Specific teaching about and/or improving coordination/agility*
- Specific teaching about and/or improving flexibility*
- Specific teaching about and/or improving functional strength*
- Specific teaching about and/or improving the circulatory system/aerobic function*
- Specific teaching about and/or improving the nervous system*
- Embracing and celebrating through the transitional time when physical growth is occurring (idea source was Montessori)*
- Ideas to add? Click here to make this page better!
HYGIENE CURRICULUM
- Physical cleanliness as an aspect of self-love*
- Personal hygiene, the hormonal system, and growing up*
- Air and sun bathing
- Basics of histology (microscopic structure of tissue)
- Skin care: approaches, personal preferences, and choices*
- Mouth care; approaches, personal preferences, and choices*
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REST AND RECUPERATION CURRICULUM
- What is rest? Opinions and approaches*
- Opinions on the amount of sleep and conditions needed
- Self awareness and knowing when to rest
- Relaxation techniques
- The effects of sleep on the immune system
- The effects of sleep on energy balance
- The effects of sleep on metabolism and weight
- The effects of sleep on cardiovascular health
- The effects of sleep on emotional health
- The effects of sleep in relation to physical performance
- The effects of sleep on learning and memory
- Ideas to add? Click here to make this page better!
NUTRITION CURRICULUM
- What is a healthy diet? Opinions and viewpoints*
- Science of nutrition**
- Eating habit awareness
- The life of cells in bones, organs, skin, etc. and how food becomes new cells
- Exploration and understanding of the diversity of nutritional approaches
- Exploration and understanding of the diversity of diets and lifestyles
- Exploration and understanding of the diversity of diets and cultures
- Types of food and their nutritional value
- Personal preferences, choices, and tastes
- Understanding individual food choices and preferences
- Listening to your body’s responses to food
- How to grow the food that is perfect for YOU?
- Ideas to add? Click here to make this page better!
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Love and Connection to All Other Things
LOVE FOR OTHER PEOPLE CURRICULUM
- What is an open heart?
- What are compassion and empathy?
- Sharing thoughts and ideas
- Sharing emotions and feelings
- Love languages: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, physical touch
- Emotional responsibility with respect to biases, restrictions, complexes and personal challenges
- Strategies for Encouraging Love in Others: Gratitude and Understanding in relation to Forgiveness
- Healthy expressions of love
- Understanding the love needs of yourself and others*
- What are boundaries?*
- Causes of boundaries
- Gender, race, religion, age, cultural and other differences and boundaries
- Freedom of self-expression and respect of others*
- Models of behavior in different settings**
- Models of behavior around different groups and individuals**
- See Also: Diversity, Differences, and Similarities Curriculm
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LOVE FOR ALL OTHER THINGS CURRICULUM
LOVE AND CONNECTION AND LIVING FOR THE HIGHEST GOOD OF ALL CURRICULUM
OTHER RESOURCES
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OPEN SOURCE SUBJECT RESOURCES (click icons for complete pages)
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OPEN SOURCE CURRICULUM OUTLINES (click image for summaries and links to complete pages)
CARE
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SHARE
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PLAY
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INDEX OF ALL THE ONE COMMUNITY OPEN SOURCE LESSON PLANS
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