National Eye Care Month
Here are some activities to teach your students about the importance of maintaining healthy eyesight as part of National Eye Care Month.
By Jenna Loeser
Eyes are said to be the window to the soul, according to a famous English proverb. However, the most important function of the eyes is to, of course, see outward. Without correct vision, one would not be able to navigate everyday life the way that someone with perfect eyesight would. Often times we don't realize the value of our eyesight; it is priceless. There are many ways to make sure you maintain healthy eyes, one of those is simple - wearing sunglasses on a regular basis. By providing students with real-life examples, covering National Eye Care Month in your classroom can be fun as well as educational.
Preventing Eye Problems from an Early Age
Take some time to research eye health before beginning this activity with your students. Start with a group discussion, wherein you brainstorm as a class the threats to eyesight that can be found in school and sports environments. You can give examples you have found to get the conversation flowing. For example, you might talk to students about accidents that can occur during sports activities or because of the lack of eye protection during science experiments.
Then, direct the discussion in a positive direction by informing your students of all the ways they can make sure to protect their eyes; with anything from wearing sunglasses to visiting the eye doctor regularly. If any of your students wear glasses or contacts, you could spend a few minutes talking about the importance of regular eye exams and wearing protective lens. Then, have your students get into groups and create their own Eye Safety poster. Make sure to have them include at least three to four tips for maintaining healthy eyes, and allow them to be creative and decorate their posters.
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Once they've finished their project, ask your students to consider the following question: Do I always use my eyes to make decisions? (I.e. seeing before tasting). Once you've given them some time to think it over, ask students to make a list of all the things they make decisions about, based on what they see. Then, start a class discussion in which you talk about how drastically their lives would change if they were forced to decide things without being able to see first. To wrap up this activity, turn off the lights and ask your students to spend five minutes with their eyes closed. Encourage them to carry on conversations, as they normally would during a break in activities. The purpose of this exercise is to give students a chance to experience life for a few minutes without the use of their eyesight. You may also ask your class to stand up and attempt walking throughout the classroom with their eyes still closed, if you have the time, and set up parameters for the activity.
Helen Keller: Book Report
Perhaps a better way to delve even deeper into understanding the importance of healthy eyes and eyesight, would be to assign a book report on a famous woman who was blind, Helen Keller. Take a trip to the library with your class, and spend time looking for books on or about Helen Keller. You could make this a group project, and have your students create an oral presentation based on what they learned from their research. To make this activity more exciting for your class, have each group conduct interviews, with one student acting as Helen Keller, and responding to the questions just as Helen might have.
Eye Care Lessons:
This lesson plan includes many different activities, from an art project to a math lesson. Students also have the opportunity to conduct a research and writing report about the eyes of animals.
This activity calls for students to experience a nature walk, first using their eyes, and then again while blindfolded. Once they have returned to the classroom, students make a list of their observations. As the teacher, you can choose to post their responses on a classroom chart or not.
Students discover new eye-related vocabulary words while they learn about common eye diseases. Students also learn the difference between different eye diseases.