Teaching Kids about Tragedy

Research this topic using any or all of the following information:

Helping Children Cope with Loss, Death, and Grief

Talking with Kids about Tough Issues

Helping Children with Scary News (audio and video)

Helping our Children in Difficult Times

When Hurt Leads to Hate

How to Introduce Kids to Tough Topics? (audio)

Children's Books about Death

Gentle Books for Children Dealing with Death and Grief (be sure to use the "Look Inside" function)

Your Assignment:

Based on the above information, write a children's book that helps an elementary school student deal with one of the following situations:

• Johnny's parents are getting divorced and his father is moving out of the state.
• Juan's 3rd grade classmate is killed in a car accident.
• Laura witnesses a gang shooting in her neighborhood.
• Lawrence, a 2nd grader, has terminal leukemia.
• Jessica is frightened after hearing about the Newtown elementary school shooting on the news.
• Johnice's grandmather passes away at the age of 68.
• Joe's mother has been deployed to Iraq with the Marines.

Your book should not be about these situations specifically, they should help the students cope with the situations. Your book should be at least 8 pages long and have a coherent story as well as illustrations.