Social Atom
The social atom is great for getting at information about how a child sees him/herself in relation to others.
Give the student a blank piece of paper and have her write her name in a golf ball-sized circle in the center. Explain about the concepts of atoms
(here I'm going to assume you know enough science to be able to explain that a nucleus is the center of an atom, and it is orbited by protons, neutrons, and electrons).
Tell the student that she is like the nucleus of an atom, and other people in her life are like the protons and electrons: family members, peers, teachers, etc. Some of these people are closer to her than others, which of course is how it should be. Have her think of the common relationships in her life (good and bad), and place a dot on the paper representing each person. The closer she feels to that person, the closer she should put the dot to her name. If you want to get at some specific information, ask. For example, I'll often ask the student to show me where she'd put her teachers.
The completed atom will give you both a great visual of her social network. Who does she view as her support people? Does she have a lot of "friends," but all of them are kept at a distance? You can talk about eh importance of social support. Conversely, does she put half the dots (including yours) on top of her name? Use the atom to start a discussion about boundaries.
One lesson learned: I've tried using stick-on dots or stars instead of having them draw dots, but these are too distracting. A lot of kids try to match the number of people on their atom to the number of stickers available. Keep it simple.
Give the student a blank piece of paper and have her write her name in a golf ball-sized circle in the center. Explain about the concepts of atoms
(here I'm going to assume you know enough science to be able to explain that a nucleus is the center of an atom, and it is orbited by protons, neutrons, and electrons).
Tell the student that she is like the nucleus of an atom, and other people in her life are like the protons and electrons: family members, peers, teachers, etc. Some of these people are closer to her than others, which of course is how it should be. Have her think of the common relationships in her life (good and bad), and place a dot on the paper representing each person. The closer she feels to that person, the closer she should put the dot to her name. If you want to get at some specific information, ask. For example, I'll often ask the student to show me where she'd put her teachers.
The completed atom will give you both a great visual of her social network. Who does she view as her support people? Does she have a lot of "friends," but all of them are kept at a distance? You can talk about eh importance of social support. Conversely, does she put half the dots (including yours) on top of her name? Use the atom to start a discussion about boundaries.
One lesson learned: I've tried using stick-on dots or stars instead of having them draw dots, but these are too distracting. A lot of kids try to match the number of people on their atom to the number of stickers available. Keep it simple.
