SASSMM's Elementary Curriculum is a sequence of 12 lessons for grades K-5. Each grade receives 2 new lessons per school year. Lessons are designed to scaffold and must be delivered sequentially within the appropriate age level. Each lesson's duration is 40 minutes. All classroom activities allow for at least 3 feet of social distancing between students, and lessons for grades 3-5 can also be adapted for virtual teaching.
Lessons provide safety information, encourage youth to reach out to trusted adults, and promote healthy attitudes and skills to help prevent sexual violence. Messaging and teaching methods are carefully designed to be age-appropriate and trauma-informed. Our learning objectives are aligned with the Maine Health Education Learning Results, the statewide requirements for elementary prevention education curriculum, and current best practices in sexual violence primary prevention.
Our programs are carefully adapted from evidence-informed and tested local and national prevention curricula, including:
We freely offer our full K-5 prevention education curriculum package, including detailed lesson plans and supplemental materials, to any educator in our service area (Eastern Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, or Waldo counties). Please email kendra@sassmm.org to receive the link. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with resources - we hope you find them helpful!
We also offer training on our K-5 curriculum, available to counselors, social workers, or educators who would like to incorporate our lessons into their teaching plans as well as learn more about child sexual abuse prevention. This professional development opportunity is ideal for school counselors, social workers, special education teachers, and any other educators who provide socio-emotional and health education to elementary-aged students. Information about upcoming training opportunities will be posted on our website and social media. Please reach out to kendra@sassmm.org with questions.
For more information on our approach to sexual violence prevention education, please click here to view our assessment of Second Step's Child Protective Unit.
Lessons provide safety information, encourage youth to reach out to trusted adults, and promote healthy attitudes and skills to help prevent sexual violence. Messaging and teaching methods are carefully designed to be age-appropriate and trauma-informed. Our learning objectives are aligned with the Maine Health Education Learning Results, the statewide requirements for elementary prevention education curriculum, and current best practices in sexual violence primary prevention.
Our programs are carefully adapted from evidence-informed and tested local and national prevention curricula, including:
- Healthy Relationships Project by Prevent Child Abuse Vermont
- Space Ships Personal Space Curriculum by Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services.
- Power Up Speak Out! by Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS) in Red Lodge
- Rights, Respect, Responsibility by Advocates for Youth
- Digital Citizenship Curriculum by Common Sense Education
We freely offer our full K-5 prevention education curriculum package, including detailed lesson plans and supplemental materials, to any educator in our service area (Eastern Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, or Waldo counties). Please email kendra@sassmm.org to receive the link. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with resources - we hope you find them helpful!
We also offer training on our K-5 curriculum, available to counselors, social workers, or educators who would like to incorporate our lessons into their teaching plans as well as learn more about child sexual abuse prevention. This professional development opportunity is ideal for school counselors, social workers, special education teachers, and any other educators who provide socio-emotional and health education to elementary-aged students. Information about upcoming training opportunities will be posted on our website and social media. Please reach out to kendra@sassmm.org with questions.
For more information on our approach to sexual violence prevention education, please click here to view our assessment of Second Step's Child Protective Unit.
Lessons for Grades K-2
SASSMM's five introductory lessons can be appropriate for multiple ages, depending on student knowledge. SASSMM Educators will work with each school to determine the best sequence for their K-2 students for the 2021-2020 school year.
Personal Bubbles
Students are introduced to the concepts of bodily autonomy and boundaries through the age-appropriate framework of personal body bubbles. In the Space Bubble activity, students use modified hula hoops to move safely around the classroom, and practice respecting others’ personal space and using direct communication to self-advocate. With 1st and 2nd graders, taking care of one's body is also discussed, including mention of anatomically-correct terms for genitals. Students are encouraged to seek help from trusted adults with any problems related to bodies and touches.
Understanding Our Bodies
Using the 2021 edition of the Bare Naked Book by Kathy Stinson, this lesson gives students a foundation in bodily awareness and the ability to name the different parts of the body, including anatomically-correct terms for genitals. Students learn that all bodies are different and that its okay to talk to trusted adults about any parts of their bodies. An open-ended drawing activity concludes the lesson to give students time to process the information and ask questions individually.
Asking For Help
Uncle Willy’s Tickles by Marcie Aboff provides an age-appropriate conversation starter on bodily autonomy, setting boundaries, and asking for help from adults when dealing with unwanted touch. Students discuss and identify instances when it would be appropriate for a trusted adult to touch their body to keep them clean and healthy. This lesson concludes with a drawing activity that asks students to visualize their personal bubble.
Sharing Space
This lesson begins to nuance the personal bubble framework by introducing the concept of consent. Students practice consent by asking their peers for permission to overlap their Space Bubbles. Personal body safety information from Asking For Help is reinforced and expanded, as students learn that it is okay to say no to touching, including with people we are close to.
Respecting a No
This lesson directly reinforces Sharing Space by providing students with more practice time with sharing space in Space Bubbles. Students discuss and identify strategies for dealing with disappointment or hurt if they do not receive a yes when asking someone for permission.
Personal Bubbles
Students are introduced to the concepts of bodily autonomy and boundaries through the age-appropriate framework of personal body bubbles. In the Space Bubble activity, students use modified hula hoops to move safely around the classroom, and practice respecting others’ personal space and using direct communication to self-advocate. With 1st and 2nd graders, taking care of one's body is also discussed, including mention of anatomically-correct terms for genitals. Students are encouraged to seek help from trusted adults with any problems related to bodies and touches.
- Grade(s): Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd
Understanding Our Bodies
Using the 2021 edition of the Bare Naked Book by Kathy Stinson, this lesson gives students a foundation in bodily awareness and the ability to name the different parts of the body, including anatomically-correct terms for genitals. Students learn that all bodies are different and that its okay to talk to trusted adults about any parts of their bodies. An open-ended drawing activity concludes the lesson to give students time to process the information and ask questions individually.
- Grade(s): Kindergarten, 1st
Asking For Help
Uncle Willy’s Tickles by Marcie Aboff provides an age-appropriate conversation starter on bodily autonomy, setting boundaries, and asking for help from adults when dealing with unwanted touch. Students discuss and identify instances when it would be appropriate for a trusted adult to touch their body to keep them clean and healthy. This lesson concludes with a drawing activity that asks students to visualize their personal bubble.
- Grade(s): 1st, 2nd
Sharing Space
This lesson begins to nuance the personal bubble framework by introducing the concept of consent. Students practice consent by asking their peers for permission to overlap their Space Bubbles. Personal body safety information from Asking For Help is reinforced and expanded, as students learn that it is okay to say no to touching, including with people we are close to.
- Grade(s): 1st, 2nd
Respecting a No
This lesson directly reinforces Sharing Space by providing students with more practice time with sharing space in Space Bubbles. Students discuss and identify strategies for dealing with disappointment or hurt if they do not receive a yes when asking someone for permission.
- Grade: 2nd
Lessons for Grades 3-5
Personal Boundaries
This lesson serves as a bridge between K-2 lessons focused on bodies and personal space, to the 3-5 curriculum that will explore boundaries and consent with more nuance. In this lesson, the students reflect on their own boundaries using simple prompts and a drawing activity. The lesson concludes with an age-appropriate story introducing the concept of privacy.
Consent
Students build upon their understanding of asking for permission by exploring the different facets of practicing consent, including identifying when someone may be uncomfortable and how to check in. Students explore the difference between verbal and nonverbal consent using the dynamic and age-appropriate example of playing tag.
Body Language
This lesson directly reinforces Consent in 3rd grade by taking a deeper dive into nonverbal communication. A brief game of emotional charades gets students thinking about the way we express our emotions through our facial features. This lesson also features a sorting activity where students are asked to consider whether or not different examples of body language are communicating consent.
Relationships
Students explore the concept of relationships in a broad way, considering the connection between personal boundaries and relationships that feel safe, fun, and caring. Simple, age-appropriate examples of behaviors prompt students to reflect on their own boundaries and values in relationships. Students will also examine scenarios to consider how a relationship dynamic differs between peers versus a child and an adult. The lesson concludes with a discussion of positive affirmations that students can remember to help them navigate relationships.
Pranks
In this lesson, students apply the framework of personal boundaries to the fun topic of pranks and practical jokes. In guided discussion that reinforces themes from the Consent and Relationships lessons, students consider what factors contribute to a "good" prank and how to apply consent skills to this nuanced situation. Age-appropriate examples of prank videos are used to start conversations and give students the opportunity to share their opinions.
Online Boundaries
This lesson builds upon and weaves together many of the themes explored since Grade 3, but all in the context of online and technology-based interactions. Rather than using fear-based tactics, this lesson invites students to share what they love about being online and using phones, as well their concerns about safety and boundary-crossing. The educator offers concrete strategies for setting boundaries online, as well as encourages students to confide in trusted adults when faced with an uncomfortable or unsafe situation.
This lesson serves as a bridge between K-2 lessons focused on bodies and personal space, to the 3-5 curriculum that will explore boundaries and consent with more nuance. In this lesson, the students reflect on their own boundaries using simple prompts and a drawing activity. The lesson concludes with an age-appropriate story introducing the concept of privacy.
- Grade: 3rd
Consent
Students build upon their understanding of asking for permission by exploring the different facets of practicing consent, including identifying when someone may be uncomfortable and how to check in. Students explore the difference between verbal and nonverbal consent using the dynamic and age-appropriate example of playing tag.
- Grade: 3rd
Body Language
This lesson directly reinforces Consent in 3rd grade by taking a deeper dive into nonverbal communication. A brief game of emotional charades gets students thinking about the way we express our emotions through our facial features. This lesson also features a sorting activity where students are asked to consider whether or not different examples of body language are communicating consent.
- Grade: 4th
Relationships
Students explore the concept of relationships in a broad way, considering the connection between personal boundaries and relationships that feel safe, fun, and caring. Simple, age-appropriate examples of behaviors prompt students to reflect on their own boundaries and values in relationships. Students will also examine scenarios to consider how a relationship dynamic differs between peers versus a child and an adult. The lesson concludes with a discussion of positive affirmations that students can remember to help them navigate relationships.
- Grade: 4th
Pranks
In this lesson, students apply the framework of personal boundaries to the fun topic of pranks and practical jokes. In guided discussion that reinforces themes from the Consent and Relationships lessons, students consider what factors contribute to a "good" prank and how to apply consent skills to this nuanced situation. Age-appropriate examples of prank videos are used to start conversations and give students the opportunity to share their opinions.
- Grade: 5th
Online Boundaries
This lesson builds upon and weaves together many of the themes explored since Grade 3, but all in the context of online and technology-based interactions. Rather than using fear-based tactics, this lesson invites students to share what they love about being online and using phones, as well their concerns about safety and boundary-crossing. The educator offers concrete strategies for setting boundaries online, as well as encourages students to confide in trusted adults when faced with an uncomfortable or unsafe situation.
- Grade: 5th
For questions about the curriculum or to schedule with SASSMM, please email Education Program Co-Coordinator Kendra at kendra@sassmm.org or your local SASSMM educator.
If you are a Midcoast educator seeking a resource or training that we do not currently offer, please reach out to us. We would love to learn more about how we can best support your work.
If you are a Midcoast educator seeking a resource or training that we do not currently offer, please reach out to us. We would love to learn more about how we can best support your work.
