Video Synopsis: Chester Cartoon 2-4

2nd- 4th GRAD | SYNOPSIS:

We first meet Chester, a cat with a marvelous tail. Because his tail is so wonderful, all his friends want to touch it. Chester uses his "Important" voice to tell them to leave his tail alone and, in the process, introduces the primary concepts of this program:

1. My body belongs to me.
2. I can decide who touches me.
3. I can say "no" to touching I don't like.

Chester then introduces his human friends, who tell us about their experiences with others who impose themselves on them. First, Gerald teases Lydia until she finally tells him, “No.” Then Carol talks about when her brother peeked in on her while taking a bath and how she used her important voice to tell him, “No.” Charles talks about when he was almost tricked into entering the restroom with a man he met at the park. Lydia’s situation is more difficult. She and her friend are invited into a neighbor’s house for lemonade. He asks the girls to take off their wet bathing suits when they are in the house. Lydia liked her neighbor; he let them play in the sprinkler when it was hot, but she knew something was wrong. The last situation is Carol’s. She likes Uncle Phil. They had many laughs together, but one day, he tried to put his hand between her legs and asked her to keep it a secret. Carol uses her important voice and says to her uncle, “| I don’t like it when you touch me like that,” and explains that her family doesn’t keep secrets like that. Carol tells her mom. Chester reviews the important points and concludes by reminding us of positive and warm touching.

Finally, newly introduced vignettes on social media and texting safety with a review vignette, are included as optional features of this updated program. Introduce them as appropriate for your student population.

INTRODUCTION TO TOPIC:

Engage students with a review of general safety concepts using ‘what if’ questions to start the children thinking about safety. What if…

1. The fire alarm went off here at school. What would you do?
2. You were lost in a department store?
3. A bully took your schoolbooks or your bicycle?
4. You missed the school bus, and no one was home?
5. Someone was touching you in a way you didn’t like?

“Today, we’re going to watch a program about another kind of safety: personal safety. It is about your right to protect your body and to decide who touches you. It starts with Chester, a cat with a wonderful tail, who decides who touches his tail. Chester says "no" to touching, which he doesn't like. He talks about touching that is good and touching that is uncomfortable. If you have had experiences like Chester, you may find it uncomfortable or embarrassing to talk about. You may want to laugh and whisper, but please don't. What happens in this video may have happened to someone you know, even someone in our class. It would hurt their feelings if it seemed like we thought it was a joke. The video has separate parts. After part one with Chester, we'll stop and talk about what he says.”

SHOW 2-4 VIDEO: CHESTER CARTOON:

Discussion questions and follow-up activities:

Let’s talk about what Chester said.

1. Should Chester have to explain why he didn't like his tail pounced on, poked, or fondled? (No." Your Body Belongs to You" is a basic right, not one that must be earned or explained.)
2. Wasn't Chester worried about what the Blafflewhap, Giggling Piffles, and Foozle would think? Wouldn't you worry about hurting someone's feelings? (Your feelings are important, too. It's okay to speak up for your feelings. Most people will understand.)
3. When others mean no harm, they are usually glad to know when you don’t like something.