Suicide

Primary

Digital Resources Teacher Tip:

During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:

In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.

Focus on Life Skills

Supplies

Bible
3 copies of the script from end of this lesson

Optional Supplies

Rope or string
Clothespins or paper clips
Tape
9 warning signs of suicide, each written on a separate paper (See Teaching section)
9 “Get help from a trusted adult” signs
Memory Verse poster
The Action Bible, pages 145–149, 388–391
Student Pages
Pencils

Print out the 3 scripts and give them to 3 good readers who will act out the skit.

Teacher Devotion

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139:13–14

Life is a miracle, a precious gift. Yet it is easy to take it for granted. This week you will teach children about a very difficult topic: suicide. Some of the children in your class do not understand the gift that every life is. Other people have told them they are annoying, stupid, worthless, a burden. These words form their identity and make them think they have no value. Eventually, these lies could lead to suicidal thoughts.

Ask God to make you sensitive to each child and to help you speak words of life to each one this week. Affirm the good things you see in each of them, such as kindness, humor, or generosity. If a child is more difficult, ask God to show you something positive in him. God will use your words to counteract the enemy’s lies. You may never know the far-reaching, life-giving impact of your words!

Family Connection

Let the families of your students know that this week’s lesson addresses the difficult topic of suicide. The lesson will equip children to recognize the warning signs and tell an adult. If possible, share with the families the 9 signs you will go over in the lesson (see the Teaching section). Some family members may have felt like committing suicide—so this lesson may even save their lives!

Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.

Lesson Time

1. Connecting:

Discuss precious gifts and take an active quiz about suicide.

Welcome your children by name as they arrive and gather them together. Ask them the following question and have them think about their answer silently for a few seconds:

Precious things are valuable and greatly loved. What is the most precious thing anyone has ever given you?

After several seconds of quiet thinking, have several children share their answers with the class.

Thank you for sharing! Today we will talk about a precious gift that God has given to each of us: life. Sadly, sometimes people intentionally choose to take their own lives because of their pain or circumstances. Taking your own life is called suicide. We will talk about ways we can help someone who is thinking about doing this.

What do you know about suicide?

Give the children this true/false quiz to test what they know about suicide. If they think the answer is true, they should stand up. If they think the answer is false, they should sit down and pat the tops of their heads. The correct answer is underlined.

True/False: People who want to take their own lives are not normal people.
True/False: Anyone who feels there is no hope or is in terrible pain that will not end might think about suicide.
True/False: People who talk about suicide never really kill themselves.
True/False: People who are thinking about ending their lives usually give warning signs.
True/False: Talking to people about suicide will give them ideas about doing it.
True/False: People who attempt to take their lives can be okay again after they receive hope and find helpful ways to handle their problems.

Good job on the quiz! Everyone can sit back down now.

People who turn to suicide are normal people just like you and me. Like everyone, they have good days and bad days. Then something changes. Maybe someone they love or depend on dies or they become sick. After that, every day is a bad day. They may feel that they have no hope of ever feeling happy again.

Perhaps there is no rain for a long time and they cannot feed their children because the crops failed. Perhaps they become sick and the pain keeps getting worse. Perhaps a husband or wife leaves the family and handling everything alone becomes harder and harder. Perhaps there is no obvious reason, but a person is sad all the time.

Teacher Tip: If someone is sad all the time, she may be depressed and need professional help.

They do not know where or who to turn to for help. They begin to think that suicide is the only way to stop suffering. They feel hollow inside and eventually lose all hope. When they have no hope, they see no possibility of an end to their pain other than death.

If anyone you know talks about suicide, take her seriously. When people talk about taking their lives, they are really telling you that they are desperate. They are pleading for help. Today you will learn how to recognize when someone is depressed.

2. Teaching:

Hear Bible verses about life, learn 9 warning signs of suicide, and watch a Bible-based skit (Psalm 139:13–16; Genesis 1:27).

Let’s read 2 Bible passages that show us that life is a precious gift from God.

Read Psalm 139:13–16 and Genesis 1:27 directly from your Bible.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13–16

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

What do these verses tell us about God?

God created us carefully and wonderfully. He made us in His image and knows everything about us. He knew us and everything about our lives before we were even born.

What do these verses tell us about ourselves?

Our bodies and lives are wonderful. We are made in God’s image and are special to Him.

What do you think these verses have to do with the sad topic of suicide?

Our lives are precious gifts given to us by God. It is a tragedy when people take their own lives.

Teacher Tip: Psalm 139 is full of words of life that you can speak to your children. When you see your children this week, take a moment to share a truth from this psalm with them. You can say, “(Child’s name) you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God.” or “(Child’s name) you are a wonderful work of God.”

God creates every person in His image. We are special in His eyes. Suicide brings a tragic end to God’s precious gift of life. It is important that we know how to recognize when people might be thinking about suicide. There are several warning signs we can watch for. If we think someone might be thinking about suicide, the first thing we should always do is get help from a trusted adult.

I will read 9 warning signs a person thinking about suicide might say or do. When I ask, “What should you do?” you will respond together with these words: “Get help from a trusted adult!”

Optional Supplies: Pick two children to hold a rope or string about 1 meter from the floor. As you talk, attach each of the nine warning signs to the rope or string. Give the “Get help from a trusted adult” signs to nine children. After you have talked about each warning sign and attached it to the rope or string, ask a child to tape a “Get help from a trusted adult” sign across that warning sign. This is what the children should do if someone shows the warning sign.

Write these nine phrases on separate sheets of paper before class. Make them large for the children to easily read.

Your friend talks about death a lot.
Your friend’s personality or overall mood changes.
Your friend’s eating or sleeping habits change.
Your friend withdraws from friends and activities.
Your friend takes unusual risks.
Your friend uses drugs or alcohol in harmful ways.
Your friend gives away her possessions.
Your friend talks about ending his life.
Your friend tells you not to tell anyone else what he is thinking about doing.

End of Option

1. Your friend talks about death a lot. He says things such as, “I wonder what it feels like to be dead.” What should you do?