Additional Resources

Videos

A Lion in the House

Documentary (2006)   Steven Bognar

3:04 minutes    14+years

This documentary follows five families all dealing with a pediatric cancer diagnosis and how they cope with treatment over the span of six years.

A Boy Named Finn

KidsHealth.org

 12:27 minutes        3-5 years old

Finn is a relatable puppet who had pediatric cancer when he was younger.  He helps explain cancer treatment to young children.                                                                   

KidsTalk to Kids About Cancer: Chemotherapy

St. Louis Children's Hospital

4:26 minutes     10+ years

A video of kids' experiences with cancer pertaining to chemotherapy, losing hair, and ports.  

Cells & Cell Division

CancerEd

1 minute           5+ years

Brought to you by the Cancer Ed Team, this video goes along with our Cells & Cell Division Lesson Plan for both K-2 and 3-5. Using kid-friendly phrases and materials (Play-Doh) it teaches kids how cells divide and cancer arises. Visit our Lesson Plans page for more on how to teach kids about cells and cell division.

Lung Cancer & Smoking

CancerEd

5:05 minutes          5+ years

Brought to you by the Cancer Ed Team, this video goes along with our Lung Cancer & Smoking Lesson Plan for both K-2 and 3-5. Using kid-friendly analogies and materials (sponges and ping pong balls) it teaches kids how normal lungs function, how smoking affects the lungs, and what happens when someone has lung cancer. Visit our Lesson Plans page for more on how to teach kids about lung cancer & smoking.

Games

Re-Mission2 (Six Games to Fight Cancer)

Re-Mission  8+ years

A fun way to help scientists cure cancer.

These games offer many different ways to "fight" cancer whether it is using chemotherapy to kill cancerous cells or battling against the Leukemia Monster. These online games provide an exciting way to learn about cancer. *Make sure your Adobe Flash player is updated for this one!

Oncology

Brain Pop     12+

Introducing older kids to the concepts of oncology and diagnostics, this interactive game has students interacting with virtual patients to see what might be causing their symptoms. From there, they use a CT scanner to identify any tumors, look at treatment options. This game also includes options for a built in lesson plan. *Make sure your Adobe Flash player is updated for this one!

Other Websites

Pictures of My Journey Activity Book

"This activity book for kids with cancer can help children cope with their cancer experiences. Younger children may enjoy using the book with parents, older siblings, healthcare providers or school staff. School-age children can enjoy the book on their own. However, caregivers may nd that using the book with children ofany age will help to generate discussion, questions and expression of feelings."

This activity book is free and downloadable from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society website!

Stem Cell Transplant Coloring Book

"The Stem Cell Transplant Coloring Book is for children with blood cancer who are coping with having a stem cell transplant. It is also for brothers, sisters, friends and classmates of the young patient, and children with a parent who is having a stem cell transplant. The pictures and activity pages depict the experiences of Sam and Serena, two young stem cell transplant patients. Through these experiences, the coloring book provides support and encouragement. Caregivers may find that with children of any age, using it together helps to generate discussion, questions and expression of feelings."

This coloring book is free and downloadable from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society website!

LIVESTRONG At School: A Cancer Awareness Program

"While it is a difficult subject to talk about with kids, the Lance Armstrong Foundation believes that it is important for students to understand what cancer is and how it can be treated. In addition, this program informs your students about ways that they can make a difference and help those with cancer. The downloadable lessons and printable worksheets below make it easy for you to share this valuable information with your class."

This program is mostly composed of questions for the teachers to facilitate discussions. While a good starting point, not many resources or guidance is given to the teacher leading the lesson, and the biological basis of cancer is not covered. The lessons are downloadable on their website, and we hope this can be complementary to the lesson plans CancerEd provides about biology, coping, and more.

Cure4Kids!

"The Cancer Education for Children Program is an outreach initiative of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center that aims to support K-12 educators by offering professional development opportunities that provide them with tools for teaching the basic science of cancer formation, treatment, and prevention."

Cure4Kids is a comprehensive resource for teaching materials for grades 5-12. They include multiple topics and even offer the option to loan their teaching kits. For more lessons that include grades K-5, Cure4Kids can be used as a complement to the wide array of topics of lesson plans and resources provided by CancerEd. 

Decoding Cancer

Partnered with Discovery Education, this organization is the most developed and comprehensive so far in terms of educational materials for kids at the high school level (grades 6-12). While we hope to provide lesson plans for this age range soon, Decoding Cancer is a great resource for teachers at this time.

Their lesson topics include: What is Cancer?, Getting the Results, Genetics: Understanding Family History, Treatment: Understanding the Pathology, and Risk Reduction. Each lesson is composed of a powerpoint slide show and multiple downloadable handouts, and also includes a comprehensive teacher guide outlining the lesson and instructions on how to teach it.

Forever We

Cancer Ed is proud to support the Forever We organization and their mission. We have both the girl and boy doll that includes different skin and hair color options, wigs, chest ports, and comes with Sam and Dee's Greatest Treasure book. Visit their website to learn more and support a great cause by purchasing a doll: