Understanding One Self

UNDERSTANDINGONESELF

Part of the B.C. Life Skills Programto Support Personal Planning K to 7

jthompson

Rick Hansen Man In Motion Foundation - www.rickhansen.com

I

What Is the B.C. Life Skills Program? IIWhy Is There Such an Emphasis on Role Models? IIThis Booklet: Understanding Oneself IIIHow to Use the Lessons IVHow to Use the Videos VHow Are Sensitive Issues Handled? V

1. Feeling Big, Feeling Small* 2 2. This Thing Is Me* 4 3. What Are Feelings?* 7 4. Dealing With Feelings* 9 5. Self-Esteem: I Am Unique* 11 6. Self-Esteem: I Belong* 14 7. Self-Esteem: I Am Capable* 16 8. Self-Esteem: I Am Important* 19 9. I'm Proud of This! 2410. Beginning a Student Portfolio 2811. Why Do I Want to Include This in My Portfolio? 30

1. Get in Touch with Your Feelings* 34 2. Feelings, Impulses, Actions, and Anger Buttons* 37 3. Anger Mountain* 43 4. Point of View (Part 1)* 46 5. Point of View (Part 2)* 50 6. Identifying Individual Abilities and Skills* 54 7. Things We Enjoy* 57 8. A Skills Check-up* 61 9. What Makes a Role Model?* 6510. Role Models in Fiction* 7011. Role Models: Some Are Called Heroes 7412. What is Good about Anger? 8113. Managing Negative Feelings to Improve Learning 8414. Identifying Positive Attributes in Ourselves and Others 8615. Stereotyping 89

*Core lessons

CONTENTS

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PRIMARY

LESSONS

INTERMEDIATE

LESSONS

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II

he B.C. Life Skills Program was developed by Rick Hansen, British Columbia’s famous wheelchair athlete. The program is based on the belief that students who have developed solid life skills andknow how to apply them will make choices that will affect their own livesand communities in positive ways. Effective use of the life skills developedthrough this program will lead to a lifelong sense of self-worth, greaterpersonal and interpersonal understanding, and constructive relationships withothers at home, at work, and in the community. The program was developedin consultation with both primary and secondary teachers throughout theprovince.

The program includes six critical life skill areas:

• Understanding Oneself

• Communicating with and Relating to Others

• Accessing and Using Information

• Solving Problems and Making Decisions

• Living with and Initiating Change

• Setting Goals, Making and Enacting Plans

The entire program consists of the following components:

• The B.C. Life Skills Program Organizer (including a specialinstructional strategies section)

• six booklets of Lesson Organizers to support the Personal PlanningK to 7 curriculum

• seven booklets of Lesson Organizers to support the Career and PersonalPlanning 8 to 12 curriculum, including one on career development

• two orientation videos: one to introduce teachers to the program and theother primarily for use with students

The teaching and learning of life skills is a responsibility that teachers andstudents share with parents and the community. The B.C. Life Skills Programmakes these connections explicit in every lesson. This is done by promotingthe use of role models from both the home and the community. Students aregiven opportunities to apply the skills they are learning to real-life situations,

INTRODUCTION

TWHAT IS THE

B.C. LIFE SKILLS

PROGRAM?

WHY IS THERE

SUCH AN EMPHASIS

ON ROLE MODELS?

jthompson


III

to become involved in the local community, and to make home, school,workplace, and career connections.

Students will come to understand that they are surrounded by role models—at home, in their classrooms, in their communities, in past and present figuresfrom literature, drama, films, and television. If they learn to identify thenegative as well as the positive attributes of some of these role models, theywill have acquired a skill that will prove useful throughout their lives.

Personal understanding is one of the most basic life skills, one that isnecessary for the successful development and implementation of almost allother essential life skills. Throughout their years at school, students willdevelop the ability to understand and express their emotions in situations ofincreasing complexity. They will also increase their understanding of theirattributes and personal characteristics and develop the potential to use themeffectively and responsibly.

The lessons in this booklet emphasize the skills of reflection and analysis.Through these skills, students will develop a growing awareness of:

• their emotions

• their unique identities

• their strengths and personal characteristics

• their sense of personal well-being, responsibility, and accountability

• themselves as contributing members of the community

• their future potential and aspirations

• themselves as role models

These lessons also further the following skills and characteristics outlined inthe Conference Board of Canada’s Employability Skills Profile: What AreEmployers Looking For?

• self-esteem and confidence

• honesty, integrity, and personal ethics

• a positive attitude toward learning, growing, and personal health

• initiative, energy, and persistence to get the job done

THIS BOOKLET:UNDERSTANDING

ONESELF

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IV

A lesson organizer is a structured planning guide intended to supportteachers in the planning of a series of lessons. In this booklet youwill find 26 lessons that develop skills related to understandingoneself. These lessons are divided into two sections, one for theprimary years (Kindergarten to Grade 3) and the other for theintermediate years (Grades 4 to 7). The lessons in each of thesesections that are marked with an asterisk (*) are core or basic lessonsthat teach the life skill. The other lessons are extension lessons,which suggest ways to modify or extend the core lessons and apply theskills in more complex ways and in a variety of contexts. Within eachlesson, each activity is graphically introduced by an arrow (�).

Each lesson contains the following elements:

• Curriculum organizers. The relevant curriculum organizer(s) andsuborganizer(s) from the Personal Planning K to 7 Integrated ResourcePackage (IRP) are identified at the outset to help you find lessons tosupport the section of the IRP you are currently working on.

• Focus. The lesson’s purpose and direction are concisely stated, andinformation is provided on how much time the lesson requires.

• Outcomes. This is a statement of what students are expected to achievefrom the lesson.

• What you will need. This section identifies any materials or resourcesrequired for the lesson.

• Activities to engage learners. These activities have been developed tointroduce students to the lesson topic and as a lead-in to the main activityby drawing on past experience of the students and linking the skill withtheir lives.

• Activities. These are the heart of the lesson. These activities have beendesigned so that they can be used in one class session or extended into atheme, a project, or independent study activity.

• Home / Community connections. The success of the B.C. Life SkillsProgram will be measured not only by the students’ ability to learn andpractise the life skill in the classroom but, in fact, to take that learning andapply it in their real lives, in other places in the school, with friends, intheir familial environments, and in their communities. This sectionprovides you with ideas for doing this.

HOW TO USE

THE LESSONS

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V

• Cross-curricular connections. This section identifies any connections toother curricula and ways to connect the lesson to other areas of study.

• Assessment. This section provides suggestions for assessing students’knowledge of skills related to understanding oneself and their ability toapply these skills in different contexts. You may choose to use your ownmethods of assessment in addition to or instead of the suggestionscontained here. Involve students in self-assessment as well.

• Reproducible worksheets, information sheets, and case studies. Thesematerials are required in some lessons and have been provided in a formthat you can easily reproduce.

Each lesson will involve at least one class period and could easily stretch toseveral. You will have to determine how long to spend on any one lesson,based on your timetable and students’ interest level.

An attempt has been made to make this package as rich a resource aspossible. You may choose the lessons or parts of lessons that will best helpyou deliver the Personal Planning curriculum or other curriculum areas.Adapt or extend the lessons to suit your school and community, as well as theages, interests, and abilities of your students.

The two videos featuring Rick Hansen are an important part of the program.Rick Hansen is one of B.C.’s best-known public figures and continues to be arole model for many. The first video is intended for students, parents, andcommunity members. The second video is directed at teachers, principals,counsellors, and other educators.

Although each video is unique, both show Rick Hansen’s success inovercoming his disability and in creating a new worldwide awareness ofthe potential of all people facing changes, challenges, and choices. Eachvideo also focuses on the impact of the Man in Motion tour and emphasizesRick Hansen’s message that everyone can remove internal barriers bylearning and using basic life skills.

The B.C. Life Skills Program was designed in such a way that it can be usedby all teachers, whether or not they have had specific training dealing withthe six major life skill areas. During the instruction of B.C. Life Skills somesensitive issues may arise. Teachers should be prepared to deal withemotional responses in a positive and respectful way, in consideration of a

HOW TO USE

THE VIDEOS

HOW ARE SENSITIVE

ISSUES HANDLED?

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VI

wide variety of family and community values. Teachers should respond tostudent questions openly and honestly when dealing with issues such as rolemodels and life skills. Your personal knowledge, expertise, and experienceshould allow you to use these lessons in a variety of classroom or curricularcontexts.

In designing and planning your lessons, take into consideration the followingcross-curricular areas:

• Applied Focus

• Career Development

• English as a Second Language (ESL)

• Environment and Sustainability

• First Nations Studies

• Gender Equity

• Information Technology

• Media Education

• Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism

• Science-Technology-Society

• Special Needs

PRIMARY

LESSONS

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2

1. FEELING BIG, FEELING SMALL

The Planning Process (Collecting Information)Personal Development (Mental Well-being)

Students examine times when they felt very good about themselves andtimes when they felt small and powerless. Be prepared for thepossibility that some students may bring up issues dealing with personalsafety, expressing very strong emotions. This lesson will require aboutone class session to complete.

Students should be able to:

• show growth in their ability to identify and develop their sense of self

• analyse their emotions and attitudes by expressing in writing or pictures avariety of situations in which they feel “big” and “small”

• demonstrate a basic understanding of the fact that the causes of emotionsvary considerably from one person to another—that is, what affects oneperson strongly may not affect another at all

• one sheet of chart paper for each child

• a copy of Big or Little? by Kathy Stinson (Toronto: Annik Press, 1983), ifavailable

� If you have a copy of Big or Little? by Kathy Stinson, read it aloud to theclass. Then ask students to talk about times when they felt either very bigand powerful or very small. For example, “I feel big when my olderbrother lets me use his computer. I feel small when my legs get caught inthe skipping rope.” List students’ ideas on the chalkboard.

� Give a piece of chart paper folded in half to each student. Ask students tochoose, illustrate, and write about two events, one when they felt big andanother when they felt small, using one half of the chart paper for one andthe other half for the other. Children may also wish to add dialogue andthinking bubbles to their pictures. Have children who cannot yet writedictate words to accompany their pictures. Ask older students to add apage to their “small” pictures showing how they might change thesituation to feel bigger or more in control.

Provide time for students to share their pictures and experiences so thatthey can see that everyone shares similar feelings. Assemble the picturesinto a class book with each student’s “big” and “small” illustrations onfacing pages.

CURRICULUM

ORGANIZERS

FOCUS

OUTCOMES

WHAT YOU

WILL NEED

ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES TO

ENGAGE LEARNERS

jthompson


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1. FEELING BIG, FEELING SMALL

Have students ask role models (e.g., older students in the school,older friends, family members) to complete the following:

• I feel big when....

• I feel small when....

Encourage students to bring the responses back to school for discussion.These might be the contents of a second class book.

Language Arts. This lesson provides opportunities for organizedcommunication on a relatively sophisticated concept, as studentsgenerate, explore, and extend their ideas and information.

Observe students’ representations to ensure that they are able toidentify times when they feel powerful and others when they feelpowerless. Provide additional modelling for students who are havingdifficulty with the concept, and engage them in interesting discussionsabout emotions and appropriate responses.

HOME/COMMUNITY

CONNECTIONS

CROSS-CURRICULAR

CONNECTIONS

ASSESSMENT

4

FOCUS


Each student brings to class an item from home that he or she feelsrepresents him or her. The ensuing class discussion helps studentsdevelop an understanding and appreciation of how personalcharacteristics differ from one individual to another. This lesson willrequire a few minutes of explanation one day and then one class sessionon a subsequent day.


• select items that accurately represent who they are

• develop a student profile for themselves

• demonstrate a basic understanding of the unique qualities of personalcircumstances and experiences

• objects that students bring from home to represent themselves

• bulletin board space

• a display table and blank cards

• a few empty bags (for those children who forget to bring something fromhome)

• chart paper

� Before starting the lesson, write a memo to parents explaining thepurpose of the lesson and asking them to help their child select an item,preferably of little monetary value, to represent him or her. Explain thatthese will be displayed on a table or the bulletin board. Discuss theimportance of choosing an item that is integrally connected to the child,since the rest of the class will be trying to guess to whom each itembelongs. Explain this to the children too, and brainstorm somesuggestions of appropriate items (e.g., a photo of a special person, afavourite toy, an item of interest, something the student has made).

When you are ready to proceed, ask students to bring from home theitems that they have chosen to represent them.

2. THIS THING IS ME!

OUTCOMES

WHAT YOU

WILL NEED

ACTIVITIES TO

ENGAGE LEARNERS

CURRICULUM

ORGANIZERS

jthompson


5

Remind students to:

• ask their parents to help them decide what to bring

• get permission to bring the item to school

• bring their items in bags and hand them directly to you so that otherscannot see them (Ask students who forgot to bring an item to secretlyselect an item from the classroom and put it in a bag.)

Display each of the items with a blank card.

� Ask students to examine the items, make guesses about the person eachone represents, write the name of that person on the card, and think aboutwhat helped them guess who the person was.

Bring the class together and discuss the guesses. Identify who is actuallyrepresented by each item. Then ask students what helped them guess andwhat made it difficult (e.g., “The photo looked like Kate,” “I know Amylikes trucks,” “I didn’t know Peter took dancing lessons”).

� Have students brainstorm a list of things they might include in acollection representing themselves and illustrating who they are. Recordtheir responses on a class chart under the heading “Things That CouldRepresent Us.” Ask students to discuss how these things represent them.Items could be added to the chart on an ongoing basis.

Tell students that a collection of this kind is called a “student profile.” Askthem each to begin a student profile on a piece of paper or in theirjournals by selecting items from the brainstorming list (or any new idea)to represent themselves. Encourage them to include connections, that is,the reasons why each item represents them.

Provide time for students to complete their profiles.

The discussion between students and their parents regarding appropriaterepresentative items should raise some interesting points about what isimportant in students’ lives and what best represents who they are.

Social Studies/Language Arts. This lesson demonstrates the effectivenessof communication through representation, as well as the gathering,evaluating, and selecting of information for the purpose of makinginformed decisions.


ACTIVITIES

HOME/COMMUNITY

CONNECTIONS

CROSS-CURRICULAR

CONNECTIONS

6


As students develop their student profiles over time, look for evidencethat they are beginning to understand their unique identities and theirsimilarities to and differences from others. They should also show someunderstanding of those personal characteristics that are likely to bevalued by others.

ASSESSMENT

7


Students examine photos of people to determine the emotions displayed andthen create their own role plays to illustrate the emotions they would feel ingiven scenarios. In this way, they develop an understanding of their ownemotions and uniqueness. This lesson, the first of two on feelings, shouldrequire about one class session to complete.


• show an awareness of their emotions and their unique qualities

• define the concept of feelings

• identify a variety of feelings that they might have in response to specificsituations

• three magazine photos of people showing distinctly different emotions

�� Show students the photos one at a time and ask them:

• How do you think the person is feeling?

• What clues on his [or her] face tell you that he [or she] is feeling thatway?

After discussing each photo, have each student turn to a classmate anduse his or her whole body to demonstrate the feeling displayed in thephoto. Discuss with students the clues that helped them know how otherswere feeling.

�� Have students brainstorm a list of feelings. Help them recognize thatfeelings are neither right nor wrong; they are our emotional responses toa situation.

�� Have students work in twos or threes to create different role plays of thefollowing situations. Have each group present one of its improvisations tothe class, which should then try to identify the feelings presented.

• You are outside in a thunderstorm.

• Your grandmother is coming to visit.

• You had a part in a play and you did a great job.

FOCUS

OUTCOMES

WHAT YOU

WILL NEED

ACTIVITIES TO

ENGAGE LEARNERS

ACTIVITIES

3. WHAT ARE FEELINGS?

CURRICULUM

ORGANIZERS

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8

3. WHAT ARE FEELINGS?

• You are lost in the park.

• You can’t find your favourite shirt.

• Your brother has borrowed your bike without asking you.

�� Ask students to think of a time when something made them feel veryhappy and of another time when something made them feel very sad.Have them draw or write responses in their journals to these situations.

Have students take home their journals and share the written or pictorialrepresentations of their feelings with their families. Students might ask theirparents to write or draw their own responses to a happy and a sad event in thejournals.

Language Arts/Drama. Have students improvise or role-play feelings from avariety of scenarios—either ones presented to them, taken from their ownlives, or involving fictional characters.

Ask students to reflect on what they know about various feelings and howthey know what feeling is being expressed in each photo. Look for evidencethat they are aware of the wide range of emotions that people show.

HOME/COMMUNITY

CONNECTIONS

CROSS-CURRICULAR

CONNECTIONS

ASSESSMENT

9

4. DEALING WITH FEELINGS


Students explore appropriate responses to specific feelings. This lesson, thesecond of two on feelings, will require about one class session to complete.


• identify appropriate responses to their feelings

• demonstrate that they understand the limits of permissibility

• about 20 blank cards

• wall charts to which the cards can be taped and on which categories offeelings (e.g., anger, joy, sorrow) have been written as headings

� Have students sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands,”replacing “happy” in successive verses to “sad,” “angry,” “tired,”“hungry,” and so on and asking students to volunteer an appropriateresponse to each successive feeling.

� Divide the class into groups of three and have each group make lists offeelings and discuss the responses that might appropriately accompanyeach feeling. Ask students to write the words they associate with each ofthe feelings on individual cards.

Reunite the groups and have someone from each one tape a word cardunder one of the feelings categories on the wall charts. Have studentsdiscuss how their words are connected to the categories as they tape themto the chart. New categories of feelings will develop as students put uptheir words. Encourage students to name these new categories.

Have each group of students sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It, ClapYour Hands” again, this time using a feeling that students havecontributed on a card with an action that is not appropriate (for example,“If you’re happy and you know it, say ‘boohoo’”). After several verseshave been sung by different groups using this approach, ask students whatwas wrong with each verse. Then have each group apply the correctaction and sing the verse again. Discuss with students appropriate andinappropriate responses and how we determine which is which.

WHAT YOU

WILL NEED

ACTIVITIES TO

ENGAGE LEARNERS

CURRICULUM

ORGANIZERS

FOCUS

OUTCOMES

ACTIVITIES

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10

4. DEALING WITH FEELINGS

� Have students form pairs and role-play for the class a specificinappropriate and appropriate response associated with a feeling. Create aclass chart of responses associated with different feelings, and makecopies of the list for each student.

Have students take the list of response actions home and suggest that theyand their parents discuss if and how these responses might work at home orin everyday situations beyond the school setting.

Ask students to identify well-known community role models and as a classidentify some of the feelings these people may have had, the actions that theytook related to their feelings, and whether these responses were appropriateor inappropriate. In the case of inappropriate responses, ask students tosuggest what the individual might have chosen to do that would have beenmore appropriate. Some of these stories can be taken from local news events.

Language Arts. Have students identify whether or not fictional characters instories they are reading responded appropriately to their feelings. Askstudents to write alternative scripts in the case of fictional characters whoacted inappropriately.

Visual Arts. Have students cut and paste representations of feelings to make afeelings mural or collage.

Each day, have the class reflect on and record the responses to feelings thatstudents have used effectively.

Ask students to draw in their journals one appropriate and one inappropriateresponse to a feeling and label their responses. In assessing students’ work,look for evidence that they are beginning to understand appropriate andinappropriate responses to feelings.

ASSESSMENT

HOME/COMMUNITY

CONNECTIONS

CROSS-CURRICULAR

CONNECTIONS

11

FOCUS


Students explore their similarities to and differences from others to developtheir images of themselves as unique individuals. This lesson can be doneindependently with older primary students. With younger students, haveolder buddies act as their scribes. This lesson will require about one classsession to complete and some time the following day as students share their“All About Me” booklets.


• identify and develop their sense of self

• understand their uniqueness

• two hula hoops

• about 15 to 20 small blank cards

• one copy per student of Information Sheet 1: Mini-Book Instructions (onlyfor students who are able to read)

• one sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper for each student

� Show students different pairs of items, some with common attributes andsome that differ (e.g., an orange and an apple, a football and a soccerball, a running shoe and a high-heeled shoe). Have them brainstorm theattributes of each pair of items and record each attribute on a separateword card.

� Overlap two hula hoops on the ground so that they create a Venn diagramon the floor. (See Appendix A of The B.C. Life Skills Program Organizerfor a description of Venn diagrams.) For each pair of items, label onehoop for one of the items and the other hoop for the other item. Havestudents put the word cards that describe differing attributes in theportions of the hoops that do not intersect and the word cards containingthe common attributes of the pair of items in the overlapping part. Havestudents decide where each of the cards should be placed.

� Discuss how people are much like the pairs of items—we all havesimilarities and differences, and thus are unique. Have students pair upand discuss their own similarities to, and differences from, their partners.

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� Show students how to make an eight-page book from one sheet of 8 1/2"x 11" paper (see Information Sheet 1). Then have each student make abook and write the title “All About Me” on the front page (the cover).Have each student write an “I statement’’ about his or her uniqueness oneach of the inside six pages, leaving the back page blank.

Have students take their books home and ask their parents “What makes meme?” and have their parents complete the last page of the book as an answerto that question. Encourage students to have their parents complete the lastpage in their first languages, if different from English, to heighten students’awareness of their uniqueness. Then have them bring the books back the nextday to share with the class.

Language Arts. Have students write to penpals in another class or school todescribe their particular attributes.

Assess how effectively students represent themselves in their “All About Me”books. Look for evidence that they can identify some of their strengths andpersonal characteristics. Conference with individual students as necessary.

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INFORMATION SHEET 1

1. Fold an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper in halflengthwise.

2. Then fold it in half widthwise. 6. Open the paper out and fold it again,lengthwise.

5. Cut or carefully tear down from point A topoint B in the middle.

➥

3. Then fold it in half once again widthwise. 7. With your fingers at the outside edges, pushtoward the middle to open out the tornsection from C to B. Keep pushing untilpoints C and A meet.

4. Open up the paper and fold it in halfwidthwise.

8. Fold the pages together to make an eight-page mini-book.

CA

B

➥

➥

MINI-BOOK INSTRUCTIONS

➞A

B

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Students explore the emotions they experience when they feel that theybelong and when they feel rejected. This lesson works best when it isrepeated occasionally throughout the year. It will require about one classsession, as well as some follow-up.


• describe their emotions and reactions regarding the concepts of acceptanceand rejection by others

• use strategies to help other people feel like they belong

• demonstrate that they understand the impact they can have on otherpeoples’ emotions and reactions

• chart paper

• class set of strips of blank paper

• any story in which the main character is rejected (e.g., “The UglyDuckling”)

� Read or tell “The Ugly Duckling” or any other story in which the maincharacter is rejected. Ask students:

• Why was the duckling rejected?

• Were the reasons for the rejection appropriate or fair? Why or why not?

• Did anything or anybody in the story help the duckling feel better aboutitself?

Ask students to volunteer any experiences they have had in which theyfelt happy because someone accepted them or sad because they wererejected. If this is too sensitive a topic for any of your students, ask themif they know a story about someone who was accepted or rejected or ifthey know other fictional characters who were accepted or rejected, usingthe same questions as those above.

� Have students work in pairs and tell their partners of times when they:

• felt they belonged and what made them feel that way

• felt that they didn’t belong and what made them feel that way

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6. SELF-ESTEEM: I BELONG

Ask for volunteers to share some of these examples with the class.Discuss with students what they think made the difference between thefeelings of belonging and not belonging.

� Ask students to suggest some strategies that they could use to help peoplefeel that they belong. Write them down and display them permanently onthe classroom wall.

Then ask each student to make a personal commitment to use thesestrategies to help make someone feel like he or she belongs both in theclassroom and in the community. Ask students to record thesecommitments on strips of paper and sign their names. (Younger studentscould draw their commitments or their responses could be written byolder buddies.) Keep these in a visible place in the classroom so thatstudents can refer to them on a daily basis and do not forget about them.Ask: How would someone coming into the class know that you are tryingto help him or her feel as though he or she belongs? What would thevisitor hear? What would the visitor see?

Ask each student to make a personal commitment to reach beyond the schoolin some way to increase someone’s feeling of belonging. Send a letter toparents explaining the concept of “belonging statements,” and ask them torecord any evidence they see or hear of their children’s doing this.

Language Arts. Have students explore the themes of belonging and rejectionin literature, relating the characters and experiences they encounter in storiesto their own lives.

Ask students to think about how they could transfer the goal of helpingclassmates feel like they belong to other situations in the school,neighbourhood, at home, or elsewhere.

Ask students to record in their journals what they think would be the bestway of making someone feel as though he or she belongs and what would bethe worst thing they could do. In assessing students’ work, look for evidencethat they understand the concept of belonging and the factors that makepeople feel part of a group.

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Students explore the things they do well to better understand their capabilitiesand increase their self-confidence. By reflecting on and sharing theknowledge they gather about themselves, students develop an appreciation ofthe way in which personal characteristics differ among individuals. Thislesson will require about one class session to complete.


• demonstrate an awareness of their own strengths

• identify and develop their sense of self

• two differently coloured copies per student of Worksheet 1: Web Diagram(optional)

• chart paper and felt pens

• individual file folders for “Pride Folders’’ in which students can begin tokeep work they feel good about

� Have students brainstorm a number of things that they do well or that theysee other people doing well. List their suggestions on chart paper.Encourage students to notice things that they do well that they may nothave thought of.

� Have students complete web diagrams using Worksheet 1 (or simply onblank paper if they already understand how to web) to describe the thingsthey do well and what they like about themselves. Older students canprint “I statements,” while younger students can draw pictures to depictwhat they like about themselves.

Have students share their webs with partners. Ask some students to sharetheir responses with the class.

� Give each student another copy of Worksheet 1 on a different colour ofpaper. Ask students to find different partners and have student pairs fill inthe new sheets for each other. The students’ task is to tell their partnerswhat they like about them. Ask students to leave one bubble open for you(or possibly a big buddy) to fill in.

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Place each student’s two sheets inside a file folder called “[Student’sName] Pride Folder.” You might like to have students decorate theirfolders.

Have students share their Pride Folders with their family and with others.This could be done during interviews, when visiting with a buddy class, whenvolunteers come into the school, or when other visitors come to theclassroom.

Have students take home a web diagram and work with a role model at hometo complete it. Ask students to bring the worksheets back to school to includein their Pride Folders.

Language Arts. Have students analyse some of their favourite storybookcharacters, to identify their particular strengths using the web thinkingstrategy. The following books work well for this activity: The Most ImportantBook by Margaret Wise Brown (New York: Harper and Row, 1947) andMe Too by Mercer Mayer (New York: Golden Press, 1983).

Review students’ webs to ensure that they understand their own strengths andsee positive characteristics in themselves.

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WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

WEB DIAGRAM

19


Students explore their identities by developing photo essays or collages (ofphotos, memorabilia, and so on) that show them in a variety of stages in theirlives, and then sharing these with their classmates. This lesson is particularlyuseful at the beginning of the year as it will help you get to know yourstudents, as well as familiarizing classmates with each other. The lesson willrequire at least one class period to complete, as well as some out-of-schooltime in which students complete their photo essays or collages with the helpof their parents.


• describe their emotions and their unique qualities

• identify their sense of self

• share who they are with others

• recognize the diversity of students within the classroom and their ownunique qualities

• a class set of 3" x 5" index cards or pieces of paper

• one piece of 11" x 12" poster board (recycled) per student (a 22" x 36"sheet will produce six boards)

• one copy per student of a letter to parents (see Information Sheet 1 forsuggested wording) (One week before beginning the lesson, send the posterboard and this letter home to each student’s parents asking them to help thestudent develop the photo essay or collage using the poster board.)

• photo essays or collages prepared at home

• wall or bulletin board space to display the photo essays or collages

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: Comment Sheet

� Explain to students that the focus of this lesson is “Who am I?” Distributea file card or a small piece of paper to each student. Instruct students eachto write (or draw in the case of very young students) one clue about whothey are. Collect the cards or papers and put them in a box. Have eachstudent draw a clue from the box, then read it out or describe the drawing,and finally make a guess as to whose it is. If students have problems

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guessing, ask the rest of the class to help. (This activity can be done withtwo boxes of clues and two groups to decrease the amount of class timespent on it.)

� As a modelling exercise, share your own personal photo essay or collagewith students. Focus on feelings, activities you like, the people withwhom you choose do things, those to whom you look for support, those towhom you give support, and so on.

� Have students work in pairs, showing each other their boards anddiscussing what the various photos or memorabilia represent. Askstudents each to choose the most important thing on their boards and telltheir partners why it is important.

Reconvene the whole class and have students tell about their partners’boards. For example, “The most important thing about ________’s photoboard is....”

Finally, collect the boards and display them around the room or on thebulletin board. Attach a copy of Worksheet 1 to each photo board; itinvites observers to ask a question or make a comment. Ask each studentto write on the worksheet two very important things that he or she wouldlike people to notice about his or her board. The occasion for displayingthe photo boards could be a “Meet the Parents Night” at the beginning ofthe year. No matter when observers see the boards, make sure that everychild eventually has comments and questions added to his or her sheet.

� Create a big class book entitled “The Most Important Thing About Me.”Give students each a piece of large paper and ask them to complete thesentence: “The most important thing about me is....” Ask each student tocreate a drawing that represents his or her statement on the same page.Read students’ responses with the whole class and then bind the pagestogether to create a class book.

Ask students each to identify a role model in their homes or the neighbourhoodwhom they would like to know more about. Provide students with paper andgenerate a list of interview questions that they could use to find out moreabout their chosen role models. Have students create written or drawnrepresentations of their role models as a partnership activity with the rolemodels. Provide them with a designated amount of time to conduct theirstudies and then hold a class sharing the representations.

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Language Arts. Have students each choose a significant moment in the life ofa fictional character and describe it in their journals.

Ask students to identify the evidence in their photo essays or collages thatshows they are becoming aware of their physical, emotional, intellectual, orspiritual selves. Look for evidence that they are able to identify and talkabout these aspects of themselves. Provide additional modelling for studentswho are having difficulty with the concept of finding evidence.

Ask students to draw or write in their journals about one similarity and onedifference between their personal representations and those of one of theirclassmates. Look for evidence that students understand the diverse nature ofthe students in their class.


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INFORMATION SHEET 1

LETTER FOR PARENTS

Date

Dear Parent:

As your child’s teacher, I’d like you to know how pleased I am to have your child in myroom this year.

To help me and the other students get to know your child better, and to help your childdevelop a clearer self-concept, I would like you to help your child create a photo essay ora collage about himself or herself. This could include photos, memorabilia, and so on,from a variety of stages in your child’s life.

Your child is bringing home a small piece of poster board for the photo essay or collage.He or she will be asked to share his or her board with the class and to explain what it tellsothers about him or her as a person (e.g., a picture showing your child engaged in a sportwould show a love for this sport; one showing your child with a person he or she loves,love for that person).

These boards will be displayed in the classroom for a few weeks. Please stop by sometime to view them and write something on some of the sheets attached to each child’sboard.

Please send the completed board to school with your child by next Monday.I look forward to meeting you,

[signature]Your child’s teacher

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WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

What do you notice aboutmy photo essay or collage?

What questions do youhave about me?

What is your name and address?

Two things I would like people to notice about my photo essay or collage:

______________________________________ ______________________________________

COMMENT SHEET

Please answer the following questions:

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Students examine themselves and their heritage and culture to develop pridein themselves and an understanding of others. This lesson will require abouttwo hours of class time to complete.


• demonstrate that they understand and value their own heritage and culture

• show how heritage and culture help define what, why, and how we think

• show pride in themselves

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: I’m Proud to Be Me!

• Roy Henry Vickers’s, Return to Eagle Rock (video). Available from LynxImages, #606, 174 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2C2.

• a TV and a VCR to view the video

• one copy per student of a web diagram (Worksheet 1 from Lesson 7)(optional)

� Ask students if they know how to say hello in any other language andrecord their responses on a class chart. You may wish to have prepared achart of hello phrases in other language in advance (e.g., shammoga, hail,bonjour, buenos dias, god dag, Kaliméra, guten Tag, koh nee chee wah).

Choose four languages from the chart and have students practise sayinghello in them using the following activity, Rubbing Elbows, adapted fromEnergize by Carol Apacki. Have students count off by fours and formgroups according to number. Assign the greeting in a different language toeach of the four numbered groups (e.g., the number ones are assigned“Bonjour”).

• Ask the number ones to fold their arms behind their heads with theirelbows out to the sides.

• Ask the number twos to place their hands on their hips with their elbowsout.

• Ask the number threes to place their left hands on their hips and theirright hands on their right knees with their elbows out.

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• Ask the number fours to fold their arms together in front of their chestswith their elbows up.

Tell the players that they have three minutes to say hello to as manypeople as possible by using their assigned language while touchingelbows with someone using a greeting in another language.

Debrief the activity by asking students:

• How did it feel to be using another language?

• How did it feel to be spoken to in another language?

• What was it like for any of you who have moved from another countryand did not know how to speak English when you arrived? or What doyou think it would be like for someone who has moved from anothercountry and does not know how to speak English?

• What could you do to help others feel pride in their language andculture?

� Introduce Roy Vickers to the class. Note that Vickers voices his pride inboth his First Nations heritage (his father) and his English heritage (hismother); he models respect and understanding for both cultures. Explainto students that they will hear Roy Vickers (in the video) use his nativelanguage and voice his pride in his heritage. Then show the last20 minutes of Return to Eagle Rock.

As they watch the video, help students list all the reasons whyRoy Vickers is proud of himself. Have students record them on a webdiagram, on ordinary paper, or on the chalkboard. Discuss their responsesfollowing the video. Encourage them to expand their thinking, usingquestions such as the following:

• Why is Roy Vickers proud of himself?

• Why are others proud of him?

• Are you proud of yourself? For what reasons?

• Why is Roy Vickers thankful for other people? Does he need rolemodels in his life?

• What people are thankful for Roy Vickers?

• Are you thankful for any people in your life? Who? Why?


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� Have students sit in circles in groups of three or four and each take turnsmaking positive comments about the people sitting next to them. Forexample, you might start by saying “I’m proud of you, Sunera, becauseyou....” Then Sunera can use the same open-ended sentence to saysomething positive to the person next to her.

Ask students to take home Worksheet 1, which is a weekly chart, and put iton the refrigerator door to record one thing they can be proud of each day.

Social Studies/Language Arts. Have students pursue the topic of personalheritage by researching and constructing a family tree with the help of theirparents.

Ask students to draw or write about something they feel proud of inthemselves and in their culture. Review their responses to ensure that theyunderstand the concept of pride in themselves and in their heritage. Look forevidence that students are becoming aware of their emotions and uniqueidentities. Watch for demonstrations that they are learning about theirstrengths and personal characteristics that are valued by others. Havepersonal conferences with any students who are having difficulty findingsomething to be proud of in themselves.

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WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

I’M PROUD TO BE ME

I’m proud to be me because:

•

•

•

•

•

•

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The Planning Process (Collecting Information)Personal Development (Mental Well-Being)

Students start portfolio collections of products they have created to enhancetheir understanding and image of themselves. The portfolios begun in thislesson, the first of two on portfolios, will be ongoing.


• identify their unique qualities

• identify their efforts and their successes

• identify which of their strengths and characteristics are valued by others

• one or two class set of folders or large cereal boxes that students bringfrom home to hold collections of work samples (Read the “Activities”section to determine your requirements.)

• Portfolio Assessment from the Ministry of Education AssessmentHandbook Series (XX0247) (Victoria: Province of British Columbia,1994) Pages 2-3 and 8-9 contain information on different uses ofportfolios by teachers, students, and parents. (optional)

� Tell students that you know that they are always learning something inclass but that you do not always see it, and that others, like theirparents, may want to see it too. Ask them to collect, in the next fewdays, samples of work that they like or work that they want you tonotice. Have students attach to each sample a cover sheet that explainswhy they selected each piece that they put in their portfolios.

Hand out folders or cereal boxes and ask students to put their names onthem. Explain that they are for storing samples of their work. Initially, itmay be necessary to do this as a class activity before students can selectwork samples independently. You may wish to set aside a certain timeduring the day when all students look through their work and eachselect one sample to go into their portfolios.

The first time a student wants to include a three-dimensionalconstruction, stop everyone and problem solve how some representationof that construction can be placed in the portfolio (e.g., a writtendescription or a photo).

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� Have students share their portfolios in groups of three, explaining to eachother why they included what they did. Ask them to consider:

• what the samples show

• what they want others to notice

• how they can show what they want others to notice

• how they can use the samples

From their responses, decide on the purpose(s) of the portfolios. Forexample, for very young students and their teachers the key purpose is toshow their best work over time. Once the purpose(s) has been established,have students talk about which samples from their collections arerepresentative of the purpose(s) selected. You may end up with twofolders, one to meet students’ needs (e.g., best work) and one to meet yourneeds (e.g., demonstrations of reading, writing, mathematics). A methodfor recording why children or teachers select the contents of the portfoliois outlined in the next lesson.

Send “best work” portfolios home periodically with a parent response sheet,which might include sections to be filled out both by the child (e.g., “I wantyou to notice ...”) and by the parent (e.g., “Things I noticed ...”).

To report on student progress, send “demonstration portfolios” home with aparent response sheet, which might include sections to be filled out both byyou (e.g., “I want you to notice and discuss with your child ...”) and by theparent (e.g., “I understand that ... and I wonder about ...”).

All subject areas. The “best work” portfolio is an ideal way of buildingstudents’ self-esteem and sharing with parents their children’s developmentalprogress. It would be effective to design portfolios that are organized intodifferent curricular areas so that a complete collection of a student’s workacross the curriculum can be gathered.

Use portfolios during conference time to celebrate students’ accomplishmentsand to set goals. Look for evidence of growth and development over time.

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11. WHY DO I WANT TO INCLUDE THIS IN MY PORTFOLIO?

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Students examine why they want to include specific items in their portfolios.This, the second of two lessons on portfolios, encourages students to developtheir appreciation of their unique skills and abilities.


• identify what is successful or interesting about their efforts and their work

• explain why they selected particular samples of work for their portfolios

• highlighter pens

• one copy per student of a web diagram (Worksheet 1 from Lesson 7)

• about 12 copies per student of Worksheet 1: My Reasons for Including Thisin My Portfolio (Note: Do not duplicate these until after you have completedthe introductory activities and filled in the reasons.)

� Discuss with students all the important things about themselves that couldbe learned from their portfolio collections. Record, or have studentsrecord, these on a web diagram. Then have students brainstorm all thereasons why a student might choose a particular sample of work to put in aportfolio (e.g., because it was creative, different, the best work done so far,artistic, personal, exciting, funny).

Ask students to indicate with a show of hands the top ten reasons forincluding a particular sample. Fill these in on Worksheet 1 to create amaster sheet and then duplicate a dozen or so copies for each student toattach to every piece of work in his or her portfolio.

� Indicate to students that in future when they choose a sample for theirportfolios, you want them to attach a copy of Worksheet 1 to it to indicateto you, their parents, or anyone else looking at their work the reasons fortheir selections. Help them understand that it is important for boththemselves and others to be clear on their reasons for including somethingin their portfolios.

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Have students each choose a sample from their portfolios and complete acopy of the worksheet to demonstrate that they know what to do. Clarifythe instructions for completing the worksheet:

• Students are to check the box beside each reason for their choice. Theymay check more than one box if they have more than one reason.

• Students are then to write one or two sentences in the blank space onthe worksheet to expand on the reasons for the inclusion.

If you think that some students will have difficulty with this activity, havethem work in pairs and help each other select reasons. If they need helpfrom adults or older students, schedule reflection and review times whenparent volunteers or older buddies are available to help them.

Incorporate students’ reasons for selecting samples of their work intoresponse sheets and send these home with the portfolios. Ask parents tonotice the growth and development indicated by specific samples.

All subjects. The portfolio is an ideal way of building students’ self-esteemand sharing with parents their children’s developmental progress. As noted inLesson 10, it would be effective to design a portfolio that is organized intodifferent curricular areas so that a complete collection of student work acrossthe curriculum can be gathered.

Ask students to record their thoughts on the easiest and the hardest aspects ofselecting samples. Look for evidence that they can provide a rationale foreach of their selections. Confer with students who are having difficulty withthe concept.

Increasing independent student use of the recording form is an indicator of itseffectiveness. If students continually seek assistance, review the form and tryto improve it.

This lesson is based on information adapted from pp. 48–49 of Student Self Assessment from the Ministry ofEducation Assessment Handbook Series (XX0249) (Victoria: Province of British Columbia, 1994)

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11. WHY DO I WANT TO INCLUDE THIS IN MY PORTFOLIO?

WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

MY REASONS FOR INCLUDING THIS IN MY PORTFOLIO

Tick the box beside each reason why you want to include this item in your portfolio. Then write asentence to explain why.

❏ 1.

❏ 2.

❏ 3.

❏ 4.

❏ 5.

❏ 6.

❏ 7.

❏ 8.

❏ 9.

❏ 10.

I included this because

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The Planning Process (Collecting Information)Personal Development ( Mental Well-being)

Students develop their vocabulary to help them better express their feelings.This lesson will take about one class session to complete.


• use vocabulary related to the expression of feelings

• identify feelings in themselves and others

• name feelings that are expressed in non-verbal ways

• demonstrate that they understand their emotions

• recognize emotional complexity, in preparation for building andmaintaining relationships with others

• a number of index cards

• overhead projector and transparency (optional)

� On the chalkboard or an overhead transparency, list the words glad, mad,and sad and cover them up so students cannot see them. Ask students towrite on a piece of paper three words that describe feelings. Have themcompare their lists. Tally how many had each of the words you listed onthe chalkboard or on the overhead transparency. Ask students to speculateon why these three words are used so frequently.

Inform students that few people possess a highly developed vocabulary todescribe feelings. Ask them to think about the reasons for this. Point outthat many people dislike discussing their feelings and thus have notdeveloped language to do so. Explain that, as a consequence, it is difficultfor many people even to express feelings clearly to themselves.

Point out that to know ourselves and others well, we need to learn thewords that describe our feelings. Write on the chalkboard “Naming ispower,” and help students define power, being sure to include bothpositive and negative attributes in the definition. Relate this to the powerwe have when we are able to express our feelings.

� Have students fold a sheet of paper into three vertical columns and writesad, mad, and glad as headings at the top of each column. Ask them to

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generate as many synonyms as possible for each of these headings (e.g.,for glad they might list pleased, delighted, exuberant, enthusiastic, and soon).

Have students share their words. Weed out inappropriate examples, suchas weird for bad, because it diffuses rather than enhances meaning.Similarly, nice does not really suggest much. Be careful also todistinguish between feelings that are emotions and those that are physicalsensations; for example, tired does not mean sad.

� Create a class word bank in a visible location. Give index cards tostudents as they correctly name a feeling for one of the headings, andhave each of these students print his or her word on a card. Later, fileeach of the cards under the appropriate category.

� Have students play a game of charades using the word cards created inthe last activity. Divide the class into four to six small groups and giveeach group a card with a feeling written on it. Ask the students in eachgroup to decide co-operatively how they will act out the feeling. It is thenthe task of the other groups to guess which feeling is being acted out.

Keep score of the correct guesses for each group. Use every opportunityto discuss the meanings of the words with students and ensure that theyaccurately represent how it might look if someone were experiencing thefeeling being acted out.

Play this kind of charades frequently as a short warm-up activity or as abreak between lessons. Have students refer to their personal dictionaries(see below) or the wall log for ideas and words to act out.

� Have students begin a personal Feelings Dictionary by listing the wordsthey have developed under the glad-mad-sad headings. Beside each word,have them include the meaning or use the word in a sentence.

� Create an A to Z chart around the room and continue to add words forfeelings under each letter.

� Choose a letter of the week and have students enter appropriate feelingswords from their reading or from other sources. Be sure to take the timeto define these words and have students use them in context.

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Have students take home their lists of feelings words. Ask them to expand thelist with the help of their families, friends, or individuals from thecommunity.

Have students take their Feelings Dictionaries home and add to them, perhapsa word a night. The emphasis should be placed on understanding the words,rather than filling the pages.

Language Arts. Have students screen a piece of literature for words thatdescribe emotions. Have them compare these words with the ones the classhas already identified. How many of them describe the same emotion (e.g.,furious, outraged, frustrated)?

Note which students are particularly adept at expressing their feelings andinferring feelings from non-verbal cues and which ones seem to havedifficulty. Provide opportunities for modelling and discussion to increase theperceptions of students who have trouble expressing their feelings andreading non-verbal cues.

In evaluating students’ work, look for evidence that they are beginning tounderstand their emotions and are becoming more comfortable in predictingand managing them.

ASSESSMENT


CROSS-CURRICULAR

CONNECTIONS

37

CURRICULUM

ORGANIZERS


In the first part of this lesson, students examine their impulses, noting thatindividuals often react differently to the same situation. In the second part ofthe lesson, students examine their “anger buttons,” the things that make themangry. This lesson will require about two hours of class time to complete.


• use words to precisely describe feelings

• identify their own anger triggers (“buttons”)

• distinguish among impulses, feelings, and actions

• demonstrate a sense of personal responsibility for their anger, and foractions and feelings resulting from anger

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: Feelings Statements

• one copy per student of Worksheet 2: Identifying Emotions and Impulses

• one copy per student of Worksheet 3: My Anger Buttons

• sticky notes

� Give students each a copy of Worksheet 1 and ask each to write a singleword in response to each of the ten statements. You might complete thefirst one as an example.

Have students share their responses with partners, discussing the reasonsfor any to which they responded differently from their partner. Then havestudents discuss their responses with the whole class. Emphasize the factthat people often have different responses to similar situations and thatthis is not only usual, but acceptable.

Help students continue to develop their “feelings vocabularies” by askingthem to be more precise about their feelings. For example:

• When you said you felt bad, what else did you feel?

• Was this bad feeling based on embarrassment? Jealousy? [Or ...?]

Note: Children need help moving beyond their overused labels forfeelings (e.g., weird, cool). They will also continue to need helpdistinguishing between physical sensations (e.g., hunger, fatigue) andemotions.

2. FEELINGS, IMPULSES, ACTIONS, AND ANGER BUTTONS

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Part 1: Identifying Negative Impulses� Introduce the activity by sharing a situation of your own in which you had

a negative impulse that you did not act on. In this way, you give students“permission” to be candid about their own feelings and impulses.Alternatively, use an example from the engagement activity and havestudents explain what they might have felt like doing but would notactually do in that situation. For example, “When I opened my backpackin school and found that my juice had leaked all over my books, I feltfurious and wanted to scream.”

Give students each a copy of Worksheet 2 and have them complete thestatements at the end of the scenarios by stating their feelings (emotions)and adding what they would feel like doing (impulses).

Without having them describe their impulses out loud, ask students toconsider what might happen if they acted on their impulses. What effectmight this have on them? On others? On their relationships in the shortterm? In the long term?

Make sure that students understand that everyone has negative impulsesand feelings, but that everyone has a choice about how to deal with them.Point out that in the very short term it might feel good to act on yournegative impulses; however, most people very quickly regret having actedimpulsively.

Part 2: Anger Buttons

Note: The activity in Part 2 is adapted from Peer Conflict Resolution Through Creative Negotiation by SandyKalmakoff and Jeanne Shaw in School Peacemakers Education Project: A Curriculum for Grades 4 to 6 (Burnaby,B.C.: British Columbia Teachers’ Federation, 1988).

� Ask students if any of the scenarios really “pushed their buttons” (i.e.,made them angry or upset). Clarify what is meant by “pushing yourbuttons” and establish that we all have buttons, or triggers (i.e., things thatcause us to get angry almost immediately).

Give students each a copy of Worksheet 3 and have them label the buttonswith the things that really irritate them. Ask each student to choose thebutton that irritates him or her the most, write it on a removable self-sticknote, and attach it to his or her clothes. Have students circulate, readingeach other’s anger buttons and looking for those that are similar to theirown.

ACTIVITIES

39

Discuss with students their responses to this activity. Ask them:

• How did you feel doing the activity?

• Do you think that being aware of your own anger buttons will help youcontrol your temper?

• What did it feel like to wear your button?

• How similar and different were your anger buttons to those of otherstudents?

Establish the fact that everyone has anger buttons, even though we maychoose to respond to them differently. Help students realize that the pointof the exercise is to help them develop a greater awareness of their ownand others’ anger. Explain that this will help them make more deliberatechoices. If people can predict how they will feel in a given situation, theycan plan for it and not become as upset when it occurs. Highlight that it isoften appropriate to be angry but that it is not appropriate to actimpulsively.

� Have students write their own what-if scenarios and have other classmembers complete them. They might use charts divided into threevertical columns with the headings Feelings, Impulses, and Actions. Theycould then respond to the scenarios by identifying the feelings, impulses(“what I felt like doing but did not”), and actions (“what I did or wouldhave done”).

Ask students each to choose three role models (from their community, athome, or in school) and have each of them identify their anger buttons. Thisexercise is particularly useful in families, because it helps create anawareness of each other’s sensitivities.

Language Arts/Social Studies. Have students identify fictional or historicalfigures and analyse the part that feelings played in these people’s lives or inwhat we have been told about their lives.

Have students return to the three scenarios in which they identified theirimpulses. Ask each student to choose one and add what he or she could do toresolve the issue instead of acting on impulse. In assessing students’ work,look to see that the alternatives they suggest are not simply other impulses;the actions students describe should not hurt others or themselves. Watch forevidence of a growing sense of personal responsibility.

2. FEELINGS, IMPULSES, ACTIONS,AND ANGER BUTTONS

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ASSESSMENT

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WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

1. When we are assigned homework on a Friday, I feel __________________ .

2. When I start to get dressed in the morning and find out that my favourite T-shirt

has shrunk, I feel __________________ .

3. When I go into my desk at school and everything falls on the floor, I feel

__________________ .

4. When I get up in the morning and discover that my alarm didn’t go off and I’m

an hour late, I feel __________________ .

5. When my teacher says that there has been a malfunction in the heating system

in the school and all students will have to go home until further notice, I feel

__________________ .

6. When I get back the test in mathematics that I was really worried about and

discover that I’ve received one of the highest marks I’ve ever been given, I feel

__________________ .

7. When my brother or sister gets to do something that I would never have been

allowed to do at his or her age, I feel __________________ .

8. When I try to do some questions in mathematics that I know I used to be able

to do, but for some reason just can’t figure out, I feel __________________ .

9. When I get my hair cut and it looks really awful, I feel __________________ .

10. When I overhear someone telling someone else about what a great job I’ve

done, I feel __________________ .

FEELINGS STATEMENTS

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WORKSHEET 2

Name

Date

IDENTIFYING EMOTIONS AND IMPULSES

1. You lend your new pants to your friend. You feel nervous about it because they

cost a lot of money and they are your best pair. Your friend needs them for a very

special occasion and promises to take perfect care of them. When you get them

back, one leg is torn. You feel ______________________ and you feel

like ____________________________________________ .

2. You’re putting the finishing touches on a large and detailed map that you have

been working on for a social studies project. You are feeling pretty good about

how it has turned out and think this could be your highest mark yet. All of a

sudden, Chris comes running by, knocking over a jar of paint that spills all over

your map. The project is ruined. You feel ______________________

and you feel like __________________________________________.

3. You have been looking forward all week to going to a movie with your best

friend. She is coming by your house to meet you at 6:00 p.m. She doesn’t

show up. You wait until 6:30 p.m. and decide to call her house. Her mother tells

you that she left with a bunch of kids an hour ago and that they were going

skating. You feel ______________________ and you feel like

______________________________________________________ .

(emotion)

(impulse)

(emotion)

(impulse)

(emotion)

(impulse)

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WORKSHEET 3

Name

Date

MY ANGER BUTTONS

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3. ANGER MOUNTAIN

Personal Development (Mental Well-being)

Students examine what happens to them when they are angry, comparing theirrising anger to climbing a mountain. This lesson should take about one classsession to complete.


• describe the relationship between anger and judgment

• recognize that anger in itself is not bad

• identify interventions and the points at which these are effective in defusingtheir own anger

• accept personal responsibility for the way in which they deal with theiranger

� Ask students to think of times when they were very angry. Ask them tofocus on what it felt like and what parts of their bodies signalled thisanger (e.g., set jaw, clenched fist, rapid heartbeat). Then ask them to drawpictures illustrating how they felt. Display and discuss students’ drawings.

Suggest to students that anger in itself is not bad, but the way it is dealtwith is often bad. You might tell students about social activists who usedtheir anger over some injustice in our society to work to make changes toimprove things (e.g., Emily Murphy and the Persons Case, or blacks in theUnited States and the civil rights movement) as examples of positive waysof dealing with anger.

Note: The following activity is adapted from Peer Conflict Resolution Through Creative Negotiation bySandy Kalmakoff and Jeanne Shaw in School Peacemakers Education Project: A Curriculum for Grades 4 to 6(Burnaby, B.C.: British Columbia Teachers’ Federation, 1988).

� Introduce students to the idea of the Anger Mountain, which you canrepresent as a simple bell curve. Explain that this is one way to portrayanger. Ask students to link what they know of anger and the mountainmetaphor, making sure that they include the following:

• Whenever people get angry, they always start from neutral.

• There is always a period of escalation and de-escalation, of build-up andlet-down.

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• At the peak, there may be an explosion as with a volcano, where theanger is expressed as an outburst, or there may be an implosion wherethe anger goes inside and is felt as inner turmoil or rage.

Explain that the length of time it takes an individual to climb AngerMountain varies from person to person and from situation to situation.Some people seem to go from neutral to explosion in milliseconds, whileothers let things fester over a long period of time and slowly climb themountain. In either case, coming down the other side of the mountain—the let-down—is usually quite speedy. (Note: This may not be true withimplosion, where buried anger may continue to smoulder.)

Draw an upside-down bell curve and explain that while a person’s angeris rising, his or her judgment or ability to think clearly is diminishing at acorresponding rate. Explain that people sometimes say or do things theyregret when they are angry, and that the damage that is caused by anangry explosion may never be repaired. Ask students to share their ownexperiences with the class.

Point out the following:

• Even though anger is a powerful emotion that impairs thinking, peopledo have some control and choice in how they deal with their own anger.

• If people can recognize when they are beginning to get angry (i.e.,when they are a short distance up the mountain), they can often useanger management strategies to cool down. Ask students to suggestsome cool-down strategies. You might suggest the following as starters:

- taking at least three deep breaths

- counting backwards from 10

- imagining a peaceful place

- using positive self talk (e.g., “I can handle this” or “I can be cool”)

Positive self talk is based on a strategy for controlling anger that was developed by the Committee for Children(2203 Airport Way S., Suite 500, Seattle, Washington, 98134–2027) and presented in the Second Stepprogram.

Explain that people who are unable to cool down reach the peak of AngerMountain. Ask students what they must be careful of doing or not doingwhen they reach the peak of the mountain (e.g., just walking away andbeing alone, not making any decisions, not threatening any actions).

45

Ask students to suggest ways in which people can explode that are safefor themselves and others (e.g., punching pillows, screaming into apillow, writing a letter and throwing it away). Point out the importance ofplanning: students will need to set up a plan for managing their anger thatinvolves the people they live with so that they do not alarm anyone withtheir responses or invite more problems.

Have students set up their own anger management plans. Ask them to talk totheir parents about how they can be angry at home in ways that do not harmothers. Have them write out their plans and bring them back to school. Youmay wish to send a note home to parents to explain the assignment.

Language Arts. Have students create an anger mountain graph and plot eventsin a story as they escalate or de-escalate. Have them identify whether theconflict explodes or implodes and what result this has.

Have students draw a picture of Anger Mountain and draw a line on it toindicate the point at which they think they would be effective in using cool-down strategies. Have students list the strategies they will use at this pointeither below or beside their drawings. Use your knowledge of students todetermine the accuracy of their self-assessment in this regard.

Have students keep their representations as part of their personal planningportfolios or learning logs. Have them review their “mountains” and theiranger management plans from time to time, to reflect on how well their plansare working and to make any adjustments that might help.

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3. ANGER MOUNTAIN

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Students examine how your point of view can dramatically affect yourperception of the world. This lesson, the first of two on point of view, willrequire about one class session to complete, but could easily be extended byusing additional examples to reinforce the concept.


• show that they recognize that each person’s particular combination ofexperiences, qualities, values, and interests give him or her a unique frameof reference or point of view

• enough cards so that half the class receive A cards, on which “You are anant crawling on the riverbank” is written, and the other half receive B cards,on which “You are a pilot flying in a low-flying airplane” is written

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: Circle Frame Map

� Have students work in pairs and designate one student in each pair A andthe other B. Explain that you will give them cards that indicate a role theyare to play in the activity. Emphasize that each partner will have adifferent role and that each should keep his or her instructions secret.

Distribute the cards and ask students to think about their assigned roles.Ask them to imagine, in role, that they are watching a bear catching fishin a river. Ask students each to jot down as many words as possible todescribe the scene from the point of view they have been given. Remindthem not to discuss their roles with their partners.

Have students share their lists of words with their partners without tellingwhat role they were given. Ask them to talk about what they notice aboutthe two lists.

� Reconvene the class to share observations. Elicit lists of words from boththe As and the Bs without divulging their roles. Write the responses forthe pilot on one web diagram on the chalkboard and the responses for theant on another. Extend the discussion to consider the similarities,differences, and the reasons for each. Ask the As to guess the B role andvice versa. Then have someone read each of the cards to establish the twodifferent roles and therefore different points of view.

FOCUS

4. POINT OF VIEW (PART 1)

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Explain that a circle frame map is used to define things in context.Words, numbers, pictures, or symbols of the “thing” being defined areplaced in the inner circle. Things about the viewer that cause him or herto see or define the “thing” in this way are placed in the outer circle.These include vantage point, prior experiences, cultural influences,beliefs, values, and so on. This is the frame of reference through whichthe viewer makes sense of the world.

Isolate the most contrasting qualities of the two viewpoints (e.g., size:tiny, huge). Then use a circle frame map to represent one viewpoint, say,the ant’s. Write the descriptive words from the ant’s list in a small circleon the chalkboard. Draw a bigger circle around the first circle. Ask: Whatis it about the ant that causes it to see the bear in this way? Writestudents’ suggestions within the frame. Establish that these attributesprovide the ant with a frame of reference that determines how it sees thebear—its point of view. Review the following definitions with students:

• Point of view. How each person sees and understands the world relativeto his or her own vantage point. It can be used more broadly to meanframe of reference.

• Frame of reference. How each person sees and understands the worldbased on all those things that shape his or her perception: his or hervantage point, personal characteristics, beliefs, values, life experiences,and so on. Frame of reference is often used interchangeably with pointof view.

Distribute copies of Worksheet 1 and ask students to put “bear” in thecentre circle and work independently to complete their circle frames forthe viewer’s (ant or pilot) point of view. Ask: What is it about the pilotthat causes him or her to see the bear in this way? Have students sharetheir responses with the class and ask them to consider which descriptionis more accurate, the ant’s or the pilot’s. Encourage them to recognizethat both are accurate: what a person sees or perceives depends on his orher point of view and frame of reference.

Have students survey a local newspaper or magazine to identify a situation inwhich two people have obviously different viewpoints. Have students workin pairs and have each partner write a paragraph from the point of view ofone of the characters in the article describing how that person sees the issue.


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ASSESSMENT


Have each set of partners pair up with another pair. Ask each set of partnersin each foursome to critique the paragraph written by the other pair. If thecharacters’ viewpoints are well described, both viewpoints should beconsidered accurate.

Language Arts. Have students extend their understanding of point of viewand frame of reference through a debating activity.

Ask students to respond to the following PLUQ questions in their journals orlearning logs:

P What was the point of this exercise?

L What link do you see to your life?

U What use can you make of this in your life?

Q What questions do you have?

Review the journal entries to assess students’ understanding of point of viewand frame of reference. Look for evidence that they are learning to lookbeyond first impressions and are more realistic in their judgments ofthemselves and of others.

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WORKSHEET 1

CIRCLE FRAME MAP

Name

Date

In the inner circle, use words, numbers, pictures, or symbols of whatever is being defined.

In the outer circle, use words to describe things about the viewer who is doing the defining—his or herframe of reference (e.g., his or her vantage point, personal characteristics, prior experiences, culturalinfluences, beliefs, values, and so on).

50

ACTIVITIES TO

ENGAGE LEARNERS



Using their understanding of point of view and frame of reference, studentsexamine how different people may see the same person, thing, or issue incompletely different ways, and understand that this is acceptable. This lesson,the second of two on point of view, will require about one class session tocomplete.


• identify how each person’s particular combination of experiences, qualities,values, and interests give him or her a unique frame of reference or point ofview

• apply the concepts of point of view and frame of reference to their everydaylives

• one copy per student plus three additional copies of Worksheet 1: CharacterProfile Sheet

• five copies of Worksheet 1 from Lesson 4 (circle frame map) with“Goldilocks” written in the centre circles

� Review students’ understanding about how each person’s point of viewdetermines the way he or she sees things. Ask them to recall the differentdescriptions of the bear by the ant and the pilot in Lesson 4 and explainthat in this lesson point of view is explored using the story “Goldilocksand the Three Bears.” Stress the importance of realizing whose point ofview students are taking and encourage them to shift their point of viewfrom time to time during the lesson.

Divide the class into five groups and designate roles to each group asfollows:

• Group 1: Baby Bear• Group 2: Mama Bear• Group 3: Papa Bear• Group 4: Goldilocks• Group 5: Goldilocks’s Mother

Give each group a copy of Worksheet 1 and review the headings to ensurethat students understand them. Ask the groups to describe the characters

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that they have been assigned, using Worksheet 1. Encourage students toguess in cases when they may not have concrete information. Forexample, the approximate age of Baby Bear is probably between twoand five years, because he walks and talks but does not yet go to school.Have the groups share their profiles with the class once they havecompleted them.

Note: If you feel that students need additional support and direction, dothis as a whole group activity. Alternatively, choose another familiarcharacter, such as Cinderella, and describe her, using the worksheet as amodel, before proceeding with the group work activity.

� Have students return to their five groups and give each group a copy ofthe circle frame map (Worksheet 1 from Lesson 4) with “Goldilocks”written in the centre. Designate a recorder in each group to write in theouter circle as the group brainstorms the characteristics of Goldilocksfrom the point of view of the character the group has been assigned.

Have each group present its completed circle frame map to the class.Ask students to identify similarities and differences among the charts.Discuss why different groups focused on different characteristics.Emphasize how the differences result from differences in perspective.For example, Mama Bear might view Goldilocks as threatening oraggressive because she broke her chair, while Baby Bear might view heras a potential playmate because he is lonely. Frequently link thequalities of the character who is making the observations to the wayGoldilocks is perceived by asking: What is it about the observer thatcauses him or her to see Goldilocks in this way?

� Have students individually draw pictures of Goldilocks from the pointof view of one of the characters used in the lesson. Help themunderstand that how Goldilocks is portrayed depends, in part, on howshe is perceived. For example, she might look menacing to Mama Bear,but friendly to Baby Bear.

Have students brainstorm a list of well-known role models who might beseen in different ways by different people. Have the class select one fromthe list and assign students to interview three people who differ by suchfactors as age, gender, or job. Have them record the perceptions that each ofthese interviewees had of the well-known role model, once again usingWorksheet 1.


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Have the class discuss the similarities and differences among the descriptionsof the role model by the three people interviewed. Continue to have studentsidentify the connection between a person’s perception and his or herparticular point of view. You may wish to use the circle frame map on a chartor overhead transparency to illustrate one or more examples provided bystudents.

The following pieces of literature lend themselves to extending the ideas inthis lesson:

• The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf as told to John Scieszka(New York: Scholastic, 1989). The familiar story is told from the wolf’spoint of view. Students can complete circle frame maps for the points ofview of both the wolf in this version of the story and the pigs in the originalversion. Repeated practice will help students understand the subtle conceptof point of view.

• The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume (Scarsdale, N.Y.: BradburyPress, 1974). Point of view is reversed part way through this story. Thesibling who described her brother as “the pain” and herself as “the greatone” becomes “the pain” as described by her brother, who sees himself as“the great one.”

• Meanwhile Back at the Ranch by T. Noble (New York: Dial Books, 1987).This picture book alternates between two characters with very differentpoints of view about life on the ranch.

Ask each student to write about or illustrate a situation in which he or sheand a friend or family member had a different impression or view ofsomeone. Have them make a list of possible reasons why their perceptionsdiffered. Look for evidence that students are independently able to recognizehow and why people’s perceptions differ. (Note: You may prefer to havestudents use a literary rather than a personal situation for this activity.)


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WORKSHEET 1

CHARACTER PROFILE SHEET

Name

Date

Character’s name and approximate age:

Physical characteristics:

Emotional characteristics:

Life experiences:

Skills:

Behaviours:

Beliefs:

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The Planning Process (Collecting Information)Personal Development (Mental Well-being)Career Development (Career Preparation)

Students identify their individual skills and abilities and, in so doing, increasetheir self-esteem and knowledge of themselves. This lesson can be completedin one class session or less.


• demonstrate confidence in their innate abilities by identifying and developingtheir sense of self

• describe their skills and abilities as well as make positive statements aboutthemselves and their areas of strength

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: Personal Inventory

� Write “Skills” and “Abilities” on the chalkboard and have students sharewith partners what they think the words mean. After a few minutes, askthree or four students to share their thinking with the whole class. Underthe words “skills” and “abilities” write the different definitions studentscome up with.

� Point out that every person has his or her own skills and abilities, whichvary from those of others. Ask students what kinds of skills and abilitiespeople their age tend to have. Ask them to brainstorm things that they dowell, recording these on the chalkboard. Have students expand the list bythinking about various aspects of their lives (e.g., on the playground, athome, in the community, with friends, with family members, in sports, inthe arts).

� Have each student make a list of his or her own skills and abilities. Whilestudents work, move around the room and conference with individualstudents, helping them identify their skills and abilities (e.g., musicaltalent, athletic excellence, playing the piano, figure skating).

When they have completed their lists, ask each student to make a posterthat advertises his or her skills and abilities to the class. The poster shouldinclude:

• the student’s name and age

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• the student’s personal strengths

• things the student is good at

• jobs the student has done (e.g., baby-sitting, mowing the lawn)

Explain that the poster could be used like a résumé or an advertisement toconvince an employer to give the student a job or additionalresponsibility.

� Briefly discuss the idea that being able to identify your skills andabilities, attributes (personal qualities), interests, and experience is alifelong skill that will help students reach their goals in school andbeyond. Distribute copies of Worksheet 1 and have each student completeit. Then ask students to find partners and share their completedworksheets to compare the kinds of things each of them listed.

Have students share the posters they created in the first activity with twopeople in their homes or in the community.

Language Arts. Have students choose a character from a familiar novel orshort story, identify the character’s skills and abilities, and make a posteradvertising them to the class.

All subject areas. This lesson can be used to help students identify their skillsand abilities in any subject area. Students might be asked to identify theirskills and abilities at the start of a new term, and this list could then be storedin students’ portfolios. The lesson could be repeated at the end of the term todemonstrate to students the growth that has occurred.

You may wish to record your observations and insights about some studentsfor future reference. Look for evidence that they are able to identify and talkabout their own skills and abilities and that they show respect for and valuethe skills and abilities of others.

Have students use a journal, learning log, or a sheet of paper to respond to thefollowing:

• What did you notice or learn about yourself?

• What new abilities or skills did you discover?

• What skills would you like to develop in the future?

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15. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

Attributes (Personal Qualities)

Interests Experience

Skills and Abilities

PERSONAL INVENTORY

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The Planning Process (Collecting Information)Personal Development (Mental Well-being)Career Development (Career Preparation)

Students communicate their interests and hobbies through journal writing,interviews, and group discussions. In so doing, they relate their interests andhobbies to current and future needs, including how they might be useful to acareer. This lesson might best be presented in two short class sessions.


• identify their personal interests and hobbies

• make connections between interests and hobbies and setting goals for thefuture

• demonstrate questioning and interviewing skills

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: Interview Worksheet

• one copy per student of Worksheet 2: Self-Assessment

� Write “Interests” and “Hobbies” on the chalkboard. Ask students, workingin pairs, to think about what these words refer to and then turn to theirpartners to discuss them. Ask three or four students to share their ideaswith the class. Write down a number of definitions students propose forinterests and hobbies. Then have students brainstorm a list of interests andhobbies that many people their age have.

� Have students discuss the following questions in small groups and appointone member of each group to record the group’s ideas on a sheet of chartpaper:

• What is an interest? A hobby?

• How do people acquire interests and hobbies?

• Why is having interests and hobbies a good idea?

• What adults do you know who have special interests or hobbies?

• What are some adult interests and hobbies?

Have the group reporters share their groups’ responses with the class. Thenask students to identify similarities and differences in the groups’ thinking.

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� Have each group of students create a list of four or five questions that theycould use to interview an adult about his or her interests or hobbies.Alternatively, they could use the questions provided on Worksheet 1.Have students set up role-play situations in their groups to practiseinterviewing, using their own interview questions or those on Worksheet 1.

Have students brainstorm a list of people at home or in the community whomthey might approach to interview. Then have each of them interview someonein the home or community about their interests using Worksheet 1. Ask eachof them to explain on the back of the worksheet why he or she chose tointerview that person. Arrange a time for students to share their findings inclass.

Note: Be sure to emphasize the safety issue connected with approachingsomeone for an interview. Suggest that students check with their parents tomake sure their choices are acceptable.

Social Studies. Have students each choose a hobby or activity that intereststhem, consider ways to access information about it, gather the information,and choose a way to share their findings in class.

Ask students to write (in their journals, logs, or on sheets of paper) aboutinterests they have and things they enjoy doing. The questions on Worksheet 2have been included to provide students with help.

While students work on this, move about the room and conference with them,helping them identify their personal plans for exploring their interests. Inassessing their work, look for evidence that students are becomingincreasingly realistic about their own attributes and characteristics. Alsowatch for their acceptance that it is appropriate, even for close friends, tohave somewhat different interests.

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7. THINGS WE ENJOY

WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

INTERVIEW WORKSHEET

1. What are your special interests and hobbies?

2. How did you get started with each?

3. Why do you think people have special interests and hobbies?

4. Do you use any of your special interests and hobbies in your job? Do you know anyone who does?

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7. THINGS WE ENJOY

WORKSHEET 2

Name

Date

SELF-ASSESSMENT

1. What things do you enjoy doing?

2. What do you think you might enjoy?

3. How might you gather more information about that new thing you would like to try or to learn moreabout?

4. Who do you know who has a similar interest or hobby?

5. How do your interests and hobbies differ from those of your friends?

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8. A SKILLS CHECK-UP

The Planning Process (Collecting Information)Personal Development (Mental Well-being)Career Development (Career Awareness, Career Preparation)

Students assess some of their learning, organizational, and interpersonalskills and identify other skills that they wish to develop. This lesson requiresabout one class session to complete.


• create personal profiles of their learning, organizational, and interpersonalskills

• identify skills that need further development

• appreciate that acquiring quality learning skills is a long-term task that willhave a direct impact on their future lives

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: A Skills Check-up

• a set of sticky notes

� Distribute copies of Worksheet 1 to the class and discuss each category ofskills with students. Ask them to identify any skills that they feel do notapply to them, as well as skills not included on the sheet that they wouldlike to add to the list. Have students add these skills using the blank lineson the worksheet.

Have students form pairs, and give a sticky note to each student. Studentsshould then refer to Worksheet 1 and identify a skill that their partner hasrecently used effectively. They should not share their answer with theirpartner.

When students have selected a skill their partner has used effectively,they should record the skill on the sticky notepaper and place the paperon their partner’s back.

Students then ask questions in an attempt to identify the skill selected bytheir partners. Students may refer to the list but cannot ask directquestions (i.e., what category is the skill in?). Both partners should begiven several opportunties to guess which skill their partner hasidentified.

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When the process is completed, have the class discuss the kinds ofquestions that were required to avoid asking direct question. Discuss thestrategies that some pairs used in an attempt to solve the puzzle quickly.

Ask each student to think about the skill selected by their partner. Why didtheir partner choose that particular skill? Have them share their thoughtswith their partners, so that partners can either agree with their assessmentor explain why they actually selected the skill. Encourage students to sharethe results of their conversation in a class discussion.

� Draw students’ attention to the “Already Good” and “Needs Some Work”headings on Worksheet 1. Share a skill that you have been developing forseveral years and that you would categorize as “Needs Some Work”because you have more to learn. For example, you might be learning toplay the piano, ski, or paint. Give students an example of a skill youbelieve you have now (“Already Good”). Then ask students to give youexamples of skills they feel they have now and others that are still to bedeveloped.

Give students time to complete Worksheet 1, including the “I am going towork on” section at the end of the worksheet. Ensure that the statementsand checklists become part of students’ portfolios for future reference.

Ask the class to consider what happens when a skill is not mastered.Discuss:

• strategies to develop skills further

• the importance of establishing new levels of competence, attemptingskills at new levels, and trying skills in new situations

Help students select a role model they collectively believe to be a competentstudent (this can be a child or an adult). Invite this person to share his or herideas about important organizational, interpersonal, and learning skills withthe class. Have students develop a series of questions to ask the guest aboutthose skills that are important to his or her success.

Ask an athlete or musician to discuss with the class how he or she hasdeveloped his or her skills over many years of practice and what happenswhen a skill is not continually used.

Invite a role model from the community to talk about a skill he or she learnedas a child that is now an important part of his or her working life. For

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example, “Learning to make decisions about what to do helped me to startmy own business rather than working for someone else.”

All subject areas. To encourage students to review key concepts, ask them,for example, to develop a list of what they think are the skills necessary tosolve a mathematics problem, conduct a science experiment, or write adescriptive paragraph. Once they have developed their lists, have themdemonstrate to a partner that they have mastered the skill and include that intheir “Already Good” columns. At the end of the activity, they should be ableto decide what skills require further attention or perhaps which skills aremissing (“Needs Some Work”).

Conference with students during this activity to help them use the self-assessment worksheet to identify skills that require more development, topraise their successes, and to suggest new strategies to help them understandthemselves. The checklist and the activity can form the basis of a self-evaluation, a report to parents by the student, or the focus of a parent-student-teacher interview. Each student could also discuss the results of his or herself-assessment with a trusted friend to learn more about themselves.


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WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

A SKILLS CHECK-UP

Already Good Needs Some WorkMy learning skills:

I ask for help. ______ ______I listen carefully. ______ ______I follow instructions. ______ ______I contribute to discussions. ______ ______I ask questions. ______ ______I make connections. ______ ______I make decisions about what to do. ______ ______I set goals for myself. ______ ______I make corrections. ______ ______

My organizational skills:

I keep track of my assignments. ______ ______I use timetables or calendars. ______ ______I bring materials I need to class. ______ ______I complete assignments. ______ ______I have an organized desk (or locker). ______ ______I always know what to do next.

My interpersonal skills:

I say thank you. ______ ______I offer to help friends and adults. ______ ______I ignore distractions. ______ ______I compliment others. ______ ______I help the efforts of the group. ______ ______

I am going to work on:

Adapted from Skillstreaming in the Elementary School Child: A Guide for Teaching Prosocial Skills by Ellen McGinnis and Arnold P. Goldstein(Champaign, Ill.: Research Press Company, 1984).

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The Planning Process (Collecting Information)Career Development (Career Awareness, Career Exploration)

Students examine the characteristics of positive role models and identifyindividuals that have been or are currently role models for them. Thislesson will take at least one class period to complete.


• use the concept of the role model

• define the term positive role model

• identify examples of positive role models for their age group

• names or pictures of role models popular with your class’s age group

• chalkboard, overhead projector and transparency, or flip chart

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: Student Questionnaire—RoleModels

• one copy per student of Worksheet 2: Webbing Attributes and Skills

� Display the names and pictures of three to five role models who arecurrently popular with the age group of your students (e.g., athletes,entertainers, politicians, the school principal, a fictional character). Tryto include people of different genders, age groups, and occupations.

Ask students what these people have in common. Students’ responseswill probably describe some of the characteristics of role models.Introduce the term positive role model if it has not been suggested. Askstudents to explain what a positive role model is and to volunteerdefinitions. (One definition: an individual who, while perhaps notwidely admired or well known, embodies one or more desirablequalities that we can identify with and imagine developing withinourselves.) Print these on an overhead transparency, the chalkboard, orchart paper for later reference.

� Have students work in pairs to complete Worksheet 1 co-operatively.When they have finished, ask each pair to join with another pair tocompare answers and to try to reach agreement on each point. Ask eachgroup of four to choose a reporter to report the group response to eachquestion to the class.

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� Have the class brainstorm places and sources where students can find rolemodels. The list might include such categories as the home, television,sports, entertainment, specific occupations. Assign one of thesecategories of role models to each of the groups of four (or have eachgroup choose a category) and have each group of students brainstorm,and reach agreement on, a list of positive role models within theircategory. Remind them to write down the criteria they used to judge theirchoices and to be prepared to justify their choices based on these criteria.

Note that this activity will be most successful if students have had someexperience with decision-making and problem-solving processes.

Have the groups use Worksheet 2 to record their information. The nameof the category goes in the large circle, the names of specific role modelsin this category go in the smaller circles around it, and the attributes(inherent characteristics or qualities) or skills of the individuals chosen asrole models go on the small lines radiating out from their names. Askeach group member to initial a name he or she suggested.

Have each group choose a reporter to share one of the group’s rolemodels with the class. Emphasize attributes and skills that are mentionedagain and again and add any new ones to the list generated in the“Activities to Engage Learners” section. Ask each student to reflect onthe list and write (on a sheet of paper or in their journals) a one-linedefinition of the term positive role model and then complete thefollowing: “I used to think ..., but now I....”

� Have students identify a famous person they used to think was a positiverole model but have changed their mind about. Discuss their responses tothe following questions:

• Does a role model have only positive attributes or skills?

• Can we admire a single attribute in a person without admiring all his orher characteristics?

Ask students to provide examples and encourage them to use the attributewords listed on the chart or overhead.

Have students interview people of different ages at home, at school, or in thecommunity and record who they think of as their role models to determinetheir attributes and skills.

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Have students interview older people to determine the role models they havehad throughout their lives.

Ask each student to write a poem or a paragraph about someone who hasbeen a positive role model for him or her.

All subject areas. Ask students to focus on role models in your particularcurricular area. This will help them connect their learning in school with theroles of people in the community and around the world.

Review the group attribute and skills webs to assess the following:

• Were students able to identify some positive role models?

• Were students able to define their attributes and skills?

• Were students able to define the criteria on which they based theirdecisions?

Review the results of the home/community activity to assess whetherstudents understand the concept of role models in their lives.

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WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

Indicate if you agree (A) or disagree (D) with the following statements by circling your choice.

1. All role models are famous people. A D

2. Role models must be real people. A D

3. A person’s role models can change over time. A D

4. A role model may be a friend. A D

5. Role models can affect your behaviour positively or negatively. A D

6. A person may have more than one role model. A D

7. Role models must be your own age or older. A D

8. A role model can be anyone you admire. A D

9. People your age often choose role models based on skills or looks. A D

10. We are all role models. A D

Complete the following:

A role model is someone who

STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE—WHAT MAKES A ROLE MODEL?

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WORKSHEET 2

How did you choose your examples?

Name

Date

Place the category of role model in the large circle, the names of specific role models in this category inthe smaller circles, and the attributes or skills of these role models on the small lines radiating out fromthe names. Have each person in the group initial the names he or she suggests. Add more circles andlines as needed.

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Students identify the attributes and skills of role models from literature andrecord them on a T-chart. This lesson can be completed in one class session.


• identify and develop their sense of self by examining the positive attributesand skills of role models in literature

• identify and assess positive attributes and skills in themselves and others

• a class T-chart on an overhead transparency or chart paper

• a T-chart on chart paper for each group of three or four students

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: T-chart

� Choose a role model from literature to use as a focus, perhaps one from astory or a novel the class has studied. Remind students that role modelshave both positive and negative characteristics and that it will beimportant to distinguish between them, since the class will be focusingmainly on positive attributes and skills in this lesson.

Project a transparency of a large T-chart (see Worksheet 1) on an overheadprojector as a sample and ask students to draw T-charts in their thinkinglogs or language arts books.

Review the difference between attribute and skill:

• attribute: a quality or characteristic considered as belonging to a personor thing

• skill: an ability or technique gained by practice or knowledge

Ask students to list on their charts two or three positive attributes and twoor three skills that they feel this character exhibits.

� Have students form pairs. Ask them to think about the attributes and skillsthey have listed, share their choices with each other, and consider theevidence from the story that supports their choices. Have them underlinethose attributes and skills that both partners listed. Then have the pairsshare their findings with the whole class, starting with the attributes and

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skills that both students chose and the evidence from the story to supporttheir choices. Record their responses on a large T-chart, frequently askingstudents to confirm whether an idea should be recorded as a skill or anattribute.

� Divide the class into groups of three or four and designate (or have eachgroup choose) a recorder and a reporter for each group. Have each groupdecide on another role model from literature known to all of them. Giveeach group a large chart-paper T-chart and ask the recorders to write thename of the chosen character on the tops of the charts. Then havestudents repeat the activity just completed, brainstorming and recordingattributes and skills for the character.

Display the charts around the room and ask the reporters to explain thegroups’ charts. Encourage them to talk about how and why they madetheir choices.

� Ask students to begin T-charts identifying their own attributes and skills.Give them copies of Worksheet 1 to take home and suggest that they askfamily members or friends to help them complete the T-charts.

Have students complete a T-chart for each of their family members or rolemodels in the community and then compare and contrast their own chartswith those of the others. Ask them to document any findings to share with theclass.

Have students each select a high profile role model they know from theschool or the community and complete a T-chart for him or her. Have eachanalyse and describe how these attributes and skills have contributed to his orher role model’s success.

All subject areas. Have students use a T-chart to identify the attributes andskills of role models in any curricular area (e.g., mathematicians, scientists)in preparation for writing a character profile or biography. You may wish tohave students focus on people in the local community.

Review students’ T-charts on a regular basis and have students retain them intheir portfolios. The charts can be used for teacher-student or student-studentdialogue and assessment, as well as for further skills lessons in goal settingand personal planning.

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Have students each choose a role model from literature. Ask students to listany attributes and skills they share with the characters they choose and thenwrite or draw about a time when these attributes and skills have helped themor others. As you review their work, watch for students who have difficultycoming up with a set of shared attributes and skills. Discuss with thesestudents why they find the task challenging so that you can plan furtheractivities that will help them understand.

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WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

Character’s Name

SkillsAttributes

T-CHART

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11. ROLE MODELS: SOME ARE CALLED HEROES

The Planning Process (Collecting Information)

Students define what constitutes a hero, distinguish between heroes and rolemodels, and research individuals they consider their heroes to further developtheir understanding of the concept of heroism. This lesson will probably takemore than one class session to complete as students are asked to write anessay.


• explain their own definitions of a hero

• write essays about personal heroes

• follow and expand on a pattern for essay writing

• isolate qualities and characteristics of their heroes and explain why theyconsider these significant

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: Exploring the Concept of Heroism

• one copy per student of Worksheet 2: Introduce Me to Your Hero

• one copy per student of Information Sheet 1: The Nature of Heroes

� Distribute Worksheet 1 and have students form groups of four. Askstudents to spend 10 to 15 minutes exploring the concept of heroism byco-operatively filling out the worksheet. Ask each group to choose areporter to share the group’s findings with the class.

� Distribute a copy of Information Sheet 1: The Nature of Heroes to eachstudent. Have them read the essay alone or in their groups of four andthen decide whether Churchill is a hero. Ask them:

• What evidence in the essay helped them form their opinions?

• What did they need to hear to be convinced?

� Write two headings on the chalkboard: Role Models and Heroes. Askstudents to brainstorm words under each heading that would distinguishbetween roles models and heroes.

� With students, develop a list of criteria to determine whether a particularperson is worthy of being considered a hero. Post four or five of the mostspecific of these for students to consider as they write. Then have each

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student choose someone he or she considers a hero. If possible, thisperson should be someone the student feels has influenced his or herdevelopment (e.g., an author, a friend, fictional character, political figure,media personality). Note that more than one student may choose the sameindividual to write about.

Distribute copies of Worksheet 2, discuss the instructions carefully withstudents, and ask students to write essays that meet both the criteriaposted and those outlined on the worksheet. The object is to encouragestudents to explore their heroes’ characters beyond a superficialexamination and to truly consider the impact of the heroes’ attitudes andbehaviours on others.

When students have completed their essays, have them edit their work intheir groups of four. Have each student read or distribute his or her essayto the group members, who then work with the writer to help him or hermeet the established criteria. One good approach is to use an editingstrategy developed by Peter Elbow. This strategy, known as “Praise,Question, and Polish,” requires the editors to begin with somethingpositive to praise, then identify a question or concern, and finally help thewriter select areas to improve. Allow about 15 to 20 minutes for the groupwork with each student’s essay. Following this process, have studentscomplete a final editing of their work and prepare the essay for handingin. They should then complete the self-assessment section of Worksheet 2.

Ask students to present their concept of a hero and their choices of heroes totwo or three people outside the classroom for reactions. Ask:

• Do certain groups of people at home and in the community have obviousbiases and opinions?

• Is this also true in the class?

• Are they predictable?

• Are some heroes “safer bets” for agreement than others? Why or why not?

• Do most people make a distinction between role models and heroes? If so,what?

Have students assess their own proficiency at meeting the criteria forconvincing and for writing using the outline on the worksheet. Look forevidence that students have engaged in self-examination and analysis (e.g.,through their specific examples of how they met the criteria and how theirresearch influenced them personally).

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WORKSHEET 1

EXPLORING THE CONCEPT OF HEROISM

What are the qualities of a hero?

Is it possible to be a hero to anyone?

Are heroes necessarily people who influence you in a positive way?

Are you a hero to anyone?

Who would you consider to be a hero?

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WORKSHEET 2

INTRODUCE ME TO YOUR HERO

Name

Date

Writing the Essay

Each of the following items should be addressed in a paragraph. More paragraphs can be added, theorder can be changed, but the basic criteria must be met.

1. Your personal definition of a hero.

2. Your personal choice of a hero.

3. Three key characteristics of your hero, one per paragraph, with supporting details.

4. The downside or other side of your hero.

5. Your personal reconciliation of both the positive and negative aspects of your hero.

6. Your hero’s impact on you.

7. Consolidation of your definition of a hero with your choice of hero.

Answer the following questions:

How has this research on a hero influenced you personally?

Is your chosen hero someone whose heroism extends or could extend over time or across cultures?

Did anything you learned from your research or from others’ research surprise you?

How similar do you think you and your hero are?

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eroes, those shining and yet very personal beacons of inspiration in each

human’s life, to whom in times of despair you can turn in search of solace

and encouragement. Without even a word or an acknowledgement, a hero

can spur you on to perseverance and achievement, simply by his very existence.

“Hah!” the average North American would grind out with typical cynicism.

“There are no heroes any more.” Indeed, there is a strong argument to be made for

the viewpoint that heroes are a thing of the past. In this age of intense and

uncomplimentary scrutiny of even the most minor public figures, it is difficult to

place one’s pride (and accordingly one’s trust) in anyone, for fear of having them

quickly struck down in a sudden blast of unsavoury truth.

But perhaps the fault is not in our heroes, but in ourselves. Surrounded by

myriad sources of negative information, from television and radio to magazines and

newspapers, it should not be surprising that many people tend to concentrate on the

negative aspects of any person who has a claim to admiration. But real heroes do

still exist, both in the present and in the past. Even in my own recent experience I

have been exposed to the sort of pessimism that tends to discourage people from

having heroes.

My own hero, I am not ashamed to say, is Winston Churchill. Born in 1874 to

two upper-class parents, Churchill grew up in the heyday of the British Empire,

intensely proud of Britain and its institutions. After a brief sojourn in the army, he

gained fame as a war correspondent in many of the minor conflicts of the period.

But it was in politics that Churchill was to make his greatest contribution, and it

was his great struggle with Nazi Germany that made him one of the epic figures of

the twentieth century. For eight long years during the 1930s he sacrificed his

political career for his belief that Germany would again go forward, and for his

unshakable conviction that appeasement was wrong. Then, with the outbreak of

World War II, his stand against appeasement was wholly vindicated. When defeat

THE NATURE OF HEROESby Adrian Lowe

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INFORMATION SHEET 1, continued

seemed certain, Britain looked to Churchill for leadership, and as Prime

Minister until 1945, he led the way to victory.

Churchill’s success as a leader owed much to his ability to inspire those

he led with brilliant speeches. Churchill was a master of the English language

and never more so than in the crucial early years of World War II. With speeches

like “Their Finest Hour” and “So Much Owed by So Many to So Few,” he

roused the British people to defy the German onslaught during the Battle of

Britain, and spurred them on to the sacrifices that ultimately resulted in victory.

For anyone who dreams of being a great orator, the speeches of Winston

Churchill must be considered the ultimate standard.

And there are many other aspects which stand out when I think of

Winston Churchill, his foresight, his intelligence, and his razor sharp wit, these

are all traits which endear him to me and ensure his place as my hero.

But when I happened to mention to someone that my hero is Winston

Churchill, a man who defined a generation by his stand against Nazi tyranny,

people around me began spewing out various uncomplimentary tidbits of

insight. Did I know that Churchill drank a great deal? Well, yes I did.

Apparently with gathering satisfaction, the nay-sayer went on to declare that

Winston Churchill was a lazy drunk. Then someone else kindly informed me

that Churchill had a habit of staying in bed until about noon. I replied that this

did not necessarily condemn him to an eternity of suffering, but my sources

remained unconvinced.

And the problem is, it is difficult to respond to such facts when they are

thrown in your face. Such facts are not totally untrue, merely exaggerated; but I

find myself in a bind when confronted in such a manner. If I respond with anger

and indignation, I look like a fanatic; if I quietly change the subject, I appear to

be embarrassed of the truth; and if I answer with some witty remark, I am

accused of hiding my true feelings under a thin cloak of humour. So generally I

remain silent, allowing such gracious fact givers their moment of smugness.

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The fact remains that I do not discount such tales. After all, I have read and

heard a great deal about Winston Churchill over the years and I am all too aware

of his faults. He did drink too much, he had a habit of backing the wrong side in

disputes, and despite his fame, he remained in financial trouble for most of his

life. But rather than turn me away from Churchill, these less than heroic

character traits only make me respect and honour him more. If he could achieve

so much even with such faults, his achievements seem that much more

impressive.

So despite his apparent faults, I stand firm in my conviction that Winston

Churchill is a man deserving of heroic status. It may seem odd that someone of

my age, so far separated from the age of giants like Churchill, readily admits that

Winston Churchill is his hero. But on the contrary, I am proud to have Winston

Churchill as my hero. Perhaps if people were less concerned about their heroes

being perfect and more concerned that they were human, then more people

would not be afraid to accept heroes into their lives.

We must accept the fact that there are no perfect heroes, there never have

been. It is simply that today we aware that even the greatest of men have faults,

and when we reflect on the apparent perfection of the heroes of past generations,

we feel as though we are missing out on something. However, I believe that a

real hero is one who in the final equation remains a great man whose life and

accomplishments are worth emulating.

Reprinted with permission of Adrian Lowe. Adrian was a Grade 9 student when hewrote this in the 1989–90 school year in School District No. 62 (Sooke).


INFORMATION SHEET 1, continued

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12. WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT ANGER?


In this lesson, students examine others’ views and experiences of anger.Through this exploration, students learn that anger can sometimes be apositive force, and they learn how to manage anger to achieve positiveobjectives. Because it involves a research project, this lesson may requiretwo or three class sessions.


• identify situations where anger might be used as a positive force

• identify how some famous people constructively used anger to effect socialchange, and identify how these methods could be applied to issues in thestudents’ community or lives

• acess to a library

• magazines and newspapers (you may choose to have students bring thesefrom home)

� Have each student imagine a world without anger. Then bring the classtogether to brainstorm key words that the students offer about such aworld.

During class discussion, elicit responses which paint a verbal picture of aworld free of anger.

Students will probably respond with positive pictures and not think ofanything negative about a world without anger. If no one points outnegative aspects of such a world, ask the class to consider that somethingmight be missing in a world with no anger.

� Ask students to identify times when anger motivated them to makepositive changes.

� With the class, create a list of possible role models who were angered by,and sought to change, what they perceived to be an injustice. The listmight include:

Susan B. AnthonyElijah HarperMahatma K. Ghandi

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Gloria Steinem

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� With student input, create an appropriate outline for students to use tocreate a report about one of the people on the list developed by the class.Then have each student research one of the people on the list and reporton the following:

What injustice angered the person?

What did he or she do about it?

What conflicts did he or she encounter along the way?

What positive changes resulted because of his or her anger?

Have the students share their reports with the class or small groups. Aftereach report, give the students time to discuss what they learned from thereport.

Ask students to imagine what the famous people they have discussedcould have done that would not have resulted in the same positiveoutcome.

When all the reports have been discussed, ask students to work togetherto list some of the things they have learned about anger.

� Have students – as individuals or in small groups – choose a world orlocal issue that angers them.

Have them design a poster about this issue. Pictures and words fromnewspapers and magazines, as well as a combination of art forms, couldbe used on these posters, which should then be displayed in theclassroom, school, or community to raise awareness about the issue.

Ask students to identify an issue outside of school that angers them. Havethem consider what they might do about it.

Have students draft a letter about the issue. The letter could be to the editorof the local newspaper or to a party involved in the issue. Assure studentsthat, if it will put them in a difficult situation, they needn’t mail the letter—they may instead submit it to you for a response.

Social Studies. This lesson provides an opportunity to introduce students to awide range of people who played an important role in world development. Italso familiarizes them with research techniques.

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12. WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT ANGER?

Ask students to return to their original brainstorm/drawing about a worldwithout anger. Have them revise it in light of what they learned during theirresearch. Review and respond to their work, checking to ensure they are ableto acknowledge injustice and that they have increased their understanding ofthe complexity of human relationships. Also look for evidence that studentsunderstand the importance of evaluating their and others’ reactions tosituations that generate strong feelings.

This lesson is based on ideas and materials in William J. Kreidler’s Creative Conflict Resolution: More than 200Activities for Keeping Peace in the Classroom (Glenview, Illinois: Scott Foresman and Co., 1984).

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Students examine the feelings they have had about various learningexperiences and come to understand how negative feelings can interfere withtheir learning. This lesson will require one class session to complete.


• demonstrate their awareness of their emotional responses to new learningexperiences

• describe these feelings and understand how they affect their reactions

• manage their feelings and cope positively in learning situations

� Have students brainstorm a list of new things they have learned or skillsthey have acquired since the summer. Prompt them to think aboutextracurricular activities as well as school.

Ask each student to think about one learning experience he or she has had(e.g., a new mathematics skill, a new sport, staying alone for the firsttime, cooking dinner) and quickly write words and phrases that come tomind in relation to it. Suggest that students think about how it looked,sounded, and felt as they were learning. Have them compare their feelingswith partners.

Bring the class back together and ask three or four students to share theirfeelings with the whole group. List students’ feelings on the chalkboard.

� Tell students that sometimes our feelings either stop us from learning ormake learning new things more difficult. It may be helpful to share apersonal example here. For example, “When I took sailing lessons, I wasso afraid of falling in the ocean that I couldn’t hear what the instructorwas saying. My fear really made learning difficult.”

Put the following headings on a chart on the chalkboard: Feelings WeHave and How They Limit Learning. Ask students to supply examples thatinterfere with learning and list them in the two columns. Then go backand add one more column to the chart: What We Can Do About It. Havethe class work through each feeling already identified and entered on thechart and fill in the new column.

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13. MANAGING NEGATIVE FEELINGS

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Debrief by discussing what students noticed about themselves and others.Help them realize that two people in the same learning situation may havedifferent feelings, and while one may feel encouraged and motivated tolearn, the other may feel just the opposite—discouraged and unmotivated.Finally, discuss what students can do in class to help themselves and othersrecognize and cope with these negative situations.

Have students each identify someone in their homes or neighbourhoods whomthey could talk to about the way that person felt when he or she was learningsomething new (e.g., a sports activity, trying to fix or repair something). Havestudents ask their contacts what they did to overcome any negative feelingsthey may have had or, in looking back, what they might have done differently.

All subject areas. Repeat the activity, having students focus on feelings thatinterfere with, for example:

• learning new mathematics concepts

• learning a new skill in physical education

• learning to use a computer

• sharing ideas in class

Have students personally reflect on the ideas discussed on the chalkboard orthe chart and record their answers to the following questions on a sheet ofpaper or in their learning logs or journals:

• What did you learn about yourself and learning?

• What did you learn about others in the class?

• Who else, outside of the classroom, might this apply to? How could you findout for sure?

• What can you do to manage or improve any negative feelings you might havehad so that you will be able to learn new things more easily?

Explain that it does not make sense to try all new ideas at once. Instead,students should first focus on only one or two.

In assessing students’ work, look for evidence that they are increasingly able toovercome any initial negative feelings so that they are able to learn.

Note: This lesson has been adapted from Session 5, “Learning Skills: Class Discussions for Teachers and Counsellorsin Elementary Schools” in Empowering Students by Allan and Nairne (Toronto: Guidance Centre/OISE Press, 1989),p. 55.

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Students identify some of their classmates’ attributes and are presented at theend of the activity with a list of their own as seen by their classmates. Thislesson requires a high degree of trust and one or two class sessions tocomplete.


• demonstrate an awareness of those positive attributes and characteristicsthat others see in them

• prepared word cards that each describe a mystery person from theclassroom

• a sheet of chart paper for each student

� Introduce the game Who Is It? Explain that you have a number of cards,each with a word or phrase that describes someone in the classroom. Asyou exhibit each card, you may wish to give a reason or example as towhy the word or phrase on it describes the mystery person (e.g., themystery student is thoughtful, creative, loves to read novels, is a sister,takes swimming lessons, has curly hair). Reserve another card on whichyou have written the mystery student’s name.

Ask students to wait until all the descriptor cards are exhibited beforeguessing the name of the mystery student. Record three or four of theguesses on the chalkboard before asking why each might be the mysteryperson. Then display the card with the mystery person’s name.

� Review with students the definitions of the words characteristics andinterests, using examples of each:

• characteristics: physical—freckled, blonde, stocky, curly hair;personal—thoughtful, patient, energetic, considerate

• interests: mystery stories, sea life, video games, dirt bikes

Have students brainstorm the positive characteristics and interests of someof the people in the class. As negative or less desirable descriptors comeup, demonstrate how to rename and view these, if possible, as acceptableor positive attributes (e.g., “energetic” for “hyper” or “curious” for

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14. IDENTIFYING POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES

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“nosy”). Record these descriptors on chart paper and post them forstudents’ reference.

Give each student a piece of chart paper and ask him or her to write his orher name in the centre of it. (You can do this in advance if you like.) Tellstudents that they will be writing a positive characteristic or interest foreach member of the class on these pieces of paper. (Remind them to referto the chart paper lists that they just brainstormed.)

Once all students have written their names on the papers, have them passthe sheets to the people sitting beside them. Give students 30 seconds towrite on each sheet, receiving and passing the sheets at the same time andin the same direction each time you say “Pass.” Before beginning, tellstudents to read each paper they receive so that they do not repeat any ofthe words or phrases already on it. With a class of 28 students, thisactivity will take close to 30 minutes, including instruction time. Theactivity is completed when students receive their own papers again, atwhich time they might discuss it in pairs or with the whole class.

Note: Where there are several ESL students or students who havedifficulty with reading and writing, adapt the activity by arrangingbuddies for each of these students. Be sure to give any student theopportunity to discreetly ask questions about the meaning of a word theyfind written on one of the sheets so that misinterpretations and subsequenthurt feelings can be avoided.

� Have students type or neatly print the descriptors from their own papers,omitting their names from these copies. These descriptor sheets can thenbe placed over students’ pictures and posted on the classroom wall as partof a “Who is it?” display. Parents, students, and other visitors can then beinvited to read the descriptors and guess who each mystery person is. Ineach case, the answer is revealed by flipping up the page.

Record the list of characteristics and interests accumulated on a take-homesheet for students. Have each student ask someone at home, or a friend inschool, to circle the words or phrases that he or she feels describe the student.The student may then wish to share the original paper written by his or herclassmates.

Have students create descriptor pages for other family members, cartooncharacters, TV personalities, or significant role models.

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Fine Arts. Have students each create a crest, symbol, or logo that reflectstheir characteristics and interests. Alternatively, have students play a versionof people “pictionary” where students draw a symbol they feel isrepresentative of a certain person and have others try to identify the mysteryperson.

Observe students during the pass activity to see whether they are reallyreflecting about each person they are writing about or whether some studentsare merely repeating the same words on every paper.

Ask students to record their responses to the following:

• Which descriptors do you agree with on your own paper? Choose one ofthese words and give two examples of things you have done thatdemonstrate that the word suits you.

• Which descriptors do you disagree with?

In assessing students’ work, look for evidence of a growing sense ofconfidence in their abilities coupled with a realistic sense of their ownattributes and characteristics.

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Career Development (Career Awareness)

Students participate in a job-application activity in which they have toevaluate candidates for a job with only limited information about them. In sodoing, they come to appreciate how stereotyping can prevent people fromachieving their career aspirations.


• appreciate how stereotyping can affect the way in which they communicatewith and consider others

• explain how stereotyping can limit their own career goals and those ofothers

• blank sheets of paper

• one copy per student of Worksheet 1: The Candidates

• one copy per student of Worksheet 2: More Information About theCandidates

� Distribute blank sheets of paper and ask students to do quick sketches offour people:

• a world-famous doctor

• a kindergarten teacher

• the chef of a very expensive restaurant

• a secretary

When they have completed their sketches, poll students to find out:

• how many drew female doctors

• how many drew female chefs

• how many drew male secretaries

• how many drew anyone with the features of Asians, blacks, or NativeCanadians

• how many drew any of their people with a visible handicap (e.g., byindicating someone in a wheelchair)

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Ask students to define the term stereotype. If they are not familiar withthe term, have them provide descriptions of a stereotypical librarian, astereotypical old man, or a stereotypical teenager (as an adult withoutteenage children might see teenagers). You might also ask students if theycan think of any examples of stereotypical characters from their readingof literature or history.

� Inform students that stereotyping can influence our expectation of whatan individual is like or how he or she should act. Ask students:

• How can stereotyping groups of people be damaging?

• Can you identify stereotypes of people in certain jobs? (e.g., femalekindergarten teachers, French male chefs)

• What are the sources of these stereotypical views? (e.g., TV shows, ads)

Divide the class into groups of four or five and explain that each groupwill be provided with descriptions of four people who are applying for ajob as director of an after-school recreation program for six- to-twelve-year-old students. Each group is to imagine that it is a hiring committee,which must examine the descriptions and rank the four candidates inorder of preference. Distribute Worksheet 1 and give the groups time todiscuss and rank the four candidates.

Bring the groups together to compare their rankings and justify them interms of what they saw in the descriptions that affected the candidates’suitability for the job. There is no correct ranking; the important point iswhether or not students reassess and change their rankings as a result ofthe additional information you will give.

Have students return to their groups and explain that they are now goingto learn a bit more about each of the four candidates. DistributeWorksheet 2 and ask the groups to review their previous rankings andrevise them, if they wish, in light of this new information.

When they have completed this task, reunite the class and again discusswhat changes students may or may not have made to their rankings. Ask:

• Did it make any difference to your ranking of Sandy when you foundout that he was a paraplegic?

• Did it make any difference when you found out that Terry was a woman?

• Did it matter that Jesse was only 16 years old?

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• Did what you learned about Pat change your opinion of his suitabilityfor the job?

• Did you find that preconceived stereotypes (of handicapped people,women, young people, old people) influenced your decisions in any way?

Emphasize how career stereotypes can limit both the career goals ofothers and also students’ own choices of career options. Point out theneed to replace labelling or pigeon-holing ourselves and others by seeingthe wide variety of strengths and characteristics that each of us possess.

Have students select pictures from magazines, pamphlets, or other mediasources that depict people:

• in stereotypical roles (e.g., women in the kitchen, males as office managerswith women as their secretaries)

• in roles that are unexpected and break old stereotypes (e.g., women doingrepairs in the home, grandfathers knitting, women driving trucks)

Ask students to bring these to class and make collages of them mounted onBristol board. Have students arrange them for display in one category or theother, complete with appropriate slogans that indicate students’ learning.

Social Studies. Have students examine stereotyping:

• as experienced by First Nations peoples

• in terms of the changing roles for men and women

• in terms of prejudice and human and civil rights

• in terms of understanding and respecting differences and similarities amongpeople

Observe students’ collages and the slogans they use to see whether they arelooking at media materials in a new way and are able to separate oldstereotypes from new possibilities. Observe too how students present andrationalize their points of view regarding their attitudes toward others. Lookfor strong biases and to see if students can identify the sources of biases (e.g.,my dad says that ...).

Have students record some possible stereotypical views of teachers,principals, professional sports figures, police officers, or others.

This lesson has been adapted from the Personal Growth Manual, Ministry of Education (Victoria: Province ofBritish Columbia, 1990) p.101.

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15. STEREOTYPING

WORKSHEET 1

Name

Date

Here are the best candidates for the job of director of the after-school recreation program(for six- to twelve-year-olds). Please rank them in your order of preference.

Candidates Ranking

Sandy• is an actor at night, but is free during the afternoons• has worked at a camp for handicapped kids• was a basketball coach• has a great sense of humour

Terry• is a computer science student at university• is a good leader and organizer• is captain of a university soccer team• was a lifeguard for several summers

Jesse• is artistic and can teach many crafts• has worked with children in Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, art programs, etc.• is patient and good natured

Pat• is a retired logger• is 60 years old• was a Boy Scout leader for years• plays Santa Claus at the mall at Christmas

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WORKSHEET 2

Name

Date

Further information about each of the candidates learned at the interview:

Sandy• is a paraplegic in a wheelchair

Terry• is a woman

Jesse• is a 16-year-old high school student

Pat• is a fine athlete who runs in marathon races and likes to hike in the mountains• plays the electric guitar

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CANDIDATES

Understanding One Self

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Transcript of Understanding One Self