Why Try Day 12 Lesson Plan

Lesson Objective(s):

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Materials:

●WhyTry Day 12 PPT

Advanced Prep:

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eCollege Tie In:

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Homework:

●Challenge: Try to identify at least one support you have in each of the areas of “Get Plugged In.” Are the supports you have currently strong or weak? What can you do to strengthen them? Who can you identify that could be a support in an area that is weak?

Slide / Time
Slide 1: Welcome students back to class. Allow them to text chat for a few minutes before and at the beginning of the session. / 1
Slide 2: Attention Activity: Two Heads Are Better Than One
●Say:
●I’m going to give you 30 seconds to study a list of words. You are not allowed to copy down any of the words, but do study them carefully. / 1
Slide 3: List 1
●Show participants Word List 1. When the 30 seconds is up, go back to Slide 2 so they no longer can see the list. Ask students to write or type all the words they remember from the list. Then put the list back up and have them count how many of the words they remembered correctly.
●Tell students you are going to repeat this process with another list. Reveal Slide 4, List 2. / 2
Slide 4: List 2
●This time, when the 30 seconds is up, hide the list again, split team members into breakout rooms in groups of two, and have the partnerships collaborate, typing as many words as the two of them can remember. Tell them you are going to show them one more list. Reveal Slide 5, List 3. / 2
Slide 5: List 3
●This time, when the 30 seconds is up, hide the list again, split team members into breakout rooms in groups of four, and have the groups collaborate, typing as many words as everyone can remember.
●Say:
●What techniques did you use to remember when you worked alone? With a partner? With a group?
●In which setting were you the most successful?
●How does this activity show that working together helps increase our abilities?
●How does working together improve our results?
●What can we do if we want to complete a job faster or better? / 6
Slide 3: Get Plugged In Overview
●Display the “Get Plugged In” visual.
●Say:
○This picture is all about “getting plugged in” to people who can help you. In the Reality Ride, we talked about getting help. In the Motivation Formula, we talked about support systems. In Jumping Hurdles, we discussed how it’s important to get help when you have a difficult challenge.
○Remember: You should never see getting help as a weakness. It is a strength! Anyone who has experienced success in life understands this principle.
○As we go through this picture, think about the support systems you have in these areas. If you don’t have great support systems now, it’s OK. The good news is, we can create support systems for ourselves and strengthen the support systems we already have if they are weak. / 1
Slide 4: Point 1
●Point to red flag 1. Say:
○One of the most important connections we need to make is with our parents or guardians. They are our first support system and often our longest-lasting.
○How much time each day are you spending with your parent?
○If it’s not at least 30 minutes a day, you need to create more time.
○What is one argument, conflict, or struggle you can give up today that won’t hurt you but will lower your parents’ anxiety about you?
○I want to challenge you this week to do at least one act of service for a parent. Figure out something they need done -- like washing the dishes or taking out the garbage -- and do it! Pay attention to how they respond.
○The more you do to maintain a positive relationship with your parents, the more your parents will trust you and give you more freedom. When you continue to turn outward in service and do things to earn their trust, they’ll be proud of the person you’re becoming. / 3
Slide 5: Point 2
●Point to red flag 2. Say:
○The second connection is a positive friend. In Climbing Out, we talked about what it means to be a true friend. What are some of the qualities we mentioned?
●Briefly discuss these qualities. Remind students that a true friend has your best interest in mind and would never do anything to hurt themselves or you.
●Say:
○If you want to have a good friend, you need to be a good friend.
○Identify a positive person in your life who you’d like to be better friends with, and begin treating them like a true friend. Build that person up and make them feel good. When you act like a positive friend, you’ll find that you are surrounded by positive friends.
○When the founder of WhyTry, Christian Moore, was in college, he really had a hard time in his classes. So he would make a real effort in each class to make friends with the smartest student, treating them like a true friend. He soon had a positive support system of people who could help him with his homework when he was struggling.
○Do you think this is an example of a weakness or a strength?
○What can you start doing today to tap into the support of positive friends? / 3
Slide 6: Point 3
●Point to red flag 3. Say:
○The third connection is a teacher, counselor, or school official.
○Think about the different people you associate with in a school setting. What can you do to connect with some of them?
○Why might it be beneficial to develop a positive relationship with your teachers?
●Take this opportunity to let students know that you care about them and see great potential in each of them. Explain that they can contact you anytime they have questions or need help.
●Say:
○It’s so important that at least one person at school knows the “real you” and what you can become with their help. Approach a teacher, counselor, or school official who you trust and ask how they can help you reach your dreams and potential. You’ll be surprised how much they’re willing to help you. / 3
Slide 7: Point 4
●Point to red flag 4. Say:
○The next connection is a positive mentor.
○Think about someone (they could be your age or an adult) who has accomplished goals that are similar to those you want to accomplish. What are some things about them you respect and admire?
○Take a risk -- Approach this person and ask them how they can help you achieve the same thing.
○Often when we approach others and ask them for advice or help, they’ll be flattered that you’ve reached out to them and be happy to help you or give you advice.
●You might share a brief story of your own here of a time you reached out to a positive mentor. / 3
Slide 8: Point 5
●Point to red flag 5. Say:
○The last support is something that inspires or motivates you to do good.
○Is there anything that motivates you to not hurt yourself or others?
○What do you do with your time that’s fun, gives you self-respect, and doesn’t get you into trouble? How can you do more of that?
○This could include hobbies, sports, an after-school program, a religion, nature, or anything else that you love that you could turn outward and share with others.
When you turn your passion outward and share it, you’ll get connected with even more people who love or are interested in the same things. You can become positive supports for each other. / 3
Slide 9: Today’s Challenge
●Say:
○Try to identify at least one support you have in each of the areas of “Get Plugged In.” Are the supports you have currently strong or weak? What can you do to strengthen them? Who can you identify that could be a support in an area that is weak? / 1
Slide 10: Questions or Problems? / 1