January 2021

Lesson Objectives:

  • Students will define resiliency.

  • Students will assess their individual resiliency.

  • Students will understand how they can build their resiliency.

  • Students will reflect on the values that have been passed on to them.

Pre-Test

  1. What is resiliency?

  2. Why is being resilient important?

  3. When have you shown you were resilient?

Resiliency Defined

In short, resiliency is the ability to "bounce back." As we know by now, life throws us difficult situations/experiences that we do not have full control of; there are times things do not go our way and we fail or we lose. It is during these times that we show our resiliency--will we give up or keep pushing through?

Look at the image on the left to understand the different components of resiliency.

Brief Resilience Scale

Answer the following questions and assess how resilient you are. What do your results show? Do you need to increase your resiliency or are you a resiliency pro?

10 Ways to Build Resiliency

Read the following 10 ways to build resiliency. Which do you think you need to work on?

  1. Make connections. Having rrelationships with close family members, friends, or others are important. Learn to ask and accept help from those who care about you.

  2. Avoid seeing problems as impossible to solve. You can't change the fact that highly negative things happen, but you can change how you respond to these events.

  3. Accept that change is a part of living. Accepting things that cannot be changed can help you focus on the things that you can change.

  4. Move toward your goals. Develop some realistic goals. Do something regularly -- even if it seems like a small accomplishment -- that helps you to move toward your goals. Ask yourself, "What's one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?"

  5. Take decisive actions. Act on negative situations as much as you can. Make decisions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away.

  6. Look for opportunities to learn more about yourself. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss.

  7. Keep a positive view of yourself. Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting yourself helps build resilience.

  8. Do not blow things out of proportion. Even when facing very painful events, try to think that things could always be worse.

  9. Stay hopeful. Being optimistic helps you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear.

  10. Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly.

Reflection

Watch Michelle Obama's advice for students on how to success in life.

Reflect on the following questions she poses:

  1. Who are you going to be?

  2. How will you react when things do not go your way?

  3. What are the values that have been taught by your parents that you will carry on to high school and beyond?

Post-Test

  1. What is resiliency?

  2. Why is being resilient important?

  3. When have you shown you were resilient?

MLK Day of Service, January 18, 2021

Learning Objective

  • Students will learn who MLK is and what the day of service means.

  • Students will be able to think about ways to give back to their community.

Pre-Test

  1. I know who MLK is.

  2. I know why we have Monday, January 18th, as a day of from school.

  3. I have volunteered in my community before.

  4. I want to improve my community to be better.

Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?

Martin Luther King, Jr., or known as MLK, was a powerful and historical figure. He is well-known for his involvement in the civil rights movement as a social right activist. He believed in non-violent tactics and believed all Americans were equal. His movement ended the segregation of African Americans in the South and other areas in the United States.

Every year, MLK is being celebrated as a federal holiday to not only remember his legacy, but to honor his work and to inspire young people to make a change in their community by volunteering for a cause they believe in.

'I Have A Dream' Speech

"This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. "

Reflect

  1. Dr. King was a huge advocate for civil rights. He's led many marches to empower people to stand up for what they truly believe in. What do you think he means when the said, "With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together[...]"?

  2. What does service means to you, and how will you make a change in your community?

  3. Many times during a service, you may work with people with different beliefs, cultures, and ethnic/racial backgrounds. How do you think Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech entails the service work and progress we are in today?

Ways to serve your community

  • Create a food-drive, clothes-drive, or toy-drive

  • Volunteer at the church

  • Tutor another peer

  • Offer help to other family members

  • Open a book club

  • Lead your own project.

Post-Test

  1. I know who MLK is.

  2. I know why we have Monday, January 18th, as a day of from school.

  3. I have volunteered in my community before.

  4. I want to improve my community to be better.