Lesson 1: Resilient Voices

Lesson 1: Resilient Voices

Material

Flip chart paper or white board to record brainstorming ideas

Large paper to fit the size of each student's body, one per student

Markers, pencils, pens, crayons

Glue sticks

How?

1. Show video by Steven Claunch talking about grit

2. Discuss the meaning of resiliency including this definition by a 15 year old student:" Bouncing back from problems and stuff with more power and more smarts"

3. Brainstorm and record answers to following on Flipchart paper

   • 1. • What are some problems you face each day that test your resislency?

        • How do you talk to yourself to keep going?

        • What do other people say to help you?

        • Do some people say things that try to bring you down? What do they say?

4. Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair two large sheets of paper and have the students trace each other to create a sihouette of themselves. Allow time for students to colour and personalize their pictures.

5. Ask each student to think of one challenge they face every day and write it across the bottom of their paper. Refer to flipchart brainstorming.

6. On their paper, draw a thought cloud above your head. Now think about the challenge that you wrote on the bottom of the paper. What do you tell yourself to stay resilient when you confront that challenge? What do you say to keep yourself going? Write those thoughts inside the thought cloud. Looking for at least 2 phrases they say to themselves to keep going.

7. Next, create two word bubbles coming from the edge of the paper, like someone is speaking to them from outside the picture. Explain: Now think about some of the words other people use to help you keep going- to help you be resilient. In your two word bubbles, write down what other people say to you to help you be resilient and keep trying.

8. Display the student's work around the room and as the week goes on get students each day to explain their drawings.

9. What do these pictures tell us about our own resislency?