Understanding Courage: A Sixth to Eighth Grade Lesson Plan, Exams of Science education

Download Understanding Courage: A Sixth to Eighth Grade Lesson Plan and more Exams Science education in PDF only on Docsity! Courage: Lesson One Lesson Title: What is Courage? Objective: To introduce courage / what others think about courage Grade: 6/8 Time: 25-30 minutes Materials: Board and Marker, Courage Sheet 1 1. Tell the class that we are going to start a unit on courage. The goal of this unit is to help students see how courage can be used in positive ways that can help you in many areas such as building friendships, doing well in school, learning about your interests, resisting peer pressure and stopping bullying. 2. Ask the class for their definition of courage. Write the different definitions on the board. Use a student definition for bullying or one of these: Courage: the ability to face your fears OR Courage: to face fears with determination and confidence. 3. There is one feeling that must be present to demonstrate courage. Ask the class to name that feeling. It is fear. Explain to the class that you can't demonstrate courage without having fear. Ask the class to define fear. Use one of the student's definitions of fear or this one: Fear: to be afraid of something. 4. Ask the class to name people who have displayed courage. Try to get famous examples (Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Rosa Parks, New York City Fire Fighters, Peacekeepers in Afghanistan) and personal examples (someone who stopped a bully, a mom who went back to college, someone who tried out for a play). 5. Pass out Courage Sheet 1. Explain the directions to Section A, and ask the students to complete the section. 6. Let the students get into groups of three to six people. Ask individuals in the group to share their answers in Section A. Have the groups come to a consensus on which answers should be True or False in Section A. Ask a recorder in each group to write down the answers. 7. Ask the recorders to come to the front of the class and give their group's answers to Section A. Write down the answers on the board. Ask students to explain why they thought certain answers were true or false. This exercise is meant to start a classroom discussion. 8. Explain the directions to Section B and ask the students to complete the section. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for Section B. 9. Review the definition of courage, fear and how courage varies for different people, as was demonstrated in Courage Sheet 1. Courage Sheet 1 Section A Answer the following questions True or False. _____ You can use courage in positive or negative ways _____ It is easier to be courageous if you are in a popular group _____ Students at school are often courageous _____ Peer pressure is overrated _____ It takes courage to admit to others when you made a mistake _____ It is always better to keep out of things unless it directly involves you Section B Rank the following from most courageous (1) to least courageous (6). _____ To try out for a sports team when your not sure if you will make the team _____ To try to make a new friend when your not sure if they will like you _____ To say no to cigarettes when all you other friends are smoking _____ To try to water-ski in front of your friends when you have never tried it before _____ To admit to your parents that you told them a lie _____ To help someone who is being bullied Courage: Lesson Three Lesson Title: Proud people use courage in positive ways Objective: To have students recognize that people who use courage in positive ways often can identify Grade: 6/8 Time: 25-30 minutes Materials: Board and Marker 1. Review using courage to help others, the courage quotes, handling conflicts, and different situations in which courage was used. 2. Ask the class to give you examples of using courage in negative ways. Examples: jumping off a roof to impress your friends (true story, and the boy broke his leg), smoking cigarettes, etc. 3. Ask the class to give you examples of using courage in positive ways. Examples: making a new friend, trying to learn how to roller blade, taking class that might be difficult, etc. 4. Tell the class about the Harvard study that found that people who take positive risks can often identify things that make them proud and generally have a higher self-esteem than people who take negative risks. 5. Have the students put their name on the top of a piece of paper. Ask the students to pass the paper to their left. Have the students write something positive about the other person that should make them proud. Give examples: nice hair, positive attitude, good at math, honest, funny, fun, dependable, kind, good at basketball, etc. Repeat passing the paper a few times. 6. Have the first row come up to the front of the class with their paper. Line the students up. Read one of the pieces of paper and ask the students to guess who it is. (Do you think it is Tasia? Ronnie? Bee? etc.) Repeat this exercise for all rows. 7. Review the correlation between being able to identify things about which you are proud and using courage in a positive way. Courage: Lesson Four Lesson Title: Proud people use courage in positive ways II Objective: To have students recognize that people who use courage in positive ways often can identify Grade: 6/8 Time: 25-30 minutes Materials: Board and Marker, 'What I think' sheet 1. Review the correlation between being able to identify things that make you proud and using courage in a positive way. 2. Pass out the What I Think sheet. Read the directions and ask the students to fill out the sheet. Stress the importance of being truthful. 3. Ask the class to add up the numbers they circled. If your total is 37 or under, your self-concept is good. If the total is between 38-44, your self-concept is fair. It the total is over 44, you should work on improving your self-concept. 4. Split the class into groups of three to six. 5. Ask the groups to write down five ways that you can improve your self-concept. 6. Have a reporter from each group share with list with the class. 7. Review the correlation between being able to identify things that make you proud and using courage in a positive way. What I Think Circle the number that best describes what you think for each situation. Circling the number one means "I feel that way sometimes" and circling the number five means "I feel that way all the time." Circle two, three or four if you are somewhere in the middle. 1. I don't like other people. sometimes 1 2 3 4 5 all the time 2. I can't help feeling the way I do. sometimes 1 2 3 4 5 all the time 3. It is someone else's fault if I am unhappy. sometimes 1 2 3 4 5 all the time 4. I am disappointed in myself. sometimes 1 2 3 4 5 all the time 5. It is difficult for me to think of a few things that I do well. sometimes 1 2 3 4 5 all the time 6. I should never be criticized for what I do. sometimes 1 2 3 4 5 all the time 7. People don't like me. sometimes 1 2 3 4 5 all the time 8. It is difficult for me to think of things that make me proud. sometimes 1 2 3 4 5 all the time 9. I must never show or express my fears. sometimes 1 2 3 4 5 all the time 10. I don't help people who are picked on by others. sometimes 1 2 3 4 5 all the time