KEY LESSON

Unit Learning Goal

Students will develop habits of reflection through examination of others, external dilemmas, and personal reflection prompts. 

Lesson Goal

Students will be able to demonstrate sensitivity to opportunities for and obstacles to doing good work.

Assessment

Teacher impressions of group conversation can indicate level of student understanding. Exit tickets will further demonstrate student understanding of the concepts of opportunities and obstacles.

portfolio documentation

  • “There’s No I in Team” group notes (if any)

  • Exit Ticket

Resources

  • There’s No “I” in Team Dilemma (alternative dilemmas can be found here)

  • Exit Ticket

Total TIME

45 minutes

Instructions

1. Opener: Opportunities for Good Work [20 minutes].

  • Ask the class: 

    • What does “opportunity” mean to you? 

    • Tell them that the Good Project discusses “opportunities” as elements or circumstances that make achieving your goals more possible. For example, if you are offered a leadership role, it can be used as an opportunity to step up and do good work.

  • Read There’s No “I” in Team as a class and distribute the “Opportunities and Obstacles'“ worksheet. 

    • Divide the class into three groups. Ask each group to identify all of Jesse’s opportunities, using the following questions as prompts:

      • Name each of Jesse’s opportunities to do good work.

      • How can he make the most of these opportunities?

      • What does he do well?

  • Bring the class back together and share out the results of these individual discussions.

2. Obstacles to Good Work [20 minutes].

  • Ask the class: 

    • What does “obstacle” mean to you? 

    • Tell them that the Good Project discusses “obstacles” as elements or circumstances that hinder or obstruct your goals. For example, if you are stressed or tired, it might prevent you from being able to focus.

  • Divide the class into three new groups. Ask each group to identify all of Jesse’s obstacles, using the following questions as prompts:

    • Name each of Jesse’s obstacles to doing good work.

    • Which of these obstacles is he aware of?  

    • How might he overcome these obstacles?

    • How can he prevent these kinds of obstacles going forward?

  • Bring the class back together and share the results of these individual discussions.

  • Add the Opportunities and Obstacles worksheet to the Good Work Portfolio.

  • "Students were engaged in writing about their personal obstacles and opportunities. They did the activities willingly as many of them attend after school activities eg music school, sports, art club etc. They enjoyed the tasks."

  • One teacher in our community of practice used post-its to adjust the activities in this lesson and communicate students discussions:

    "Each group's responses were recorded on post-its and displayed on a board for everyone to see…All students were given time to read the post-its at the end of the lesson."

3. Closing and Exit Ticket [5 minutes] 

  • Discuss what the words obstacle and opportunity mean to you in the context of a dilemma.

Possible Enrichments:

  • Ask students to consider the opposite position of what they explored in class (e.g., if they wrote about an obstacle, they should write about an opportunity for homework). Use the same questions prompts as above. Add this reflection to the Good Work portfolio.

  • Read the dilemmas for the next lesson ahead of time to familiarize yourself with the scenarios that will form the basis of discussion.