Unit Learning Goal

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

Lesson Goal

Students will examine their own personal opportunities and obstacles to doing good work.

Assessment

Impressions of students’ group conversations can be used to determine whether students are able to apply the concepts of opportunities and obstacles to their individual circumstances. The group synthesis notes and exit ticket can be evaluated.

portfolio documentation

  • Group Synthesis (following discussion of personal obstacles)

  • Exit Ticket

Resources

  • None

Total TIME

45 minutes

Instructions

1. Brainstorming about obstacles and opportunities in the “real world” [10 minutes]. 

  • Ask students to name out one contemporary public figure that they admire for doing good work (e.g. a celebrity, a politician, etc.). Quickly decide to speak about one individual based on class consensus or your own intuitions. 

  • In a whole class discussion, ask students to consider the following questions: 

    • What obstacles or opportunities has this individual encountered? 

    • How have they helped or hindered the person in doing good work? 

    • Has the person been able to turn any obstacles into opportunities? How did they do so?

2. Personal Examples [30 minutes].

  • Put students into small groups of approximately three to four students. 

  • Ask students to consider either an opportunity or an obstacle they’ve encountered in trying to carry out good work in an activity in their own lives (e.g., a job that they hold; an extra-academic that they are involved in; schoolwork). 

  • For approximately 10 minutes, ask students to share their examples with each other, using the following questions as a guide:

    • Name this opportunity or obstacle.

    • How did they make the most of the opportunity, or, how did they work to overcome this obstacle (or how could they in the future)? 

    • How might they find more opportunities? How could they prevent or handle these kinds of obstacles in the future?

  • Students should spend the next approximately 10 minutes capturing a synthesis of their group’s information in a written or visual format, considering the following questions: 

    • What patterns did they see in their answers? 

    • Where was their group not aligned? 

    • What suggestions do they have for overcoming obstacles in the future? 

    • What are their plans for seeking out future opportunities? 

  • For the final 10 minutes, bring the class together and ask students to share-out their reflections.

  • Add this reflection to the Good Work portfolio.

    • *Note: add copies to each student’s portfolio, or make a note that their group’s documentation is in another student’s portfolio. 

  • “We had a small discussion on the benefits of being aware of what is in one’s control and what is not, and then focus on what is within one’s control to take advantage of opportunities and possibly overcome obstacles.”

  • “From what I am observing, my students that have experienced multiple traumatic events or have several ACE's (Adverse Childhood Experiences), are thinking more positively. The evidence comes from the frank conversations that have resulted as from The Good Project Lessons. These lessons provide hope to kids with several or many ACE's.”

4. Closing and Exit Ticket [5 minutes].

  • Ask students to consider:

    • As you’ve been considering your own obstacles or opportunities, you’ve been reflecting. Name a skill that you’re working on by going through this process.

Possible Enrichments

  • Write a skit based on the obstacle situation that you discussed with your group members.