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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Managing Your Time

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Identify tasks, prioritize these tasks, and schedule a time for the tasks. As part of the Managing Personal Resources Module, middle schoolers practice these three good time management steps by engaging in a series of activities. They...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Handling Stress

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers learn how to "put stress to rest" by identifying their stress factors and the physical and emotional signs they exhibit when stressed. After the class brainstorms ways to handle these stressors, individuals commit to...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Perservering

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Hang in there! To conclude the Goal Setting module, class members reflect on the importance of perseverance by engaging in an activity that asks them to revise a plan when faced with obstacles. They then review their stepping stone goals...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Taking Action

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Don't put off this lesson! Using a self-survey, middle schoolers take a close look at why they procrastinate and identify some of the things they do to put off actions they know they should take. They then reflect on the consequences and...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Stepping Stone Goals

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Often the most challenging part of any journey is the first step, the getting started and figuring out where to start. Middle schoolers engage in a series of games and activities to learn the importance of setting short-term goals,...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Defining Goals

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Having goals is important. The opening, two-day lesson in the Goal Setting module teaches middle schoolers the importance of setting meaningful, realistic goals. Through a series of activities, participants practice setting personal...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Making Decisions Big and Small

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Making responsible decisions can be hard, especially in difficult situations when the consequences can be difficult as well. Through a series of activities and games, middle schoolers learn that when making decisions, they must consider...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Being Assertive

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Passive! Aggressive! Assertive!. The activities in the fourth lesson plan in the Communication module teach middle schoolers the difference among these behaviors and how to develop assertive communication skills. After defining and...
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Activity
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Facing History and Ourselves

Exit Cards

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Everyone wants to feel heard and valued. Provide learners with an opportunity to share their thoughts and have them heard with this closing routine. Participants use an exit card to share their response to prompts that ask them to share...
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Activity
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Facing History and Ourselves

Closing Challenge

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The future can be yours to see with a bit of planning. That's the takeaway from a routine that asks participants to first brainstorm a list of personal and academic goals. Individuals then select one to focus on for the week, identify...
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Activity
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Facing History and Ourselves

Appreciate, Apology, Aha

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Build a strong classroom community with a closing routine that asks each participant to share something they appreciate about their classmate(s), issue an apology if they may have hurt someone's feelings or an "aha" moment when they...
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Activity
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Facing History and Ourselves

Maintain and Modify

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Maintain or modify? That's the question scholars answer as they reflect on their focus and engagement in that day's lesson. Were learners focused and contributing, or do they need to modify their level of participation?
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Staying Healthy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
The third lesson plan in the Building Confidence module focuses on healthy habits. Middle schoolers engage in activities that underscore the need for a healthy diet, daily exercise, and a good night's sleep. They create customized food...
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Activity
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Facing History and Ourselves

Fist to Five

For Teachers 6th - 12th
A "Fist to Five" routine asks participants to indicate how they feel about an opening question, like how ready they are to start learning, how well they understand instructions, etc. Groups then suggest strategies to get learners ready...
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Activity
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Facing History and Ourselves

Rose, Thorn, Bud

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Developing engaging opening and closing class routines is essential in post-COVID, face-to-face classrooms. The 7th routine of 15 in the Building Community series invites participants to begin class by reflecting on a success (rose), a...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Setting Expectations

For Teachers 6th - 8th
As Don Quixote asserts in the musical Man of La Mancha, it is possible to achieve your dreams. For the last lesson plan in the Getting Started Module, participants learn the importance of having dreams and setting goals that help them...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

What Is Overcoming Obstacles?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
The second lesson in the Getting Started Module introduces the theme of the "Overcoming Obstacles" course. Participants listen to a guest speaker who has achieved success, and then identify traits and skills that the speaker talked about...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Coping Skills

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A lesson challenges scholars to identify life stressors and list ways to cope. Learners create a "Coping with Emotions" book detailing the importance of responsibly working through our feelings.
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Having a Positive Attitude

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
An activity about a positive attitude sheds light on the importance of a growth mindset. Scholars define and discuss it to brainstorm a list of positive phrases that contribute to a growth mindset. Peers share positive statements about...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Perseverance and Personal Best

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A lesson plan focuses on perseverance. Scholars define the term, list ways to show it, and make and set goals using a color-coded worksheet. The class encourages their peers to work towards their personal best.
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Handling Peer Pressure

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Class members participate in a discussion to identify all types of positive and negative peer pressure and brainstorm strategies to not give in to negative peer pressure. Scholars create a T-chart to record their observations. Pupils...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Managing Stress

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The final lesson in the High School and Beyond Module focuses on stress management. The big idea here is that situations themselves are not stressful, but how one perceives stress is the issue. With that point in mind, participants...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Managing Your Time

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Wouldn't it be great to have a device that would stop time for everyone else but would let you catch up? Alas, there is not such a device yet. However, there is a way to make every minute count. That's the big idea in a lesson about time...
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Lesson Plan
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Overcoming Obstacles

Identifying Goals

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Effort does not necessarily equal accomplishment. What's missing from the formula is a goal. High schoolers learn the importance of identifying short-term, medium-range, and long-term goals that are both realistic and challenging. After...