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"It made me realize what world I was living in and what I can do to make a change." |
Courage Retreat Advisory CurriculumBUILD ON THE SPIRIT & LESSONS OF THE RETREAT "Watch your thoughts; they become your words. Watch your words; they become your actions. Watch your actions; they become your habits. Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character for it will become your destiny." Overview of the Advisory Curriculum
The Courage Retreat Advisory Curriculum was created to increase the impact of a Youth Frontiers Courage Retreat by helping teachers build on the spirit and lessons of the retreat. Organization of the GuideThe guide has two levels that contain activities to help students continue to learn about courage.
Level One - Knowledge/Understanding (click here)[+] Lesson Outcomes
[+] Assessments and Indicators of Performance
[+] Instructional Strategies
[+] Extension Strategies
Level Two - Action/Integration (click here)[+] Lesson Outcome
[+] Assessments and Indicators of Performance
[+] Instructional Strategies
[+] Extension Strategies
Courage Award
Once a month, publicly honor one of your students with a Courage Award. It is a great way to recognize someone who has committed an act of courage or has gone out of his or her way to reach out to another person. By making the presentations over announcements, publishing it in the school newspaper or posting the honoree in a classroom or the office, that student can be an example to others. Level 1 -Knowledge/UnderstandingInstructional Strategy 1[+] Defining CourageTime: 45 minutes (or 15 minutes each day for 3 days) Goal: Students will explore what courage means to them and develop a personal definition of courage. Materials: Copies of Resource One-A, One-B, and One-C. Day 1:
Preparation: Copy and distribute Resource One-A and have students complete. Description: With full class or small group, discuss responses using questions. Ask groups to share what they agreed or disagreed about relating to courage. You can also compile and post the groups responses so the students can compare their responses with their peers. Day 2:
Preparation: Write the following in large letters on four sheets of paper. 1 - Strongly Agree; 2 - Agree; 3 - Disagree; 4 - Strongly Disagree And tape the sheets on the wall-one in each corner. Description: Briefly review day 1. Ask the students to start in the center of the room. Read the statements from resource One-B one at a time and have them move to the sign that best reflects how they feel about the statement. Ask the discussion questions during the activity. Day 3:
Preparation: Copy and distribute Resource One-C and have students complete. Description: Briefly review days 1 and 2. Ask students to share their responses to One-C with a partner. Have individuals write paragraph on their definition of courage. Ask them to think about day 1 and 2 and what they learned. Share definitions, process, rewrite and display. Publish in a school or community paper. [+] Resource One-ARank the following from the most courageous (1) to the least courageous (6).
Discussion Questions.
[+] Resource One-BWhat do you think? Beside each statement write YES or NO.
Discussion Questions.
[+] Resource One-CImagine yourself in the following situations: 1. Your friend is telling lies about someone you know in the cafeteria during lunch. What would you do and why?
2. On a long field trip, one of the girls falls asleep. While she is asleep a boy starts writing rude remarks on the cover of her notebook with a pen. What would you do and why?
3. You are baby sitting across town. When the people you are baby sitting for return, you can tell they have been drinking. The mom offers to drive you home. What would you do and why?
Instructional Strategy 2[+] Missed OpportunitiesTime: 45 minutes Goal: To help students be aware of opportunities to be courageous. Materials: Copies of Resource Two - The Moment Slipped Away Preparation: Distribute copies of Resource Two - The Moment Slipped Away. Description: Ask students to write a creative piece on how they were in a situation where they could have helped someone or been helped, but for some reason the moment slipped away. Share stories and discuss. Discussion Questions:
Resource TwoMissed OpportunitiesThe Moment Slipped Away by Christine Lavin She's a famous actress - movies and T.V. I recognize her as we climb the stairs of the LRT*. We cross the street together - we're moving up Broadway*. I'm trying to come up with something clever I can say-how I love her work and what it means to me. How in her most recent film she acted brilliantly. Maybe she will think I am stupid; maybe this will make her day. But she disappeared into the crowd and the moment slipped away. He works the wards at Bellevue Hospital - the mail delivery. For two years every weekday morning, he said hello to me. We joke about the local teams, the weather of the day. Though there were many other things I really wanted to say. You see, he wasn't like the rest of us; it was a struggle for him to walk and you had to concentrate really hard just to understand him talk. I wanted to ask him, where do you get the courage to come to work each day? But I quit that job; I moved along. And the moment slipped away. Kind words don't move the earth, but if it can improve your self worth, why do I let these moments pass me by? Instead I'm quick to judge and I'm quick to blame. I'm quick to criticize; quick to maim. It's hard to change, but I'll try, oh I'll try. So, maybe it's your best friend or the next stranger you see. Maybe it's your neighbor, maybe it's you, maybe it's me, who needs to hear encouragement, to make it through the day. Who needs to hear whatever kind words you might have to say. It doesn't matter where you're going, or where you have been, because right now is the perfect moment for us to begin. To appreciate each other in new and different ways. Oh, please don't let another golden moment slip away. Appreciate each other more and more each day. Oh, please don't let another golden moment slip away. (Reprinted with permission - Available on CD and cassette from Philo Records, "Beau Woes and Other Problems of Modern Life" by Christine Lavin.) LRT = Light rail transit Broadway= A major street in New York City Instructional Strategy 3[+] Everyone Can be CourageousTime: 35 minutes (or 15-20 minutes each day for two days); 20 minutes one month later Goal: To help students be aware of everyday ways to be courageous. Materials: Envelopes Day 1:
Description: Give the students a few minutes to think about a time that they were courageous or they saw someone else be courageous and write about it. Next ask them to share their story with a partner. Have a few students share their story or their partnersÕ story with the class. Process with the discussion questions. Day 2:
Day 3:(one month later) Description: Pass back the envelopes. Ask if anyone would like to talk about their courageous act and celebrate the effort. Discussion Questions
Instructional Strategy 4[+] Fear of What?Time: 30 minutes Goal: To become more aware of what stops us from being courageous. Materials: None. Preparation: None. Description: Generate a list of every day courageous acts (you can use the list from "Everyone Can Be Courageous"). Have the students work with a partner. Each pair needs to select a different act from the list to work with. Ask students to write their courageous act at the top of a sheet and generate a list of 5-10 fears that might stop someone from doing the act. Have each pair trade their list with another pair. Next pairs will take their new list and generate a list of 5-10 potential positive outcomes if someone did the act. Process using the discussion questions. Discussion Questions:
Instructional Strategy 5[+] Courage on the Big ScreenTime: Variable Goal: To help students identify acts of courage Materials: Video or DVD clips provided by teacher or students Preparation: As an assignment, ask students to find a five-minute or less video or DVD clip of an instance of courage depicted in a movie. One caveat: no PG13 or R movies. Description: Ask students to introduce and explain how courage is depicted, and view the video or DVD. These clips will trigger lively class discussions. Encourage students to seek input from parents to begin discussions about courage at the dinner table and with friends in the lunchroom at school. Discussion Questions:
Instructional Strategy 6[+] Through a Courage LensTime: 10-30 minutes Goal: To help students identify acts of courage in others' lives Materials: Copies of Resource Three - Through a Courage Lens Preparation: Review the list of people on Resource Three and discuss the lives of some of the people on the list. Allow students to add others to the list. Description: Instruct students to research and write a short essay or prepare a short presentation about one person from the list, highlighting the acts of courage evidenced in that person's life. Discussion Questions:
Resource ThreeThrough a Courage LensMadeline Albright Instructional Strategy 7[+] Quote TriggersTime: Variable Goal: To learn more about courage and what it means to each student. Materials: Construction paper and markers Preparation: Write each quote from Resource Four on a separate piece of construction paper and display them around the room. Description: Ask the students to look at the quotes over the next week and select their favorite one. Set a date that each student needs to hand in their favorite quote. Once you have received all the favorites have students discuss their favorite quotes in small groups using the discussion questions. Discussion Questions:
Alternate Ideas::
[+] Resource FourQuote TriggersTo avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. "The best way out is always through." -Robert Frost "You wanted a real life and that is an expensive thing, it costs." -Arthur Miller "Even if you are on the right track you will get run over if you just sit there." -Will Rogers Ships are safe in harbors. But ships were not built to remain anchored in a harbor. Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. "Do or do not, the is no try" -Yoda "There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction." -John F. Kennedy "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." -Thomas Jefferson "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." -Mark Twain "What matters is not the size of the dog in a fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." -Bear Bryant "One man with courage is a majority." -Andrew Jackson "Each of us must be the change we want to see in the world." -Gandhi It is not because things are difficult we do not dare. It is because we do not dare that things are difficult. "Without courage you cannot practice any other virtues consistently." -Aristotle "The ultimate measure of a person is not their stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King, Jr. Level 1 - Extension StrategiesCourageous ClassmateHave the students nominate their classmates for a weekly/monthly award that goes to someone who was courageous. Be CountedRead Resources Five and Six - Be Counted . Instruct students to research a time in history where for lack of courage, bad things happened. Have students write a "what might have been" creative story where, because of one person with extraordinary courage, humankind or nature would have been spared torment and suffering, i.e., how courage might have changed the course of history. Courage in the CommunityAsk students to seek out community members who have acted courageously. Instruct students to interview that person and report back to the class or host a presentation, making certain the student has an active role in the presentation. It should be an interview or joint presentation, not an introduction followed by the student sitting down with the rest of the class. [+] Resource FiveBe CountedBecause by Pastor Niemoeller (Nazi victim) They first came for the communists Then they came for the Jews Then they came for the trade unionists Then they came for the Catholics Then they came for me - [+] Resource SixBe CountedBy Theodore Roosevelt "It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong one stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena, whose faces are marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strive valiantly; who err and come up short again and again; who know the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, and who spend themselves in a worthy cause; who if they win, know the triumph of high achievement; and who, if they fail, at least fail while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Condensed in the 1980's be Nike Athletic Shoe Company to: "Just Do It" Level 2 -Action/IntegrationInstructional Strategy 1Values RealizationTime: 60 minutes Goal: Help students apply the value of courage to create positive change in their school and community. Materials: Copies of Resource Seven - "New Kid on the Block." Preparation: Instruct students to read the story "New Kid on the Block." Description: Using a pencil and paper, instruct students to rank the characters of the story, with #1 being the student they liked most, and #6 being the one they liked least: ANDY - BETH - CHARLIE - DANNY - EVERETT - FRANZ Have students get in pairs and take turns pretending the student they like the least is sitting opposite them. What would they like to say to them? What student did they like the most? Pretend that student is sitting opposite and share your feelings. Get the entire group in a circle and have the students role play different characters. For example, ask the students, "Who liked Charlie? Okay, you play Charlie and someone else play Beth." Create some communication dynamics that focus on feelings, courage and making choices. If the energy sags, make it a tag team match and replace role-playing students with new ones. Create new characters such as Andy's big brother or mother, a coach, Andy's old girlfriend. Do whatever it takes to get emotions flowing. Discussion Questions:
A little deeper
[+] Resource SevenCourage ReadingNew Kid on the Block Andy Johnson was a new student at Cedar Flats Junior High School. He was from another state. He was quiet and proud. Outwardly he looked like a typical student at Cedar Flats. It was a warm October day, ten days after Andy had arrived at the school. Almost everyone had chosen to eat their lunch in the soccer fields. A few students started giving Andy a hard time. Andy was eating lunch when Charlie began to tease him. Charlie was making fun of Andy's accent, which really didn't seem much different from the way Charlie spoke, and of his clothes, which were a slightly different style than was commonly worn at Cedar Flats. Andy shrugged his shoulders, but when the teasing continued he hurriedly finished his lunch, got up from the lawn and started to walk toward the school. Charlie and two of Charlie's friends got up behind Andy, and Charlie said, "Hey, where do you think you are going? We're not done with you yet." When Andy continued to walk away, Charlie gave him a shove and Charlie's friend Franz tried to trip Andy with his foot. Andy stumbled and the boys let out a whoop of laughter. Several more boys joined in and soon there was a large group following Andy, laughing and jeering him. Twice Andy was knocked down and at one point Charlie gave him a kick when he was on the ground. Andy regained his footing, but the boys were herding him and blocked him from returning to school. Holding back tears, Andy continued to turn his back to the crowd and walk. In return, students spit on the back of his shirt and threw pine cones at him. Everett watched from a ridge above the field and he remembered what it was like two years ago when he was a new student at Cedar Flats. The scene brought back ugly memories of a year of rejection. It really wasn't until Everett proved his skills at baseball that he was finally accepted. He turned and walked toward the cafeteria. Watching the scene was too hard. Beth was outraged. How could her classmates be so cruel? Why didn't someone do something? People are so mean. Where were the lunch supervisors? How come no one was doing anything? The buzzer rang and the students returned to school. Beth spent the rest of the day discussing the event with all her friends. At one point she felt so bad for Andy that she started crying. On the way home in the back of the bus Charlie was bragging about his role in the lunchtime fun. There was a lot of laughter on the bus, but Danny didn't think it was funny. "Hey, I heard about what happened out there and I didn't like it. That new kid is in one of my classes, he's cool and no one should treat somebody like that. If I had been there I would have been on his side!" Charlie gave Danny an obscene finger gesture. It seemed as if everyone was laughing again, but it was a quieter laugh. Instructional Strategy 2[+] Weekly/Monthly ThemesTime: Variable Goal: To help the students be more courageous everyday. Materials: Bulletin board, construction paper, markers, and a jar. Preparation: None Description: Generate a list of everyday courageous acts (you can use the list from "Everyone Can Be Courageous"). Write each of the acts on a small slip of paper and put them into a jar Ð give the jar a fun name. At the beginning of each week/month have a student select a slip and read it. Spend a few minutes talking about the theme and struggles people may have with doing the specific act. Create a display in the classroom to remind everyone what the theme is for that week Ð done by you or students. Encourage the students to make a special effort that week/month to do the theme act at least once. At the end of the week/month spend 10 minutes sharing stories about their efforts during the week/month. Celebrate all those who made the effort. Examples for themes:
Instructional Strategy 3[+] Courage PanelsTime: 15-20 minutes prep; 45-50 minutes panel Goal: To give students the opportunity to share experiences and wisdom with younger students. Materials: None Preparation:
Description: The theme of the panel discussions is Courage. Each panel member would share specific experiences that deal with courageous behavior. Students could begin with, "Knowing what I know now, if I was in third grade today I would..," or "...what I regret about my third grade experience is...." The panel would then be opened up for questions and discussion between the panel members and the younger students. The students could lead small group discussion with the younger students after or instead of the panel. This would be a great way to begin a mentoring program. The students could play some games together to get to know each other. Questions for younger students to get discussion started:
Instructional Strategy 4[+] Courage Role PlaysTime: 30-45 minutes Goal: To help students understand how bystanders can intervene and defuse a potentially hurtful situation. Materials: Resource Eight - Courage Role Plays Preparation: None Description: Go through Resource Eight with the class. You could also break the students into groups and have each group create a skit about one of the bullying scenarios. Process with the questions Ongoing: As an ongoing activity, encourage students to commit to doing one courageous act each day. Before dismissal each day, allow a few minutes for them to write about it in their journal. Resource EightCourage Role PlaysThe purpose of "courage" role plays is to practice how "bystanders" can intervene and defuse a potentially hurtful encounter. With the group, brainstorm bullying situations. Flush out the scenarios to make certain there is a bully, a victim and at least one bystander. There may also be incidental characters. Example: A student (victim) is waiting in a lunch line. Another student not watching where s/he is going, bumps into the lunch line and creates a chain reaction: student, to student, to victim, to bully. The bully turns on the victim and starts belittling, shoving, victimizing, etc. That is the scene. The task for the group is for the bystanders to define possible non-violent interventions that will create a healthy, peaceful outcome. A key to the success of these role plays is for participants to spend time and expend energy becoming invested in the role. No one is simply a bystander, or a bully or a victim. Encourage a full development of personality and background for each character. Have each character meet in a small group to help forge a biography. Focus at this stage will be rewarded with a role play that has depth. Guidance, however, is needed so persona remain typical of the school milieu i.e., don't let fantasy go unbridled After role-playing possible scenarios, assemble the group for processing. Process Questions
Instructional Strategy 5[+] Value-Based ResponsesTime: 30 minutes (or two days for 15 minutes each day) Goal: To help students identify the value of their responses to specific situations. Materials: None Day 1: Description: Brainstorm a list of likely typical dilemmas or opportunities that arise on a regular basis that challenge students to choose between courage and some form of hesitation or fear-based response. You might be able to use some of the scenarios from Courage Role Plays. Have the students work in pairs or groups of 3-5. Have each group select one or two situations from the brainstorm list. Ask each group to generate a comprehensive set of possible responses (from practical and serious to outrageous and unthinkable) that students could use for their specific scenario(s) Ð try to think of 5 per scenario. Collect the scenarios and list of responses. Day 2: Description: Ask the students to get back into their pairs/groups. Pass the scenarios back, making sure that no group gets the one they worked on the day before. Give the students a minute to read the scenario and responses and add any responses they think are missing. Ask the groups to rate the responses by passing them through some of these or similar filters:
Next, have the groups select the response that they think will have the most positive result for everyone involved. Each group can take a turn reporting what their group came up with and why. Lead a discussion on taking the high road. Instructional Strategy 6[+] Debriefing SessionsTime: 20 minutes (this is an ongoing activity utilizing "teachable moments"). Goal: For students to demonstrate their understanding of courage by applying their knowledge to actual events as they occur. Materials: None Preparation: Place the discussion questions below in a handy place so that you are able to refer to them when a situation occurs. Description: Regularly practice and debrief actual events related to courage that happen at school. As students practice breaking down an event into a sequence of behaviors, they will increase their awareness of how problems between students develop and will be more able to use courage at the early stages of a problem before problems escalate. This also increases awareness of how one person, using courage, can change the course of an interaction. Discussion Questions:
[+] Level 2 - Extension StrategiesCourage TeamBegin a leadership group whose mission is to create positive change by taking a positive stand and publicly affirming shared, positive community values, i.e. the courage to stand up for yourself and others, the courage to be yourself and to follow your heart or the courage to stop gossiping and showing disrespect to peers and teachers. Courage MentorsInitiate a mentoring program with younger students. Courage LettersAsk each student to brainstorm people whose courage has inspired, challenged, encouraged, supported or motivated him or her. The lists could include family members, coaches, friends, professional athletes, teachers, celebrities and neighbors. From his or her lists, ask each student to select one person and write him/her a letter expressing gratitude and detailing how that person has touched him or her in some "courageous way." Share the letters and mail. Peer-led DebriefingSelect a few students to lead discussions on what they've learned about using courage in school and life interactions. Encourage use of real situations that students have experienced. Double BackLoop back through Levels One and Two and remind students what they learned. PublishFind ways for public affirmation and acknowledgement of students' acts of courage. For example, you can create a special section in your school newspaper for reporting acts of courage. |
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