Gifts and Talents for Teenagers Curriculum

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Gifts and Talents for Teenagers Curriculum

Unit Six – Slaying Your Personal Dragons – Chapter Six Objectives: • Understand what “dragons” or obstacles are and the impact they have on our selfconfidence and happiness • Develop an attitude that obstacles create an opportunity to grow • Understand the importance of healthy and positive thoughts • Know how to face fears to achieve success • Know when to ask for help from a coach or mentor

Reading Comprehension Questions: These questions are designed to help you facilitate a powerful in-class discussion based on student reading assignments. The answers are included: Q: What do all life obstacles have in common? How can you learn from such obstacles?

A: All obstacles tend to create a personal crisis signaling a need for change. You can learn from obstacles because the choices you make in such situations create a unique opportunity for growth.

Q: How does fear become an obstacle to developing your gifts and talents? What are some of your fears and how can you face them?

A: Fear can cause a person to withdraw from their passion and other areas of interest. It is often linked to self-doubt.

Q: How can fear and other obstacles be overcome?

A: Try to keep a positive outlook, avoid self-deprecating thoughts, find a mentor to help guide you, find opportunities for enrichment, take risks, face your fears

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Gifts and Talents for Teenagers Curriculum

Powerful Coaching Questions for Chapter Review:

Use to initiate discussion after the

chapter is read and activities from the book are completed.

1. What fears or obstacles are holding you back from sharing your gifts and talents?

2. Do you know someone who is really talented but they don’t use or share that talent because of a fear?

3. What can you do to overcome your fears?

4. What kind of obstacles might keep you or someone you know from using their gifts and talents and achieving their dreams?

Journal Topics: Below are the suggested journal topics beginning on page 151 in Gifts and Talents for Teenagers. Ask students to journal directly in their book or if you will be doing the “Portfolio of ME” (see EXPLORATORY Activities) assignments, they can journal on notebook paper in their portfolios.

The objective here is for students to write as freely and openly as possible. Do not focus on punctuation, grammar and style.

Pg. 172 – “Natural abilities are like natural plants that need pruning by study.” – Francis Bacon Pg. 173 – In what ways can you try to improve your life?

Pg. 174 – “Toil to make yourself remarkable by some talent or other.” - Seneca Pg. 175 – What roles do practice and work play in developing talent?

Additional journal topic:

• •

Consider the things you love to do. What would hold you back from turning them into a profession?

How could you overcome these obstacles?

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Gifts and Talents for Teenagers Curriculum

EXPLORATORY Activities: These activities can be used for cursory exploration and to expand upon chapter content.

1. Obstacles and Coaching Role Play Purpose: Students will learn to identify and anticipate obstacles on their path. Through the activity they will develop strategies for overcoming them, as well as develop their mentor/mentee skills.

Materials Needed:

Paper, scissors, container

Directions: 1. Have students brainstorm a list of obstacles they or others could encounter in life (such as laziness, shyness, lack of support from family), etc. As a class, create a brief description of each obstacle.

2. Create a written list; cut the list apart. Fold the obstacles up and put them in a bucket or hat. Ask students to pair up, and have each pair pull one obstacle out of the hat.

3. One student will play the student with the obstacle; the other will play a mentor or teacher that is helping the student overcome the obstacle.

4. Give the pairs 5 minutes to discuss how they will role play the scenario. Give each pair 35 minutes to role play the various scenarios and then discuss as a class.

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Gifts and Talents for Teenagers Curriculum

2. Slaying Dragons

Purpose: Students will gain understanding regarding their own interpersonal weaknesses or “dragons” and circumstantial obstacles. They will gain an appreciation strategy development as a means of meeting goals.

Material Needed:

Writing materials

Directions: 1. Ask students to take out a blank sheet of paper and make two columns on it. Have them consider some goals they have for a profession or otherwise, based on their passions, gifts and talents.

2. Ask students to create a list of potential dragons or obstacles that could hold them back.

(For example: I want to become a straight A student. My obstacles are: I like to watch T.V. right after school. I am not as good in math as I am in reading. I get scared before tests. There is no one available to help me when I have questions.)

3. On the right side of the paper, students should write their strategies for overcoming those obstacles. (For example: Strategies to overcome these obstacles: I will ask the teacher to help me find an older student to tutor me. I will watch a half hour of T.V. as a reward for doing homework first. I will talk about my fears with my best friend before the test. My tutor can help me with my questions.)

4. Discuss as a group. Ask students to assist in further developing each other’s strategies.

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Gifts and Talents for Teenagers Curriculum

3. Real Life Obstacles

Purpose: This activity was designed to inspire students with examples of how people overcame obstacles in real-life. The goal is to draw parallels between these people and the students’ own lives.

Materials Needed: Internet access

Directions: 1. Break into groups.

2. Have each group go to the website The Foundation for a Better Life at www.forbetterlife.org.

3. Read one or two stories from the Hero’s section, and make a list of the obstacles each person in the story overcame to achieve success in life.

4. Report back to the entire class.

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Gifts and Talents for Teenagers Curriculum

RIGOR and RELEVANCE Activity: These activities encourage students to further explore textbook concepts while facilitating more in-depth classroom discussion.

1. Karate Kid Purpose: Watching the Karate Kid gives students an example of overcoming obstacles. Since the movie depicts a young teenager coping with bullies, a new school and a need for confidence, the context parallels many of the issues students deal with on a daily basis. This movie will create the safety for students to dig deeper into the obstacles they face.

Materials Needed:

DVD player, screen, copy of Karate Kid

Directions: 1. Watch the movie as a class.

2. Ask the students to make a list of the main character, Danny Laruso’s dragons.

3. Discuss how Danny’s mentor coached him to success.

4. Ask students if any of the suggestions Danny’s mentor made would help them in overcoming their obstacles.

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