Teaser Question: What do you have trouble staying away from? What do you do to avoid being tempted?
Going Deeper: Do friends help you resist temptation or are they more often the source of temptation? How does peer pressure contribute to your ability to resist temptation? What personal qualities are necessary to resist doing the wrong thing?
Making Choices: You find a wallet with over $100 cash in it. Do you return the cash and the wallet to the owner? Do you take the cash and tell the owner you found it empty? Does it make any difference if you are alone or with others? Does it make any difference if you know the owner? Does it make any difference if you desperately need money? Are you tempted to take the cash? How would you feel if you returned the wallet without the cash? How would you feel if you returned it with the cash?
Movie: Bend it Like Beckham Theme: Keeping Your Cool
Teaser Question: If someone called you a derogatory name, what would you do? Why?
Going Deeper: How can anger get in the way of helping you achieve your purpose? Can anger ever be helpful? How? How can you keep your head when everyone around you seems to be losing theirs? (cf. Rudyard Kipling's poem "If")
Making Choices: A popular kid confronts you outside school and accuses you of stealing something of his. This is the second time he has accused you of something you didn't do, and you wonder if this kid has something against you. You deny stealing anything. Soon you are calling each other names. You feel yourself getting angry. What would be the best way to end this encounter? How many different ways are there to solve this problem?
Movie: Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Theme: Self-Discipline
Teaser Question: How do you behave when you are without parental supervision? Why?
Going Deeper: When is goofing around okay? When isn't it okay? What makes a "mature" person?
Making Choices: You are with your friends and they are about to do something that your parents have expressly forbidden you to do. Your friends say that your parents are too strict and that their own parents allow them to do things your parents won't allow. What do you do if you disagree with your friends? What do you do if you disagree with your parents? Who can you trust to discuss this problem with?
Movie: Seabiscuit Theme: Letting Go
Teaser Question: Is it okay to be angry? Why? Why not?
Going Deeper: Why do people get angry? Some people say that we only get angry when we feel that we may partly be to blame for the problem. Others say that fear leads to anger. Do you agree or disagree? Do you ever feel "out of control" when you are angry? What is this like? What are some ways you can manage your anger so that it works in everyone's best interest? Who can help you with this?
Making Choices: Your friend is having a temper tantrum. What do you do? You are righteously angry. What is an appropriate way to express your feelings?
Activities
Keeping a Journal
As a homework assignment or in a class activity, the students will write two entries into their journal under the heading of Self-Control answering the following questions:
Of all the examples of self-control demonstrated in the clips, which was your favorite? Why?
Write about a time when you have shown self-control in your life. What were the consequences?
Write about a time when you were not able to demonstrate self-control? What were the consequences?
Activity 1: Pushing Buttons
Performance Objective: To consider the different ways in which we respond to various levels of provocation.
Materials Needed: Each small group of four students needs a sheet of paper with five "buttons" drawn on it. If desired, the buttons can be colored, from yellow (1) all the way to bright red (5).
Instructions:
The teacher divides the class into several small groups, each with four members.
The teacher asks the class as a whole what it means to say that someone has "pushed our buttons." After some explanation of this, the teacher hands out one sheet of paper per small group. On each sheet of paper is drawn five buttons, one below another from the top of the page to the bottom. Space is left next to each button for group members to add information about each of the buttons.
The teacher challenges the group members to consider what kinds of things people can do to provoke them only a little bit, and the to write these things next to the first button.
Group members then consider what kinds of things said or done to them would constitute a slightly greater threat or provocation, and write some of these things next to the second button. In other words, a mild "Hey you!" may be easily shaken off and thus listed in the category one button area, while a direct verbal insult may raise the potential level of response and thus belong to a category two button area. The group members should come up with increasingly annoying/offending behaviors or statements and put them next to buttons three through five.
The teacher asks the various groups to share their results with the rest of the class. In what ways do the groups differ in their feelings about specific types of behavior or insults? Were there differences within the groups themselves?
The teacher then asks the students to talk about what kind of responses they associate with each button (for example, button one: "I can walk away from someone and ignore them;" button two, "I respond with a sarcastic comment, etc.")
Activity 2: Simon Says
Performance Objective: To explore the difficulties in self-control.
Materials Needed: None
Instructions:
The teacher lines up the class and announces that they are going to play the familiar game Simon Says. However, before the activity, the teacher has quietly instructed two students to mess up on purpose during the game, one early in the game and one later in the game.
The teacher proceeds to play the game (for example, "Simon says, 'Raise your right arm.' Simon says, 'Raise your left arm.' 'Lower your right arm.'") Those who respond to commands that do not begin with the words "Simon says" are out.
At the end of the game, the teacher asks students to explain why it is difficult at times to stop ourselves. How important was good listening in this, and in other real-life situations where self-control is needed?
The teacher then asks the two students who were instructed to mess up to identify themselves and proceeds to asks the class how much the actions of these two students influenced the responses of other students in the game. What is the connection between peer pressure and self-control?
Activity 3: Count to 10
Performance Objective: To identify times when we were able to control ourselves.
Materials Needed: Pens and paper
Instructions:
The teacher divides the class into groups of three or four.
The groups are instructed to create a list describing as many ways as possible to keep from blowing up, getting upset, angry, etc. (for example count to 10 before saying or doing anything).
After about 3 minutes of brainstorming, the groups read off their lists, which the teacher records on the board. Are there things that were mentioned by more than one group? Are there any ways that were listed by all the groups?
The teacher then asks the students to write down one way to keep from blowing up that was new to them, something that they would like to try for themselves. Each student should then write on a separate sheet of paper the words "The next time I feel like I am going to blow up or get upset, I will try to __________." The students then return to their small groups, share what they wrote, and discuss what they intend to do the next time they feel they are about to blow up.
Optional Teaching Strategies
Students write an essay explaining when it might be a good thing to get upset or lose control.
Students create their own game to test self-control (for example, a staring contest or red light/green light).