Content Area: Career Education and Consumer, Family, and Life Skills
Index: 9.2C Grade 8 CPI 1
Standard: 9.2 - Consumer, Family, and Life Skills
Strand: C - Interpersonal Communication
Cumulative Progress Indicator: 1 - The student will demonstrate respect and flexibility in interpersonal and group situations.
Grade: 8
Sample Activities:
· Comparison of Three Types of Milk in a Recipe
· Our Town
· DARE TO BE 100: Brainstorm attitudes about senior citizens. Explain that the process of aging is very misunderstood. Older citizens may be treated differently depending on the cultural background of the family. Students develop a plan to achieve old age entitled “Dare to Be 100.” Students list at least 20 suggestions to help them achieve the “ripe old age” of 100 years. Students consider ethnic and hereditary factors in the development of the plan.
Variation: Invite a panel of adults at various life stages to speak to the class
about ways they stay young and healthy.
Variation: Students interview senior citizens about the positive things in life
that have kept them active and healthy and ask them how they deal with the
changes and problems of aging.
Variation: Students shadow a senior citizen for a typical day and write a journal outlining his/her activities. Compare the day’s events with the stereotypical perceptions of “A Day in the Life of a Senior Citizen.”
Variation: Interview a local citizen who is at least 100 years old. Plan a life
celebration, hold the event, and record the day’s events on videotape.
·
YOUR VALUES: Brainstorm a list of commonly accepted values (e.g.,
generosity, fairness, honesty, courage, respect, trust, responsibility,
loyalty). Most people base decisions on their values. Values show in how you
act, what you talk about, what you stand up and fight for, and what you are
willing to sacrifice for. For the following statements, students identify the
value(s) associated with each. Discuss the responses.
·
I may lose the class election but I have to say what I believe.
· You hold the door open for an older person.
· A person works hard to provide shelter for the homeless.
· You and your sister like to watch different TV shows. You agree to watch each
other’s shows for one week.
· A neighbor left for vacation and left her garden hose running. You shut it off without being asked.
Variation: Using the student-generated list of common values, students select
the three values they feel are most important to them and justify their
responses. Students compare their responses with their classmates. Is there
agreement or do the class values differ? Why? Discuss factors that con-tribute
to the formation of values.
· DEVELOPING YOUR VALUES: Explain that most of the time, people do the right thing. Sometimes, the choices people have to make are difficult and in conflict with their values—we call this moral conflict—and that makes it even harder to make a decision. Provide students with an example similar to the one below and discuss.
· Your best friend didn’t study for the big math test. During the test, he/she leans over and asks for the answer to a problem. You value his/her friendship and don’t want to jeopardize that. You are a loyal friend. On the other hand, you place real importance on being honest and you would feel terrible if you cheated. What should you do?
Explain that you are experiencing moral conflict, battling your sense of right
and wrong. This is an example of a time when you can’t talk about the decision
with someone else—you are walking a moral tightrope. Ask: “What does this mean?”
After exploring the concept further, students explain in a journal entry about a
time they faced a moral conflict and walked the tightrope. What helped them make
the right choice? Students volunteer to share their experiences.
Variation: Provide students with fables or folktales that teach values. Students analyze the characters’ motivation to “do the right thing.” Students form small reading/discussion groups to share their insights on the stories.
Variation: Students create a fable, poem, or illustrated children’s book about a
character facing a moral conflict.
Variation: Students write an essay entitled “Your Values Are Always Showing.” In
the essay, students provide examples of how values are reflected in what
individuals say and do and how family and culture shape values.
Variation: Values play an important part in the decisions we make. How do we
learn values? Students list all the ways and places that teach values. Students
compare the values of various cultures and religions.
Variation: Students debate the following questions: “Can values be both positive
and negative? Can values change? How can you develop new values? Can adults
develop new values?”
· PEER MEDIATION: Students investigate and develop a program to provide peer mediation services in the school. Working with the school counselor, students visit a school already engaged in a successful peer mediation program. Students develop the rules for the program and assist in the development of a training program for prospective peer mediators. Students collect information about the program and report to the school administration at the end of the school year.
·
LIFE STAGES:
Students interview one person in each of six different life stages (toddler,
child, teen, young adult, adult, senior citizen). The class develops a list of
questions to be asked regardless of the person’s age. Organize the interviews
into a booklet, summarizing the similarities and differences. Include, if
possible, pictures of the subjects. Sample questions might include:
·
What is the best thing you’ve ever done?
·
What do you think is the best age and why?
·
What do you see in your future?
·
What makes you happiest?
·
What makes you angry?
·
BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP:
Students interview two adult family members or admired adults. The interviewees
must be the same
gender as the student. Students develop a written profile of the two subjects
and share their impressions with classmates. Sample interview questions might
include the following:
·
Do
you think males and females are raised differently? If yes, in what ways?
·
Do
you think you were treated differently because you were a male/female? How?
·
How
will my life be different than yours?
·
If
you could relive your life, what would you do differently?
·
Which roles are most important in your life?
· What
is one piece of advice you have for me?
Variation: Students write an essay describing the person(s) who have most
influenced their development as a person and as a male or female.
· BECAUSE: Create five large signs (“Agree,” “Disagree,” “Unsure,” “Strongly Disagree,” and “Strongly Agree”) and post in areas around the room. Begin the activity by reviewing the definitions of sex, sexuality, and gender. Read aloud the following statements:
·
Because I am a male/female, I ___________________
· If I
were a male/female, I would __________________
For each statement, students write three responses (students should not identify
themselves on the paper). Collect the responses and read them one at a time. As
each response is read, students move to the sign (e.g., agree, disagree) that
expresses their opinion about the statement. Students justify their answers and
may change their position if they choose. Discuss how opinions and ideas
develop.
· SAYING WHAT YOU MEAN: Provide students with a list of famous parental sayings. (Parade Magazine is a good source for these quotes.) In small groups, students analyze the sayings and then discuss them as part of the entire class. Sample sayings appear below.
FAMOUS PARENTAL SAYINGS
·
When
I was your age...
·
If
your friends all jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?
·
If I
talked to my father like that...
·
Back
in my day...
·
Why
can’t you be more like your brother/sister?
·
Turn
down that music!
·
You
are incredibly lazy!
· I
don’t care what everyone else says—I’m the boss and you’ll do what I say!
Variation: Ask students: “What do parents and kids talk about?” Students develop
examples of the most common parent-child conversations and role-play examples of
the interactions, playing both parts. Students discuss playing both roles.
· LOOKING AT GENDER ROLES: Introduce the lesson by asking students if there are some things that only girls can do. When the boys begin to object, ask the same question in reverse. Tell students they are going to think about the way they see themselves as males and females. Provide students with a worksheet similar to the one below. Students place a check in the column that reflects their opinion about things males and females do. After students have completed the worksheet, students discuss and debate the responses.
Variation: Pose the following questions for discussion:
·
What would be different about your life if you were born a
male/female?
·
How
would you be treated differently?
·
Where would you learn how to act masculine or feminine?
·
Would there be advantages to being the other gender? Explain.
·
Would there be disadvantages to being the other gender? Explain.
·
Students write, in a journal entry, how their lives might be
different if they were born the opposite gender.
· MEDIA STEREOTYPES: Select a number of television shows or movies that perpetuate certain stereotypes (e.g., the dumb blonde; the gay hairdresser; the stupid, athletic male; a street-smart African American youth). Students watch excerpts from each show, identify the stereotype, and discuss the connection to the story (if there is a connection). Ask students: “What role does the character play in the story? Is the characterization critical to the film or just included for a certain effect?” Students write a brief essay about how stereotypes influence bias, discrimination, and intolerance, using examples from the films to support the arguments.
Variation: Students compare “politically correct” terms with traditional
references. Brainstorm as many politically correct terms as possible and write
them on the board. Students match the terms with an equivalent but no longer
acceptable term (e.g., “handicapped” vs. “physically challenged,” “short” vs.
“vertically challenged,” “congressman” vs. “congressperson”). Does politically
correct language open doors? Does such language contribute to confusion about
roles and stereotypes? Why do people think these terms are necessary?
· YOU'RE THE EXPERT IN MOTIVATION: Ask students: “What motivates individuals to work harder or try something new?” Divide the class into small groups, and assign each group one of the following case studies. Allow plenty of time for groups to review and discuss their case. Groups present their situation through role-play, a creative story, or character interviews and classmates discuss each presentation. Students complete the activity by writing “Ten Tips to Motivate Me.”
SAMPLE CASE STUDIES: MOTIVATION
Case 1: Sally comes to work late every morning. Because other office staff
depend on her to assign their work, her lateness holds up the functioning of
several people. Sally received a raise just six months ago. She has been a good
worker for three years in the office. You are Sally’s supervisor and you want
her to arrive on time. What do you say to her to motivate her to return to her
previous work habits?
Case 2: Harry is a salesclerk in the sports department of the store where you
are a personnel counselor. You received a complaint from the billing office that
Harry’s charge slips have been incorrect, causing losses for the store. Harry
was accused by a customer of not paying any attention when asked questions about
bicycles. In fact, the head of the sports department took over when Harry simply
disappeared from the floor and ignored the customer. You are talking to Harry
about his performance and hope to retain him, because he’s been a very
productive employee for six years.
Case 3: You are a news editor on a daily afternoon paper with six reporters
assigned to you. They range from retirement age to a very new graduate of
journalism school. All six are bright and quick to locate news sources and to
write their material when given assignments. In the past few weeks, however, the
oldest member of your staff has failed to find time to cover assignments and has
not produced even reasonably good stories on his own. He is near retirement but
would like to continue to free-lance for other publications after he retires in
18 months. In the meantime, he has been most valuable to you and has been
helpful in training new people. The new reporter, a bright young woman named
Jill, has also suddenly become uninterested in following up assignments and has
turned in very sloppy copy. Although she fit in very well when she started with
the paper just over a year ago, her production has decreased so much that you
are left with only four of your six regular reporters to handle all the work.
Are these problems related? What happened to their drive and interest? What
approaches do you make to motivate their renewed efforts?
Variation: Divide the class into small groups and assign each group all three
scenarios. As groups present their ideas, focus on the following questions: “Did
the groups arrive at the same solution or recommendation? What are some
different ways to motivate people? Do different circumstances
require different treatment?”
Variation: Invite a personnel director or a counselor to view the presentations and offer comment on the proposed solutions. The speaker can address legal issues that might impede certain approaches suggested by the students.
Variation: As students discuss these cases and recommendations, have them consider whether their ideas were based on preconceived ideas or stereotypes of how workers ought to be treated and what people are really like in the jobs described. Ask students to respond to the following questions: “Lacking more specific data, for example, do you fall back on a stereotypical picture of the aging reporter as perhaps drinking too much, or the young woman reporter as being put down by her colleagues? Do you sometimes make motivational decisions in real life as much on the basis of stereotypes as on the basis of obtainable data? Do you tend to put people into typical roles and thus treat a person as a role and not as an individual?” Allow sufficient time for discussion and debate of these issues.
·
GOOD SPORT: Students define sportsmanship and develop a
survey to determine answers to the following questions:
·
What makes a person a good sport?
·
What is the best example of good sportsmanship you have ever seen?
·
What is your definition of sportsmanship?
Students ask the same questions to at least five other individuals not in their
class or grade. Encourage students to ask their parents, older siblings, or high
school or college athletes. Students share and discuss the results and develop a
class description of good sportsmanship. Students develop a thematic bulletin
board or school display.
Variation: Students complete a journal entry about sportsmanship, focusing on
examples they have seen in class or as part of a school or community team.
· Go to the USA Today education site – www.education.usatoday.com and go to the Multicultural Resources link. Teachers will find a four week activity and lesson plan that addresses diversity and another that addresses tolerance that will give students the opportunity to gather information and work in groups to analyze their findings. Students will share their findings with one another and learn to value differences and examine the effects of intolerance.
· Go to the USA Today education site – www.education.usatoday.com and go to the Olympics link. Teachers will find a link to project based learning at this site. The four week activity allows students to research the Olympic games past and present and to study the cultural challenges faced by this group of athletes coming together for the games. The site offers a variety of web sites that the students may gather information.
· FBLA, offers middle school students the opportunity to apply this indicator in several of its competitive events. The Chapter Achievement Program gives students the opportunity to demonstrate respect and flexibility as they work together on a program of work that will benefit all members of their chapter. This chapter membership recognition program recognizes a FLBA-Middle Level chapter’s participation in activities in a variety of projects and activities from the areas of service, education and leadership. Guidelines for these can be found at its website, www.fbla-pbl.org
· Students should research diversity in the workplace and diversity training. Students visit a local business and discuss with the owner/manager the types of training that they offer their employees in order for the employees of their company to better understand the importance of respecting one another’s differences. When students return to school, each student develops guidelines for a diversity training workshop for a business of their choice. Students should present their guidelines to the class and explain the reasons for their choices.
