More+Building+Assets+Together

Submitted by: Angie Jensen, Counselor at Taku Elementary School SEL Standard---1C- Students demonstrate awareness of their external supports. I am aware of supports around me.

(Adapted from More Building Assets Together: 130 Group Activities for Helping Youth Succeed by Rebecca Grothe. Copyright © 2002)

Materials Needed: Agenda written on chalkboard or chart paper Colored markers for each student Enough for each student to receive pre-cut construction papers to make triangular pennant shapes (These are made by making a mark half way up the edge of the short side and cutting from that mark to the corner on each side.)

Time: 45 minutes

When to teach: Anytime

**__Gathering:__** Have all students sit in a circle. “This Is A ?” Pass a brightly colored football around the circle. Each person holding it must say what this football could be other than a football. For example, “This is a hat.” “This is an idea.” “This is an apple.” “This is an egg.”

Have students return to their seats.

Check agenda: Go over the day’s plan and check to see if it is okay.

__Introduction of topic:__ //Everyone needs cheerleaders. It doesn’t matter if we are athletes or not, we all need people who care about us, encourage us to do our best and support us when we struggle. Students who have positive relationships tend to be less likely to do things that are harmful to themselves or others.//

Objective: Students consider the people who are available to them for support and encouragement.

Lesson: Pass out one triangular piece of paper to each student. Draw a horizontal duplicate of this shape on the board. Ask the students if they have ever been to a sports event where fans have waved these in the stands. Ask students, “What are these called?” Answers may include “flag” “banner” or “pennant.” Explain to students that these pennants have the team’s name written on them. Instruct students to write their names with as much detail as they want in large letters with magic marker across the center of their pennants. They can even add a border. Give students 5 minutes for this activity while walking around and encouraging them to write their name letters thicker or bolder. Then ask the students, “Who is in your cheering section?” Have students write the names of these people on the back-side of their pennant. The people they write down can be adults or friends. Ask them to consider parents/guardian(s); leader or youth worker; teachers; principal; school counselor; teammates; a neighbor, the parent/guardian of a friend; leader or coach of an organization or team; a mentor; a family friend; school nurse; my doctor; other adult. Give students another 5 minutes for this activity.

Tell students that you will describe situations a young person might face, and that you’d like them to think about which adult they would go to first if they needed advice or help in the following situations. As you read each situation, pause and ask students to mark a symbol next to the person they would approach first for advice or help. Explain to students the objective is to determine who has the most symbols or marks by their name. Also explain students have the option of adding names to their cheering section as you go through the following situations.


 * You want to get a new bike/snowboard.
 * You want to learn how to cook.
 * You need money to pay for a field trip.
 * You have no desire to finish school-work.
 * You’ve been feeling sick lately.
 * You’ve had a big argument with you friend.
 * You feel like people are picking on you.
 * Someone doesn’t have a warm coat.
 * You witness your neighbors hitting each other.
 * A friend tells you they are thinking about hurting him/her self.
 * You and your friends want to stay up late.
 * You are getting an F in math.
 * Your trying out for the basketball/cheerleading team and you are very nervous.
 * You want to learn a new sport.
 * You have so much homework that you feel like you are going to explode.
 * You are nervous about performing in the talent show.

After you finish this marking activity, invite students to tally the number of symbols next to the names of each person listed. Ask for students to share some of the people they had marked the most. Reflect the results. Often students mention family members.

Ask students, “Why do you think some people listed on the charts have more symbols than others? What does a person do or say that makes it easy to approach her or him for help and advice? What does an adult do that makes it difficult?

How many different people did they put a mark? How do they feel about the number of people in their cheering section? How many people does a person need in his/her cheering section? Is it possible to have too many? If they are not happy about the number of people in their cheering section, what can they do about increasing/decreasing the number?

Randomly place students in pairs. Give the partners a few minutes to show their pennants or banners and tell each other about them. Ask them to explain ways they show appreciation for those who give them support?

**__Assessment:__** Ask students to volunteer something they would like to share from this activity with the entire class. For example, the number of adults in their cheering section, what someone does to show they are in his/her cheering section, someone they added, or the reason they thought this was a good activity to complete.

**__Closing:__** Go-around. Ask each person to tell whose cheering section they are in or who would put “each of them” in their cheering section.