Upon completion, students will be able to…
VIDEO RUN TIME: 4 mins, 14 seconds
SUPPLIES NEEDED: Whiteboard or chalkboard. Paper and pencils.
What is a Wanderer and how could he/she become an Explorer?
What happens if someone stays in the Explorer stage for too long?
What are some ways an Explorer can become a Follower?
What are some of the “causes” in your life that are greater than yourself?
How are the greatest Leaders also the greatest Followers?
A. Say this: Let ’s break into two teams and make a list of as many “causes” as we can think of – causes that are bigger than ourselves. The team with the most causes wins. (split into two groups) You’ve got 5 minutes. Go!
B. Bring the teams back together and read off the lists (determining on the fly if each one should really be considered a “cause greater than self”). Determine a winning team.
C. Next ask which causes they personally resonate with and why.
D. Which causes are you already involved with, or which causes do you want to join up with?
Pick one famous leader of a cause (for example, Martin Luther King Jr. led the Civil Rights Cause) and write a one-page report on how the leader joined up with the cause. Search online to find the backstory of the leader – see if you can find one or two key events that propelled them into leadership. Try to find their motivation to join the cause.
Upon completion, students will be able to…
VIDEO RUN TIME: 5 mins, 26 seconds
SUPPLIES NEEDED: Whiteboard or chalkboard
Why was America still plagued with racism 100 years after slavery ended?
How would you describe the Freedom Riders’ approach to change culture?
Why do you think the Freedom Riders were inspired to take such great risks?
Who is your “James Farmer” and why are you passionate about their cause?
Write out a personal goal for getting involved in a cause greater than yourself.
A. Write this on the top of the whiteboard “THE GREAT CAUSES OF OUR TIME.” Have the students think back to all the causes they listed in the previous activity. Ask them which causes they feel are the most important and why.
B. Vote on the top 3 to 5 causes of our time. (Poverty, healthcare, nutrition, equal rights, education,clean water, etc.). Break up the students into smaller groups, assigning one cause to each group.
C. Have the students determine 2 or 3 actions they could take to actually help their assigned cause.
D. Bring the students back into the larger group to present their findings.
Write a paragraph on one cause you are especially passionate about. Why does this matter to you? What is one thing you could do to make a positive impact on your cause?
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