Psychological Corollary
Success is affected by several causes besides effort, including ability, luck, and the difficulty of tasks.
Lesson Objectives
Students will be able to determine whether specific successes are caused by ability, effort, luck, the difficulty of the task, or a combination of these causes. For example, success on the job is affected by a worker's efforts to concentrate and avoid distractions, such as unnecessary conversation.
Social Behaviors
This lesson shows students that successful people:
- Avoid unnecessary conversations
- Have ambition, desire success
- Work hard and diligently
- are helpful
- are energetic, show enthusiasm
- concentrate
Social Vocabulary
- Teasing
Other Vocabulary
- Ripped
- Typical
Suggested Lesson Plans
Introduction
- Write ability, effort, luck, and success on the board, and have students define each word.
- Explain that each of these factors (ability, luck, and effort), or a combination of these factors, can cause success.
- Introduce vocabulary.
Group Use of Student Workbook
- Ask students to read the page from Wayne's diary and summarize what happened to him that day.
- Have students decide whether each of Wayne's successes was a result of luck or of effort
- Discuss how Wayne's success varied because of his abilities and interests.
- Discuss why putting the records in alphabetical order rates as a success for Wayne even though it might have been easy for someone else
- Discuss why success often has several causes.
Follow - Up
Have students recall the example of success you gave in this lesson's Introduction. Discuss the following hypothetical situations with students. Have students identify the success in each situation and classify each cause of success as either ability, effort, or luck.
- Anna just tried out for a part in a dinner theater play. She got the part (success) because she has acting talent (ability), because her friend is the owner of the theater (luck), and because she practiced her part for a long time before the tryout (effort).
- Alex was given a basketball scholarship (success) because he was tall (luck), because he practiced shooting baskets and ball handling (effort), and because he is very well coordinated (ability).
Have students share personal successes. Stress that these successes can be modest or great. For each of these successes, have students describe causes (luck, ability, effort) that may have contributed to their success.
Behavior Development Activity
To encourage students to avoid unnecessary conversation:
- Discuss the fact that employers, like teachers, expect people to avoid unnecessary conversation. Ask students to hypothesize why employers and teachers have this expectation.
- Model techniques people use for avoiding unnecessary conversation and discuss these techniques (e.g., saying: "Excuse me"; "Could I talk to you about that later--say at lunch?", "I've got to get this done. Let me get back to you, OK?").
- Describe the following situation and have students roleplay to demonstrate how Wayne could politely end the conversation with Danny.
- Wayne and Danny are the only clerks in the record store. Danny pulls Wayne aside to tell him about the hockey game he attended last night. Danny keeps talking even though a customer who needs help is standing nearby.
Review
- Ask students to identify three factors that can cause success (i.e., ability, luck, and effort).
- Ask students to cite an example of success caused by two or more factors, e.g., the record clerk who succeeds because he tries hard (effort) at difficult tasks and because he has a nice customer, who doesn't take advantage of his mistakes (luck).
- Ask students to distinguish between situations in which they should avoid unnecessary conversation (work, classroom) and situations in which they should seek, rather than avoid, conversation, (e.g., at lunch, social events, and the like).
Homework (Optional)
Write three remarks you could make to a friend who was keeping you from studying or doing your job. Remember that the person is a friend and you want to keep your friendship.