Psychological Corollary

Some causes of success are not under a person's control or cannot be changed.

Lesson Objectives

Students will be able to identify specific causes of success that are not under a person's control. For example, a person preparing for a party can control preparations but cannot anticipate last-minute problems that other people cause.

Social Behaviors

This lesson shows students that successful people:

• handle frustration
• work hard and diligently
• Show patience pace themselves
• Desire success, have ambition to persist in the face of difficulty

Social Vocabulary

• Excited

Other Vocabulary

• decorate anniversary
• cranberries errands

Suggested Lesson Plans

Introduction

• Write the word frustration on the board. Ask students to define what it means to be frustrated (helpless and out of control of the situation).
• Ask students to give examples of situations in which they felt frustrated (e.g., being stuck in traffic jams; trying to find time to do home chores, school work, and part-time jobs; and trying to explain something to someone who won't listen).
• Ask students to describe how they would react in frustrating situations.
• Ask students whether or not we can control situations that are frustrating.
• Introduce vocabulary.

Group Use of Students Workbook

• Ask students to read the story.
• Ask students the following questions:
• What things did Carmen and Carlos prepare before the day of the party?
• What things did Carmen leave to do until the day of the party?
• Do you think Carmen was realistic about the number of things she planned to get done on the day of the party?
• Could Carmen and Carlos have made more preparations before the day of the party? What are some things they might have done? (For example, they could have decorated the apartment and picked up Carlos's suit.)
• If you were Carmen, what would you have done if you had arrived home and did not have time to get everything finished for the party?
• Have students go over the list of things that happened to Carmen on the day of the party. Ask students to decide whether or not these things were under her control.

Behavior Development Activity

To encourage students to handle frustration:

• Discuss ways a person can avoid frustration (e.g., by anticipating problems, planning better, allowing extra time, and staying calm).
• Using the situation depicted in the Lesson 2 worksheet, ask students to tell how Carmen might have avoided the various frustrations she had that day
• Discuss how patience and staying calm can help in handling frustration.
• Brainstorm a list of ways to stay calm (count to ten; take a walk; take deep breaths).
• Discuss what happens when you let frustration get the best of you. Does it make the situation better?
• Divide the class into small groups. Have each group roleplay one of the following frustrating situations (or use examples of frustrating situations given by the students in this lesson's Introduction):
• You're given a penalty because of a bad call by a referee.
• The cleaners can't find your dress or suit when you go to pick it up on the day of the big dance.
• You're studying for a test and someone has his music blasting.
• A customer comes into the store where you work and yells at you about a defective product.

Review

• Ask students to give two examples of situations affecting their success that they could not control. For example:
• The store has run out of an item you must buy.
• A traffic jam made you late for a test.
• Ask students to identify two ways to handle frustration. For example:
• Avoid frustration if possible.
• Count to ten, take a walk, and breathe slowly and deeply.

Homework (Optional)

Tell students to stay calm during at least one frustrating situation they encounter today; students should be able to describe what they did to cope with the frustration.