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Lesson 5: Obstacle Course

Psychological Corollary

Even a person who has limitations can succeed by working hard, concentrating, doing good work, and displaying effort.

Lesson Objective

Students will be able to show how to overcome limitations that apply to the requirements of a new task. For example, a person with reading and writing problems can complete an application by getting help from someone else.

Social Behaviors

This lesson shows students that successful people:

  • identify requirements of a new task or activity
  • understand their own limitations
  • find out what is expected
  • produce high-quality work
  • are willing to work harder than others

Social Vocabulary

  • participants professional

Other Vocabulary

  • bussing tables application

Suggested Lesson Plans

Introduction

Ask students to make private lists of five things that are difficult for them to do. Have students keep this list; it will be used in the Review section.

  • Remind students that it is often necessary to compensate for the things we do not do well; for example, a person with a poor memory has to write things down.
  • Review the word compensate. Ask students how they could compensate in the following situations:
    • Your boss has given you a letter to write, but you are a poor speller. What could you do?
    • Your teacher has asked you to type a paper, but you can't type. What could you do?
    • You are asked to see that an important person gets to a meeting. Your car is being repaired. What could you do?
  • What is the consequence of not doing each of the three tasks above?
  • Review the word negotiate. Ask students how they could negotiate in the following situations:
    • Your boss has asked you to work on a weekend when you have to go to the hospital for some tests. What could you do?
    • Your teacher has asked that a book be read by the first of the month. Reading is hard for you, and it is taking you a long time to read this particular book. You don't think you can finish the book by the deadline. What could you do?
  • What is the consequence of not doing each of the two tasks above?
  • Introduce vocabulary.

Group Use of Student Workbook

  • Ask students to read and summarize Part I and answer the following questions:
    • Why is Rob excited? What is his dream?
    • What skills does Rob have trouble with? (Spelling, reading, and writing)
    • How did Rob compensate for his skill problems? (He read the phone number back to the person at the radio station to be sure he had it right.)
    • Why did Rob feel discouraged when he realized all he would have to do to apply for the Summer Arts Program? (He wasn't sure he could do it all.)
  • Ask students to read and summarize Part Il of "Obstacle Course" and answer the following questions:
    • How did Rob compensate for his skill problems in Part II? (He got his sister to read the story on tape so he could listen to it again and again; he got help from her with his writing.)
  • Ask students to read and summarize Part Ill and answer the following questions:
    • How did Rob prepare for his meeting with the Arts Council? (He went over in his mind all the reasons why he wanted to be an artist so that he could be persuasive in the interview.)
    • How do you think Rob felt when the envelope arrived? How would you feel?
  • Ask students to finish the stories in their own words. Have students share ways they completed the story.
  • Ask students if--in their opinion--it would have been all right for Rob to just give up and not apply for the Summer Arts Program.

Behavior Development Activity

To encourage students to identify requirements of a new task or activity and to understand their own limitations:

  • Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group one of the following tasks:
  • Change a flat tire.
  • Cook a three-course dinner for six people.
  • Plan a three-day trip to another state, including all transportation, reservations, and activities.
  • Tune up a car
  • Learn how to snow ski.
  • Have each group answer the following questions about their task:
  • What are all the steps required to accomplish this task?
  • Which of the above can you do? Which can't you do?
  • How can you get around, or compensate for, the things you think you can't do? (Get help; skip the step; ask someone else to do that step; trade with someone else who needs help on something you can)
  • Decide how you'd handle a problem like this if it came up on the job; that is, how would you explain the situation to a boss?
  • Have groups roleplay conversations in which they explain a person's limitations to a boss, teacher, friend, or parent. Actors should explain the problem, proposed solutions or compromises, and ask for any needed advice.

Review

  • Ask students to identify three general ways we can compensate for our limitations (i.e., by doing good work, concentrating, and working especially hard).
  • Ask students to earn extra credit by recognizing one way they might compensate for each limitation identified in this lesson's Introduction.

Homework (Optional)

Ask students to draw scenes depicting five of their strengths or abilities and show how they might use these strengths to compensate for difficulties (e.g., they could trade tasks with someone aise wine has a different set of strengths and weaknesses)