Psychological Corollary

A person can change failure to success by making a greater effort at a task that previously failed.

Lesson Objective

Given an example of a previous failure, students will identify at least two kinds of effort that could have prevented the failure. For example, one can get out and stay out of debt by sticking to a budget and by cutting up one's credit cards.

Social Behaviors

This lesson shows students that successful people:

• Are helpful communicate their own ideas and views
• Are supportive ask questions
• Solve their own problems
• Ask for assistance

Social Vocabulary

• hotline control
• advice

Other Vocabulary

• business credit card
• Manager debt

Suggested Lesson Plans

Introduction

• Give students a hypothetical situation in which a friend needs advice to prevent failure (e.g., he wants to avoid being cut from the basketball team).
• Give the following examples of advice and ask which would be helpful:
• Grow taller (not helpful because he cannot control how tall he is).
• Practice lay-ups (helpful because he can control how much he practices).
• Explain that to prevent failure, we must use the control that we have (i.e., effort).
• Explain that this lesson will show students how a person who failed one time can succeed the second time by trying harder.
• Introduce vocabulary

Group Use of Student Workbook

• For each of the three stories, have students:
• Read and summarize the problem.
• Evaluate and select the advice that should be given.
• Write or draw what they think the person should do.
• Share the advice they have given.
• Discuss the advice they would have used and why.

Follow - Up

• Ask students to imagine that they have a test next week in a class that is very hard for them. Ask students which strategy will probably get them the better grade:
• On the day of the test, carry a rabbit's foot, avoid black cats, cross your fingers, and flip a coin to decide how to answer each question.
• During the coming week, do the following each day:
1. Review what was taught the day before and ask questions about things that aren't clear.
2. Review each night what was taught that day.
3. Ask questions in class whenever you don't understand something.
4. Try to complete all your homework.
5. Make an appointment with the teacher to get help with concepts you don't understand.
• Ask students which of the above strategies relies on luck and which depends on their own effort.
• Ask students which of the above strategies is under their control and which is not.
• Tell students to imagine that one student used the "lucky" method while another student used the effort method-and somehow, both people passed the test. Ask questions:
• Which student will feel more proud of his or her success?
• Which student will be better prepared for the next test?
• Which student will be more confident?

Review

• Present students with a list of hypothetical problems that they have been unable to solve. For each problem, have students suggest at least two ways they could make an effort to change the failure to a success. Problems might include.
• not making the swim team last year (e.g., work out more often, eat less junk food).
• nail biting (e.g., chew sugarless gum or something else).
• not being able to get a part-time job (e.g., continue on reading the want ads and asking around).
• Ask students to identify three general ways to help and support friends. For example:
• Compliment them when they make progress.
• Don't tempt them to do things that will make the problem worse.
• Give advice only about factors they can control.

Homework (Optional)

Ask students to identify a problem they have not yet solved. Ask students to think of three things they could do to overcome the problem.