Psychological Corollary

Some reasons for being liked or not liked are under a person's control; some are not.

Lesson Objective

Students will be able to distinguish between reasons people are liked that they can and cannot control.

For example, people cannot control their height, but they can control their grooming and their attitudes.

Social Behaviors

This lesson shows students that successful people:

• ask questions
• show interest
• exercise self-control
• don't complain often
• demonstrate honesty
• do their share of work

Social Vocabulary

• stubborn
• promises
• complains

Other Vocabulary

• attic
• fashion show
• charity
• lottery

Suggested Lesson Plans

Introduction

• Ask students to recall some of the reasons in the Lesson 1 worksheet why people were liked or disliked (e.g., keeping promises and being helpful).
• Ask students if they think these were behaviors that people could control. (That is, can you decide to keep a promise? Can you choose to be helpful?)
• Ask students to list reasons why people might like or dislike you that you can't control (e.g., your looks, your height, your race, your religion, or how much money your family has).
• Introduce vocabulary.

Group Use of Student Workbook

Have students complete the worksheet independently or as a group by putting a "C" in each box indicating that the reason you are liked or disliked is under your control. Discuss students' answers.

Behavior Development Activity

To encourage students to ask questions and show interest:

• Explain that one good way to make friends and to get to know people is to discuss their interests.
• Use some of the following settings in the roleplays suggested below:
• Meeting a person at a party
• Meeting a new person at work
• Introducing yourself to a classmate
• Divide the class into groups of three. One person will be the "host," and the other two will be "guests."
• Ask the two guests to record one of their interests on cards.
• The host then reads the two cards and, using this information, introduces the two guests to one another.
• Guests are to assume they did not know each other before.
• After introducing the guests, the host should leave.
• The guests should then converse about their interests for at least three minutes; conversations might be recorded on video or voice recording so that students can critique their performances.
• Repeat the roleplaying, rotating roles so that each student plays the host once,
• Optional activity
• Have hosts introduce guests without mentioning guests' interests. The task of the guests is to determine what the other person's interests are and then converse again for at least three minutes--about those interests. Explain that this kind of conversation is much more difficult to begin.

Review

• Ask students to identify two behaviors that cause others to like or dislike you and that are under your control (e.g., being honest and exercising self-control).
• Ask students to identify two things that are not under a person's control (e.g., looks and height).
• Ask students to describe and model what they could do to show an interest in another person (e.g., ask questions and discuss their interests).

Homework (Optional)

• Ask students to observe others and then identify three ways people show an interest in one another, based on their observations.