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Lesson 2: To Ask or Not to Ask

Psychological Corollary

A person who acts helpless or incompetent when it is not necessary makes others angry.

Lesson Objective

Students will identify three reasons why people should not ask for assistance until they need it. For example, asking for unnecessary assistance makes employers angry, makes a worker seem incompetent, and wastes time.

Social Behaviors

This lesson shows students that successful people:

  • admit mistakes
  • ask for help
  • solve their own problems
  • apologize
  • modify behavior based on feedback
  • work independently

Social Vocabulary

  • frustrated

Other Vocabulary

  • cash register
  • over-ring
  • charge slip
  • exchange

Suggested Lesson Plans

Introduction

Read the story, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" (or ask a student to recount the story).

  • Discuss what happened in the story.
  • Discuss why the boy cried, "Wolf!" (e.g., for attention, he thought there might be a wolf and wanted security, he wanted to be funny or to play a trick, he actually believed there was a wolf and needed help).
  • Discuss which reasons would make the villagers angry. Why?
  • Discuss the moral of the story.
  • Ask students how this applies to real life (e.g., asking the teacher for help when you really don't need it).
  • Introduce vocabulary.

Group Use of Student Workbook

Part I: Ask students to read Part I of the story, "To Ask or Not to Ask ..." and complete and discuss exercises that follow Part I.

  • Discuss why Mr. Kojack became angry with Morris. (Because Morris knew what to do and only wasted Mr. Kojack's time by asking for help.)

Part II: Ask students to read Part II of the story, "To Ask or Not to Ask ...

  • Ask students to describe what happened in Part II.
  • Explain why Morris might not have asked for help. (He knew Mr. Kojack was annoyed with him for asking the other questions, and he didn't want to anger him further.)

Part III: Ask students to read Part III of the story, "To Ask or Not to Ask.... " and complete and discuss exercises that follow Part III.

Follow - Up

  • Ask students to pretend that they are Mr. Kojack and that a new computerized cash register has just arrived in the store. Mr. Kojack has four employees he might train to run the register. Ask students whom Mr. Kojack should choose:
    • Morris, who sometimes asks for help he doesn't need
    • Tran, who tries to figure things out on his own before he asks for help
    • Lee, who takes a break as soon as he gets frustrated
    • Neri, who tries to take equipment apart if she doesn't know how to run
  • Discuss the choices students make for Mr. Kojack.

Review

  • Ask students to identify three reasons why a person should not ask for help until he or she really needs it (e.g., it makes others angry, makes a person seem incompetent, and wastes others' time).