Grade Level: 6th-8th
Type Of Project: Social Skills, Civic Literacy
Context: This was based on the book Best Self, Be You Only Better by life coach Mike Bayer. It is a social skills, self-awareness, and leadership PBL for middle schoolers. Students learn about the different masks we wear throughout our lives. The students start out by learning about their Best Self Superheroes. They design a drawing of what their best self character looks like, name it and give it a tagline. They then learn about their Anti-Self Villain. They do the same thing with that character. Students research how different cultures use masks. They also describe their inner thoughts and use self-talk to control their actions. They create a personal action plan complete with small wins and timelines based on one of the anti-self traits they would like to change. They then design a plastic mask describing their best self traits on the outside and their anti-self traits on the inside. Students then use their action plans to create vision boards to remind them of their goals.
This project then moves into learning about leadership qualities. Students choose a leader from the past or present and research their leadership qualities. What makes them good or bad leaders? How did their decisions improve or hurt our world? Students will write an informational piece about the leader of their choice that they will then present to their classmates. The class will come up with a plan to improve the climate and culture in our middle school. Their plan will be to create a school leadership group that would collect ideas from students that they would present to the principal to make a change.
Voice & Choice: Students designed their own characters, masks and chose the leader they researched. They also came up with their own action plan to improve school climate and culture.
Real-World Connections: Students interviewed a real-life coach and worked with the guidance department on coping skills, social skills, and social awareness. Students present their leadership plan to the school administration.
Standards
ELA: W.2 & W.7, L.1&2
Social Studies: SS.3.1-12, SS.6.13, SS.6.14,
SS.6.17, SS.6.22 Universal Constructs: 21.3–5.ES.1-4