Slide Deck to Share with Students HERE

​​​

This Lesson in Action:

​​

​​

​

​​​

​

 

 

 

​

 

 

​

Lesson Objectives:

​

Students will be able to:

​​​

1. Describe how the concept of resilience can be beneficial and harmful, and particularly for members of marginalized groups

2. Consider times when they should and should not push through adversity

​​​

Learning Standards:

 

LfJ 19. Students will make principled decisions about when and how to take a stand against bias and injustice in their everyday lives and will do so despite negative peer or group pressure

LfJ 20. Students will plan and carry out collective action against bias and injustice in the world and will evaluate what strategies are most effective

​​

​​Learning Activities (If you have 15 minutes…)

​​​

Greeting (Slide 4): Which Beyonce are you today?

 

Reading (Slide 6):

 

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” -Mahatma Gandhi

 

Ask student: What does this quotation get you thinking about? Do you think it’s true?

 

Initiative

 

Slides 7-9: Refresh students’ memories of The Gardener’s Tale

 

You might decide to show this YouTube video telling the Gardener’s Tale HERE (2 minute version) or HERE (4 minute version)

 

Then ask students to think about the pink flowers growing in the rocky/sandy soil

 

Discussion Question (Slide 10) Ask students to discuss in partners: Are the flowers that could grow in the rocky/sandy soil better or more capable than those who couldn’t?

 

Explain that we live in a society that tends to celebrate resilience and grit.

 

Resilience is the ability to power through tough circumstances and use those circumstances to become even stronger. But does it always make sense to try to power through?

 

Slides 10-11: Show video clip of 18-year-old Kerri Strug who was encouraged by her coach to keep competing in the 1996 Olympics despite a significant injury (link HERE). Explain that the second vault broke her ankle and led to her retirement from gymnastics.

 

Discussion Question (Slide 12): Should Kerri Strug’s coach have pushed her to be resilient?

 

Discussion Questio (Slide 13): Does it seem like certain people are expected to be more resilient than others? Who? Why? (people from marginalized groups, who do not have privilege)

​

Learning Activities (if you have 45 minutes….)

​​​

Initiative (continued):

​​​

Slide 14: In the 2020 Olympics, Simone Biles made a different decision. She pulled out of the Olympics gymnastics competition when she realized her mental health could cause her to get seriously injured.

 

Share a news story about Simone Biles pulling out of the Olympics (clip HERE)

 

Discussion Question (Slide 15) What do you think of Simone Biles’ decision to pull out of the 2020 Olympics competition? Is there a way in which this decision was demonstrating resilience?

​

​Learning Activities (if you have 2 hours…)​

​

Initiative (continued)

​

Slide 16: Share with students the TED Talk by Emem Washington entitled “A Better Way to Think About Resilience” (link HERE)

 

Discussion Questions for students following the TED Talk (Slide 17):

1. How do you know when you should be resilient by pushing through vs. quitting?

2. How is the concept of resilience sometimes harmful?

3. How the concept of resilience sometimes beneficial?

 

Notes on question #2:

-If you don’t respond well to experiencing life adversity (that comes from oppression), then it’s somehow your fault instead of the system’s.

-It can keep us oppressed! When we are constantly told to just be resilient, we don’t have time to think about resistance…to question why I’m being forced to endure this circumstance in the first place or to resist!

• “Paralyzes change and maintains the status quo.”

 

Notes on question #3

-Sometimes it’s helpful to know examples of people who succeeded despite the odds as inspiration. Inspiration helps us remain hopeful and optimistic about ourselves and our community. But, I have to remember not to compare myself to them.

​

 

Debrief (Slide 18)

 

1. What did you like about today’s lesson?

2. Did you learn anything new about yourself or anyone else?

3. What could make it better?

​

​​​

​​

​​​