Leadership U.: Preparing Students for College, Career, and Beyond: Grades 6–8: Developing Key Life Skills

By The Leadership Program

Early and ongoing intervention is known to be a critical element in increasing the likelihood that students in underserved communities will attend college and then thrive there and beyond. Crucially, intervention is most effective when it starts at an early age—planting the seeds in young minds that college is a realistic option for them—and continues from elementary school through high school.  

The Leadership U. program provides grade-appropriate preparation scaffolded through four curriculum manuals, each tailored to a specific stage of learning, and includes a supplement to guide high school students through the college application process. 

The interactive lessons of the Grades 6–8: Developing Key Life Skills curriculum incorporate differentiated learning, foster engagement in school, develop personal responsibility and teamwork, dive into healthy identity exploration, provide an opportunity to examine life interests, and encourage students to take on the role of leaders. Participants are engaged by The Leadership Program’s proven-effective approach to enrichment and social and emotional learning, which has been implemented in thousands of classrooms for hundreds of thousands of students. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Girl Friday Books
• Release date: Sep 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781959411123

The Leadership Program

The Leadership Program’s curriculum is steeped in leadership development from an SEL perspective, taking participants through self-discovery, group awareness, and community impact. The program can be used in classrooms, after-school settings, and at home. It includes project-based activities designed to support positive change in schools, homes, and communities. 

Book preview

Introduction

Overview

The Leadership Program: Who We Are

For over twenty years, The Leadership Program has worked to provide educational institutions of all types and sizes with youth development activities, professional development workshops, and curricula that help schools expand and enrich their academic communities.

Based in New York City, we serve more than 250 school administrations and organizations nationwide and internationally; we have worked tirelessly to create innovative and engaging curricula that provide schools assistance with youth engagement, parent involvement, management, organization, educational enrichment, strategic planning, and evaluation of their team.

We are highly regarded in the realm of educational consulting and professional development, and are regularly invited to present at national conferences on topics ranging from social-emotional learning to motivating your staff.

The Leadership Program:

works with over 18,000 students, 500 teachers, and 6,000 parents annually

created and implements a conflict-resolution project that has been designated the highest-rated leadership-themed universal adolescent violence prevention program in the country by SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP)

created an empirically validated Conflict Resolution Project, one of thirty-five in the country and designated a Promising Program by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

was included in a 2008 Johns Hopkins research study for the Department of Defense as one of five organizations in the United States that significantly enhances positive school culture through professional development, organization, and youth development

created two of the seven programs in New York State (two of the seventy-three in the nation) designated to have Promising Practices by the Academy for Educational Development

has its conflict resolution curriculum listed as a CASEL SELect effective SEL skills development program

believes that, with the right help, every person has the innate ability to lead the change

Curriculum Overview

Welcome to Leadership U., The Leadership Program’s comprehensive, multi-year college and career readiness series that prepares students from elementary grades through high school for higher education and beyond. This differentiated curriculum is structured to develop age-appropriate skills in youth that will support them in attending college, thriving in higher education or alternative advanced training, and planning for successful careers as adults. To that end, the manuals are organized as follows:

4th–5th grades

6th–8th grades

9th–10th grades

11th–12th grades

11th–12th grade Your Passport to College Supplement

The curriculum lessons, focusing on SEL and practical life skills, are organized into a series of components that engage students in a variety of activities and are scaffolded to develop their awareness of and belief in college as an option for themselves, their curiosity about and embrace of diverse cultures, their ability to work with others constructively, their SEL competencies for managing emotions and recovering from setbacks, and real-world skills such as money and time management. All lessons include vital time to reflect on what they have learned.

This teacher manual, and the corresponding manuals for each grade level, support both experienced and beginning facilitators in implementing Leadership U. lessons.

Grades 6–8

The interactive lessons of the 6th–8th grade Leadership U. curriculum incorporate differentiated learning, foster engagement in school, develop personal responsibility and teamwork, dive into healthy identity exploration, provide an opportunity to examine life interests, and encourage students to take on the role of leaders. Participants are engaged by Leadership’s proven-effective approach to enrichment and SEL development, which has been implemented in thousands of classrooms for hundreds of thousands of students.

Main Components for Grade 6

Introduction to Leadership U.

Motivation and Self-Concept

Study Skills and Organization

Communication and Cooperation

Resilience and Growth Mindset

Main Components for Grade 7

Introduction to Leadership U.

Motivation, Self-Concept, and Future Vision

Study Skills and Organization

Communication and Cooperation

Resilience and Growth Mindset

Main Components for Grade 8

Introduction to Leadership U.

Motivation and Self-Concept

Future Vision

Study Skills and Organization

Communication and Cooperation

Resilience and Growth Mindset

All lessons follow the same structure, to provide a consistent framework for every session throughout the different grade level syllabi. The lessons open with information and tools to help in your facilitation and continue with step-by-step instructions for each activity. Each lesson begins with the following information:

Lesson Objective: what students will achieve through the lesson

Summary: a brief description of the activities during the lesson

Aim: the question to be answered through lesson activities and processing

Standards: the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) standards (based on New York State SEL guidelines) that are met when the lesson is facilitated according to instructions

Materials: a specific list of the materials to prepare in order to facilitate each particular lesson, including masters of handouts and worksheets, where applicable

Handouts: information and reference pages, to be distributed to students

Worksheets: activity pages to be filled in by students during lessons

Vocabulary: significant words used in each lesson, to be incorporated throughout the activities

Facilitator Note: an alert when the lesson requires attention to specific details or especially sensitive topics during the session

Prepare in Advance: copies, cutouts, samples, video links, or other items that need to be prepared ahead of time to facilitate the lesson in a timely and cohesive manner

The step-by-step instructions are divided into sections within each lesson:

Warm-Up: a short activity that focuses the group on the session topic and serves as an icebreaker

Main Activity: may be divided into two or three parts and includes the activities that go to the heart of the lesson topic

Closing: a simple format for inviting each student to reflect on how they can use what they have learned during the lesson in their lives

Extension Activity: an optional activity designed to deepen the understanding of and connection to the theme of the lesson, that can be facilitated with the participating group or assigned for students to do on their own

Facilitation Guide

Our facilitation process is built on the experiential learning cycle (ELC), a structured learning sequence that guides multiple styles of learners through experience-based activities (Pfeiffer and Jones, 1975, 1983). Creating continuous threads from one experience to the next, the ELC lets learners process an activity through five stages of comprehension, culminating with concept and skill application. Building on student input and curiosity, facilitators interject well-placed processing questions that allow students to discover each lesson’s learning points in a manner that feels organic and seamless. The process has proved successful in all of The Leadership Program’s urban school programs and is critical to the effective implementation of Leadership U.

Sprinkled throughout each lesson, therefore, you will find:

Processing Questions: suggested ELC processing questions that apply to the students’ experience during the specific lesson

Discussion Questions: suggested questions to guide the students in reflecting on other aspects of their experience and the topic of the lesson

The suggested questions and prompts are provided to guide students in processing their experience and what they have learned. An effective facilitator will listen attentively to students’ comments and responses, and both use these contributions to formulate questions that move the discussion toward answering the aim or the closing question and help students apply what they have learned to their lives. You may choose to use the suggested processing and discussion questions that are included, or you may prefer to come up with your own questions based on the group’s experience during the session, or you may want to use a combination of the two options. Whichever approach you choose, processing the experience that the students have during the lesson is essential to support participants in expressing themselves and developing their skills, and to the success of Leadership U. at every grade level.

The Experiential Learning Cycle

The Experiential Learning Cycle

Preparation Essentials

Movement

Some of the lessons in this curriculum include a light to moderate physical activity or a game, for which it is ideal to create an open space in the room. Research has shown that youth focus better when physical activities and movement are incorporated into lessons. Be sure to include these whenever appropriate and possible.

Space Setup

You may want to have students form a circle to start each lesson. A circle builds community and allows students to easily see and interact with each other, taking any power dynamics out of the equation. Students can sit or stand in a circle, depending on the activity.

Remember . . .

Read your lesson ahead of time to decide which arrangement of the furniture will work best for each session. For group interactions, chairs set up in a horseshoe or circle are good. If you will be doing a lot of small-group work, set up chairs in small circular clusters.

Make sure everyone can see you and any visual aids you may display.

Materials

Always read through the list of materials you will need to facilitate the lesson and prepare your materials in advance to ensure good use of time and smooth running during the session.

If materials include worksheets or handouts, you will find one of each at the end of the lesson from which to make extra copies if necessary.

Suggestion: Complete a sample of each worksheet for yourself before the lesson; you will be able to anticipate any questions that participants may have and make your group feel more comfortable if you provide your worksheet as a sample.

Video Clips

Some lessons include recommended short video clips. Links to the recommended videos are included in the header or body of the lesson. You will need a Smartboard or projector for these lessons.

When reading the lessons for preparation before facilitating, be sure to take into account whether you will have access to online links during the lesson or whether you will need to download the video clips to your computer ahead of time. Keep in mind that the online library of videos changes constantly; you may find other video clips that you prefer or that are more up to date to make the same point as the suggested videos.

Time Management

These lessons have been created for a class session time frame. On days when you are short on time, we recommend that you divide the lesson into two sessions. If you read your lessons ahead of time, you will know how to structure the sessions to achieve the lesson objective. Be sure to always leave time to include processing questions to reflect on that day’s lesson experience. If you need help keeping time, set a timer. This will prevent you from running out of time and will ensure that you include the valuable processing portion of the lesson.

Keep in mind that some topics of conversation can get lengthy; monitor the time so that every student who wants to participate has a chance to voice their opinion, and so that the objective for the day is achieved.

Games

The curriculum includes some games, which we believe are the gateway to larger life lessons. Although games to some may not seem like the best use of time, it is important to know that some of your best processing and aha moments will come out of these games. They are placed intentionally within the lessons.

Physical Activities

As mentioned above, some lessons in the Leadership U. curriculum include some physical activity. When doing physical activities with your students, always set up a safe space. Make sure that your students are comfortable with the level of physical movement that the activity requires, that there is ample space for it, and that you remind students to keep their own physical limitations in mind when taking part in these activities.

Visualization

Some activities begin with a visualization in which students are asked to close their eyes and imagine a scene that you will describe. It is important, especially the first time you conduct a visualization, to first ensure that all students feel comfortable closing their eyes. If a student does not, they can sit quietly with their eyes open and gaze turned toward the floor. There should be no talking during visualizations, and students should not touch or otherwise engage each other.

New Concepts and Skills

Some of the ideas examined and the skills developed through the lessons in Leadership U. may be completely new to students or may evoke strong responses. Whether it’s managing money, exploring identity, or any other subject matter that may be challenging for some youth, it is essential for the facilitator to be alert to responses that indicate a particular sensitivity to the topic and to create a safe space in which all participants can learn and grow.

Inside the Activity

Brainstorm

A brainstorm is used to start conversations or to create a list or a web. It is started by posing a question to the group and then writing down all of the answers given. If you follow the Brainstorming Process Ground Rules, you will prime the group for discussing the day’s topic:

Record all ideas

No critical judgment is permitted

Freethinking is welcomed (i.e., the wilder the idea, the better)

Quantity, not quality, is desired

Combination and improvement of ideas are sought

Small-Group Presentations

Small-group presentations occur frequently, when students are divided into pairs or trios to work on something that they will later present to the larger group.

In all group work, let students know how much time they have to work and remind them when to move on to the next person or task. Travel around the room to observe students, to pick up on information for later discussions that students may not think to share with the larger group, and to provide support when needed.

Role-Plays

Role-plays are used frequently in our lessons. Students act out a specific scene or situation in order to practice skills learned and examine behaviors to choose or avoid. Role-plays will provide valuable practice for groups creating a culminating theater piece.

You must set up ground rules for role-plays. The most important thing to enforce with your students is that a role-play is pretend, and that students are acting a part during the role-play. Students should not hash out real-life issues with each other during a role-play, nor should they get personally upset with someone’s words or actions during a role-play. Assign roles thoughtfully to avoid reinforcing negative dynamics between students.

To further reinforce this idea, it is important that role-plays have a clear beginning and end. One way to manage this is to have the group call out 3, 2, 1⁠—action! to begin a role-play, and for the facilitator to call out Scene! to end the role-play. When processing what occurred during a role-play, always refer to the students’ characters rather than to the students themselves. Ex: When Tyrone was playing the student and said to the professor that Monique was playing . . . This helps to further separate the student from the role-play. You can also assign names to the characters in the role-play and use the character names in processing.

Web

A web is a visual branching system of words, usually derived from a brainstorm. A web will have a central circle containing a word (the main topic or question) and responses branching out connected by lines, much like a spiderweb. These webs give great visual context to participant ideas. One example is shown below:

Writing

Writing activities are incorporated into many of the lessons so that students can practice and hone their literacy skills. These writing exercises also provide an outlet for students who may be shy about participating vocally. If students have difficulty with the writing exercises, you can encourage them to write in their native language, draw an image, or find another way to express their response.

Keep in Mind . . .

Whether you are an experienced facilitator or you are a first-time facilitator implementing this type of lesson, you do not have to be the expert in the room. You will find that students contribute valuable information and perspectives when discussing lesson topics and processing their experience. Maintain a sense of humor about your own gaps in knowledge and any mistakes you may make. This will help make students comfortable when they don’t know something and allow you to enjoy learning along with your group.

Grade 6

Part One

Introduction to Leadership U.

Introduction to Leadership U.

How Am I a Leader?

Objective:

Students will identify leaders and qualities of leaders.

Summary:

Students will participate in a brainstorm activity and respond to prompts describing themselves as leaders.

Aim:

How am I a leader?

Standards:

CCSS⁠—RI.7, W.4, SL.1, SL.2, SL.4, L.6

SEL⁠—Self-awareness, Relationship skills

Materials:

Chart paper, colored markers, crayons, white paper

Lesson Vocabulary

brainstorm v. to get together and share ideas on a topic or solve a problem

leader n. someone who leads or guides others

qualities n. special characteristics of someone or something

Facilitator Note:

Save the Qualities brainstorm chart paper for reference in future lesson plans.

Introduction

Ask students to stand in a circle.

Introduce yourself and explain why you are here. Include an overview of the classroom structure (days and times you will be meeting with them, etc.) and any personal classroom management methods that you will be using.

Explain that when you are here, the class will often begin with standing in a circle to do a quick warm-up followed by a main activity and closing. Explain that the most important part of the day is when the group processes the activities, or talks about their feelings about the activities and what they learned by doing them.

Explain that each day you are in the room, the students will work on different skills and techniques to be better citizens and positive role models in their communities, and that will help them pursue the goal of going to college.

Tell students you hope you will see them becoming better leaders each day you visit. Tell them you will know they are being leaders when you see that they are:

following directions

respecting each other

listening

participating

Tell students that today’s lesson will be about learning what a leader is and how they are already leaders. Let them know that the warm-ups will focus on getting to know each other better.

Warm-Up #1: Name Games

Do a few rounds of Whip-Around with the following formats, time permitting. Model each sentence first.

Facilitator Note: In a Whip-Around, students stand in a circle and, one by one, answer the question with a word, phrase, or sentence.

My name is ________ and one of my favorite things to do when I am not in school is ________.

My name is ________ and my favorite food is ________.

My name is ________ and my favorite color is ________.

My name is ________ and my favorite subject in school is ________.

My name is ________ and someone I know who is attending