As your students enter the classroom, ask them to write something on the whiteboard indicating something they’ve done that required a risk. Ask them to use one-word answers if possible (example: football, theater, mountain-climbing). When everyone has had a chance to write something, give volunteers an opportunity to state why it was a risk. Remind them that a risk for one person might not seem like a risk to someone else, but it is nonetheless.
- Do you consider yourself a risk-taker in general? Why or why not? (Answers will vary; some students will admit they like to live on the edge while others like to play it safe.)
- Why might it be beneficial for students to learn how to be risk-takers as a life skill? (Answers will vary, however, most students will say it is important to practice this skill because it isn’t easy to put yourself in situations where you feel uncomfortable. Practicing doing this makes sense because it isn’t natural to want to take risks in life.)
Show the following video clip to your students [3:59; start at 0:22]:
Teen Gamer Was Being Bullied By Two Girls. What Happens Is Shocking
- What did these strangers risk by defending the boy and sharing their own experiences with bullies? (Answers will vary. Possible risks include escalating the situation or increasing the chances of the boy getting bullied more later on or in secret.)
- What was the outcome of the strangers taking a risk for the boy? (The boy learned that other people know what it’s like to be bullied and that people cared enough to stand up. The girls learned there are long-term impacts to their choices and that their behavior is not okay.)
It isn’t always easy to take risks or to do the right thing. Let’s take a look at two young men who took a risk and why it’s important to stand for what is right.
