In this Module, Students will…

• Conduct research about the issues through a variety of sources in order to better understand the issue, who’s involved in the issue and how other groups are working to solve it
• Collaborate with team members to build know-how about the issues
• Select a problem in your community to solve

Lessons

1. Brainstorm Problems in Your School or Community (30 Minutes) 
   1. ACTIVITY: Brainstorm Problems (3.A.1)
2. Select and Research a Problem to Solve (45 Minutes)
   1. ACTIVITY: Team Discusses Problems (3.B.1)
   2. TEAM ACTIVITY: Select Problem for Lead4Change Project (3.B.1)
   3. ACTIVITY: Build Know-How (3.B.2)

Materials:

• Student Workbook – Module 3
• Student Workbook 3.A.1
• Student Workbook 3.B.1
• Student Workbook 3.B.2

---

Lesson A
Brainstorm Problems in Your School or Community

Estimated Time: 30 Minutes

Lesson Instructions

• Introduce this lesson by asking students to read the directions on 3.A.1 of the Student Workbook and complete the chart individually. You may give time for students to research basic facts related to the issues they brainstorm.
• Think independently about issues facing your school or community. Remember, community can be defined as school, local, national, or global. Later in the lesson your team will select a problem to solve for your Lead4Change project.  Some examples may include student activism issues such as bullying or school safety.  For this lesson, have your students think about the problems they notice and what matters to them.
• Have your students take extra time to dig deeper and research some basic information about how these issues impact your school, your community and/or the world. Use the chart on 3.A.1 of the Student Workbook to capture what is discovered.

Activity: Brainstorm Problems (3.A.1 in Student Workbook)
Activity Instructions

• Have a student read the directions on 3.A.1 of the student workbook. Then, conduct the activity.

 

 

---

Lesson B
Select and Research a Problem to Solve

Estimated Time: 45 Minutes

Lesson Instructions:

• Say: Leaders do not stop with just seeking out knowledge. They analyze and apply that information to the task at hand to discover what can be done to make a difference. Leaders are always asking, “so what?” or “now what?” –  they want to determine why the information they’ve gathered truly matters.
• Direct students to meet with their teams to share their ideas from the Personal Brainstorm Chart on 3.A.1 of the Student Workbook
• In teams, students will select one of the issues they brainstormed to choose for their Lead4Change Project. Allow time for the team to reach a consensus (consider the definition of “consensus” as stated in the lesson.)  They will record the issue they choose at the bottom of 3.B.1 in the Student Workbook. If the class is split into multiple teams, invite teams to share one or more of their responses with the whole group.
• Students will then independently complete the 2 questions at the bottom of the personal brainstorm sheet on 3.B.1 of the Student Workbook.

Activity: Discuss Problems Your Community Faces (3.B.1 in Student Workbook)
Activity Instructions

• Gather Students to share their problems they see in the school or community and have them share WHY it’s a problem and WHY it’s important to them.

Activity: Activity: Build Know-How (3.B.2 in Student Workbook)
Activity Instructions

• Direct students to complete the Build Know-How worksheet independently on 3.B.2 of the Student Workbook.
• Have students share their responses with the team.

• Give students time to research their problem. This could require extended time outside of the classroom as they do internet research or speak with others who can give insight to the problem.

 

Lesson Instructions Continued…

• Say: Understanding issues your community faces is the first step towards writing your team’s big goal. Now that we’ve identified the issue we want to tackle, we’ll generate ideas for how to creatively solve this issue as a team. The following lessons will help us create a specific goal for how to tackle this issue and create an action plan to execute on our big goal.

Module Wrap Up

Repeat the key idea: Thinking about issues your community members face can feel overwhelming at times. But when you come together and work with your team to tackle those issues, you come to realize that your voice matters and that you can really make a difference in your community. That’s the power of teamwork!