Pitching Problems

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Course Title: Health Education

  Career Cluster: Resiliency

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “The Challenges of Playing Ball.” See CPALMS resource ID#221843.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Students will be developing career skills that they can use in any field, such as: communication skills, perseverance, public speaking, intrapersonal skills, interpersonal skills, and empathy. In the durable skills area of communication, students will practice communicating their thoughts to peers. They will also practice self-reflection and how to cope with challenges and failures.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Brainstorm ideas on how to positively respond to and combat challenges and failures.
  • Self- reflect on how they have dealt with failure and/or challenges in the past.
  • Write a letter expressing their opinion on how to deal with failure and improve skills.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • classroom procedures for paired reading.
  • having classroom discussions.
  • write a basic letter using an opinion.
  • understand the words: failure, challenges, and coping.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What are ways we can cope with failures and challenges?
  • How can we use our skills to persevere through challenging ituations?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce the lesson, start by having students come together as a class to make a word-map using their own words to define “failure.”
     • You can write the definitions students give on the board, a piece of chart paper, etc.
  2. Then, have the students use their own words again to define the word “challenge” in a word map.
     • You can write the definitions students give on the board, a piece of chart paper, etc.
  3. Using the shared ideas the class makes on the word-map, lead a short discussion on what the class defined as “failure” and “challenges.” Have students discuss similarities and differences between the two different word maps. Give opportunities for students to share how the words make them feel.
  4. Introduce the Case Study: “The Challenges of Playing Ball” (see CPALMS resource ID# 221843). by explaining that students will be reading the case study in pairs and thinking about the problem the main character is having.
  5. Allow student pairs time to read through the Case Study: “The Challenges of Playing Ball” and have them ponder the questions below as they read. It is recommended to write them on the board or have them displayed in some format for the students to refer to as they discuss with their partner.
     • How can Misty choose to respond to this perceived “failure?”
     • What advice would you give Misty if you were her friend in this situation?
     • What can Misty do to improve her skills for the future?
  6. As students begin to wrap up the reading and reflecting in pairs, call the students back together to discuss the questions in step 5.
  7. After students wrap up the class discussion, have students get in pairs or small groups to brainstorm ideas on how Misty can respond to this “failure.”
     • Students can use the Brainstorming Sheet provided, or they can write their ideas down on a piece of paper, white board, chart paper, etc.
     • After students have had enough time to brainstorm together, students will complete the Letter to Misty Worksheet (see attached). They will individually write a letter to Misty to give her their advice. Students can use one or more pieces of evidence from the case study in their letter to Misty in order to support their opinion.
     • When students complete their letter, they answer reflection questions (see attachment).
  8. To bring the lesson to a close, ask students to reflect on their learning. As a whole class, students can share how they think Misty will react to the letter she received. Students can share how this case study relates to their own life now and in the future.

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • While this lesson is designed to be completed in one hour-long class period, if your students need more time or need it to be broken up over multiple class periods, please feel free to adjust for your own classroom needs.

• Optional

  
  

  Extensions:

  • While this lesson and Case Study can be used with any group of students, it closely aligns with Gifted Student Outcomes and can be used and adapted to extend the learning for Gifted learners or other advanced students with some of the following suggestions:
  • Students could extend the Case Study with a Part 2 of Misty receiving their letter. They can add on to how they think she would respond and what her next steps would be after getting the letter.
  • Students could turn the Case Study into a comic book that shows the feelings and thought bubbles of each character.
  • Students could complete a research project about different strategies for dealing with failures and challenges.