Part Two: Activities

The activities in each lesson are designed to help students deepen their base of knowledge and test their understanding of the main concepts mandated in the curriculum. You can decide which (and how many) activities you’d like students to complete. There is one recommended activity per chapter that helps link the lessons forward, giving students the opportunity to build towards their final project, which is revealed next chapter.

Collaboration is Key:

Summary: In this activity, students will work to develop their collaboration skills.

Objectives: The objective of this activity is to help students improve their collaboration skills. Students will find a partner and explore different tools and resources that will aid them both in the development of their final projects.

Skills:

• Collaboration
• Marketing
• Time management
• Problem solving
• Creative thinking
• Communication

Instructions: 

Part One:

1. Begin by introducing the activity and explaining the objectives to the students.
2. Divide the class into pairs, or have them choose a partner working on a similar project.
3. Instruct students to share their idea with their partner, and collaborate on a plan that will help promote both ideas.
4. Point students to the prompts provided in the activity as a guide to help them with this exercise.
5. Give students time to work on their plans and offer assistance where needed.
6. When plans are complete, encourage students to follow through with them, pitching their ideas to potential funders and decision-makers.

Part Two:

1. Instruct students to write a press release about their final project in order to generate publicity and build support for their idea.
2. Give students time to write their press releases, using the resource in the activity as a guide.
3. Once the press releases are complete, encourage students to send them to the media and see if a local news outlet will cover the story being pitched or the efforts of the entire class!

Assessment: Assessment for this activity should be based on how well students collaborate, and whether they work to complement each other’s skills and seek to help both projects succeed. Assessment can also be based on the quality of the plan and press release they create.

Success vs. Failure:

Summary: In this activity, students will analyze two projects – one that’s a success and one that isn’t.

Objective: The objective of this activity is to help students better understand what it takes to build an idea. Students will evaluate two projects or ideas that focus on a similar theme or message in order to learn lessons that they can apply to their final projects.

Skills:

• Critical thinking
• Analysis
• Creativity
• Inquiry
• Communication
• Collaboration

Instructions:

1. Introduce the activity and explain the objectives.
2. Instruct students to find two concepts that are similar to what they’re trying to accomplish. One example should be a success; the other should be a failure.
3. Tell students to investigate the processes behind each example to understand why one succeeded and one failed, answering the questions listed in Part One of the activity.
4. When students have finished answering the questions, divide the class into pairs and ask that the students compare notes. This will ensure that more students learn more lessons that, in turn, can be applied to their final projects.
5. Next, have students pick two podcasts from the Podcast Pool and instruct them to follow the prompts listed in Part Two of the activity.
6. Finally, direct students to Part Three of the activity and encourage them to review the How to Measure Outcomes resource. This knowledge might come in handy as they work to build their final project and it will most certainly come in handy later in life.

Assessment: Assessment should be based on how well students analyze and evaluate their examples, the quality of the answers to the questions listed in Part One and Part Two of the activity, and their participation and engagement in the group work and the activity as a whole.

Process Planning: *Recommended*

Summary: In this activity, students will create a process timeline to map-out how they will bring their final project to life.

Objective: The aim of this activity is to build on the work students have completed in previous chapters and help them create an itemized timeline of tasks that need to be completed in order for their final project to succeed. Students will apply the process lessons they learned in this chapter and develop further tools that will keep them stay organized and manage their time effectively. Moreover, this activity also aims to help students measure success and reflect on whether their goal is too big or too small.

Skills:

• Critical thinking
• Self-reflection
• Process
• Measuring success
• Skill-building
• Organization
• Time management

Instructions:

1. Introduce the activity and explain its purpose.
2. Instruct students to follow the step-by-step instructions listed in the activity.
3. Monitor the students as they build their timelines, ensuring that they follow instructions and are setting both realistic and ambitious goals.

Assessment: The completed timelines should be assessed for detail, organization, time management, goal setting and realism/ambition.

Resume and CV Writing:

Summary: In this activity, students will learn about resumes and CVs.

Objective: The aim of this activity is to help students understand why resumes and CVs are an important part of the job search process. Students will analyze good and bad resumes, learn about online professional standards and develop tools to help them promote their skills and experiences, including drafting a resume and LinkedIn profile.

Skills:

• Critical thinking
• Organization and planning
• Self-reflection
• Skill-building
• Resume writing
• Communication

Instructions:

1. Introduce the activity, using the resources provided.
2. Have students search for sample resumes in a field that they are interested in pursuing.
3. Instruct students to analyze the resumes for strengths and weaknesses, noting good formatting techniques and other ideas they would like to use in their own resume.
4. Students will then create their own cover letter and resume, implementing some of the techniques they uncovered during their analysis, as well ideas found in the examples provided.
5. Pair students up and have them review each other’s work, looking for typos and recommending any necessary changes.
6. This activity can be repeated for CV writing, if desired, and – we strongly recommend – it should be repeated to create a LinkedIn profile, if students are comfortable with creating an online presence.
7. Wrap-up the activity by reviewing what it takes to create a professional online presence and the career ramifications that can come with making online mistakes.

Assessment: Assessment should be based on the quality and effectiveness of the resume and cover letter students draft (and/or their draft CV and LinkedIn profiles), as well as their engagement in the activity.

Making Good:

Summary: In this activity, students will explore the many ways to make money and do good.

Objective: The aim of this activity is to help students better understand how to give back to their community and our world. Students will explore good citizenship and how they can give back through their careers, including through the development of social enterprises. They will also learn about volunteerism and philanthropy. By the end of the activity, students will be able to identify how they want to contribute to our society.

Skills:

• Critical thinking
• Communication
• Philanthropy
• Research
• Problem solving
• Leadership
• Empathy
• Community service

Instructions:

1. Begin by introducing the concept of community service, using the ideas and resources provided in the activity.
2. Divide the class into four quarters, with each group tasked with researching one of the four main ways they can contribute to the betterment of society.
3. Have students present their findings to the class, allowing time for other group members to ask questions.
4. When everyone has presented, facilitate a class discussion about the four ways we can each serve our community, debating if one option has more merit than another.
5. Encourage students to take a moment to reflect on their own passions and values, and how they might work to better our society. This is a personal journey and to help, students can explore the additional resources offered in this activity, including:

• Completing the ‘Social Enterprise’ activity designed by Making Good author Dev Aujla
• Listening to our Podcast with philanthropic advisor Gena Rotstein and social innovator Zeel Patel
• Learning more about volunteerism and philanthropy by researching philanthropic qualities and exploring philanthropic/volunteer opportunities in their community (following the associated prompts, if helpful)
• Answering the self-reflection questions to better understand what community service means to them

Assessment: Assessment should be based on effective group work, engagement in the class discussion and the quality of their self-reflection or self-exploration/research.

Students also have access to the Curated Library – with featured resources presented in the Further Exploration section found at the base of the lesson page – to help them with the above activities.