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LifeSkills Handbook Activity 5

This is a single activity session plan from The Lifeskills Handbook. There are 61 activity sessions altogether. The handbook is available from our resources section where you’ll also find downloadable storybooks, books and posters to help you in your work.

LifeSkills Handbook Activity 5
Identity Factors: Changing Behaviour

Purpose of activity: To become aware of what is needed to support the development of life skills

Life skills: Self-awareness

Important points: Do this activity after Activity 4: What are Identity Factors?

Materials

  • Set of identity factor symbols from Activity 4.

Steps

  1. Ask each child to think of one change that they would like to make in their life in the near future. Ask the children to state the change they want by starting a sentence with “I want to…”
    For example:
    • I want to… learn to read
    • I want to… return home to live with my mother
    • I want to… be a member of the football team
    • I want to… stop smoking
    • I want to…. be a happy person
  1. Decide which identity factor it is, for example:
    • I want to learn to read (SKILLS)
    • I want to return home to live with my mother (ENVIRONMENT)
    • I want to be a member of the football team (SKILLS)
    • I want to stop smoking (BEHAVIOUR)
    • I want to be a happy person (IDENTITY) 
  1. Ask each child in turn to stand on the corresponding identity factor. For example: for, ‘I want to be able to learn to read’, the child stand on the symbol for SKILLS. With the help of the whole group, the child then thinks about changes that are needed from the other identity factors so that change can happen. For example:
    • I want to lean how to read:
      • BEHAVIOUR – she needs to attend her classes and practice
      • BELIEFS   – she needs to believe that it’s important to read and write
      • ENVIRONMENT –she needs to find an environment where she can practice

Final discussion: 

  • Is it always our fault if we can’t do what we want to do? 
  • What do we need to support our ideas?
  • Was there anything you did not understand?
  • Was there anything you would like to do again, or do more of next time?

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