STUDY GROUP – 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEENS/ALEXANDER POND CURRICULUM

FINAL REPORT: 4/27/09

Team: Matt Cicchetti, Debra Demers, Jill Keeler, Bonnie Mider, Robin Novi, Billie Vaughn

We read and discussed Sean Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and agreed that it would be valuable to integrate some of Covey’s ideas into our Alexander Pond 8th grade orientation curriculum which was in need of an update. Each habit and chapter was discussed with possible ideas for the “pond”. We then pulled out our old curriculum and discussed what we liked and what we thought might need revision. We changed the amount of time for each rotation and created a number of new large group and rotation activities. Following is a draft of the 2-day orientation program:

o Day One:
§ 8:15 – 8:30 “Find Your Facilitator”
§ 8:30 – 8:55 Hike to Alexander Pond
§ 9:00 – 9:10 Involvement Activity – “Name Toss”
§ 9:10 – 9:30 (New Activity) “Find Someone Who…” personal scavenger
Hunt
§ 9:30 – 10:05 (New Activity) Introduction to the 7 Habits
§ 10:05 – 10:15 Break
§ 10:15 – 10:45 (New Activity) True Colors
§ 10:45 – 11:20 Rotation (assigned by group)
§ 11:20 – 11:50 Lunch
§ 11:50 – 12:25 Rotation
§ 12:25 – 1:00 Rotation
§ 1:00 – 1:10 Break
§ 1:10 – 1:45 Rotation
§ 1:45 – 2:00 (New Activity) “This or That”
§ 2:00 Hike back to the M.S.

o Day Two:
§ Hike to the Pond
§ 8:40 – 8:50 Involvement Activity “Something you wouldn’t know…”
§ 8:50 – 9:40 (New Activity) Push Pause activity
w/large group role play and processing
§ 9:40 – 10:15 Rotation
§ 10:15 – 10:25 Break
§ 10:25 – 11:00 Rotation
§ 11:00 – 11:20 History of Alexander Pond w/Ross McGraw
§ 11:20 – 11:50 Lunch
§ 11:50 – 12:25 Rotation
§ 12:25 – 1:00 Rotation
§ 1:00 – 1:10 Break
§ 1:10 – 1:45 Introduction of Officers/Student Council Reps. and Homecoming parade brainstorm session
§ 1:45 – 2:00 Index card with something positive & pack up
§ 2:00 Hike to the M.S.





Rotations:
o Nature Trail Hike – Tree Identification
o Fishing Instruction and Practice
o What I Know(perceptions of the H.S. and How to make it better/H.S. Activity Information
o Perceptions Activity (using standard set of pictures) – day 2
o Scavenger Hunt – looking for a variety of nature related things
o Circle of Control Activity – Habit #1 – day 1
o Outdoor Challenge Course activities (Spider Web, TP Shuffle, Helium Stick)
different challenge each day




Whole Group Activities:
o Find Your Facilitator
o Name Toss
o Find Someone Who… ice breaker
o Introduction to The 7 Habits
o True Colors Activity
o Something you wouldn’t know about me…
o Push Pause Activity – Habit #1 & role play demonstration
o History of Alexander Pond w/Ross McGraw
o Class/Student Council Officers & Homecoming Info…








ROTATION SCHEDULE:

GROUP: 1 & 2 3 & 4 5 & 6 7 & 8
Day 1
Rotation 1 Hike Adv. Activity 1 What I Know Circle of Control
2 Circle of Control Scavenger Hunt Adv. Activity 1 Hike
3 Scavenger Hunt Circle of Control Hike Adv. Activity 1
4 Adv. Activity 1 Hike Circle of Control What I Know



GROUP: 9 10 11 12
Day 1
Rotation 1 Fish Fish Circle of Control Adv. Activity 1
2 Circle of Control Adv. Activity 1 Fish Fish
3 Adv. Activity 1 Circle of Control What I Know Scavenger Hunt
4 What I Know Scavenger Hunt Adv. Activity 1 Circle of Control




GROUP: 1 & 2 3 & 4 5 &6 7 & 8
Day 2
Rotation 1 Perceptions What I Know Adv. Activity 2 Fish
2 Fish Adv. Activity 2 Scavenger Hunt Perceptions
3 Adv. Activity 2 Perceptions Fish Scavenger Hunt
4 What I Know Fish Perceptions Adv. Activity 2



GROUP: 9 10 11 12
Day 2
Rotation 1 Hike Hike Perceptions Adv. Activity 2
2 Adv. Activity 2 Perceptions Hike What I Know
3 Perceptions Adv. Activity 2 Scavenger Hunt Hike
4 Scavenger Hunt What I Know Adv. Activity 2 Perceptions


We will continue to finish writing up the plans for each activity and will meet again as a group on May 20th to plan the training of facilitators. Training will take place during Regents week on Tuesday, June 16th at Alexander Pond.