The Summer My Father was Ten – Activity #2: “You Break It, You Fix It”
Activity #2: “You Break It, You Fix It”
The purpose of this activity is to help students learn what it means to apologize and the importance of finding a variety of ways to make amends when their actions have had a negative impact on others – physical or emotional. Given a multitude of scenarios, students come up with logical ways of making amends.
Materials:
- Chart Paper
- Felt Pen
- Scenario Recording Sheet
Teacher Preparation:
- Print Scenario Recording Sheet
Step by Step:
Step One: On chart paper, write the two headings: CLASSROOM and SCHOOL. For each heading, ask the students to come up with 3 rules to be followed by students. Teacher records the 3 rules students have suggested under the appropriate heading.
Step Two: Ask the students to think of logical consequences should a student forget or choose to not follow that particular rule. Beside each rule, Teacher records on the chart paper the consequences decided by the students as being logical (e.g. apologies or actions they can do to fix the situation).
Step Three: Discuss the meaning of the word “apology”. Elicit that it means letting someone know you are GENUINELY sorry.
Step Four: Discuss the meaning of the word “action”. Elicit that it means to DO something.
Step Five: Talk about what an “apology of action” might be when making amends for an action that was hurtful in some way to others. Talk about the phrase “If you break it, you fix it” and how this phrase applies to all types of hurtful situations – physical, emotional or with respect to relationships.
Step Six: Hand out the Scenario Recording Sheet. In groups of 2-3 students, have them read each scenario and then record ways they could “fix ” the situation. Have groups share out their ideas. Emphasize those ideas that are displaying logical consequences to rectify situations.
End Product:
The students will complete an activity that helps them understand the importance of practicing the strategy of using the pro-social skill of apologizing when they have chosen an action that negatively impacts others. As well, students begin to formulate logical consequences for a variety of situations with the goal of understanding that there are a variety of ways to make amends (in addition to apologizing) when one makes a not-so-good decision.
2 - Summer Father #2