SPRING 2012- WEEK 1 (3/4/12)
Writing their "Letter to Self"
Welcome to our first session for the Spring 2012 semester. It was great having the past mentees back and meeting all of the new mentees.
Here's what we did:
1. Icebreaker: Name Game
2. Program Introductions/Last semester recap
3. Brief mentor/mentee introductions
4. Discussed planned syllabus and topics (DREAM Act/Economic Development of Chinatown)
5. Ground Rules
6. Icebreaker: Bingo
7. Discussion: Why are stories important?
8. Activity: Letter to Self
9. Announcements
Here's what we did:
1. Icebreaker: Name Game
2. Program Introductions/Last semester recap
3. Brief mentor/mentee introductions
4. Discussed planned syllabus and topics (DREAM Act/Economic Development of Chinatown)
5. Ground Rules
6. Icebreaker: Bingo
7. Discussion: Why are stories important?
8. Activity: Letter to Self
9. Announcements
Icebreaker and Activity Description:
Name Game: 1. Everyone picks an animal, and a motion associated with that animal. Every person will then demonstrate their motion, as well as stating their name. We start a clapping chant, and the point of the game is to learn not only the person’s name, but the person’s motion as well. 2. One person says their name and a sentence to start a story. The next person repeats the person before them and then says their own name and a statement. This continues until the last person must repeat everyone's name and sentence to form a story.
Bingo: Students have an answer grid and must find others who the answer applies to. The top three people who got Bingo received a prize.
Letter to Self: Students write a letter to themselves of their expectations of the program, what they hope to gain/learn and anything else they wish to write about. Then, each student sealed the letter in an envelope. At the end of the program, the students will open the letter and everyone will see if they have done what they had hoped to do in the program.
Bingo: Students have an answer grid and must find others who the answer applies to. The top three people who got Bingo received a prize.
Letter to Self: Students write a letter to themselves of their expectations of the program, what they hope to gain/learn and anything else they wish to write about. Then, each student sealed the letter in an envelope. At the end of the program, the students will open the letter and everyone will see if they have done what they had hoped to do in the program.
List of Grounds Rules:
|
- Participate!
- One Mic - Right To Pass - Step Up, Step Down - Be Respectful |
- Giving attention to others
- Have Fun! - Confidentiality - "I" Statement: Don't be judgmental - NO plagiarism |
Discussion: Why are stories important?
For this discussion, we utilized the video to start a conversation of why telling stories is important. Some input from the students were: everyone has a unique and different story and they can be used to break stereotypes. And, we must be assertive to tell our personal stories or else no one else will do it.
"The Danger of a Single Story"
View the clip for writer Chimamanda Adichie's TEDtalk on the realized dangers of hearing only a single story about a person or country.
| Spring 2012- Shared Stories Syllabus |
Homework: Each student writes a biography for the website and send a picture to be posted. Send bios/pictures to: [email protected].
