Life Skills & Leadership: Unit 4, Session 3: My Leadership Role (Optional) | Page 40 of 91
- Allow about five minutes then ask the pairs to switch roles so the yellow team members can talk about
the leadership actions they tried while building the bridge. When five minutes are up, say:
“I’d like to hear about some of the things you learned, but first, take a couple minutes and write some
ideas in the right column of your handout about what you might try next time you are in a group. This
can be about any leadership action you wish.”
- Allow two to three minutes, then gather everyone into a circle for a discussion using these questions:
Note: Among the discussion questions, those in BOLD are the most important.
What were some of the things each team did that made them successful?
What leaders emerged, if any?
What are some memorable examples of leadership actions that were used?
If there were any especially stressful moments, how did the teams react?
How did the time limitation affect the teams’ ability to perform well?
How did the materials that could be used affect the teams’ ability to perform well?
We’ve talked before about how teams that use the contributions of all members can be more
effective. What examples of this did you see in either the green or yellow team?
What are some difficulties of working on a team that this activity revealed?
What are some advantages of working on a team that this activity revealed?
What were some effective ways any of the teams showed creativity, problem-solving skills, or
positive communication?
If your team had a chance to rebuild your tower or bridge, what would you do differently in
your planning, problem solving, or communication?
If you could do the activity again, what would you do differently to practice your chosen
leadership activities?
Think about a team or group you worked with in the past. It could be at school, at work, or
even a group of friends deciding what to do over the weekend. What is something you
learned today about being on a team that would have been helpful then?
Think about a team or group that you are a member of and a task or project that group will
be working on soon. Again, it can be a formal group at school or just a group of friends you
hang out with. What is something you learned today that you can use with that group? (Ask
people to share, then have them write any ideas on their handout “Leadership Actions
Practice.”)
Note: Steps 1 and 2 are a partial assessment of Learning Objective 1.
Note: The BOLD discussion questions in Step 3 are an assessment of Learning Objectives 1 and 2.
