What Motivates You? Student Opinion Page piece from the NYTimes. Link

Description

In this blog, the author references another journalist’s column about “How Insults Spur Success.” The piece addresses how disappointments or setbacks can fuel later achievement.

Curriculum Integration Ideas

Have students read the piece and complete the student activity described there. Students may also identify a personal experience like this – where an insult spurred them to succeed. Lead a discussion about the examples students identified. See if students can highlight some of the traits that are exemplified by turning a bad experience into a source of motivation. Ask students (per the blog), “How common do you think it is to respond to failure not with discouragement but a renewed ‘I’ll show ‘em’ spirit’?”

Part 1, Sports Illustrated: Sports Illustrated and Powerade present a series of “webisodes” about high school football teams with inspiring stories of players and teams beating the odds. This set of URLs above lead to “advertorial” content – videos that are branded with a sports drink. Use this as an opportunity to talk with your students about how branding Internet content can help companies promote products and services.

Part 2, Huffington Post: “During his first year coaching the [team], [the coach] led the 19 high school football players straight to a league title. It would be an impressive feat for any team, but it becomes even more remarkable when you consider this: All of them are deaf.”

Have students watch two videos from the Part 1 Sports Illustrated series. (They can select others from the underdogs series if they prefer.). Next have them read the Part 2 Huffington post article plus watch its accompanying video and then as a class, take a few minutes to help students process the ideas about “underdogs” and the kinds of obstacles people encounter that actually make them work harder and become stronger.

Finally, ask students to complete this assignment:

On an 8.5” x 11” piece of paper, draw a picture of (or describe in text, if you prefer) an “underdog” as a superhero(ine) (e.g., in a comic, graphic novel, video game, or animated movie) based on the experiences of these “underdog” football players. Your underdog should not literally be a deaf or refugee football player, but it should be someone with the characteristics that make thoseunderdogs successful. Draw (write) details into your picture (text) representing specific powers and specific blockers to answer these questions:

Lolo Jones 12 Years of Work for 12 Seconds of Hurdles. Video Link

Description

From YouTube: “Some people simply refuse to accept limits or listen to conventional wisdom. Instead of merely existing in history, they have the daring and courage to change it. Their drive takes them beyond the ordinary, and their sense of purpose propels them far beyond the boundaries of reason… For athlete Lolo Jones it’s putting 12 years of work into 12 seconds of hurdles.” This video dramatically and realistically shows commitment to achieving a goal.

Curriculum Integration Ideas

Watch the video with your class. At 1:23, Lolo talks about having a dream. Replay this part for your class. Next, ask students to create a collage using images and text (at least 8.5” x 11”) based on the following criteria:

What Made You Give Up? Rap Video Link

Description

This video self-identifies as “YouTube’s Greatest Motivational Video” and offers a montage of images, voiceover, and music to create a rhythmic, uplifting message about taking on challenges.

Curriculum Integration Ideas

Ask students to watch the video and identify the part they find most inspiring. Have students note a specific duration – start time and end time – using a video time code, such as 1:02-1:32. Tell them to submit that duration to you in writing, along with an explanation of why specifically they found that part of the motivational video most inspiring. Ask students who want extra credit to go through all the submissions and find the top three favorite parts of the video to share back with the class.

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