Dr. Seuss – Risk-Taking
“So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact. And remember that life is a great balancing act.”
Dr. Seuss
Big Idea
If there is one thing that’s hard to rely on when dealing with students, it’s impulse control. Students are at different levels of emotional maturity. Some are extremely cautious and tactful in the way that they deal with peers and adults. Others are born risk takers who want to “show off” their fearlessness and gather followers who want to be like them.
Claim
Here Dr. Seuss offers some words of caution. When you make decisions and take action in life, make sure you take into account the appropriateness of your “steps.” Life should be a prudent, careful journey.
Counterclaim
You can imagine how some students are going to react to a stop sign in the middle of the road. They are looking for a green light and sometimes taking risks is exactly what you need to do to make it to the next level.
Essential
Question
How do we know when we should take risks?
Student Video
A Bargain for Frances – Risk-Taking
Before reading A Bargain for Frances, I could use the conversation inspired by Dr. Seuss about risk-taking. This will spark a great discussion about decision-making and the value in taking risks. Duri ...
The Giver – Risk-Taking
The Giver, by Lois Lowry, has become a standard in middle school classrooms. I would ask the question “How do we know when we should take risks?” towards the end of the novel to lead stude ...
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