TEAM ATB ACTIVITY GUIDE
You can be whatever you want to be. This is a message we all need to hear and be
reminded of regularly and it helps to know your strengths and weaknesses, personality
traits, attitudes, and values. The more you know about yourself, the more likely
you are to be successful in your personal and business life. In this unit, kids
explore some of the foundational concepts of entrepreneurship—what it is, and what
qualities are needed to be an entrepreneur. By understanding who they are (sense
of self), tapping into and being motivated by their passions, and developing
goal-setting skills, kids then discover their entrepreneurial strengths. As kids
learn more about themselves and identify their passions, their goals—and how to
achieve them—will become clearer. They’ll come away with the belief that they have
what it takes to become whatever they want in life. They can chart their own future!
• Redeem Team ATB Bucks and post ATB Badges
• Watch video(s)
• Do JUMPSTARTER
• Do EXPLORE IT! or IN_DEPTH Activity
• Discuss quote or profile
Watch any of the videos below or watch the featured videos (Bike Buzz and/or
Show It!) and explore the key concepts with kids. Invite kids to identify
what they are passionate about. Ask: What do you think the words passion and passionate
mean? For example, how did Tyler and Brady use their passions to become entrepreneurs?
Did they think they were entrepreneurs at first? Why or why not? Are there hobbies
or activities that you love to do? Provide examples, such as skateboarding,
playing the guitar, journal writing, making jewelry, etc. Ask for volunteers to
share their passions.
· Bike Buzz (passion): Tyler finds his passion when he discovers how
much he likes fixing bikes.
· Show It! ( sense of self): Brady isn’t a very good athlete but discovers
he’s really great at sports photography.
· Tru-D True (strength in individuality): Tru-D True wears his hair
in wild styles, yet becomes a successful hair stylist despite the hard time kids
gave him for being different.
· High Winds (motivation): Lexi has loved flying kites since she was
little, and now launches her own successful kite business.
· Treasure Hunt (self-regulated learner): Justin learns new skills
and turns his love of collecting stuff at garage sales into a new and profitable
business.
· Emotia-Caps (self-efficacy): Nickie works hard to turn her crazy
new idea into a reality and rocks the world of fashion!
· Bugged Out (I’m in charge of myself): Ally takes shooting video
to a whole new level while saving a little girl and launching a new business in
the process.
· Drawing Board (goal setting ): Josh turns drawings into houses and
a childhood dream into a reality when he becomes an architect.
Videos are on the ATB DVD included with this guide and online at allterrainbrain.org.
QUOTE
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.”
—Dr. Seuss
Ask: What does this quote mean to you? What experiences have you had that lead you
to agree or disagree with what Dr. Seuss said? Who is in charge of your future?
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Concepts:
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motivation, goal setting
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Time:
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5-10 minutes
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Materials:
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puzzle pieces (can be from multiple puzzles), at least 15 pieces per kid
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Goal:
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to understand the importance of goals
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How can you get where you want to go if you don’t know how to get there? Setting
goals helps you figure out how to get where you want to go and helps you stay focused
and motivated. In this activity, kids quickly realize that it’s difficult to put
together a puzzle without a picture of what they’re trying to create or knowing
if pieces are missing.
Pass around a box or bag full of pieces from jigsaw puzzles. Ask kids to each pick
out 15 pieces. Now ask them to put the puzzle pieces together. How does it go? Ask:
What’s the problem? Why can’t you do it? (It helps to have a picture of
what the completed puzzle looks like.) Help the group make the connection to life
and the value of planning and setting goals. Ask: How is putting a puzzle together
similar to living your life? How does putting a puzzle together without a picture
of it relate to having goals? What do you need to do to be successful at the things
you want to achieve?
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Concepts:
| passion, sense of self
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Time:
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15 minutes
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Materials:
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small strips of paper, pens or pencils, and a paper bag or other container
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Goal:
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to identify one's passions and where they can lead
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A passion is often the launch pad for exciting new adventures. This quick, fun activity
will encourage kids to think about what their passions are and how those passions
can lead to business or other opportunities. The activity also gives kids a chance
to share their passions with other kids.
Distribute five strips of paper to each kid. Ask kids to write a word or phrase
on each of the paper strips that describes:
1. My favorite thing to do
2. What I am good at
3. What I would miss if I couldn’t do it any more
4. My favorite thing to do with family or friends
5. Things I’d like to learn how to do
Ask kids to choose the passion they feel strongest about (from their 5 strips) and
place that strip in the bag. Then ask three kids to draw one strip each from the
bag. Have each kid read the passion they selected. Ask: Does anyone else shares that
passion? Do any other people you know share that passion? Have kids think
of existing businesses based on that particular passion. Can they think of any new
business opportunities that could be created?
Take It Further
If you have time, you can expand this activity to cover more of the kids’ passions
by picking additional strips of paper.
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Concepts:
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passion, sense of self, strength in individuality, motivation, goal setting
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Time:
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30 minutes
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Materials:
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drawing or construction paper and markers
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Goal:
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to explore how passions, interests, and goal intersect
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Creating an image of an idea can be a powerful learning tool. In this activity,
kids explore how their passions, interests, and current or future goals intersect
by creating a Life Tree. This Life Tree will be revisited throughout the Team ATB
Club.
Distribute paper and markers. Ask each kid to draw a large, leafless tree with deep
roots and three large branches. Have them label the roots, My Characteristics and
Abilities; the trunk, Abilities I Want to Develop; and the branches, What
I Want to Do.
On the roots (the foundation), have kids list their personality traits, values,
beliefs, talents, and skills or abilities. Have them write three goals or things
they’d like to accomplish on the branches, such as a yard-care business, fundraiser
for their favorite cause, perfecting their skills in a certain sport or hobby, and
so on.
Ask each kid to think of which attributes and skills they have to achieve their
goals or projects. What other characteristics do they need? (These might include
many of the ATB Entrepreneurial Concepts.) Have them add these to the trunks
of their trees. Finally, have them draw leaves on the trees outlining strategies
and steps they could take to achieve the goals or projects or develop some of the
skills they wrote on the tree trunks.
Every kid who completes a Life Tree earns 1 Team ATB Buck.
Take It Further
Do any of the kids want to make a commitment to achieving their goal(s)? If so,
make a Life Tree chart. Write down the kids’ names, goal(s), and timelines. Post
the Life Trees and the chart so kids can review them each week. At each Team ATB
meeting, have different kids volunteer to share progress toward their goals. Briefly
write it on the chart.
Each kid who volunteers earns 2 Team ATB Bucks.
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Concepts:
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sense of self, motivation, goal setting
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Time:
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30 minutes
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Materials:
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soccor ball, football, or other game ball; optional: board or flipchart and markers
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Goal:
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to identify what it takes to set and reach a goal
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Setting goals helps us achieve things in life. Goals keep us focused and moving,
hopefully in the right direction. Kids usually have an idea of what they want to
achieve, but often don’t have a game plan. In this variation of 20 Questions, kids
try to guess a goal that one of them has already achieved. While thinking of good
questions to ask each other, they identify some of the steps it takes to reach a
goal.
Have each kid think of a goal he or she has already accomplished. It could be related
to school (finished homework or completed a project on time), to an extracurricular
activity (sold a desired number of items for a fundraiser), or to home (cleaned
their room without being asked). Then give everyone a few minutes to think about
what kinds of questions would be good to ask in order to identify someone else’s
goal. Answers to these questions provide the clues to help kids guess one another’s
goal. Some questions may come easily ( Is your goal related to a sport?),
while others require more thought(Did anyone help you achieve your goal?).
Ask for a volunteer who is willing to be questioned about his or her goal. This
person is the goalkeeper and gets the game ball. Have the group ask questions about
the goal. After a while, someone will probably figure out the goalkeeper’s goal.
(You may want to list the questions on the flipchart.) The goalkeeper throws the
ball to whoever guesses the goal correctly and shouts, “Goal!”
If no one guesses the goal after a few minutes, the goalkeeper tells the goal and
tosses the ball to a new goalkeeper. Continue with the new goalkeeper until everyone
who wants a turn has had one. (If time or attention becomes an issue, you may have
to limit the number of turns.)
Afterward, ask: Which questions got you the best information? Which questions would
be good to ask yourself when setting a goal? What are some criteria for setting
goals? (Good goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Appropriate,
Reachable, and Timed.) Accept all reasonable answers.
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Concepts:
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sense of self, strength in individuality, motivation, I'm in charge of myself
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Time:
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25 minutes
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Materials:
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masking tape, paper, marker; optional: board or flipchart and markers
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Goal:
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to help kids explore their strength in individuality and sense of self
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In this activity, kids explore their sense of self, the strength of their opinions,
and their willingness to speak out by agreeing or disagreeing with a series of statements
and physically moving from one side of a line to the other.
Draw a line down the center of the room using masking tape. Tape a piece of paper
with “I agree” written on it on one side of the line. Repeat on the other side,
with “I disagree.” Ask kids to stand on the middle of the line. Tell them to step
to either side of the line, depending on whether they agree or disagree with statements
when you read them. Have them go back to the center of the line after each statement.
Read as many statements as you’d like or add ones of your own. (You may want to
write the statements on the board or flipchart for kids to read.)
· Parents are often right when they give kids advice.
· It’s okay for kids my age to hang out late.
· It’s okay to make mistakes.
· Kids’ opinions matter.
· Sometimes it’s better not to respond than to hurt someone’s feelings.
· To be great, you have to be responsible.
· If at first you don’t succeed, just quit.
· If at first you don’t succeed, ask someone for help.
· You can do whatever you want in life.
· You can change your future.
· You can learn a lot from mistakes.
· It’s okay to experiment.
· You care about the world around you.
· You say good things about people.
· If you don’t like the way the world is, you should stay in your room.
· You have more power than you think.
· You want to leave a mark on the world.
Explore the kids’ responses. Ask some of them to explain why they responded the
way that they did and give examples if they can. Ask: Did you express what you were
really thinking? Did you think about the questions, or did you move before you figured
out how you felt? Did you respond the way your friends or the group did? Did you
stand by your own opinion?
After kids have discussed the activity and how it felt, ask: What is the value of
following your own path instead of someone else’s?
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Concepts:
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all unit concepts
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Time:
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45 to 60 minutes
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Materials:
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art supplies such as construction paper, scissors, poster board, cardboard, glue, glitter, markers, pipe cleaners, stickers, etc.
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Goal:
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to explore who you are and who you can become
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Kids can make a difference in their communities and have an impact on the world.
By preparing a museum exhibit about their life, they think about and present who
they are and what they’d like the world to know about them. They also consider what
they’d like to do with their life since the exhibit includes their future.
1. Explain to kids that they will design and write an exhibit. Ask: Has anyone seen
a museum exhibit? Was the exhibit about someone’s life? Can you describe it? What
kinds of items were in the exhibit? Share the basic parts of a museum exhibit
with the kids. A reading rail tells a story about the person and their contributions
and usually contains drawings or photographs. Artifacts are items (household
items, clothing, letters, and other belongings) that give meaning to the exhibit.
There are also labels or signs that point out significant facts and details.
2. Now ask kids to imagine that someone is making a museum exhibit about them. What
an honor! Ask kids to think about what the exhibit would contain. Would it showcase
their contributions? Their passions and interests? What else? What would visitors
find out about them as a person by viewing the exhibit? How would the exhibit begin?
How would it end?
3. Give the kids art supplies to “build” the exhibit. Encourage them to be creative
in representing their interests and accomplishments and to focus on the content,
not their artistic skills. They can also give their exhibit a title, such as “Sally’s
Story: From Pet Sitter to Veterinarian.”
4. Have kids play the role of the museum staff members who tell others about their
exhibits. Ask volunteers to share their exhibits with the group.
Kids who volunteer to show their exhibits each earn 2 Team ATB Bucks.
Kids can further explore the entrepreneurial concepts and earn 3 Team ATB Bucks
by completing a Team ATB Web Challenge online at allterrainbrain.org. Ask them to
go to the Home Page, complete the Fast Track Challenge, and report back at the next
meeting. Kids can also earn their Passion, Sense of Self, Individuality, Motivation,
Skill Building, Self-Confidence, Taking Charge, or Goal Setting badges by clicking
on ATB TV in the upper left corner, scrolling down to the list of topics, clicking
on one of them, and completing all 3 activities. Ask kids to print the Badges found on the upper right corner of the Road Map page, cut out any badges they've earned, and bring them to the next Team ATB meeting so they can add them to their Team ATB Road Map.
Share this real-life story with your group to inspire their entrepreneurial dreams.
Erica Gluck
Courtesy of Mary Cluck
Seven-year-old Erica Gluck turned her passion for pasta, and desire to make money,
into a full-time family business featuring specialty pastas, breads, and olive oils.
She started out by selling pasta from a favorite pasta shop at weekend farmers’
markets in the San Diego area. “Pasta was something we ate all the time,” says Erica.
“I really loved it, and I wanted everyone else to try it.” Erica and her family
have since sold the pasta business and Erica put her talents and time into helping
open a very successful restaurant.
Reflect on the profile:
Erica’s story is interesting because she does not make the food she sells. Ask: Is
there a food that you are passionate about? Can you think of a business related
to this food that you could start?
Web
allterrainbrain.org
Extends the exploration of ATB concepts through fun activities and games, videos,
and young entrepreneur profiles.
kids-space.org/
Provides a space for kids to post their art and writing. Kids could post their Life
Tree or art exhibit.
state.vt.us/stw/montpelierplp02aself.html
Presents a modifiable curriculum for teens that focuses on self-discovery and goal
setting.
Books
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1990)
Helps kids envision how they can venture out in the world and become successful.
What Color Is Your Piggy Bank? Entrepreneurial Ideas for Self-Starting Kids
by Adelia Cellini Linecker (Lobster Press, 2004)
Describes ways kids can discover their passions and interests, identify goals, and
manage their money.
What Do You Really Want? How To Set a Goal and Go for It by Beverly K. Bachel
(Free Spirit Publishing, 2001)
Focuses on helping young teens define their real interests and pursue workable goals.
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