Victimproof Chapter 9​

Upon completion, students will be able to…

1. Analyze the negative side effects of making excuses and shifting the blame.
2. Act out different types of homework excuses and examine why the excuses are inadequate.
3. Discuss the importance of being a responsible person.
4. Record their own commitment to go one week without making excuses.

VIDEO RUN TIME: 3 mins, 15 seconds

SUPPLIES NEEDED: None required. Possible candy prizes for game winners.

Why is responsibility (owning your actions) so tough for students?

Why do you think we are motivated to make excuses and shift the blame?

How does a victim handle it when they are held responsible?

How does a responsible person handle it when they are held accountable?

Write out a personal commitment to make ZERO excuses for one week.

A.  Divide the group into three teams of equal size. Assign the first and second team to be “Student Team 1” and “Student Team 2.” The third group gets to be “The Teachers.”

B.  Give the groups 5 minutes to think up creative and/or funny excuses for why they don’t have their homework. When the time is up both teams will send students to the front of the class one at a time for a faceoff – funniest excuse wins (as judged by the third group, “The Teachers”).

C.  Have “The Teachers” ask the students where their homework is. None of them have it, so they have use an excuse. The Teachers then decide whose excuse was funnier and that teams wins a point. The team with the most points at the end wins.

D.  After the game is done, discuss the negative outcomes of making excuses and shifting the blame.

Write a paragraph commitment (in your own words) to make ZERO excuses for one week. Explain how this task could be easy or difficult for you and why. Turn in the commitment paragraph to your teacher for credit.

Upon completion, students will be able to…

1. Identify three tools for ensuring they are responsible to get their homework done on time.
2. Classify how their daily activities can be completed using the three tools.
3. Develop their own system for collecting their assignments and tasks in a centralized location.

VIDEO RUN TIME: 3 mins, 43 seconds

SUPPLIES NEEDED: Whiteboard or chalkboard

In what areas of your life do you struggle with being responsible?

How could the “Two Minute Rule” help you be responsible?

What is your “Bucket?” How do you collect your assignments?

How do you personally “Set an Alarm” to get things done?

Which of the three tips do you need to start using right away?

A.  Create three large columns on the whiteboard. Label the columns at the top: 2-Minute Rule, My Bucket, My Alarm.

B.  Ask the students to suggest types of activities that should be completed using the two-minute rule. Write the ideas on the board.

C.  Next, go around the room and ask the students what they use for their “bucket.” Where do they collect their assignments and tasks? Encourage them to be honest if they don’t have one.

D.  For the final column, have the students suggest at least 5 types of activities that need an alarm, and then have them suggest at least 5 different types of alarms they could use.

On a new sheet of paper, answer the following questions: 1) What is my bucket – where do I collect my assignments and tasks? 2) What are at least five types of activities that I should put in my bucket? 3) What are at least five types of activities for which I should set an alarm? 4) What methods will I use to set alarms for the tasks I listed in the previous question?