First Impressions–A Lunch Bunch lesson

There is a big crossover from 6th to 7th grade.  These little kids become big overnight.  There is makeup, dances, shopping in the junior section of the store as opposed to the children’s section, and the noticing of kids of the opposite sex.  

My 7th grade Lunch Bunch has grown beyond friendship and social skills.  We are talking about empowerment and I was planning a lesson on “First Impressions”.  Someone posted this video by Colbie Caillat on our Caught In The Middle School Counselor Facebook group.   After I watched this video yesterday, I immediately knew I had to use it with this group.I thought this was a perfect compliment to the purpose and goals of what I wanted the girls to walk away knowing.

When the girls came into my room, we settled into our normal routine and them I played them this video.  

 


After playing the video, we broke into a discussion.

I asked them:  

• What message do you think Colbie is trying to get across?

• How have you (or other students in your grade) changed since becoming a seventh grader?  Why do you think this is?

• What type of impression would you have if you met these women in the video for the first time with their makeup/hair/tattoos fixed (showing) versus without?

• When you go somewhere and meet people for the first time what impressions do you make based on what they look like?

• What if you saw a doctor who had tattoos on their face?

• What if you saw a woman with tattoos all over her arms?  How would this be different if you met her and she were in a business suit and her arms were covered?  

• What other impressions would you find odd if you saw them?

• What type of first impression do you think people have about you?  What impression do you want them to have about you?

• How can we remember not to judge others so superficially?

  There was a lot of discussion and the girls were really engaged.  I can’t wait to show this to my younger students.  I may have to change the focus a little bit, and I need to wait a while before adding it into what we are doing.  It’s amazing how something so simple as a 3 minute video can create 30 minutes of discussion.

Do you have a great video to share?  Let me know.  Better yet, share it with us by joining one of the groups below: