Leadership Skills :: Curriculum

Fire Science and Technology Model

Units:

Leadership Skills

Part of Unit: Emergency Medical Services

Lesson Plan Overview / Details

Students will perform different physical tasks without being given the instructions on how to perform them. They will be given specific rules for each task and what the end product is to be. They will need to get together in their group, discuss how to perform the task, and then actually do the activity.

To get the students very motivated, have them compete against another group of students. They want to be the group that finishes first. When one group does finish I tell them that their fellow students, the slower group, needs their help. We are a team with everyone in class and the slower group is not done so we don't celebrate when the others need help to finish. This instills the feeling that it is not about victory but about the entire class as team mates.

I use the following activities for two reasons. First, the student learn a lot about leadership. Second, it is one method I use to see who will be the leader for the class. I can watch what the students are doing and see who is a natural leader. Those are the students I want to become the leaders of the class for the semester.

One hour for two activities. One hour for the discussion

Standards

California Career and Technical Education Standards

Objectives and Goals

The students will work in groups. They will solve physical challenges and perform the tasks to get the proper results.
The students will discuss leadership and state who they believe is a leader in their group and give examples of why.
The teacher will identify the natural leaders.

Activities in this Lesson

The Poles - Group Work
Students are put into groups of 7-9. The poles are about 3 inches in diameter and about 3 feet long. Each group is given 4 poles. Each groups is told to choose one 'victim'. They are to get the victim from one spot to another spot about 10 yards away. They are told the rules: 1) The victim is not allowed to touch the ground. 2) When two students are touching the same pole, they are not allowed to move. 3) The victim is to go from this spot to a cone which is 10 yards away.

What will happen is the groups will get together and try to figure out what to do because they are not given the specific directions on how to get the task done. After awhile they will figure out that two people must hold onto the ends of one pole. The victim then stands on the pole. The group will line up so there are 8 people holding the poles, 4 on each side. The victim will then walk from pole to pole heading towards the cone. When the victim steps off the pole of the last two people in the line, he/she will step onto the next pole in front of him/her. Then one of those two people will drop the end of the pole and his partner will carry the pole to the front of the line where his partner will be and grab onto the end of the pole. So the back two will quickly bring the pole to the front so the victim can continue walking on the poles to get to the cone where the victim can step off.

It is best to have two to four groups working at the same time. Students from the different groups will look to see what the other groups are doing. The students will try to do it faster than the other groups. When the first group reaches the cone then teacher will then tell them that the other groups need help. They are not to stand around feeling good about themselves because they finished first. The entire class is a team and no one is done until everyone is done. Each group that ends before other groups are told to go help their classmates.
- Poles video [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ] Students demonstrating how to perform te pole activity.
The Tires - Group Work
Each group is given one large car tire. All of the students in the one group must have both feet one the tire all at the same time. They must be able to stay in that position for 3 seconds.

The group needs to have 7 or more students in it. If there are fewer students then the task is too easy to be accomplised. All the students must have both feet on the tire at the same time for 3 seconds.

If there are four groups competing at one time, then the students will be distracted by looking at the other groups. This just adds a little more difficulty.
- Tires.avi [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ]
The Telephone Pole - Group Work
The students are put into groups. Two groups are to do the task together on one telephone pole. One group is standing on one end of the pole and the second group is standing on the other end. They are to trade places without getting off the pole.

Have the students try to perform this task without any more directions. If they are having a hard time then the teacher can show them how it is done. One group squats down and the other group climbs over one student at a time until the entire group is on the other side.

After the activity is finished talk to the groups. Explain to them that they should have gotten together, off the poles, and discuss how they plan on performing the activity. They could even practice doing it on the ground before they get onto the pole. Remember, all emergency personnel practice their skills before they actually perform them. When they arrive on a scene they will get together and discuss what they will be doing before they actually do it. Planning ahead is an important part of leadership.
Two-by-Fours (2X4) Board - Group Work
The students are in groups of about 7 - 9 students. Each group is given two 2X4. They are told they must go from the starting point to the cones but they can not stand on the ground.

The students quickly realize they must all stand on one 2X4 and the move the second 2X4 ahead of them. Then they step from the first board to the second one. Then the last person has to pick up the board and all the students pass the board to the first person who sets the board down and they all walk from the first board to the second one. Then they repeat what they just did. Often the person in front throws one of the boards too far ahead. Shorter people can not jump far enough to reach the board. Then everyone has to go back, the front person gets the board and sets it down closer so everyone can get on it.
- two by fours.avi [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ]
Dowels - Group Work
One thin dowel is used for one group. The dowel should be about as round as a thumb and about 6 feet long.

The students are put into a group of about 7-9 people. One half stand on one side of the dowel and the other stand on the other side. They are facing each other. All students use their index fingers. They are to extend their index fingers. The teacher places the dowel on top of their fingers. When told to go they are to lower the dowel to the ground. They must always have all fingers touching the dowel. If someone's finger does not touch the dowel then they must begin again.

This sounds really simple but it is not. Most of the time during the first attempt they will end up raising the dowel even higher! The teacher then takes the dowel, sets them up again, and they start again. This time they really try to get the dowel down but it is difficult for them. Soon one person becomes the obvious leader and starts counting out the time for them to lower the dowel. "Down on the count of three....one, two, three." "Let's do it again. One, two, three." And so it goes until the dowel is finally on the ground.