TITLE: What are You Passionate About?

PURPOSE:
To help students understand what passion is, what having a passion means and to begin to empower each student to utilize their abilities and their talents to pursue their individual passions.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

For the teacher:
↵Printed Poem - My New Old Bike
↵Chalkboard and chalk or white board, pen and eraser
↵Set of People Holding Hands® dolls: TRACE, GAIL, JESSE, and CONNIE
- OPTIONAL ACTIVITY

For the students:
↵Pencil or pen, 1 per student
↵Piece of Paper, 1 per student


ACTIVITY:

1. Prepare to discuss the word PASSION.

2. In the middle of your board, write the word PASSION.

3. Ask the students to tell you what they think the word PASSION means.

4. Write key phrases from their answers. Here are a few words that you may be prepared to write down:
FEELINGS, EMOTIONS, EXCITEMENT, LOVE, etc.

5. Ask them to answer the following questions,
"If I told you I had a passion for reading, what does that mean?
What did George Bush mean when he said, "I passionately hate broccoli?"
Have you ever heard anyone say that they were passionate about a cause...like the environment, or flying their flag?

6. Ask for one reader to read the poem (or select several readers to read the poem with the People Holding Hands® characters in a Readers Theater format - this provides a hands-on opportunity for more kids to actively get involved. AND, to add sequencing, print off the poem, let the kids put it in order PRIOR TO their reading),


MY NEW OLD BIKE©

My bike is painted yellow
It was once red, then white, then blue.
The seat is gray, but 'back-in-the-day'
It must have been shiny and new.

I found that bike in an old pile
Out back of my Grandpa's barn.
I never thought I'd find all the parts
They were scattered across his big farm.

I spent hours and hours and long winter days
Trying to get it all back together.
And when I did, there was snow on the ground.
How's that for bike riding weather!


I waited for weeks, sanding, oiling and painting that
Old bike that I had found.
The first day it was sunny,
I rode my bike into town!


I was proud of my new old bike,
I was proud of that old machine.
It had been a labor of love
For days and months and weeks.


I rounded the corners and rode up the hills
The wind blew in my hair.
I saw dear Mrs. McFadden,
She was in her blue wheelchair.


She said, “Dear, I've never seen a girl
As happy as you appear to be today!”
I said, “You're right, Mrs. McFadden,
You always know just what to say!”

I told her of my treasure,
this old bike, the wire, and glue,
That I used to put it all back together
And make it work as if it were new!

So you see, I found my passion,
In a junk pile on a farm.
And even today, I like old junk,
And exploring old places like barns.

So what is your passion?
What will you decide you like to do?
Whatever it is, enjoy it.
Then share it with me, will you?


7. Discuss the poem.

8. Ask each student to write their name at the top of their paper.

9.Answer the following questions by writing their answers on their papers:

a. Name 3 things you like to do in your spare time.

b. If you could spend your time doing ONLY one thing, what would you do?

c. If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?

d. If you could travel one place, where would you go?

e. If you could spend your time with one person, who would it be?

f. Write your definition of PASSION.

g. Write these words on your paper, I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT...finish this sentence after reviewing all your other answers.

Finally, ask a few people to share their passions with the class.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Have the students take their passions a step further and draw, color or create artistic models of the passions. These could be ANYTHING artistic and expressive.
Post your students one word PASSSIONS on a board in your class.
Utilize the People Holding Hands® characters to read the poem as parts-of-a-readers theater.

For more lesson plans and activities, articles, books and other ideas:
VISIT www.PeopleHoldingHands.com

LET'S HOLD HANDS®