Youth Development Sessions

Volume 1
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SESSION (YDS)

Welcome to the Youth Development Sessions of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT?

Positive Youth Development (PYD) is a construct that values the building of characteristics that lead
to the positive outcome of adolescent development rather than focusing on addressing the adverse
outcomes or preventing risky behaviors. Embedded in the PYD principles is the assumption that
every young person has the potential for successful, healthy growth and development and that
achieving their potential would make them a resource to the community (Lerner, 2005). As Lerner
(2005) cited from numerous studies, the emphasis is on the realization of the developmental assets,
namely, moral development, civic engagement, well-being, and thriving.
Positive Youth Development recognizes the importance of the internal developmental assets of
individuals. It also believes in the assets in the ecological settings that serve as the context of human
development. In particular, PYD upholds in helping the adolescents thrive during this ontogenetic
time of normative developmental disturbance or the storm and stress period.

WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF PYD?

The absence of harmful or undesirable behaviors or some socially relevant indicators of positive,
measurable features such as academic achievements is not the highlights of PYD. Instead, PYD
promotes the development of 5Cs, namely, COMPETENCE, CONFIDENCE, [positive social]
CONNECTION, CHARACTER, and CARING. The 5Cs are considered as indicators of numerous
mental, behavioral, and social-relational elements. They would potentially lead to the emergence
of the sixth C or the positive CONTRIBUTION to the self and the community (Lerner, 2005 citing
Little, 1993, Eccles & Gootman, 2002, Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2003, & Lerner, 2004). Contribution to
the community equals to the individual viewed as a resource to the community.

WHAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR A SUCCESSFUL PYD?

There are two conditions Lerner (2004) identified that would contribute to the success of the youth
development program: first, youth participation in the community-based program (Scales et al.,
2000; Blum, 2003; Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2003a, 2003b; Silbereisen & Lerner,2007); second, a
sustained relationship with at least one committed adult provides skill-building opportunities to the
youth and acts to enhance the young person's healthy and active engagement with the community
(Lerner, 2004).
An ecological and developmental opportunity that will strengthen young people's capacity and
capabilities is also considered essential. Finding and providing one is a challenge to PYD programs.
THE 10 LIFE SKILLS1
https://youtu.be/WVk9APFj1P4 - link to Part 3. YDS 10 Life Skills audio-video presentation (7:25
mins) – The video explains the 10 life skills promoted in every YDS session.

1. Self-awareness includes recognizing 'self,' own character, strengths and weaknesses,

desires, and dislikes. Developing self-awareness can help us recognize when we are
stressed or under pressure. It is often a prerequisite to effective communication and
interpersonal relations and for developing empathy with others.
2. Empathy. To have a successful relationship with our loved ones and the society, at large,
we need to understand and care about other peoples' needs, desires, and feelings.
Empathy is the ability to imagine what life is like for another person. Without empathy, our
communication with others will amount to one-way traffic only. Empathy can help us
accept others who may be different from ourselves. This can improve social interactions,
especially in situations of ethnic or cultural diversity.
3. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information and experiences objectively. Critical
thinking can contribute to health by recognizing and assessing the factors that influence
attitudes and behaviors such as values, peer pressure, and the media.
4. Creative thinking is a novel way of seeing or doing things that are characterized by four
components - fluency (generating new ideas), flexibility (shifting perspectives easily),
originality (conceiving of something new), and elaboration (building on other ideas).
5. Decision-making helps us to deal with decisions about our lives constructively. This can
have consequences for health. It can teach people how to make a healthy assessment of
different options, and what effects can these decisions likely result to.
6. Problem-solving helps us to deal with problems in our lives constructively. Significant
issues that are left unresolved can cause mental stress and give rise to accompanying
physical strain.
7. Interpersonal relationship skills help us to relate in positive ways with the people we
interact with. This may mean being able to make and keep friendly relationships which can
be of great importance to our mental and social well-being. It may mean keeping good
relations with family members which is an important source of social support. It may also
mean being able to end relationships positively.

1
https://nutspace.in/10-core-life-skills/
 8. Effective communication means that we can express ourselves, both verbally and non-
verbally, according to our cultures and situations. This means being able to express
opinions and desires, and also needs and fears. And it may mean being able to ask for
advice and help in a time of need.
9. Coping with stress means recognizing the sources of stress in our lives, recognizing how
this affects us, and acting in ways that help us control our levels of stress by changing our
environment or lifestyle and learning how to relax.
10. Coping with emotions involves recognizing emotions within us and others. It is being
aware of how emotions influence behavior, and being able to respond to emotions
appropriately. Our feelings are an excellent barometer of our well-being. When we are not
caught up in negative thinking, our feelings remain positive, and we feel joyful, loving, and
peaceful. When we feel fearful, angry, or depressed, it is a sure sign that our thoughts have
become negative and dysfunctional. Developing this awareness and making the decision to
eliminate negative thinking can be dramatically life-changing. Intense emotions like anger
or sadness can have adverse effects on our health if we do not respond appropriately.

Having these life skills help the youth in attaining the 5Cs to deal with significant life changes and
challenges. Facilitators and learners need to keep these life skills in mind at all times. These shall be
the major takeaways of the learners at the end of the YDS. The activities and discussions are
supposed to address these targeted life skills.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS (YDS)

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also believes in the holistic
development of adolescents. Thus, it expanded its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to
include the Youth Development Session (YDS) in 2014. The goal of YDS is to develop a positive
mindset among the youth participants and envision a brighter future for themselves and their
families.
The Youth Development Session is an afterschool youth life education program aimed at developing
life skills among adolescents. It is designed to support the adolescents' developmental needs by
helping them understand the developmental challenges they face during this particular life stage.
The program goal is to provide essential knowledge and skills associated with their current
normative needs related to physical, sexual, cognitive, social, and emotional developments. Also, it
prepares them for anticipated or future adult roles and responsibilities.
Thus, the curriculum, in general, includes understanding oneself and others, improving
communication skills, making choices about their sexuality, develop skills in responsible decision-
making, taking responsibilities for actions, forming, maintaining and ending relationships,
understanding family roles, making social commitments, and above all, involving themselves in
community action programs.

WHAT IS YDS VOLUME 1 ALL ABOUT?

The YDS program framework and its first set of modules (Volume 1) with ten sessions were
developed in 2016 to meet the following objectives:
1. Establish a sense of connectedness and integration among peers (through trust,
cooperation, and sense of belongingness);
2. Enhance and contextualize their knowledge about the developmental changes they
experience physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially;
3. To educate and promote a healthy lifestyle through self-awareness, mindfulness and values
formation; and
4. To equip them with necessary life skills to realize their full positive potentials and, most of
all, to encourage them to finish their education to thrive and to contribute.
Volume 1 contains the following sessions and the expected outcome:

Session Number and Expected Outcome Pages

Title

1. My YDS Journey An introductory session to the YDS. Learners are expected

to be familiar with each other and to build a team. Also, to 8
be familiar with the rules.

Learners are expected to come to terms with the reality of

2. Metamorphosis
change especially the rapid and revolutionary 11
of a Person
progressions taking place during adolescence.

Learners are expected to understand body changes during

3. Changing Bodies 28
puberty and improve personal hygiene.

Learners are expected to accept, appreciate, and love

4. Body Image 11
oneself.

5. My Developing Learners are expected to cultivate a habit of mindfulness

21
Brain to attain one's cognitive potential.

6. Changing Learners are expected to develop and put into practice

16
Emotions skills in emotional regulation.

7. Expressing Learners are expected to recognize the emotions and their

14
Emotions manifestations.

8. Changing Roles Learners are expected to internalize roles in the family,

7
and Expectations school, and community.
 9. Defining Identity Learners are expected to reflect on one's identity. 14

10. My Dreams are Learners are expected to maintain a positive disposition in

11
My Destiny life and show appreciation of their purpose and mission.

WHAT IS FACILITATION?

To teach is to provide information to change existing knowledge, behavior, and attitude of the
learner, or tell them what to do. While facilitation is providing the support that learners need to
assume responsibilities for their learning.
In the YDS, facilitation is encouraged. The activities and the processing of the activities are supposed
to motivate learners to think and collaborate with other learners to meet the set objectives and
learning outcome. Reflection is suggested for the learner to get a deep and meaningful take away
from the session.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK?

Structure and content

The session guide is a recommended guide to the facilitator. Facilitators are expected to follow the
session's content unless there is a felt need to modify the conduct of the session. Each session
includes four one-hour activity meetings. However, the facilitator can choose from the four
activities and choose the most relevant ideas from the quick reference guide, or combine and
condense the activities depending on the logistical arrangements.

The structure of the sessions includes the following:

1. Session Title
2. Short Description of the Session describes or provides a brief overview of what to expect
from the session.
3. General Objectives are the expected outcomes related to or associated with the life skills
that need to be enhanced.
4. Life Skills include self-awareness, critical thinking, creative thinking, decision-making,
problem-solving, effective communication, interpersonal relationships, empathy, coping
with stress, and coping with emotions. Facilitators and learners need to keep these life skills
in mind at all times. These are the major takeaways of the learners at the end of the YDS.
The activities and discussions are supposed to address these targeted life skills.
5. Note to the Facilitator. These are short notes spread across the session to serve as
reminders and tips to the facilitators.
6. Energizer. Every session starts with an energizer to set the mood. In some instances, when
lesson activities are game-like, energizers are omitted unless the facilitator feels that there
is a need to include one.
7. Specific Objectives for each activity are what the learners would do after instruction.
8. Activity Title is the title of a specific activity within a particular meeting.
9. Procedure. This part states the steps to follow for the conduct of an activity.
10. Process Questions. Process questions are guide questions to use in discussing about the
participants’ experience during the activity. The facilitator may add, omit, modify, or
develop a follow-up question to deepen the learning process and make it more effective
and more relevant to the learner.
11. Quick Reference Guide (QRG). The quick reference guide contains information relevant to
the learning. The session activity and the QRG are complementary to each other. The
information in this section is meant to guide the discussion and processing of the activities
and not necessarily taught in verbatim. The facilitator may filter depending on what needs
emphasis.
12. Key Learning Points. The key learning points show the facilitator the important points to
emphasize. The facilitator may add more depending on the needs of the learners.
13. Reflection/Journaling/Assignment/Assessment. Mostly, the assignment is a journal
reflection. A journal prompt is provided. A journal prompt is a simple statement designed
to inspire the learner or offer them an idea of what to write.
The Youth Development Sessions Volume 1 is developed by the Department of Social
Welfare and Development’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program through the
assistance of the Department of Human and Family Development Studies, College of
Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, with Prof. Melissa P. Ferido,
MSc. as the Youth Development Consultant, and funding support of the Asian
Development Bank.
 Youth Development Sessions
Volume 1
Curriculum Outline

Title Session Description Expected Outcome/General Meeting Learning Objectives Key Learning Points
Objectives No.
Session 1. This session is an orientation session. The At the end of the session, the 1 At the end of the meeting, the  Awkwardness during an initial meeting is a
My YDS participants will learn the concept of participants will: participants will be familiar with each shared experience.
Journey: positive youth development and the 1. loosen up; other, and at least get to know one or  Overcome awkwardness by focusing on the
Building My importance of attending a positive youth 2. be familiar with each other two persons. other person.
Youth development program. The activities are be able to build social  Friendship is a process, let go of all
Community designed to involve and promote social connection among expectations.
relations among participants. The session themselves; and  Just try to enjoy the moment.
will also encourage participants to lay 3. establish and commit
down their expectations about the themselves to a set of rules
2 At the end of the meeting, the  Good communication is important.
sessions and among themselves. and expectations they
defined.
participants will be able to explain how  A clear message is pertinent.
Unlike the other sessions that can be
communication is important in  Honesty and trust are essential.
teamwork.
stretched to four meetings, this session is
meant for just one sitting. 3 At the end of the meeting, the  Focus and cooperation are important to
participants will be able to identify and achieve group goals.
explain important team attributes that  Communication is essential in team
will contribute to a successful team. building.

4 At the end of the meeting, the  It is important to level off with participants
participants will be able to establish their to create order and discipline.
own team rules and expectations.  Personal commitment is important for the
success of every undertaking.
 YDS is a positive youth development
program that assists youth in facing
developmental issues.

Session 2. This session explains the developmental At the end of the session, the 1 At the end of the activity, the participants  Every person goes through several
Metamorphosis changes that the adolescents are participants will be able to: will be able to discuss how the developmental stages with expected
of a Person experiencing. The session will serve as a 1. understand the realities of adolescence stage differs from the other developmental tasks and social
platform to discuss and reflect on the change, especially the rapid stages in human development. expectations.
changes that they are going through - and revolutionary  Every stage is relevant to the succeeding
physical, emotional, social, and progressions happening stage.
psychological. Furthermore, participants during adolescence; and
will be encouraged to contemplate on 2. reflect on how to positively
2 At the end of the activity, the participants Our goal is to grow, develop, mature, and learn
positive ways of coping with the rapid adapt to these rapid
will be able to demonstrate their to be productive individuals.
changes brought about by puberty. changes.
understanding of the differences
between growth, development,
maturation, and learning.
 Title Session Description Expected Outcome/General Meeting Learning Objectives Key Learning Points
Objectives No.
3 At the end of the activity, the participants Knowing and understanding the changes that
will be able to identify ways on how to one experiences will help in coping with the
cope up with changes, especially the challenges that comes with these changes.
difficult ones.
4 At the end of this activity, the Information dissemination will educate people
participants will be able to demonstrate in our community.
the ability to conduct an awareness
campaign.
Session 3. This session discusses the physical changes At the end of the session, the 1 At the end of this session, the  Puberty is the time when rapid physical
Changing that occur during puberty. It teaches participants will be able to: participants should be able to identify the changes occur to achieve reproductive
Bodies adolescents that these changes are normal 1. understand body changes physical changes that occur during the maturity.
and serve an important purpose in the life during puberty and adolescent stage and their purpose;  Puberty changes are normal and they follow
cycle. It is normal for adolescents to feel improves personal hygiene; a predictable pattern for boys and girls.
overwhelmed as change occurs but peers and  The timing and progress of puberty are
and trusted adults can help eliminate this 2. have a better understanding affected by many factors including genetics
feeling by listening with understanding and of the physical changes that and lifestyle (diet, physical activity, and
empathy and by giving advice. they experience during sleep patterns) before and during puberty.
puberty and will be able to
successfully manage them.
2 At the end of this session, the  The changes during puberty and the worries
participants should be able to talk adolescents have about these changes are
comfortably about these changes with normal so adolescents should not be
peers and trusted adults; embarrassed to discuss them with friends
or seek advice from trusted adults.
 Instead of laughing or teasing peers on
puberty changes, adolescents can support
each other through these changes by
showing understanding and empathy.

3 At the end of this session, the  Puberty can be confusing with all the body
participants should be able to changes.
differentiate between myths and facts  There are myths and facts that we believe
about puberty. but are proven untrue by science.

4 At the end of this session, the  Our bodies are changing.

participants should be able to practice  Some of these changes can be quite
improved personal hygiene. embarrassing.
 There are ways to control those changes.
 Proper hygiene is important to keep our
bodies clean and healthy. It can also make
some of these changes less embarrassing.
 Title Session Description Expected Outcome/General Meeting Learning Objectives Key Learning Points
Objectives No.
Session 4. This session discusses body image during At the end of the session, the 1 At the end of the activity, the participants  A body image directly affects our self -
Body Image adolescence period. The activities will participants will be able to: will be able to: confidence and self-esteem
increase the participants’ awareness on 1. appreciate and improve 1. Briefly discuss what body image  Body image is usually affected by what we
the importance of self-appreciation. The their body image through is; and see in the media.
discussions will also empower them to the various activities set by 2. Differentiate positive body  Learning to accept yourself and your body—
become vigilant to false advertisement but this session. image from negative body or even just to give yourself a break every
instead to accept and believe in image. now and then—is one of the most
themselves. important personal skills for the mind.

2 At the end of the activity, the participants  Every person’s body is unique.
will be able to:  We should learn to appreciate our body.
1. Differentiate positive body  There are signs to show whether a person
image from negative body image has a positive or negative body image.
2. Discuss why not everybody can  Everybody has an asset that we can be
achieve "the ideal body type." proud of.

3 At the end of the activity, the participants  There are ways to keep a positive body
will be able to: image.
1. List down ways to maintain a  Keeping a healthy routine can help us keep
positive body image; and a positive body image.
2. Choose ways to help keep a  It helps to surround yourself with positive
positive body image people to maintain a positive body image.

4 At the end of this activity, the A poor or negative body image can lead to low
participants will be able to: self-esteem, anxieties, self-pity, and other
1. Identify print ads that show mental health concerns. Building and
body stereotypes; and maintaining a positive body image is, therefore,
2. Discuss why they should believe important. Learning to accept yourself and your
in themselves more than the body, or even to give yourself a break now and
media ads. then, is one of the most important personal
skills for the mind.
Session 5. This session explains brain development as To cultivate a habit of 1 At the end of the activity, the participants  Adolescence period is the right time to give
My Developing a significant part of adolescent mindfulness in order to attain will be able to: brain the opportunity to develop its
Brain development. It will also explain how their ones cognitive potential. 1. explain the role of the Pre- potential. The opportunity starts at puberty
activities and the environment can have an frontal cortex to one’s and ends around 24 years old.
impact on the developing brain. The At the end of the session, the capability; and  Adolescence period is a very important
session will help the youth understand and participants will be able to: 2. explain the importance of the period to develop and practice skills to
appreciate their brain. By knowing how it 1. conceive various ways on adolescence period to growth almost perfection.
works, they can nurture and protect it to how to plan their daily and maturation of the brain.  The brain needs protection and care, which
achieve their best potential. activities in order to you always have to keep in mind.
consciously contribute to
 Title Session Description Expected Outcome/General Meeting Learning Objectives Key Learning Points
Objectives No.
the development of their
brain potentials. 2 At the end of the activity, the participants  Windows of opportunity are specific ages in
will be able to: our life when the dendrites would
1. describe in their own words how proliferate and be ready to connect. If the
the brain matures and function; dendrites will not be connected to other
2. explain why it is important to neurons and the window closes, then it will
engage in productive activities; wither away; and you lose the chance to
3. enumerate ways of exercising learn a skill associated with those neurons.
the brain to achieve its  Puberty until 24 years old (approximately
maximum potential. 10 years from puberty) is a window for the
executive function (pre-frontal cortex) to
prosper. The king will not be an effective
king if not nurtured during his growing
years.
 life skills such as self-awareness, creative
thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving,
effective communication, decision-making,
empathy, and emotional mindfulness are
potentially developed during the
adolescence period because all these are
the responsibility of the executive function
of the brain – the pre-frontal cortex - the
office of the president or the king (in our
story).

3 At the end of the activity, the participants  Brain maturation is measured by the
will be able to: number of neural connection and the
1. Identify games and exercises can strength of these connection.
be used to enhance brain  To help brain mature you need to engage in
power; and mental activities that challenges your mind
2. Collect and compile materials like puzzles.
that can be considered as tool
for brain exercise.
4 At the end of this activity, the  It is important to prepare yourself to life
participants will be able to iIdentify and trials. Accepting the challenges that comes
write in their journal goals they would your way because it will help you build skills
pursue to sharpen their cognitive and  Adolescence period is the best time to build
behavioral skills. your skills.

Session 6. This session explains emotional To cultivate and put into practice 1 At the end of this session, the  Emotions are instinctual reaction to protect
Changing development during the adolescence skills in emotional regulation. participants should be able to define in and connect us to our surroundings.
Emotions period. It also explains the physiological their own words their definition of  Emotions and feelings are not the same
basis of emotions. emotion. thing. Emotions are the physiological
 Title Session Description Expected Outcome/General Meeting Learning Objectives Key Learning Points
Objectives No.
reactions to stimulus around us while
Feelings are the label we give to these
reactions once perceived by our
consciousness.

2 At the end of this session, the  Emotional ups and downs are common
participants should be able to recognize among teens.
and describe their emotional responses.  Identity crisis becomes an additional
emotional trigger
 Many of your emotional difficulties is
socially oriented.

3 At the end of this session, the  It is easy to tangle your emotions but
participants should be able to: difficult to untangle it.
1. Discuss the various emotions  Your brain has the capability to form and
they experience, and reform itself at the neuro-level.
2. Identify the emotional triggers  The changes in your amygdala have
reasons.
 Emotional regulation is a skill that can be
learned.

4 At the end of this session, the  Your reactions can be felt physically
participants should be able to describe  Paying attention to your body sensations
their body sensation. will develop your mindfulness skills which
will help in emotional regulation.

Session 7. To effectively cope with their 1 At the end of this session, the  There are common feelings everyone
Expressing emotions; and to practice Participants should be able to explain experiences.
Emotions empathy. why they need to be thankful for their  We feel and express the emotions
To recognize, accept, and emotions. depending on the situation.
appreciate the presence of  Emotions help our body to cope and
emotions and their adapt to the different situations.
manifestations.
2 At the end of this session, the  Joy and happiness are the emotions for
participants should be able to social connection
1. Differentiate Happiness from  Joy and happiness energize and makes you
joy; productive
2. Describe the manifestation of  However, joy and happiness, when
the emotion “joy;” and unmonitored can lead to impulsiveness
3. Describe how one behaves when  You can trick the body to feel happy
they experience joy.
 Title Session Description Expected Outcome/General Meeting Learning Objectives Key Learning Points
Objectives No.
3 At the end of this session, the  Fear is a survival instinct to help our body
participants should be able to run from life threatening objects or
1. Recognize the manifestation of situations.
fear; and  However, fear is also our body’s alert
2. Explain the function of fear. system to prepare for what is feared.

4 At the end of this session, the  Guilt and shame are important feelings with
participants should be able to social survival functions
1. Explain what is guilt and shame;  Listen to these emotions when you feel
2. Describe how one feels; and them it will save your ‘ties’ with your social
3. Explain the purpose of guilt and groups.
shame.

Session 8. This session discusses the increase in At the end of the session, 1 At the end of this session, the  Youth must always be mindful to utilize
Changing Roles adolescents’ roles and responsibilities at participants will be able participants should be able to discuss opportunities to develop skills.
and home, in school, and in the communities. It internalize new roles in the how a daily challenge can become an  Every challenge is an opportunity to
Expectations emphasizes how, during the adolescence family, school, and community. opportunity to learn skills relevant to prepare oneself for the roles they are
period, the youth are being prepared for future adult roles. expected to fulfill.
adult roles. The activities will help the
participants appreciate opportunities to
2 At the end of this session, the  Autonomous is the state of having the
strengthen skills that would help
participants should be able to practice capability to make rational decisions and
successfully fulfill their life obligations.
healthy ways to become autonomous and actions without the need for monitoring
independent.  Independence is the state when one is
capable of supporting oneself.
 Becoming autonomous and independent is
a learning process.

3 At the end of this session, the  Defining one’s role can help in identity
participants should be able to describe formation.
how they can develop their personal  Having a role model can help in developing
character through the tasks and one’s character to define one’s role.
responsibilities assigned to them.
4 At the end of this session, the Tasks and responsibilities assigned to you give
participants should be able to practice you the opportunity to practice the role
healthy ways to relate and learn from behaviors.
other people.
Session 9. In this session, the activities are meant to At the end of the session, the 1 At the end of the activity, the participants  Identity formation is a lifelong process
Defining help the participants to go deeper into participants will be able to: will be able to:  Identity is everything about us
Identity their self and develop an understanding of 1. Practice self-analysis 1. define identity; and  Adolescents are at the forefront of identity
what Identity means and how it develops. 2. identify factors shaping one’s crisis due to increasing self-awareness and
The activities will also encourage identity. understanding of the world
participants to enhance other life skills
 Title Session Description Expected Outcome/General Meeting Learning Objectives Key Learning Points
Objectives No.
such as effective communication and
creative thinking. 2 At the end of the activity, the participants Adolescents assume different identities and
will be able to: these identities may come in contrasts with
1. explore how one’s “identities” each other and thus experiences identity crisis.
align or contradicts one another;
and
2. reflect how one deals with
conflicting identities.
3 At the end of the activity, the participants  Adolescents experience crisis as part of your
will be able to: developmental task.
1. explain the concept of identity  Adolescents when confronted by crises may
status; and opt to explore or not explore (i.e., engage in
2. reflect upon one’s identity status. the activity) and commit or non-commit
(i.e., consistently commit to a belief or role).

4 At the end of this activity, the Anyone can be creative, it is strength that can
participants will be able to: define one’s identity
1. recall learnings from all the
sessions that are most
applicable to their lives as
adolescents; and
2. exhibit working in a team by
planning and performing a
creative presentation regarding
the learnings they acquired from
all the sessions.
Session 10. This session discusses aspirations as a At the end of the session, the 1 At the end of the activity, the participants  We should aspire for a positive, beautiful,
My Dreams are purpose in life and planning one’s actions participants will will be able to: and fruitful future for ourselves and our
My Destiny as a tool to reach one’s destiny. The 1. Demonstrate a positive 1. Communicate their aspiration for family.
activities are meant to create awareness of disposition in life and show themselves, family, and community  Having an aspiration motivates us to act
one’s aspirations and bring out their appreciation for one’s 2. Identify factors affecting the conscientiously.
commitment to themselves and to their physical being and it’s innate achievement of these dreams
community to carry out tasks and bring out capacity as instrument to
the best in themselves. achieve their aspirations in
2 At the end of this activity, the  It is important to have aspirations to make
life.
participants are expected to: our life meaningful on a day to day basis. It
1. Learn the song; and pushes you to move-on no matter how
2. Explain why it is important to set heavy the load you carry.
their daily goals.  Goals are the steppingstones that you need
to lay-down regularly to remind you your
direction.
Title Session Description Expected Outcome/General Meeting Learning Objectives Key Learning Points
Objectives No.
 Regularly reflect on your actions and assess
if they are still relevant to your aspirations.

3 At the end of the activity, the participants  While it is natural for us to initially think
expected to: about ourselves and our families’ welfare
1. Express their perception about for survival reasons, it is also our
the issues in their community responsibility to have a social interest in
through arts; and issues in the broader community.
2. Generate ideas on how they can  Growing up is a process of building
help solve this issue. particular types of interdependence with
other people.
 Young people have the right to participate
in all development initiatives and activities,
particularly if it will affect their lives and
their future.
 Participating in your community will help
you discover your purpose in life.

4 At the end of the activity, the participants Be grateful and celebrate for whatever you
should be able to: have.
1. Recall learnings from all the
sessions that are most
applicable to their lives as
adolescents; and
2. Exhibit working in a team by
planning and performing a
creative presentation regarding
the theories and learnings they
acquired from all the sessions.
VOLUME 1. SESSION 1. MY YDS JOURNEY: BUILDING MY YOUTH
COMMUNITY
This is an orientation session. The participants will learn the concept of positive youth development and
the importance of attending a positive youth development program. The activities are designed to involve
and promote social relations among participants. The session will also encourage the participants to lay
down their expectations about the sessions and among themselves.

This session shall run for just one sitting, unlike the other sessions that can be stretched to several (two
to four) meetings.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

Review the introduction on positive youth development

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participants will be able to:

1. Loosen up;
2. Build social connections among themselves; and
3. Commit themselves to a set of rules and expectations they, themselves, defined.

LIFE SKILLS

 Creative thinking
 Critical Thinking
 Problem-solving
 Effective communication
 Decision-making
 Interpersonal relationships

ENERGIZER: “BATA, BAHAY, LANSANGAN”

Procedure:

1. Ask the participants to form a group composed of three members each.

2. Ask each group to form a small circle with one member inside the circle while two members hold
their hands around.
3. The game mechanics is like that of “Open the Basket.” As the facilitator, mention the “bata, bahay,
lansangan” many times. The following shall be done by the participants depending on the last
word uttered:
a. Bata - the child inside the circle will look for another house/group,

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Volume 1. Session 1. My YDS Journey: Building My Youth Community
 b. Bahay” the two participants holding around will look for a child or “bata,”
c. Lansangan" all the participants will disperse and form another group of three with
anyone.
4. Afterwards, the facilitator will then ask volunteers to share their feelings and thoughts about the
activity to encourage them to speak up.

ACTIVITY 1. GETTING TO KNOW YOU

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Familiarize themselves with each other; and

2. Get to know at least one or two persons better.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

Be gender-sensitive. If touching is not acceptable or inappropriate, you may modify the activity.

MATERIALS NEEDED

None

PROCEDURE

1. Pair up the participants. Ask each pair to think of a quick stretching exercise based on a set of
criteria that they will teach to the rest of the participants. The criteria are: (a) the partners must
be connected during the stretch (ex. elbow touching or fingertips touching), and (b) the stretch
has to have a sound effect or phrase to go along with it.
2. Before the pair improvises a stretch, they must learn two things about their partner, their names,
and another attribute like favorite color, food, etc.
3. Each pair then introduces their partners and demonstrates their stretch to the other participants,
and every pair in the entire group does the stretch and hold the position in five (5) seconds.
4. Demonstrate an example of an acceptable stretch. For example, stand next to your partner, with
you and your partner’s hips touching; then stretch your arms up and say, “we are proud to be
youth.”

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. What did you notice about yourself when you were getting to know each other? (excited, nervous)
2. How did you overcome your uncomfortable situation? (the planning process made us busy
forgetting our own apprehensions)
3. Why do you think the activity helped you in becoming comfortable with each other? (because we
have something to talk about, our attention was directed towards accomplishing something?

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Volume 1. Session 1. My YDS Journey: Building My Youth Community
 4. Are you happy with the result? Why? (the answers depend on the participant’s personal
experiences about the activity)
5. What did you notice about your energy level as well as the overall energy level in the room during
this activity? (interactive social and face-to-face activities excite us and make us feel alive)

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Feeling awkward in meeting new people is a common experience. We would rather stay in our comfort
zones because meeting new people is stressful for some of us. We may not know what to say or how to
act because we do not know what is acceptable to them. The silent gaps in conversations are very
uncomfortable. However, we are a social being, interacting with other people, and belonging to a social
group is healthy.

Awkwardness is a shared experience in any new social situation. We need to recognize and accept that
fact. Speaking to strangers will never be like talking to an old friend.

How do we overcome the awkwardness?

Focus on the other person. Do not overthink what to say or what you think they expect from you. Shift
your attention to getting to know the other person. Be interested.

Friendship is a process; it does not happen overnight. Initial meetings are opportunities to know about
the other person. Let go of all expectations.

Finding something that interests you both is helpful. Do not expect too much. The other person may also
be feeling awkward about the whole thing unless they already have a set of purpose in mind as to why
they want to have a conversation with you.

Have fun. Have a good time because that is the purpose of meeting people. However, be sensitive to the
other person. Be funny if you think he is being funny, but be serious if he meant to be serious. Just play
along the moment.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Awkwardness on initial meeting is a shared experience.

2. Overcome awkwardness by focusing on the other person.
3. Friendship is a process, let go off all expectations.
4. Just try to enjoy the moment.

ACTIVITY 2. COMING TOGETHER

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to explain how communication is important in
teamwork.

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Volume 1. Session 1. My YDS Journey: Building My Youth Community
NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR:

Modify the rules of the activity depending on the social situation.

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Paper and pen

 Clipboard (optional)
 2 drawings templates with different drawings

PROCEDURE

1. Pair the participants and have them seated back to back.

2. One will be the instructor, and one will be the artist.
3. The goal is for the artist to draw an exact duplicate of what the director verbally describes based
on the drawing he is holding.
4. In the first round, the director verbally describes what to draw. The artist is not allowed to speak.
5. In the second round, the pair switch roles and do the same using the second template. But this
time for the first five minutes, only allow the artist to ask yes-or-no questions. After the five
minutes are up, allow the artist to ask any questions he or she would like.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. What was it like to give directions without getting any feedback?

2. Once you could ask questions, did that make the job easier? Why?
3. What kind of questions were the most effective?
4. What types of situations resemble this activity?
5. How do you relate this to communication and relationship?
6. What can we do to improve our communication with each other?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Becoming comfortable with each other is important in establishing a strong team. Having a good team
means everyone is accepted as a member. One way of showing that a member is not only a member in
the team is through valuing their opinions, thoughts and ideas.

Allowing others to share their opinions is part of a good communication process. It facilitates the
development of honesty and trust among members because the truth is not withheld. Also, it allows
members to understand their roles and the roles of everyone else. When everyone is clear about their
roles, they all help in achieving their group goals.

Without clear communication, misunderstanding may occur; hence conflict may arise. Members may not
get feedback from the group, thus, will not know if they are doing the right thing.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Good communication is important.

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Volume 1. Session 1. My YDS Journey: Building My Youth Community
 2. Clear message is pertinent.
3. Honesty and trust are essential.

ACTIVITY 3. WORKING TOGETHER

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participants will be able to identify important team attributes that will
contribute to a successful team; and

MATERIALS NEEDED

Hoop with the size the participants can pass through, but not easily.

PROCEDURE

1. Group the participants depending on the size of the group. You may group the participants
according to sex/gender. You can form two to three groups/teams.
2. The group members should be able to pass the hoop from one end of the line to the other without
breaking the chain. It means they have to squeeze their body through the hoop.
3. Each group member holds hands with each other to form a human chain.
4. The first person in the chain holds the hoop in their ‘spare’ hand.
5. On the teacher’s signal, the first child drops the hoop onto their arm, and it is passed along the
line through cooperative body movements.
6. The chain must not be broken, or the power charge disappears. If the chain breaks, the hoop must
be returned to the starting child.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How do you feel about the game?

2. What contributes to the success of the game? (Coordination, cooperation, communication, doing
their task according to what is expected, everyone should know the goal of the team).
3. How do you relate them to team success? (members hold on to each other as they perform their
tasks to achieve their goals)

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

The class is a team. Each one of you is a member of the team. From this session onwards, you are all
encouraged to work as a team. Enjoy each session through the activities but must cooperate with your
groupmates and with everyone. It will help to attain your group goals and individual purposes. It will be
to the best of everyone if you have the support and cooperation of every member to help you succeed.

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Volume 1. Session 1. My YDS Journey: Building My Youth Community
It would be best if you value cooperation and communication as they will keep your team on a mutual
track. You need to support and encourage each other to aspire to a better quality of life. The success of
one is the success of everybody, and the failure of one is the failure of all.

You are now part of the YDS team.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Focus and cooperation is important to achieve group goal.

2. Communication is essential in team building.

ACTIVITY 4. COMMITMENT SETTING

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to establish team rules and expectations.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “I WOULD LIKE YDS TO SUCCEED IN MAKING ME A BETTER PERSON”

MATERIALS NEEDED

1. paper and pen

2. manila paper
3. pentel pen
4. masking tape
5. bottle with cover

PROCEDURE

1. Divide the participants into four groups (depending on the number of participants
2. Ask the groups their expectations on the following:
a. What do I expect from the YDS?
b. What do I expect from my co-participants?
c. What do I expect from the facilitator?
d. What do I expect from myself as my contribution to the success of the group and the
successful implementation of YDS?
3. Ask each group to assign a facilitator/reporter and a documenter.
4. Allocate 15 minutes for this activity. Afterwards ask each group to present their output to the
plenary.
5. For the expectation from self, ask the participants to write down their own answers, including
their name, on a piece of paper to be read by each to the rest of the participants.
6. They then drop the paper inside the group bottle which symbolizes the commitment of each and
participant and the group to the YDS program.

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Volume 1. Session 1. My YDS Journey: Building My Youth Community
 7. The facilitator will then summarize and process the activity towards a set of house rules that shall
be agreed upon consensually.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How did you feel about the activity?

2. Why are these expectations important?
3. Are there any expectations that you would like to add?
4. What will you do to meet these expectations?

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. It is important to level off with participants to create order and discipline.

2. Personal commitment is important for the success of every undertaking.
3. YDS is a positive youth development program to assist youth in facing developmental issues.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

What is YDS? YDS means Youth Development Sessions. It is a program to support youth like you to
understand yourself and your purpose. It will help you understand the challenges that you will be facing
as you go through the adolescence stage. YDS will be with you until you finish grade twelve, but it will stay
with you until your adult years.

The goal is to help you build skills to develop competence, confidence, positive social connection,
character, and caring so that you will be able to contribute to your community. Through the activities and
through the guidance of the facilitators, the YDS will help you develop a positive mindset. The YDS
program aims to contribute to the development of life skills that will strengthen your decisions in life.
These life skills include self-awareness, creative thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving, effective
communication, decision-making, interpersonal relationships, empathy, coping with stress, and coping
with emotion.

The program goal is to provide essential knowledge and skills associated with their current normative
needs related to physical, sexual, cognitive, social, and emotional developments. Also, it prepares them
for anticipated or future adult roles and responsibilities (Ferido, 2019).

Thus, the curriculum, in general, includes:

1. Understanding oneself and others,

2. Improving communication skills,

3. Making choices about their own sexuality,

4. Develop skills in responsible decision-making,

5. Taking responsibilities for actions,

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Volume 1. Session 1. My YDS Journey: Building My Youth Community
 6. Forming, maintaining and ending relationships,

7. Understanding family roles,

8. Making social commitments and above all,

9. Involving oneself in community action programs (Ferido, 2019).

These are the things that you will gain from attending YDS. However, your commitment and cooperation
are essential to make these endeavors a success. Together, you will help each other attain your maximum
potentials.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. It is important to level off with participants to create order and discipline.

2. Personal commitment is important for the success of every undertaking.
3. Youth Development Session is a program committed to helping the youth gain skills in navigating
their adolescence pathway
4. The goal is to help the youth develop the 6Cs of positive youth development: Competence,
Confidence, positive social Connection, Character, Caring, and Contribution to the community.

SYNTHESIS

Ask participants to prepare a slogan reflecting how they understood the core message of the session.

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Volume 1. Session 1. My YDS Journey: Building My Youth Community
VOLUME 1. SESSION 2. METAMORPHOSIS OF A PERSON
This session explains the developmental changes that the adolescents are experiencing. The session will
serve as a platform to discuss and reflect on the changes that they are going through - physical, emotional,
social, and psychological. Further, participants will be encouraged to contemplate on positive ways of
coping with the rapid changes brought about by puberty.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participants will be able to:

1. Understand the realities of change especially the rapid and revolutionary progressions happening
during adolescence; and
2. Reflect on how to positively adapt to these rapid changes.

LIFE SKILLS

 Self-Awareness
 Creative thinking
 Critical Thinking
 Effective communication
 Decision-making

ENERGIZER: “TRASHKETBALL 1”

MATERIALS

 Three (3) clean trash can

 Paper
 Pen

PROCEDURE

1. Ask the participants to form three groups.

2. Give 20-30 pieces of paper to each group (same number for each group). Ask the groups to write
in the pieces of paper the things that they want to learn in life. These can be skills, concepts,
values, cultures, places, etc., and ask them to crumple the pieces of paper like a small paper ball.
3. Place the trash can of each group around five (5) meters away from the base of the group.
4. In 30 seconds, let the groups shoot the pieces of paper into the trash can one at a time. The goal
is to shoot as many pieces of paper as they can within the set time.

1
Adopted from the book 100 ways to energize groups: Games to use in workshops, meetings and the community.

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Volume 1. Session 2. Metamorphosis of a Person
 5. After the allotted time, get the trash cans per group and count the pieces of paper in each.
6. Open each of the paper and read what is written on it. Those papers are the things that will be
learned by the members of the group. Refer to the Note to the Facilitator for the processing.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR/PROCESSING

 Explain that the trash can will symbolize a human brain that is nourishing with knowledge and
ideas contrary to the purpose of the usual trashcan.
 Enlighten them that those papers not able to reach the goal represent the knowledge that are
possibly wasted if not absorbed by the brain. Trying again and not giving up is also a learning
process. Also, in learning, there must be a retention of knowledge. Thus, they are not given
punishment to share their answer rather an opportunity to retain their ideas.

ACTIVITY 1. “OH MY! THIS IS ME”

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to discuss how the adolescence stage differs from
the other stages in human development.

MATERIALS NEEDED

 4 sets of pictures (each representing a human development stage) cut into puzzles
 Cut-out letters of the following words: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age
 Manila papers
 Markers
 Masking tape

PROCEDURE

1. Group the participants into four.

2. Give each group: (1) a set of picture puzzles depicting one life stage (different life stage per group);
and two (2) sets of cutouts of letters labeling the particular life stage. See examples below.

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Volume 1. Session 2. Metamorphosis of a Person
 Source: https://www.thedrmoshow.com/clinical-forensic-psychology/2018/3/17/does-
infancy-prepare-for-adulthood

C H I L D H O O D

3. Ask each group to arrange the pictures chronologically with the corresponding label using the
cutout letters that will best describe the stage.
4. After the task is completed, ask the groups to post their output on the board (Note: Group work
may be done on the floor to provide space for all participants).

PROCESS QUESTION

1. How is your experience doing the activity?

2. What stages have you identified/labeled on your manila paper? (depends on the activity output)
3. Based on the stages of a person where can you categorize yourself? (adolescence)
4. What particular word can best describe the activity? (ans.: METAMORPHOSIS)

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Just like butterflies, humans also undergo metamorphosis. The caterpillar stage is in the childhood stage
wherein we try to nurture the physical bodies and condition the mental and moral foundation of an
individual to prepare it for the adult years. A child learns best by imitating adults, mimics the way an adult
move and talk.

Adolescence, on the other hand, can be compared to the cocoon stage of the butterfly, or to the
development of a seed to a tree. It is the transitional stage from childhood to adulthood. It is a stage in

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human development where there is rapid physical, behavioral and emotional change in an individual. It is
a period where a person can be disoriented with his/her identity, a period where one undergoes self-
discovery. It is also a period, according to Rudolf Steiner, where the child begins to search for truths about
the world and experiences the power of his/her own thinking (Mitchell, 2006).

Gone is the imitation stage and the age of idealism comes in. We seek a role model that will fit the
descriptions of our ideals. A positive and compassionate adult should be present to “guide” us and not
“dictate” what should be done. As adolescents, we prepare for our role and function as productive adults
in our community. At the end of this period we are expected to be equipped with knowledge, skills and
attitudes needed to face adulthood to fulfill our life purpose.

Adulthood is, usually, the stage when we become parents. This stage also have different challenges. First
of these is managing time and resources. We are expected to be responsible for our work as well as our
duties in the house. As adults, we are also expected to help our children deal with their issues and needs.
This takes a toll in our well-being and may lead to stress and burnout. Ultimately, as adults, we need to
feel responsible and useful to our children, our family and the society, without sacrificing our own dreams
and potentials.

Finally, in old age, as grandparents, we experience extreme changes related to our physical and cognitive
capacities. We need assistance, care, and understanding especially as we deal with the challenges of being
physically weak.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

Emphasize to the participants that each one will go through these different stages in a progressive way.
Each stage is relevant to the next stage. All their experiences at every stage will matter to who they will
become on the next stage.

Ask them, “so in what stage are you now? How would you want to become at the next stage of your life?
What would you do to be who you want to be?”

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Every person goes through several developmental stages with expected developmental tasks and
social expectations.
2. Every stage is relevant to the succeeding stage.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

“Who do I want to become after I metamorphosed?”

Ask students to doodle, write a poem, a short story, a jingle or a dance step to represent the statement.

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ACTIVITY 2: “FINGERS OF CHANGES”

ENERGIZER: “BLIND ARTIST”

MATERIALS

 Pictures describing the different life stages

 Cartolina
 Pencil
 Crayons

PROCEDURE

1. Ask a representative from each group. Tell the representative to turn her/his back from the group
such that s/he could not see his groupmates.
2. Instruct the representative to pick a picture and describe it to her/his groupmates. The
groupmates’ task is to draw based on the representative’s description of the selected picture.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the
differences between grow, develop, mature, and learn.

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Bond paper
 Pencil
 Crayons

PROCEDURE

1. Ask students to draft their dominant hand on the paper.

2. Tell them to write their name of the wrist part; and below their name, ask them to write their
feelings as of the moment.
3. Then, instruct the student to write/draw the following on the particular part of the hand:

a. Palm – words or images that come to mind when they hear the word, “development”

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 b. Pinky finger (hinliliit) – Physical changes they observe from themselves and their peers
c. Ring finger (palasingsingan) – Emotional and cognitive changes they observe from
themselves and their peers (pagbabago sa damdamin at kakayahan)
d. Middle finger (hinlalato) – Things that they can do now which they cannot yet do when
they were children or newly developed skills
e. Point finger (hintuturo) – Things that they want to learn in the near future
f. Thumb (hinlalaki) – what they aspire in life, when they grow up

4. Provide the students some time until all the details have been incorporated in their hand drawing.
5. Process the activity.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How was your experience?

2. Was it difficult? What made it difficult? What are the aspects that were difficult answer? Why?
3. What would make it easier?
4. What something new did you discover about yourself?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

There are various kinds of change that everyone experiences – growth, development, maturation, and
learning.

Growth refers to changes that are more physical. These are more visible to the naked eyes or to the
senses. For example, we see our hair growing, because they increase in length. We see our muscles
growing because we see them getting bigger. We see our vocal cords growing because we hear changes
in our voice.

However, not all changes are physical. There are some changes that are more invisible and are only made
apparent because of the way we think, feel, and act. For instance, when we were children, it must be
difficult for us to understand some concepts in mathematics. But as we grow and mature, we are able to
comprehend them. These changes – both physical, social, emotional, and cognitive changes – are referred
to as development. By development, we refer to the progressive, positive changes happening to each
and every one of us, while considering also the things that remain constant (or the things that do not
change).

Now, development takes place because of two things. First, we develop because of the natural unfolding
of our characteristics as determined by nature or heredity. This process of ripening, unfolding of our
qualities because of our biological clock is referred to as maturation.

Second, we develop because of our experiences. As we mature, we are able to do things and relate more
to people in different ways. These experiences teach us something new, which allow us to improve and
enhance our qualities. This process is referred to as learning.

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So, which of these four – to grow, to develop, to mature, and to learn – would you like to experience? Can
you tell me why? Well, I suppose you prefer all of them.

“Got a Minute” Activity

Together with the person beside you, and from what

you have just learn, create a slogan. Write it on a
piece of paper. Be ready to present it to the group.

KEY LEARNING POINT

Our goal is to grow, develop, mature and to learn to become a productive individual.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Finish the sentence:

1. To grow, I need to ___________.

2. To develop, I need to _________.
3. To mature, I need to _________.
4. To learn, I need to ___________.

ACTIVITY 3. “TUKUYIN ANG PAGBABAGO”

ENERGIZER

PROCEDURE

1. Group the participants into two.

2. Ask each group to form a line. Tell them that the task is for them to line up according to the
description given by the facilitator, either in an ascending or descending order as instructed.
3. Below are some examples of the categories. You may want to add some more.
a. Line up by date of birth
b. Line up by height
c. Line up by number of “crushes” you had
d. Line up by number of siblings
e. Line up by weight

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to identify ways on how to cope up with changes,
especially the difficult ones.

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ACTIVITY TITLE: “TUKUYIN ANG BAGBABAGO”

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Manila paper
 Markers
 Crayons

PROCEDURE

1. Group the participants into three.

2. Ask them to go back to what has been discussed the previous session.
3. Tell them to remember all the changes taking place among them.
4. For this activity, the participants are instructed to identify and categorize the different changes
that they have experienced. They will write their answers on a Manila paper using the table below:

Category of Change At Present What I have learned

(Adolescent/Teen) about myself
Physical
Emotional
Mental
Social

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How did you feel about the activity? Was it difficult to categorize the changes? In what part?
2. With all the changes happening in various domains of development, how are you coping as a
person? [any kind of response will be considered]
3. Whom do you ask for assistance?

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

Be ready to deal with sensitive responses.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

There are many domains or aspects of development, such as physical, emotional, mental, and social
aspects. They are distinct from each other, but they affect each other’s rate and course of development.
Physical development during adolescence refers to the predictable physical transformation that
adolescents experience at the onset of puberty. It includes the maturation of the sexual reproductive
system, which includes primary and secondary sexual characteristics. There is also a rapid increase in
height or growth spurt. Emotional development refers to the increasing awareness of one’s feelings and
the feelings of others. There is a gradual increase in the ability to perceive, assess, and manage emotions,
though perception may still be fragile. While mental or cognitive development refers to the development
of the ability to think and reason. Lastly, social development is the transitioning from the limited
childhood social roles to the broader roles of adulthood. The social circle expands to include friends and
peer groups.

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In the adolescent stage a lot of conflicts may arise as changes take place in these domains. One, there is
a rapid2 and uneven development of the physical and mental capacity of the young person. With the rapid
changes in the physical body, the mental capacity of the young person to understand his capabilities and
limitations are yet to be sorted out.

Second, adults in the community have lots of demands and high expectations from adolescents but they
may not provide the adolescent with proper guidance. As observed, parents would often scold and
criticize the adolescent instead of helping him/her gain self-realization.

Lastly, adolescents are often confused by the expectations of the parents. They are expected to assume
responsibility, but still they must be obedient or submissive to their parents’ demands.

How can you positively cope from these changes? Here are some suggestions you may want to practice:

1. KNOW the changes happening in you and understand why these changes are happening.
2. UNDERSTAND that these changes are normal and are experienced by many people of your age.
3. SEEK HELP from learned adults and/or professionals when confused of what is happening to you.
4. MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE by appreciating the good things and the progress you are
making as a young adolescent. Keep your strengths at the top of your mind, and your limitations
as a motivation for you to do something to be better.

KEY LEARNING POINT

Knowing and understanding the changes that one experiences will help in coping with the challenges that
goes with these changes.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

Complete the sentence:

“I will deal with (one difficult change) by (coping that will be adopted).”

2
You may not notice, but you are experiencing rapid and uneven development in your physical and mental
capacity. There are rapid changes in your physical body, but your mental capacity to understand what you are
capable of and your limits are yet to be sorted out. Adults in the community may have lots of demands and high
expectations, and you may feel that they are not providing the proper guidance to help you meet those
expectations. Parents would often scold and criticize you instead of help you gain self-realization. You may be
confused by the expectations of your parents from you. You are expected to assume responsibility, but still must
obey or submit to your parents’ demands.

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ACTIVITY 4. AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

ENERGIZER: “ROUND STORY”

PROCEDURE

1. Ask the participants to form a huge circle.

2. Tell them that the task will be for the entire group to create a “round story”, e.g., a story formed
when each member of the group adds a line one after the other.
3. The trigger word for the round story may be derived from previous sessions (e.g., growth,
development, change).

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this activity, the participants will be able to demonstrate the ability to conduct an awareness
campaign.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “AWARENESS CAMPAIGN”

This is a service-learning activity to enhance the participants’ skills related to social contribution.

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Information board on changes in the adolescence

 Quotes on how to positively cope with the changes

PROCEDURE

1. Ask the participants to create posters encouraging others to positively cope with change.
2. Ask them also to help creating an information board about explaining the concepts of growth,
development, learning, and maturation.

PROCESS QUESTION

1. How was your experience? Was it fun, difficult, easy?

2. How did the other students respond to your information board?
3. What did you realize about yourselves? How about your discovery about others?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

What have we learned from our previous discussions?

First, we learned that people change across the lifetime. Change is an inevitable experience. While we are
growing into adolescence, our parents are also getting old. We need to be patient with and caring for one
another.

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Second, we learned that the changes happening to us are varied. There are changes that are physical, but
there are also changes that are not so visible. There are changes that happen naturally, and there are
changes that happen because we worked hard for it. Change happens in all areas of the self. Change in
adolescence is rapid and there is a need for adolescents to cope positively. And, there are many ways to
cope positively through these changes.

Most importantly, we recognize that there is a need to raise awareness about the concept of change,
because it is helpful to encourage people to positively cope with change.

KEY LEARNING POINT

Information dissemination will educate people in our community to help understand adolescence better,
and to generate support from them.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSSESSMENT

Reflect on the statement through journaling.

Journal Prompt:

“Contributing to my community is part of my learning process”

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

On the next meeting, ask a few volunteers to share what they have written.

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SESSION 3. CHANGING BODIES
This session discusses the physical changes that occur during puberty. It teaches adolescents that these
changes are normal and serve an important purpose in the life cycle. It is normal for adolescents to feel
overwhelmed as change occurs but peers and trusted adults can help eliminate this feeling by listening
with understanding and empathy and by giving advice.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

Review the introduction on positive youth development.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of this session, the participants will be able to:

1. Identify the physical changes that occur during the adolescent stage and their purpose;
2. Differentiate between myths and facts about puberty;
3. Practice improved personal hygiene; and
4. Talk comfortably about these changes with peers and trusted adults.

LIFE SKILLS

 Self-Awareness
 Critical Thinking
 Problem-Solving
 Effective Communication
 Decision-Making
 Interpersonal Relationships
 Empathy
 Coping with Stress
 Coping with Emotion

ACTIVITY 1. PUBERTY WORD SEARCH

ENERGIZER: “BUKO GAME”

1. The objective of this energizer is to test the mental alertness of the participants.
2. The participants will choose a partner (same sex) for the activity.
3. The participants will put their hands on a specific part of their body based on what the facilitator
will say. The rule is as follows:
a. Touch one’s head when facilitator says “Buko”
b. Touch one’s chest when facilitator says “Buko-buko”
c. Touch one’s lower abdomen when facilitator says “Buko ko”
d. Touch the partner’s lower abdomen when facilitator says “Buko mo”
4. The facilitator may start the game by saying Buko, Buko-buko, Buko mo. After that, it is up to the
facilitator how he/she will try to confuse the participants by mixing up or mismatching the action
and words.

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NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

The facilitator should assess if this energizer is appropriate to the crowd due to the touches involved. If
not, the facilitator may use another energizer that is more suitable to the audience.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Identify the physical changes that occur during puberty according to the Tanner Stages; and
2. Identify the factors that affect puberty.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

1. This game is a pre-assessment about the knowledge that participants already have about puberty
and a jump off point to teach the Tanner Stages. Knowledge about puberty can come from many
sources but the most common source would be the school’s Science and Health curriculum.
2. The participants should have enough space to conduct the activity.
3. Ask participants about their readiness for the activity (consider Indigenous Peoples
dynamics/cultural and gender responsiveness) and talking about sexual maturation and body
changes.
4. Emphasize that the participants should not be ashamed of talking about their bodies because it is
normal to discuss it.
5. You should also be sensitive in asking questions because the participants may not be able to
answer or respond. In this case, you may rephrase or follow up questions to solicit more ideas and
participation. Be cautious in using words and responding to the answers of the participants.
Inform them that they can disclose sensitive issues personally if they feel the need to but would
like to maintain confidentiality.
6. The facilitator should have basic gender sensitivity awareness, especially on topics related to Sex
and Gender. Be observant of "red flags" shown by the participants.
7. Always observe the use of consent when there is a body touching activity. Emphasize the principle
of control over one's body among youths and safe body touches. Please refer to touching rules in
Child Sexual Abuse Prevention.

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Pre-prepared Word Search Puzzle Handout (one per group)

 Pre-prepared Giant Word Search Puzzle on Manila Paper
 Pens
 Markers/Chalk

PROCEDURE

1. Count the total number of participants.

2. Group participants in such a way that each group will have no more than 8 participants and a good
mix of boys and girls per group. (Tip: The facilitator can prepare the groupings in advance or
he/she can first separate the girls from the boys and have them count off into groups.)
3. Discuss the game’s mechanics:
a. Each group will be given one (1) Word Search Puzzle Handout to put their answers on. On
the right side of the handout, there are numbered clues describing terms/words related

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 to puberty. The words themselves can be found within the puzzle.
b. Each group will be assigned five (5) numbered clues to solve. The objective of the game is
for each group to find the words that answer the clues assigned to them (i.e., not to
answer ALL clues in the handout). When a word is found, groups should encircle the word
in the puzzle. An example is given in the handout.
c. Everyone will have five (5) minutes to answer the puzzle.
4. Carry out the game.
5. While participants are solving the puzzle, bring out the Giant Word Search Puzzle and stick it on
the board/wall/surface.
6. After 5 minutes, collect the completed Word Search Puzzle Handouts. Then, go through each clue
and ask for a participant to mark the answer on the giant puzzle. Do this until all words have been
marked on the board. Take note of any clues that were not answered.
7. Process the activity using the process questions. Tell them that these are words related to changes
experienced in puberty and expand the discussion to cover the Tanner Stages for boys and girls,
and the factors that can affect puberty.

Puberty Word Search Materials

Clues:

1. ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – Transitional stage
between childhood and adulthood where
many physical, mental, and emotional
changes happen
2. ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – Part of adolescence, but
refers only to the period of time when
rapid PHYSICAL changes happen
3. ( _ _ _ _ _ S) – Part of the female and
male reproductive system; produce the egg
cells in females, and the sperm cells in
males
4. ( _ _ _ _ _ _ S) – A pair of glands in the
female reproductive system; they produce
the egg cells
5. ( _ _ _ _ _ S) – A pair of glands in the
male reproductive system; they produce
sperm; enclosed in a sac called the scrotum
6. ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S) – Chemical messengers
that travel to different organs and control body functions; in adolescents, they signal and control puberty
changes
7. (_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _) – The major male reproductive hormone; regulates the puberty changes
experienced by males
8. ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – The major female reproductive hormone; regulates the puberty changes experienced
by females

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9. ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – Another, less major, female reproductive hormone; regulates menstruation
10.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – The biological process through which new life, usually called the “offspring”, is
created; a function that develops during puberty
11.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S ) – A way of classifying adolescents’ reproductive maturity according to the
development of external or observable primary and secondary sex characteristics; named after Dr. James
Tanner; two words
12.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S ) – Biggest factor that affects puberty and its outcomes
13.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – A factor that affects puberty; refers to the body’s use of food
14.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – A factor that affects puberty; also called physical activity
15.( _ _ _ _ _ ) – Another factor that affects puberty; refers to the body’s resting state/period that happens
daily
16.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ P U B E R T Y ) – When body changes in puberty occur very early compared to most
same-aged peers
17.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ P U B E R T Y ) – When puberty occurs later than most same-aged peers
18.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – Bleeding that occurs as part of a female’s monthly cycle
19.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s ) – Nocturnal emissions that happen involuntarily
20.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – The first time menstruation or the period occurs
21.( _ _ _ _ _ ) – Discharge that contains sperm
22.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – Common term that refers to the rapid increase in height that occurs during
puberty
23.( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) – Smell that the body gives off when bacteria breaks sweat down into acids; starts
becoming more noticeable during puberty
24.( _ _ _ _ _ _ s ) – Skin condition that occurs the most during puberty; also known as acne

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Puberty Word Search

Answers:

1. adolescence – Transitional stage between

childhood and adulthood where many physical,
mental, and emotional changes happen

2. puberty – Part of adolescence, but refers only

to the period of time when rapid PHYSICAL
changes happen

3. gonads – Part of the female and male

reproductive system; produce the egg cells in
females, and the sperm cells in males

4. ovaries – A pair of glands in the female

reproductive system; they produce the egg cells

5. testes – A pair of glands in the male

reproductive system; they produce sperm;
enclosed in a sac called the scrotum

6. hormones – Chemical messengers that travel to different organs and control body functions; in
adolescents, they signal and control puberty changes

7. testosterone – The major male reproductive hormone; regulates the puberty changes experienced by
males

8. estrogen – The major female reproductive hormone; regulates the puberty changes experienced by
females

9. progesterone – Another, less major, female reproductive hormone; regulates menstruation

10. reproduction – The biological process wherein new life, usually called the “offspring”, is created; a
body function that develops during puberty

11. Tanner Stages – A way of classifying adolescents’ reproductive maturity according to the development
of external or observable primary and secondary sex characteristics; named after Dr. James Tanner; two
words

12. genetics – Biggest factor that affects puberty and its outcomes

13. nutrition – Another factor that affects puberty; refers to the body’s use of food

14. exercise – Another factor that affects puberty; also called physical activity

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15. sleep – Another factor that affects puberty; refers to the body’s resting state/period that happens
daily

16. precocious puberty – When body changes in puberty occur very early compared to most same-aged
peers

17. delayed puberty – When puberty occurs later than most same-aged peers

18. menstruation – Bleeding that occurs as part of a female’s monthly cycle

19. wet dreams – Nocturnal emissions that happen involuntarily

20. menarche – The first time menstruation or the period occurs

21. semen – Male discharge that contains sperm

22. growth spurt – Common term that refers to the rapid increase in height that occurs during puberty

23. body odor – Smell that the body gives off when bacteria breaks sweat down into acids; starts becoming
more noticeable during puberty

24. pimples – Skin condition that occurs the most during puberty; also known as acne

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. Do these changes happen to only boys, only girls, or both? (Go through each word)
2. Have you experienced any of these changes yourself?

a.At what age did you start experiencing them?

b.How did it feel when you started experiencing them?
c.How does it feel when you think about the changes that have yet to occur?
d.Are you curious about any of these changes? Are there any questions that you would like
to ask?
3. Were there any words/terms that were new or unfamiliar or that you had difficulty identifying?
4. How did you feel when you were doing the activity with your groupmates? Why?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Defining Puberty

Adolescence is a transitional stage between childhood and adulthood, wherein a wide range of physical,
mental, and emotional changes happen. Puberty, while often used synonymously with adolescence, is
the period when the physical changes rapidly occur. It often starts before adolescence, around the ages
of 6 to 8, and lasts until physical maturity is achieved, around the ages of 15 to 18.

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Puberty is controlled and regulated by several organs working together, namely: the hypothalamus in the
brain, the pituitary gland, and the gonads. They work together by sending out hormones that serve as
messengers. It starts when the hypothalamus creates a hormone called GnRH and sends this to the
pituitary gland. This tells the pituitary gland to create
 GnRH – Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
hormones called LH and FSH. Up to this point, the process is  LH – Luteinizing hormone
the same for males and females. The pituitary gland sends  FSH – Follicle-stimulating hormone
these hormones to the gonads – the testes for males and the  Sex Hormones – estrogen, progesterone,
testosterone, etc.
ovaries for females. The gonads then secrete the sex
hormones that facilitate the major physical changes experienced during puberty. 1

Physical Changes During Puberty

There are major developments that occur during puberty: 1) the development of primary and secondary
sex characteristics needed for reproductive maturity, 2) rapid bone growth and development, and 3)
change in body composition.

Figure 1. Major developments occurring in puberty

The Tanner Stages/Sexual Maturity Rating Scale

The Tanner Stages or Sexual Maturity Rating Scale is an objective way of classifying adolescents’
reproductive development primarily based on the development of external or observable primary and
secondary sex characteristics.2 The Tanner Stages for girls and boys are summarized in Figure 2 below.

An important thing to remember about the Tanner Stages is that most, but not all, males and females will
experience physical changes in a similar pattern or sequence; however, the timing, speed, total number
of years to maturity, and actual outcomes of puberty (e.g., total increase in height and weight, breast size,
penis size, etc.) varies a lot per adolescent.

1
Emmanuel M, Bokor BR. Tanner Stages. [Updated 2019 May 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL):
StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470280/
2
Ibid.

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Figure 2. The Tanner Stages

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Bone Growth and Development3

Puberty is also a time of rapid increase in height and bone remodeling (i.e., changes in bone shape in
preparation for adult functions). Bone mass doubles during puberty. While genetics is still the major
determinant of adult height, a diet rich in nutrients that promote bone health, like calcium, and regular
physical activity also contribute to increased growth. However, studies show that a healthy diet and active
lifestyle in early childhood produces a bigger growth spurt and malnutrition in early childhood often
leads to stunted growth during adolescence. That does not dismiss the importance of a healthy lifestyle
during adolescence, as this will still contribute to growth and overall adult health. But it does highlight
that puberty requires a lot of resources and energy, even more than the energy used by adults in their
daily lives. It is therefore best to save up for puberty during childhood.

During puberty, bone growth and bone density are also out of sync. The bones grow very fast but the
density does not increase. In essence, the bone content gets stretched out leading to less solid, more
porous, and more brittle bones at this age. This explains why there are more fractures during puberty
than at any other period in life. To prevent this, accumulating bone density in early childhood is once
again very important. Lower bone density before puberty leads to weaker adult bones and higher risks for
osteoporosis and bone problems later in life.

Factors that Affect Puberty

While the timeline for these changes are largely similar for everyone, there are many factors that can
affect both the timing and results/effects of puberty (i.e., adult body size or shape). The biggest factor is
genetics. Studies show that the age at which puberty begins for a specific adolescent is similar to his/her
parents’. Aside from genetics, the nutritional status of the mother during pregnancy, the nutritional status
of the adolescent during early childhood, and his/her lifestyle prior and during puberty - that is, his/her
diet, physical activity, and sleeping habits - also play significant roles during this period.

Highlights:
1. Parents and older family members are good sources of information on puberty.
2. To be physically healthy adults and to maximize the growth spurt, a healthy lifestyle should be the
number one priority.

Early or Delayed Puberty4

There are also those whose experiences during puberty differ significantly from the average adolescent’s.
These cases are rare, but it is important for adults to be aware of them so that they can provide counsel
and soothe the worries of adolescents who may experience them. The Sexual Maturity Rating (Tanner
Stages), along with the information below can serve as guides in recognizing such occurrences.

3
Bonjour, Jean-Philippe, and Thierry Chevalley. 2014. "Pubertal Timing, Bone Acquisition, And Risk Of Fracture
Throughout Life". Endocrine Reviews 35 (5): 820-847. doi:10.1210/er.2014-1007.
4
Hayes, F, A Dwyer, and N Pitteloud. 2000. Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism (HH) And Gonadotropin Therapy.
Ebook. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText, Inc. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279078/.

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Precocious Puberty

Recent studies have shown that higher weight in childhood can accelerate the onset of puberty.
Precocious puberty is defined as the onset of Tanner Stage 2 before the age of 8 in females or 9 in males,
and continued puberty progress at follow up.
Early puberty may lead to long-term health consequences. Those who experience precocious puberty
tend to struggle more with weight gain and obesity throughout life. This makes them at increased risk for
high blood, heart diseases, and diabetes at an earlier age. Early puberty is also linked to cancer in later
life, theoretically because of longer exposure to sex hormones. Children and adolescents who experience
early puberty are also at risk of engaging in early sexual activity. 5 It is therefore very important for adults
to keep a lookout for children who may be experiencing this.

Delayed Puberty

On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who experience puberty later than most of their peers.
Delayed puberty is defined as not experiencing Tanner Stage 2 by age 13 for females or 14 for males.
Another criterion for females is primary amenorrhea or the failure of menstruation to start within 3 years
of Tanner Stage 2 or by age 15.

This delay can be due to: either the hypothalamus not releasing enough hormone to signal the testes and
ovaries, or the testes and ovaries being less sensitive to the signal. The resulting delay is usually
temporary and adolescents will go through normal puberty, just at a later age compared to most. In
rare cases, individuals will need hormone-replacement therapy to help the process and prevent
permanent infertility.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Puberty is the time when rapid physical changes occur to achieve reproductive maturity.
2. Puberty changes are normal and they follow a predictable pattern for boys and girls.
3. The timing and progress of puberty are affected by many factors including genetics and lifestyle
(diet, physical activity, and sleep patterns) before and during puberty.

ACTIVITY 2. IDEAL DECISION-MAKING MODEL

ENERGIZER: “LIKE, UNLIKE”

1. The teacher will present the following statements and will ask the participants to either thumbs
up if they agree the statement or thumbs down if they disagree it. You may make like and dislike
buttons (like in the social networking sites/apps) in sticks if time and materials permit.
a. May buhok ako sa kili-kili.
b. Lumalaki ang aking balakang.
c. Nadatnan na ako ng aking unang regla.
d. Nagbabago ang aking boses.

5
Bundy, Donald A. P, Nilanthi De Silva, Susan Horton, Dean T. Jamison, and George C. Patton. 2017. Disease
Control Priorities (Volume 8): Child And Adolescent Health And Development D. 3rd ed. Washington: The World
Bank.

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 e. Lumalabas ang mga tigyawat sa aking mukha.
f. Lumalaki na ang aking mga suso.
2. The teacher will take note of the responses/answers of the participants. If there are
misconceptions or myths or fallacies, these should be clarified during the discussion.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Use the IDEAL decision-making model to analyze common problems experienced due to puberty;
and
2. Talk about puberty problems using empathy, critical thinking, communication, and problem-
solving skills.

MATERIALS NEEDED

 IDEAL Decision-Making Tool visual aid to be posted on the board/wall (see below for the sample)
 One (1) IDEAL Decision-Making Tool worksheet per group (see below for the sample)
 Pre-prepared one (1) case scenario per group; can be photocopied so each group member can
have a copy (see below for the sample)
 Additional scratch papers

PROCEDURE

1. Count the total number of participants.

2. You may use the same groupings as that in Activity 1. Otherwise, group the participants in such a
way that each group will have no more than 8 participants and a good mix of boys and girls per
group. (Tip: The facilitator can prepare the groupings in advance or he/she can first separate the
girls from the boys and have them count off into groups.)
3. Tell groups to assign one case reader and one scribe among the members.
4. For five (5) minutes, recap the Key Learning Points from the previous meeting’s activity.
5. Distribute the worksheets.
6. For 10 minutes, discuss the IDEAL Decision-Making Tool using the worksheet example provided
and explain the mechanics:
a. Each group will be assigned one (1) case scenario from the ones provided below. Multiple
groups can be given the same case scenario, but they must work independently on their
own worksheets.
b. Groups will be given 15 minutes to complete their worksheets.
c. The reader will first read aloud the group’s case scenario.
d. The groups will then complete their IDEAL Decision-Making worksheets
7. Let groups complete their worksheets for 15 minutes.
8. After the worksheets have been completed, discuss the case scenarios for the next 30 minutes.
a. The facilitator can ask a participant to read the first case scenario aloud for everyone to
hear.
b. The facilitator will then ask what their answers are for the IDEAL components (i.e., case
problem, alternative solutions suggested, evaluation of suggestions, final advice given)
and use the process questions to deepen the discussion.
c. The facilitator will repeat this for each case scenario.
d. Tip: It is recommended that this be conducted through an open discussion rather than a
group presentation. In this way, less time is used and groups that received the same

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 scenario can easily share their answers and reactions together.
9. Collect the worksheets when the discussion is finished.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. Have you experienced any of these changes yourself?

a. At what age did you start experiencing them?
b. How did it feel when you started experiencing them?
c. How does it feel when you think about the changes that have yet to occur?
d. Are you curious about any of these changes? Are there any questions that you would like
to ask?
2. What did you realize about puberty changes while doing the activity?
3. How did you feel while completing the activity? Did you find the experiences and problems
relatable?
4. When it comes to worries about the changes that are happening to you, who do you go to for
help, advice, or comfort? How did you approach them? Was it difficult? Why?

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Sample Materials

1. IDEAL Decision-Making Visual Aid6

6
Adopted from: Peel Public Health. 2011. Changes In Me: A Resource For Educators On Puberty And Adolescent
Development. Ebook. 2nd ed. Ontario: Peel Public Health - Health Sexuality Program.
http://www.peelregion.ca/health/commhlth/bodyimg/changes-in-me/pdf/ChangesInMe.pdf.

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2. IDEAL Worksheet
IDEAL ACTIVITY WORKSHEET
1. Identify the problem. What do you think is the main problem faced by the adolescent in the
scenario?

2. Describe how you might solve this problem. Come up with at least 3 alternative solutions.

a. ________________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________________

3. Evaluate all the possible solutions. Write down your thoughts on each suggested solution.

4. Act on one of the solutions. Or in this case, advice one of the solutions to the adolescent in
need. Which solution do you choose? Why?

5. Learn from your choices. What did you learn from doing the activity? What did you learn
from reading the adolescent’s scenario or dilemma?

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3. Sample scenarios:
1. YANA
Yana is twelve years old. In her grade 7 science class, they already discussed puberty so she has
some knowledge about menstruation. She felt some cramping in her abdomen while attending
a class so she asked to go to the restroom. There she discovers that there is blood on her
underwear. Worse, when she checked, she saw that there was some blood on her skirt too.
Because this is her first time experiencing her period, she does not have a sanitary pad.

What should Yana do?

Possible answer:
Since she had her period unexpectedly, she does not have a sanitary pad and she has a blood
stain on her skirt. She will need to get a pad. She can do so by asking friends who have already
had their periods or female teachers. For the stain on her skirt, she can either use something
like a jacket to cover it up. Like the pad, she can ask friends or a female teacher to borrow one
if she does not have one. She can also ask her teachers if they have some spare clothes that she
can possibly borrow. From now on, Yana will have to keep a pad in her bag.
2. LOUIS
Louis and his older brothers all love playing basketball. They’ve played together since they were
kids so he knows how to play but is not very good at it yet. Because of this he does not usually
play with boys other than his brothers. In Grade 7, his older brothers told him that their high
school basketball team, which both of his brothers are also members of, is having tryouts. Louis
decides to try out so that he can improve his skills and play with his brothers more. When he
gets there, he sees that he is the shortest boy there. He passes the tryouts but some of his
classmates and teammates start calling him “Pandak” and make fun of him. This embarrasses
him, and he starts thinking that he should stop playing basketball.

What should Louis do?

Possible answer: Justin is being teased because of his height. The growth rate is different for
everyone but Justin can practice some habits to make sure growth is promoted. He should
continue to practice basketball and other physical activities regularly, he should maintain
healthy sleep patterns, and he should eat enough for his body to grow. The good thing is that
Justin made the team, which shows that he has potential to become a good player. He should
continue to practice and improve his skills because, rather than height, these matter more. If
he becomes a good player despite his height, then others will focus on that. Aside from this,
Justin can talk to his brothers about the problem. His brothers could have experienced the same
thing before they had their growth spurt or they may have advice similar to what is mentioned
here.
3. RYAN
Ryan has decided to run as Student Government President for Grade 7. He is a talented public
speaker and a good leader. During the campaign’s Meeting de Avance, Ryan’s voice broke while
he was presenting his future plans for the students. He was a little embarrassed but he
continued the presentation. As he was nearing the end of his speech, his voice broke again and
this time some students started laughing at him. He felt really embarrassed and thought he
could not go up on stage for the candidates’ debates later that day.

What can Ryan do?

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 Possible answer: During puberty, the voice box (larynx) grows. It is normal for girls’ and boys’
voices to change during this period. For boys, voice cracks often happen. Ryan should know
that this happens to most boys and is really nothing to be embarrassed about. At the end of
the campaign period, people will vote based on the content of his plans and not this incident.
Ryan should remember why he started running for the position, and think about whether it’s
worth it to not do his best for the next event when he knows he would be a good leader to his
peers. Thinking of his goals will give him a fresh perspective of how insignificant such an event
is and help him move on from the embarrassment.

Note:
Other prompts about common puberty concerns can be written. The following are some themes and
variations that may be of interest to the facilitator:
1. Instead of asking what the person experiencing the change should do to make the situation better,
ask what the participant should do as a FRIEND to make the situation better.
2. Instead of asking what the person should do, ask what participants would like to hear from their
parents if they were the ones who experienced it.
3. A scenario about someone experiencing gender-related issues could help participants develop
empathy and understanding on gender-related issues and those that experience them. This may
be more appropriate for another session.
4. A scenario about a male adolescent who is made fun of for not being circumcised when all his
friends have already gotten may be a good example.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Managing Puberty

Puberty represents the individual’s first step towards adulthood. As with any change, puberty can be
overwhelming or even scary. Adolescents can experience insecurity if they think they look or act
differently compared to their peers. They can lash out against the additional rules that adults and parents
impose during this time. These are natural reactions to stress and a limited understanding of the
significance of what they are going through and the corresponding responsibilities.

Adults have an important role to play in this stage. Unlike peers, adults have already gone through
puberty and so they have a greater understanding of what the adolescent is going through. The adults
surrounding an adolescent are his/her life teachers and mentors. While it can be frustrating to impose
new rules to an adolescent that has recently become more headstrong, adults should endure and treat
adolescents with respect, patience, compassion, understanding, and acceptance. The most important
role they can play is to be a listener and counselor. Asking how the adolescent is dealing with these
pubertal changes, giving advice, explaining the changes in behavior necessary to deal with the changes,
and just being a supportive presence will lead to a better, more secure, and less strained relationship with
the adolescent. Like all people, adolescents just seek reassurance.

While this can be difficult, being a mentor to an adolescent is one of the most worthwhile endeavors.
Think about it. You are helping shape a child into an adult. Your efforts can have a great impact on how
the future generation thinks, acts, and lives life. Here are some ways that adults, in general, can help
adolescents successfully go through puberty:

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 1. Help adolescents gain a wider perspective. When we say “gain perspective,” we mean to go
beyond what is happening to oneself or to situate one’s experiences among the experiences of
others. It is important for adolescents to realize that:
a. Everyone goes through puberty, so there is no need to be embarrassed.
b. Everyone has the same reproductive organs. These are covered by our clothes, but the
truth is these are not more embarrassing than our hands or feet. Reproductive organs
play an important role in life, and no one would be alive if not for these organs.
c. No one goes through puberty in exactly the same way. Most of the time your body knows
the right pace for you so you shouldn’t be worried or frustrated if you think you are
experiencing things slower or faster than your friends.

2. Provide simple and factual information. Sometimes, making adolescents understand that
puberty is a logical and normal process solves many worries. Also, knowledge is power and
adolescents are extremely curious. It is better that information comes from a trusted adult.

3. Provide advice. Whether that is direct advice to solve their problems or advice on how they can
open up about these to friends and family. Remember that genetics plays a big role in this period,
so the adolescent’s older family members can be the most important source of information and
advice.

In addition, the following are some tips specifically for facilitators when it comes to discussing puberty:

1. Be prepared and know more about the topic. The references provided here equip you with the
necessary information that you can use to help adolescents.
2. You can keep in mind this three-step process while facilitating:
a. Assess. First, facilitators should strive to understand what adolescents know and feel
about puberty. What are their difficulties? Who do they turn to for help?
b. Correct. Misinformation can be detected during assessment. As a knowledgeable adult,
your goal should be to educate adolescents about puberty so that they can use this
knowledge to make better decisions for themselves.
c. Steer. Use open discussions and free conversations to talk about values. Being a facilitator
means adolescents will often look to you for answers. Many of these questions will be
related to “the right thing to do.” Your answers can influence how adolescents behave in
the future so make sure that you are sure about the values you want to teach them.
3. Participants may be embarrassed to talk about puberty things in mixed or large groups. A possible
solution is to separate participants by gender. In locations where several facilitators conduct YDS
simultaneously, facilitators can coordinate with each other. For example, one facilitator can do
some meetings with girls only while another facilitator does them with the boys. For the later
meetings, they can proceed in one group.
4. Many youth development programs recommend the use of an anonymous question box. As
sensitive issues are being discussed, many participants will be too embarrassed to ask questions.
Every meeting, this box can be passed around and participants can just drop questions that they
are too embarrassed to ask about. Answer these questions on Meeting 3 or 4 to allow time for
the facilitator to prepare.
a. Despite the presence of the anonymous box, make sure to encourage participants to ask
questions directly during the meetings. This is to keep with the goal of removing
embarrassment surrounding puberty.
b. When you answer questions from the box, read questions as they were written BUT

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 restate slang terms into their proper terms.
5. When dealing with questions be open-minded, respectful, and sensitive to participants, and
make sure other participants do the same. Your attitude towards the topic and the participants
is the most important factor as a facilitator.
a. Be humorous during discussions but DO NOT laugh at their questions.
b. Be honest. If you do not know the answer, say that you will get back to them on that on
a later meeting.
c. Acknowledge embarrassing questions but do your best to answer.
d. Use plain instead of technical language. If new terms are discussed, make sure to define
them or offer illustrative examples.
e. Redirect questions about feelings back to participants. This can lead to better discussions.
Voice your own opinion after they have given theirs.
f. Handle value questions with care. Try not to rely on your personal values, instead
introduce universal values or introduce a variety of perspectives. This can help develop
adolescents and adults that are more open-minded and tolerant of views that are
different from theirs.
6. Consider also the unique context in which YDS participants live. Because the YDS is meant for
4Ps family members, one should appeal to aspirations when giving advice. For example, ask what
kind of adult they want to be. What do they want for their families in the future?

Additional reference:

Peel Public Health. (2011). Changes in Me: Preparing to Teach About Puberty (Teacher's Guide) [Ebook].
Peel Public Health - Health Sexuality Program. Retrieved from
https://www.peelregion.ca/health/commhlth/bodyimg/changes-in-me/pdf/InfoTeachers.pdf.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. The changes during puberty and the worries adolescents have about these changes are normal so
adolescents should not be embarrassed to discuss them with friends or seek advice from trusted
adults.
2. Instead of laughing at or teasing peers on puberty changes, adolescents can support each other
through these changes by showing understanding and empathy.

ACTIVITY 3. PUBERTY MYTHS AND FACTS QUIZ

ENERGIZER: “KAMBAL TUKO RELAY”

1. Form two groups from the participants.

2. The participants will choose a partner (same-sex) within their group for the activity.
3. Each group should line-up in front of a turning point marker.
4. One partner will touch the knees of his/her partner using his/her elbow.
5. Then they will go around the turning point in front of their group.
6. Each pair will do the same.
7. The first group to finish wins.

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SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participants are will be able to correctly differentiate facts and myths about
puberty.

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Two small chalkboards/whiteboards or some scratch papers

 Visual aids to help discuss the fallacies.

PROCEDURE

1. Split the participants into two groups, the girls and the boys.
2. Facilitators can choose statements from Quick Reference Guide - Common Misconceptions About
Puberty to include in the game.
3. The two groups will send a representative to go head-to-head to answer each item on the quiz.
Each group gets a point for every correct answer and the group with the highest point wins the
game.
4. While the quiz is ongoing, the facilitator should take note of the items that participants got wrong
as those may show misconceptions.
5. After the quiz, the facilitator can use the process questions to discuss common misconceptions
about puberty.

ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE

1. Place two chairs in the front of the room. One chair will have a piece of paper with the word
“Myth!” attached to it, while the other will have “Fact!” attached.
2. Facilitators can choose statements from Quick Reference Guide - Common Misconceptions About
Puberty to include in the game.
3. Discuss the mechanics of the game:
a. The facilitator will read a statement taken from the reference material
b. Participants will decide whether they believe the statement is a false myth or a fact.
c. When the facilitator says “Go,” participants will line up behind the “Myth!” or the “Fact!”
chairs/signs according to what they think of the statement.
d. Those who get the answer wrong, shall be eliminated from the game.
e. Repeat for each statement.
4. The game ends when there is only one participant left in the game or when the facilitator runs
out of statements.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. Were you familiar with the puberty issues mentioned in the quiz? Were there some issues that
you thought were facts but turned out to be myths?
2. Are there other beliefs and practices about puberty that you know of?
a. Where did you hear about these?
b. Do you think these are myths or facts? Why?

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QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Common Misconceptions During Puberty

There are a lot of misconceptions about puberty. Some of these are passed on as jokes that people start
believing as truths, while some are simply conclusions derived by adolescents who are undergoing these
unfamiliar changes. Whatever the reason, misconceptions arise due to a lack of information and can cause
embarrassment, fear, or even health issues. Correcting these misconceptions can be done simply by
finding out what misconceptions adolescents have, asking about where they learned these, and providing
scientifically accurate information to counter the false information.

The following are some myths about puberty and factual information that explain why these are false.

Puberty Myths and Facts

MYTHS/FACT? ANSWER/EXPLANATION

1. If a female has her MYTH! During her period, a female can do anything she usually does.
period, she cannot Exercise can help reduce cramps and improve mood. Use tampons or
swim, run, etc. menstrual cups for swimming.

2. Blood from MYTH! Period blood is the same as blood from a nosebleed or cut,
menstruation is dirty. except that it has other components from the uterus. The smell of period
blood can sometimes be thought of as unpleasant, but the bacteria that
cause the odor are actually good bacteria from inside your body. Like
other parts of the body, your reproductive organs and your vagina, in
particular, have their own mechanisms for keeping clean and healthy.
However, the outside of your body does not have this self-defense
mechanism. Menstrual blood can be desirable food for some fungi and
bacteria that can cause infections. It is therefore very important to
practice good menstrual hygiene.

3. Kissing can cause MYTH and FACT! Kissing cannot cause pregnancy, but it can cause some
pregnancy or diseases to spread due to the exchange of saliva. It is therefore
diseases. discouraged for people who are currently ill with an infectious disease
(e.g., cough, colds, flu, etc.).

4. A female cannot get MYTH! A female can get pregnant any time she has sex without reliable
pregnant if she has birth control. Because sperm can survive up to five days inside the
sex during her female body, there is still a small possibility of getting pregnant from
period. sperm that enters the body when one has intercourse during a period. A
sexually active couple-male and female that do not want to get pregnant
should always use reliable birth control.

5. Having unprotected FACT! There are various diseases that can be spread through intercourse
sex can give you a with an already infected person or through risky sexual practices. To be
disease. safe from these, always ensure that both individuals do not have such
illnesses by getting a blood test at a hospital. Also, practice safe sex using
a condom.

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6. If a girl misses her MYTH! When girls first start menstruating, they often have irregular
period, she is periods and may even skip a month or two at times. However, if a young
definitely pregnant. girl has had sexual intercourse, missing a period can be a sign of
pregnancy.

7. Generally, girls begin FACT! Most girls begin puberty about one or two years earlier than boys.
puberty before boys.

8. Underwire bras cause MYTH! There is no evidence to support this.

breast cancer.

9. Antiperspirant MYTH! There is no evidence to support this. The armpits are such a small
deodorants cause portion of your skin that it does not contribute significantly to
breast cancer by not detoxification. Most harmful substances are filtered out by the kidneys
letting toxins out of and leave the body through urine.
the body.

10. It is not healthy for MYTH! This is entirely natural nocturnal emissions or "wet dreams." This
boys to release often happens when boys have sexual dreams.
semen in their sleep.

11. Accumulated sperm MYTH! Even though your testicles produce millions of sperm, it is
causes backache, impossible for too much sperm to build up and cause problems. In
madness, headache, addition, sperm cannot move around to different parts of your body.
impotence and acne.

12. The size of a male MYTH! Penis size has nothing to do with the size of a man's hands or
penis is related to the feet.
size of his hands or
feet.

13. Masturbation causes MYTH! Masturbation is a normal part of sexual expression for most
a person to go crazy. people. It will not cause a person to go crazy or blind. Many people of all
ages masturbate, although some don’t because it goes against their
values. You’re normal if you do it and you’re normal if you don’t.

14. Circumcision is MYTH! While it is true that there are some health benefits from getting
always necessary. circumcised (mainly the prevention of infections), you can easily get
these benefits if you practice proper hygiene.

15. Circumcision is a MYTH! In many countries, circumcision is optional or even rarely done,
requirement to yet their boys turn into adults just fine. In the US, circumcision is more
become a man and commonly done on infants, but their babies do not experience puberty
causes to the earlier.
pubertal growth
spurt and other
changes.

16. Puberty can start at FACT! There is an age range when MOST adolescents experience

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 different times for puberty. Because it is a range instead of a fixed age, not all adolescents
each person. will experience the changes at the same time as their same-aged friends.
There are also many who experience puberty outside the average age.
In most cases, there won’t be anything to worry about. But if you are
worried, then it is a good idea to ask advice from trusted adults.

17. The growth spurt FACT! The rapid lengthening of bones that occurs make the bones more
means an brittle.
adolescent’s bones
are more brittle than
children’s or adults’.

18. Puberty causes mood FACT! Hormones can greatly affect your mood. Plus, because of all the
swings. changes happening at once (e.g., having acne, body odor, and weight
gain) you may be feeling self-conscious or having low self-esteem.
Because of the stress, it is a good idea to share the problems with a
trusted adult. This way, you can be reassured and they can understand
you more.

19. Only boys get body MYTH! Girls and boys both sweat more during puberty. They both also
odor / Boys stink release more sebum that actually causes the odor. All adolescents can
more than girls. emit body odor. What determines who smells worse are the activities
done by the adolescent and personal hygiene practices. Usually, boys do
more sports that lead to more sweat. Also, girls can be more conscious
about such things so they can be more careful with hygiene. But that’s
not true for everyone!

20. Eating junk MYTH! During puberty, hormones make more oil under your skin, and
food/chocolate this causes acne, not junk food or anything else you eat. Eating junk food
causes acne/pimples. every day can cause other health problems, so choose healthy foods.

21. Pimples are a result MYTH! Girls and boys both get pimples, and it has nothing to do with
of being unclean. cleanliness. Instead, it's caused by hormones. It's a result of excess oil
getting trapped in skin pores. Pimples usually disappear in a few days, so
one shouldn't worry too much about it. Parents should make sure that
pimples don't interfere with their kid's confidence. If the child feels too
self-conscious about it, there are facial care products and over-the-
counter medications available for acne treatment.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Puberty can be confusing with all the body changes.

2. There are myths and facts that we believe but are proven untrue by science.

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ACTIVITY 4. TAKING CARE OF MY BODY

ENERGIZER: “GOING ON A JOURNEY”

1. Ask the group to form a circle and clap in unison.

2. Ask one person to start by saying: "I am going on a journey . . . and on this journey I'm bringing
my ... (e.g. toothbrush, dog)."
3. The next person should repeat the first statement and add another item.
4. The game continues until all the participants have added an item to the list and can repeat the
entire list.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Know the importance of personal hygiene; and
2. Be aware of good personal hygiene practices.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Visual aids for the discussion

PROCEDURE

1. Ask students about problems they are experiencing now that they are in puberty (ex. body odor,
acne, more sweating, cramps, etc.)
2. Explain that because of the changes in their body, they also need to modify their personal hygiene
routine. Doing so will help minimize the problems they experience.
3. Proceed to the discussion on personal hygiene.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. What problems are you experiencing related to puberty?

2. What do you do to keep proper hygiene?
3. Why do you think it is important to take better care of your hygiene?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Personal Hygiene

While we mentioned a healthy lifestyle as being the number one priority for adolescents, this session will
concentrate on providing advice on how to deal with the short-term or daily effects of some of these
pubertal changes through improved personal hygiene. There will be another session with a focus on
pursuing a healthy lifestyle that can be maintained until adulthood.

Personal hygiene refers to our habits when it comes to taking care of our body. If we look at our current
affairs, when the coronavirus pandemic started, medical experts were united in prescribing the same
thing: WASH YOUR HANDS! This is probably the loudest call ever for improving personal hygiene.
However, even if there were no pandemic, personal hygiene is very important. It is most important to
keep us safe from infectious diseases spread by bacteria and viruses that we can come in contact with

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in our daily lives. It is also important to help manage the changes that happen during puberty, some of
which adolescents find embarrassing.

Here are some personal hygiene habits for adolescents to practice:

1. Take a shower every day: Taking a shower would help clean and remove excess oils in the body.
Focus on the armpits and feet with antibacterial deodorant soap. Showering is also a must after
any sweaty activities.
2. Wash that oil right out of your hair: The overactive sebaceous glands ramp up the oil in your teen
hair, so shampooing at least every other day can keep it under control. Clean hair can also
decrease pimples.
3. Keep skin clear: Teens' skin also gets oilier, especially in the "T-zone" of the face. For proper
skincare, provide a mild acne cleanser or soap to use twice a day. As much as possible, do not
touch your face - it spreads bacteria, and picking pimples can leave scars.
4. Shave safely: When shaving lightly, drag the razor across the skin. Make sure to rinse your razor
after every use and change it regularly.
5. Stop the sweat: Always wear clean clothes. Changing clothes daily is a must. Wearing deodorant
or antiperspirant helps in controlling unwanted body odor. (Deodorant covers up the smell, while
antiperspirant stops perspiration.) Make sure to wash-up before applying deodorant or
antiperspirant.
6. Brush, floss, rinse...repeat: Skipping oral care can cause gingivitis, cavities, and bad breath. Brush
your teeth, gums, and tongue after every meal or at least 2 times a day - morning and night.
7. Trim and tidy fingernails: Trim your nails regularly. Dirt and bacteria can accumulate between the
nails and skin of your fingertips.

Additional hygiene routine for females:

1. Wear panty liners on regular days to keep yourselves fresh and clean.
2. During period, change your pads/napkins at least every 4 to 6 hours or when needed.
3. Dispose of pads properly by wrapping it with paper before disposal.
4. Wash genitals regularly, especially during periods.

Additional Hygiene routines for males:

1. Change clothes when one becomes sweaty.

2. Shave regularly, usually every morning.
3. Always clean genitals and other body fluids/discharges.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Our bodies are changing and some of these changes can seem quite embarrassing.
2. There are ways to control those changes.
3. Proper hygiene is important to keep our bodies clean and healthy. It can also make some of these
changes less embarrassing.

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POSSIBLE TAKE HOME ACTIVITIES

DEEPENING ACTIVITY 1. PAT’S PUBERTY PAPE R 7

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

1. Use the Quick Reference Guides from Activity 1 and 2 to process this activity.
2. This activity helps develop empathy and critical thinking in participants. If time allows, facilitators
can do this during the last 10-15 minutes of Meeting 1 or give it as homework prior to Meeting 2.

MATERIALS

 One (1) copy of Pat’s Puberty Paper per group*

 One (1) piece of paper (can be scratch bond paper or writing pad)

PROCEDURE

1. Post a copy of Pat’s Puberty Paper on the board/wall so that participants can read, copy, or take
a picture of it. The facilitator can also give each participant a copy if resources allow.
2. Participants should read the material and answer the question given at the end.
3. In addition, the facilitator can also ask them to answer the process questions.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. What did you realize about puberty changes while doing the activity?
2. How did you feel while listening to Pat? Did you find his experience and his worries relatable?
3. When it comes to worries about the changes that are happening to you, who do you go to for
help, advice or comfort? How did you approach them? Was it difficult? Why?

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. The changes during puberty and the worries adolescents have about these changes are normal so
adolescents should not be embarrassed to discuss them with friends or seek advice from trusted
adults.
2. While some puberty changes differ between boys and girls, some changes happen to all
adolescents regardless of sex.

7
Adopted from: Peel Public Health. 2011. Changes In Me: A Resource For Educators On Puberty And Adolescent
Development. Ebook. 2nd ed. Ontario: Peel Public Health - Health Sexuality Program.
http://www.peelregion.ca/health/commhlth/bodyimg/changes-in-me/pdf/ChangesInMe.pdf.

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*Resource Material:

Pat's Puberty Paper

Hey,

My name is Pat. My teacher gave me an assignment to complete. I am supposed to write about the
changes that I’m experiencing during puberty. There are a lot of changes going on – some good, some
not so good. I’ll talk about some of each. Here goes.

It is weird to get used to the fact that hair is growing in new places on my body. When it first started
happening, I was kind of freaked out. I know it’s normal, but still. Now, I’m getting used to it. I bought
some shaving cream, and I’m thinking about shaving once my hair gets a bit longer.

Another change that I worry about now is body odor. When I was a younger kid, I could sweat all the
time and I never really smelled that bad. Now, it’s different. I have to wash more often and I decided
to try wearing antiperspirant. It sure helps. Washing my face is really important too. This year, I started
to get pimples for the first time. I was embarrassed about it. It kind of stinks, but everyone seems to be
going through the same thing. It seems to be pretty common.

There are some good things about puberty, though. As I get older, my friends and I get to hang out
more than we used to. I’ve started thinking about dating and I’ve been spending more time with this
person who I really like. When we are together, I sometimes get these new feelings. They feel kind of
strange, but kind of good too. There are a few more things that are okay about puberty. Teachers don’t
baby me as much as they did when I was younger. And my parents are starting to let me do some things
on my own. They’re letting me go to the school dance next month. So, things are pretty cool.

Well, that’s my paper on puberty. All and all, things are okay and I’m sure they will get better as I grow
older.

Question:
Do you think Pat is a girl or a boy? Not sure? On a separate piece of paper, state the reasons for your
answer.

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DEEPENING ACTIVITY 2. BUDGETING FOR A BABY

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR:

This activity is designed to make participants realize the important responsibilities that may occur once
they have reached reproductive maturity. It is meant to make them think about the importance of being
ready - financially, emotionally, and mentally - before they take up such responsibilities or engage in
activities that may lead them to such responsibilities prior to them being ready.

PROCEDURE

1. At the end of Meeting 2 or 3, the facilitator provides participants with the Baby Budget
Worksheet.8 Tip: If resources for printing are limited, facilitators can ask the participants to copy
the table manually. We are providing a list of baby needs because the family situation may make
providing them in real life difficult. We want the adolescents to know that, even if these were not
provided to them while they themselves were growing up, they should aspire to provide these to
their own children in the future.
2. Inform them of the mechanics:
a. Each participant shall study the list of needs.
b. Once the participant is in his home community, he will search for the common sources of
the items on the list and note down the prices. Tip: It would be ideal if he looks at places
where his/her parents actually go to get household items.
c. If there are items that are not readily available in the community, the participant can write
NO SOURCE for that item.
d. Once finished, participants should calculate the monthly cost of a baby’s needs.
3. At the start of Meeting 4, the facilitator should collect the outputs. The activity shall be discussed
during the synthesis for Session 3. Changing Bodies.

SYNTHESIS

1. For 10 minutes, ask the students what they have learned in the past few meetings about puberty.
2. Then during the next 15 minutes, summarize the Key Learning Points.
3. For the rest of the time, discuss the outputs of the Budgeting for Baby take home activity using
the following questions:
a. What did you realize while doing and after finishing the activity?
b. Why do you think we included this activity in a session about physical changes during
puberty?
4. Relate the responsibilities that come with puberty to the Key Learning Points discussed from
meeting 1 to 4.

8
Sample material to follow.

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REFERENCES

Bonjour, Jean-Philippe, and Thierry Chevalley. 2014. "Pubertal Timing, Bone Acquisition, And Risk Of
Fracture Throughout Life". Endocrine Reviews 35 (5): 820-847. doi:10.1210/er.2014-1007.

Bundy, Donald A. P, Nilanthi De Silva, Susan Horton, Dean T. Jamison, and George C. Patton. 2017. Disease
Control Priorities (Volume 8): Child And Adolescent Health And Development D. 3rd ed. Washington: The
World Bank.

Emmanuel M, Bokor BR. Tanner Stages. [Updated 2019 May 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island
(FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470280/

Hayes F, Dwyer A, Pitteloud N. Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism (HH) and Gonadotropin Therapy.

[Updated 2013 Nov 25]. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Boyce A, et al., editors. Endotext [Internet]. South
Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000-. Available from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279078/

Hayes, F, A Dwyer, and N Pitteloud. 2000. Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism (HH) And Gonadotropin
Therapy. Ebook. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText, Inc. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279078/.

Marshall, William A., and James M. Tanner. 1970. "Variations In The Pattern Of Pubertal Changes In Boys".
Archives Of Disease In Childhood 45 (239): 13-23. doi:10.1136/adc.45.239.13.

Marshall, William A., and James M. Tanner. 1970. "Variations In The Pattern Of Pubertal Changes In Boys".
Archives Of Disease In Childhood 45 (239): 13-23. doi:10.1136/adc.45.239.13.

Peel Public Health. (2011). Changes in Me: Preparing to Teach About Puberty (Teacher's Guide) [Ebook].
Peel Public Health - Health Sexuality Program. Retrieved from
https://www.peelregion.ca/health/commhlth/bodyimg/changes-in-me/pdf/InfoTeachers.pdf.

Peel Public Health. 2011. Changes In Me: A Resource For Educators On Puberty And Adolescent
Development. Ebook. 2nd ed. Ontario: Peel Public Health - Health Sexuality Program.
http://www.peelregion.ca/health/commhlth/bodyimg/changes-in-me/pdf/ChangesInMe.pdf.

Raising Children Network. 2020. "Puberty: Helping Your Child Handle The Changes". Raising Children
Network: The Australian Parenting Website. https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/development/puberty-
sexual-development/puberty-helping-your-child.
Saggese, Giuseppe, Giampiero Igli Baroncelli, and Silvano Bertelloni. 2002. "Puberty And Bone
Development". Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 16 (1): 53-64.
doi:10.1053/beem.2001.0180.

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Volume 1. Session 3. Changing Bodies
VOLUME 1. SESSION 4. BODY IMAGE
This session discusses body image during adolescence period. The activities will increase the participants’
awareness on the importance of self-appreciation. The discussions will also empower them to become
vigilant to false advertisement but instead to accept and believe in themselves.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

At the end of the session, the participants will be able to appreciate and improve their body image through
the various activities set by this session.

LIFE SKILLS

 Self-Awareness
 Critical Thinking
 Problem-solving
 Effective communication
 Decision-making
 Interpersonal relationships
 Empathy
 Coping with Stress
 Coping with emotion

ACTIVITY 1. WHAT IS BODY IMAGE?

ENERGIZER: GROUP STATUES

1. Instruct the group to move around the room, loosely swinging their arms and gently relaxing their
heads and necks.
2. After a short while, shout out a word. The group must form themselves into statues that describe
the word that you shouted out. For example, shout “peace”. All the participants have to instantly
adopt, without talking, poses that show what ‘peace’ means to them.
3. Repeat the exercise several times shouting different words not necessarily action words,
examples: chair, umbrella, rain.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Briefly discuss what body image is; and

2. Differentiate positive body image from negative body image.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR:

 Download this short file about body image: Why Don’t I Like the Way I Look?

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Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7zUHOEYlN8
 Relate the story to the discussion.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “AKO ITO! GUHIT KO, LIKE KO”

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Thompson and Gray Contour Drawing Rating scale (see Appendix)

 Pens
 Bond Paper
 Colored Pens
 Pencil
 Crayons

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

Ask the students to bring the necessary materials before coming to this session.

PROCEDURE

Part 1

1. Ask the participants to close their eyes.

2. Tell them to imagine themselves looking at a mirror.
3. Ask them to look at the image from head to toe. Guide them by enumerating the body parts one
by one.
4. Ask them to open their eyes.
5. Show participants the Thompson and Gray Contour Drawing Rating scale.
6. Ask them to identify the body figure that would best describe them.
7. Explain to them that what they saw in the mirror is their own body image.

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Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
 8. Then ask them to identify on the scale their ideal body figure.
9. Then proceed with the main activity

Part 2

1. Every participant is given a paper and a pen or pencil. If you are feeling creative, colored pencils,
pen, and/or crayons are fun too!
2. Each participant draws a picture of his/her body on a piece of paper. This is not the time to be a
perfectionist. It doesn’t matter how realistic or creatively likable the picture is.
3. After drawing the picture, ask the participants to make a list of all the things he/she likes, loves or
appreciates about his/her body. This list must contain at least five to ten things. It is important
that each thing on the “like” list is explained and not just stated.
4. After 10 to 15 minutes of creativity and list-making, each participant shall choose his/her partner
to discuss and share their output.
5. After the participant has shared, participants are encouraged to keep their picture and the list,
and process the activity.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How do you feel about the activity?

2. How do you feel about yourself after knowing about your body image?
3. Which is harder to identify, the negative body image, or the positive body image? Why?
4. How can you enhance your negative image into a positive body image?
5. How can you maintain positive body image?
6. How can you influence your peers to have a positive body image?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Body image is defined as the mental image that a person forms about their body (Santrock, 2003). It
includes how you feel about your body and how you feel inside your body. It is not how you physically
look or the actual body structure, but it is how you feel about how you look.

As adolescents experience rapid changes in their body, they also begin to form their body image. In the
early part of puberty, adolescents would generally have a positive body image. But as they become more
mature, they also begin to form an ideal body image that would have a significant impact on how they
see themselves.

As adolescents, you may experience a lot of confusing feelings, and thinking about body image is one of
those instances where you may feel pleasant and unpleasant. You are highly vulnerable to criticisms.

The current primary concern about adolescent females is the motivation to be very thin while males, on
the other hand, want to achieve muscular bodies. Our society is powerful. The media is filled with hidden
messages that are designed to be influential in shaping how we think.

This motivation has especially been fueled by the media's portrait of skinny bodies for females and

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Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
muscular bodies for males (Santrock, 2003). Most TV commercials, print advertisements, famous actors,
and even health products often promote body images, and they are not realistic for typical body figures.
Media creates unrealistic body ideals for adolescents. Because of this body ideal created by the media,
many adolescents become obsessed with achieving that body image that they would look at themselves
so negatively, resulting in low self-esteem.

Body image and self-esteem directly influence each other. If a person has a positive body image, then
more or less that person has good self-esteem, meaning he/she feels good about him/herself. He/she has
the confidence to face any person. He/she does not feel insecure. If a person has a negative body image,
on the other hand, then more or less, that person feels insecure about him/herself.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. A body image directly affects our self-confidence and self-esteem.

2. Body image is usually affected by what we see in the media.
3. Learning to accept yourself and your body—or even just to give yourself a break every now and
then—is one of the most important personal skills for the mind.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

Complete the sentence. “Nobody knows that I (something positive about you).”

ACTIVITY 2. MANAGING PUBERTY

ENERGIZER: “KABATAAN, KANTA MUNA TAYO”

1. Teach the participants a popular song about positive Body Image. The facilitator will pick a song
that encourages positive Body Image. The following are some examples:
a. Beautiful by Christina Aguilera
b. Unpretty by TLC
c. Can’t Take That Away From Me by Mariah Carey
d. What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction
e. Scars to Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em7vc8NWUNY&list=PLXsTYn-
i7cbdL4H5oZKXtYAjeLFJ44eXt)
f. Just the way you are by Bruno Mars (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCEhWiKXk)
g. Roar by Katy Perry
h. Born This Way by Lady Gaga
i. Who You Are by Jessie J
j. Rise Up by Andra Day
2. The participants can also share songs about positive body image.
3. Finish the activity, through a shout out: “I am Beautiful, you are Beautiful, we are Beautiful, Inside

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Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
 and Out.”

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Differentiate positive body image from negative body image; and

2. Discuss why not everybody can achieve "the ideal body type."

ACTIVITY TITLE: “MIRROR! MIRROR!”

MATERIALS NEEDED

None

PROCEDURE

1. Ask the participants to stand up and look for a partner.

2. Instruct them to do mimicry of their chosen partner. The facilitator will prepare 5 to 10 actions
that the participants will do like scratch the head, shake your shoulder, jump two times, combing
your hair, wiggle your hips and touch the belly in a side view position.
3. Ask the participants to say a favorite body part that they are proud of. Let them share it to their
seatmate or groupmate.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How do you feel about the activity? For the actors? For those who acted as mirrors?
2. If given a chance to change a body part, will you change it? Why or why not?
3. Are you now confident with how you look? Why or why not?

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

 Discuss each bulleted statement in the quick reference guide.

 Take note of the students who might have a negative body image. They might need support and
guidance.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

"Everyone should recognize that beauty, health, and strength come in all sizes and feel comfortable and
confident in your natural body shape (Family Services North Stone, n.d.)."

It is important to remember that your body is unique. No two bodies are alike. Even if we engaged in the
same regimen for a long time, still no one would look the same. Every person has their unique genetic
code expressed in their bone structure, body size, shape, and weight. The concept of a perfect body is
relative to the standards set by the society. And the standards change from time to time and culture to
culture depending on who sets the trends. Therefore, to compare your body to another person's body is
a mistake.

If you have positive feelings for your body, then you have a healthy body image. If you feel otherwise,

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Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
then you have a negative body image, meaning you are dissatisfied with your body and your looks.

Let us try to assess how you feel about your body.

One will know if he/she has a negative body image if (Family Services North Stone, n.d.):

 You focus on your weight and sees only the flaws in your body parts.
 You feel uncomfortable and self-conscious about your body, especially when you are around
people.
 You are convinced that thinner people are happier or "better."
 You believe that only other people are attractive.
 You feel insecure and blame it on your body.
 You compare yourself to others and wish you looked like them
 You exercise to lose weight or to "make up" for calories that you have eaten.
 You believe all your problems would go away if you could change your looks.

Persons will know if they have a healthy body image and self-esteem if you (Taylor, J.V., 2014):

 Like your body

 Accept your body
 Feel confident and comfortable with your body
 Don't believe that you would be better liked if you looked differently
 Don't spend a lot of time focusing on your weight or looks
 Value who you are, not just what you look like

When you look at yourself in a mirror, you must tell yourself that physical appearance says very little
about the character and value of a person. Look at yourself as a whole person and not a collection of
specific body parts. It is okay to be concerned about how you look because you also need to be
presentable, especially on certain occasions; but remind yourself not to be obsessed with how you look
at all times.

Spend more time enriching your talents and skills rather than thinking about how other people see you.
Tell yourself that beauty is not just skin deep. Always try to feel good about yourself and who you are.
Always carry yourself with confidence. Any small talent that you have is significant. In your mind, focus on
this and make this your strong point.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Every person’s body is unique.

2. We should learn to appreciate our body.
3. There are signs to show whether a person has a positive or negative body image.
4. Everybody has an asset that we can be proud of.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

Complete the sentence “I used to think that I (something negative about you), but now, I think (something

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Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
positive about you that would balance the negative).”

REFERENCE

Taylor, Julia V. The Body Image Workbook for Teen. New Harbinger Publications. Kindle Edition.

ACTIVITY 3. MAINTANING POSITIVE BODY IMAGE

ENERGIZER: CARS

1. Ask the group to divide into pairs.

2. One partner stands behind the other. The person in front closes their eyes and pretends to be a
car. It will be better if they will be blindfolded.
3. The person behind keeps their eyes open and acts as the driver.
4. The driver indicates, without speaking, which direction the car should move by tapping the other
person on the shoulder. A tap on the right shoulder means turn right. A tap on the left shoulder
means turn left. Tapping in the middle of the back means go straight ahead. Speed may be
regulated by tapping faster and slower. A hand held solidly on the back means stop.
5. After several minutes, switch roles. The drivers should avoid driving their "cars" into each other
or into solid objects.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. List down ways to maintain a positive body image; and

2. Choose ways to help keep a positive body image.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “TESTING MY BRAIN”

MATERIALS NEEDED

Pen and paper for each group

PROCEDURE

1. Sit in a circle.
2. Start a discussion about maintaining a positive body image. Ask the following questions:
a. Look at the person on your right. If you are to exchange one body part with him/her, what
would it be? Why?
b. If you are to choose one of your body parts to give to the person on your left what would
it be? Why?
3. Each person will take turn to answer that question.
4. After everyone has answered, proceed to the process questions and a short discussion about
maintaining a positive body image.

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Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How did you feel about the exercise?

2. Were you able to realize anything about the exercise?
5. How do you think you can maintain a positive body image?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Note to the facilitator: Reproduce the bulleted item on a larger paper to serve as a visual aid and discuss
each item with the group.

“What are the things that you can do to maintain a positive body image?” (Family Services North Stone,
n.d.):

 Treat your body with respect.

 Eat balanced meals full of a variety of appealing, nutritious foods.
 Enjoy regular, moderate exercise for the joy of feeling your body move and grow stronger, and,
generally, be healthy and have a stronger immune system, not just to lose weight, burn calories,
and control your body fat.
 Get enough rest so you can enjoy each day.
 Resist the pressure to judge yourself and others based on weight, shape, or size.
 Respect people based on the qualities of their character and accomplishments, not just because
they appear slim, well-built, or "well put together."
 Dress in a way that makes you feel good to make your fashion statement and, most of all, in
clothes that fit and that suit your age and role.
 Get rid of all the clothes in your closet that don't fit, and the garments intended to take away
attention from you. The idea creates a more negative attitude.
 Donate or store clothing that is too small, and make room for clothes that you enjoy wearing, and
that makes you feel comfortable in your body.
 Surround yourself with positive friends and family who recognize your uniqueness and like you
just as you are. When you are around people and things that make you feel good, you are less
likely to base your self-esteem on how your body appears.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. There are ways to keep a positive body image.

2. Keeping a healthy routine can help us keep a positive body image.
3. It helps to surround yourself with positive people to maintain a positive body image

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

Complete the sentence “I remember when __________.”

Look for a happy picture of you when you were just a child and paste it on your journal; or just write at
the back of the picture before putting it back in your family album.

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Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
ASSIGNMENT FOR THE NEXT ACTIVITY/MEETING

Ask each participant to bring a photo of advertisements that show body stereotypes (e.g. whitening
products, diet ads, etc.) or other materials from social media or social media influencers.

ACTIVITY 4. BODY IMAGE AND THE MEDIA

ENERGIZER: MOVE TO THE SPOT

1. Ask everyone to choose and remember a particular spot in the room. They start the game by
standing on their chosen spot. Instruct people to walk around the room and carry out a particular
action, for example, Facilitator, as the first designated leader will shout “hop, and say hello to
everyone wearing an earring” or “walking backwards, and say your name to the person whose
name starts with a letter ‘P’” etc.
2. When the facilitator says “Stop”, everyone must run to his or her original spots. The person who
reaches their place first is the next leader and can instruct the group to do what they wish.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Identify print ads that shows body stereotypes;

2. Discuss why they should believe in themselves more than the media ads.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “WHAT MEDIA TELLS US”

MATERIALS NEEDED

Note to the facilitator: Ask the students to bring the necessary materials before coming to this session.

Photos of advertisements that show body stereotypes (e.g. whitening products, diet ads, etc.) or other
materials from social media or social media influencers.

PROCEDURE

1. Divide the participants into groups with five to six members. Ask each group to assign a secretary,
facilitator and reporter.
2. Each group should have at least two to three photos that show body stereotypes.
3. Within the group discuss why each photo shows body stereotypes.
4. After the discussion, ask the reporters to discuss with the class the results of their discussion.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How do you feel about the activity?

2. What are the things you considered in identifying photos that show stereotypes?
3. What are the things that you have realized about photos and body image?

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Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

People spend most of their time watching media like television, prints, online videos, and social media.
Many of these media cause unnecessary pressures on viewers to look in a certain way. This pressure is
evident in many print ads and even on social media. Many print ads and TV commercials are insensitive
to different body types. They usually choose models who have the body proportions that perfectly fit their
clothing design, usually slim for females and muscular for males. The same goes for beauty products that
cover imperfect facial features. This is false advertising. Why? Because the message is, "there is something
wrong with you, and our product is going to fix it."

Unfortunately, people have different body structures and proportions. It is unknown to many that not all
persons can realistically achieve the "ideal body type" because of our genetic characteristics that we
inherited from our parents.

Another example is the emphasis on fair skin. In grocery stores, several soap brands would always have a
skin whitening line. Even city billboards show off skin whitening products such as glutathione. An average
person would try to achieve what is portrayed on TV and media to make themselves more attractive.
Furthermore, in extreme cases, insecurities will push them to be obsessed with attaining unrealistic ideal
appearance. Examples of these persons are those who would repeatedly pay to have plastic surgeries to
alter their appearance.

"You are more than just a body!" You have important qualities that have nothing to do with how you
look, and they are more important than your body. You are so much more than your looks. Keep this in
mind: if you find something wrong with your body, it is not because there is something wrong, but it is
because of your attitude towards your body. It is your insecurities that you create that generates the
dissatisfaction.

[Sometimes] "when you fail at something, and you can't figure out why, it's easy to turn your insecurities
into body blaming because your body is right in front of you (Taylor, 2014)." Taylor gave this example of
body blaming situation:

"I like to run and was thinking about trying out for the cross-country team. Last night, I went running with
a girl who was on the team last year. She is way skinnier and faster and a lot taller than me. Now I'm
thinking I shouldn't try out."

Blaming the self was not explicitly stated; but if you analyze the scenario, the frustration was directed
towards the body and not on any of the person's attributes. His statement was directed towards body
competency. According to Taylor, the person's self-talk should be: “The girl I ran with is skinnier and faster
and taller than me, but that doesn't make me a bad runner."

Use this as a reminder of how you unconsciously body-blame yourself. Be mindful of how you treat
yourself. Be kind to yourself. Stop measuring yourself against the media ads; it will just fuel self-criticism
and body hating.

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Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
SYNTHESIS

"Having a healthy body image doesn't mean you don't care about your looks; it means you value and
appreciate your body. Body image is all about balance, meaning how you feel about your body doesn't
always run the show. A healthy body image gives you the freedom and flexibility to be yourself. It means
accepting and appreciating your body for what it is and what it does, not what it looks like. Developing a
healthy body image takes time, patience, and hard work—but it's worth it. You're worth it (Taylor, 2014)."

A poor or negative body image can lead to low self-esteem, anxieties, self-pity, and other mental health
concerns. Building and maintaining a positive body image is, therefore, important. Learning to accept
yourself and your body, or even to give yourself a break now and then, is one of the most important
personal skills for the mind.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

Complete the sentence “I am grateful for __________________.”

REFERENCE

Taylor, Julia V. The Body Image Workbook for Teens. New Harbinger Publications. Kindle Edition.

Page 11 of 11
Volume 1. Session 4. Body Image
VOLUME 1. SESSION 5. MY DEVELOPING BRAIN
This session explains brain development as a significant part of adolescent development. It will also
explain how their activities and the environment can have an impact to the developing brain. The session
will help the youth understand and appreciate their brain. By knowing how it works, they can nurture
and protect it to achieve their best potential.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participants will be able to conceive varied ways on how to plan their daily
activities in order to consciously contribute to the development of their brain potentials.

LIFE SKILLS

 Self-Awareness
 Creative thinking
 Critical Thinking
 Problem-solving
 Effective communication
 Decision-making
 Interpersonal relationships
 Empathy
 Coping with Stress
 Coping with emotion

ACTIVITY 1. THE STORY OF MY BRAI N

ENERGIZER: “PRRR” AND “PUKUTO” 1

1. Ask participants to imagine two birds. One calls ‘prrr’ and the other calls ‘pukutu’.
2. If you call out ‘prrr’, all the participants need to stand on their toes and move their elbows out
sideways, as if they were a bird ruffling its wings. If you call out ‘pukutu’, everyone has to stay still
and not move a feather.
3. To make it more interesting and energizing, vary the speed and frequency on how you call out the
two sounds (prr-prrr-prrr-pukutu-pukutu…)

1
Adopted from the book 100 ways to energize groups: Games to use in workshops, meetings and the community.

Page 1 of 21
Volume 1. Session 5. My Developing Brain
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Explain the role of the Pre-frontal cortex to one’s capability.

2. Explain the importance of the adolescence period to growth and maturation of the brain.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

 The first meeting is to introduce the pre-frontal cortex and its role in the development of one’s
potential during the adolescence period.
 The pictures provided are just representatives. You have the liberty to look for an alternative
picture that will suit your method of discussion.
 Prepare yourself to the discussion by reading and familiarizing yourself to the story. Read the
“Quick Reference Guide” and study how you can relate the story to the discussion.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “MAKALMA ISLAND” A STORY OF A GOOD LEADER

MATERIALS NEEDED:

 Picture of the neuron (Figure 2)

 Picture of the brain (Figure 1)
 Picture of an unsoiled island
 Picture of Filthy island
 Optional: YouTube presentation on the following topics:
 How neurons communicate
 The neuron
 Paper and pen

PROCEDURE

1. Narrate the story “Makalma Island” to the participants.

2. Process the story and compare it to the function of the Pre-Frontal cortex or the executive area
of the brain.

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Volume 1. Session 5. My Developing Brain
Let me tell you story entitled “Makalma Island.”

Figure 1. Picture representation of a peaceful community

(https://www.123rf.com/photo_123414399_stock-vector-cartoon-tropical-
island-with-a-cave-and-totems-vector-illustration-for-games.html)

There is this island named “Makalma Island.” The people in the island are happy, amiable, and
compassionate. They are also hard-working people. They are aware that they need to work to sustain
peace, order, and harmony amongst themselves and the whole village. They understand the concept of
working together to maintain a tranquil and yet high-spirited community. They know the value of being
mindful, and are conscious of how they behave and relate to others.

Becoming this kind of people who live by ethics and social values took a process. It was not an overnight
thing. It is because they have a good leader.

The village is headed by King Pre Fron. King Pre Fron is a wise king. Being called a wise king is attributed
to his being rational, fair, reliable, diligent, resourceful, creative, empathic, goal-oriented, and adaptable.
Most of all, he is an unassuming king; he is neither boastful nor arrogant.

He focuses on nurturing his people and the whole community, and on making them healthy and happy.

Visitors are welcome, but the king knew at once if they would be a threat to the peace and order of their
village. The king knew what to do with them if they endanger his people. The king has made his followers
strong enough to resist the temptations of the trade they bring. And when the intruders feel that there is
nothing to gain from the village, they would immediately leave.

However, the king became sick. He is unable to focus and lead. It became challenging for him to assess
and make decisions.

For a long time, people became lost. Because there is no one to guide them, the community became
disarrayed.

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People started to mind their own business. They became carried away by their desires. When traders
arrive, people became interested for their personal gains. They entertain these traders even at the
expense of their fellow villagers.

Soon the village became disunited.

The used-to-be peaceful community became fragmented. Anyone can do as they wish. The once clean
and well-ordered village became a filthy community where discipline is lacking.

Figure 2. Picture representation of a filthy island.

(https://bigislandnow.com/2018/11/21/hawaii-nei-
marine-debris-removal-project-continues/)

When the king got well, no matter how much he desires to bring back the order, it was too difficult for
him to do so. He knows he needs to be harsh if he wants to bring order back.

PROCESS QUESTION

Note to the facilitator: There are no right or wrong answers. Allow them to voice out their thoughts.
Make sure to pick-up words or ideas that will be relevant to the discussion on the importance of the
development of their pre-frontal cortex in achieving their full potential. The phrases enclosed in
[parenthesis] are the possible responses that participants might give. Be ready to process them.

1. What do you think of the story? [Possible responses: The story is sad; confusing; intriguing;
motivates me to think and reflect on our behavior.]
2. What is the important factor for having a peaceful community? And the factor that led to the
collapse of the village? [A good leader; and no leadership]
3. What made the king a good leader? [his positive traits namely: rational, fair, reliable, diligent,
resourceful, creative, empathic, goal-oriented, and adaptable. Most of all, he is an unassuming
king; he is neither boastful nor arrogant]

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 4. How do you think the king acquired his good traits? [Through the teachings of his good parents,
adults who set good examples, and teaching of his community since he grew up in a good
environment with good kings, and by living and practicing moral principles]
5. Without a leader, what do you think happens to a nation or even a group? [disorganized, goal-
confused, everyone will do their thing]
6. Do you think we can compare this to your brain? [Expect the participants to give diverse answers
before revealing that the story is about their brain. The king can be compared to your Pre-frontal
cortex (show Figure 3)]

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Going through the adolescence period has its purposes. It is a transition period between childhood and
adulthood. What do we mean by transition? It is the time to prepare for a life of their own. To become
the king of their own decisions. It is not forever that they will be living with their parents. They may opt
to help their parents but their most important responsibility is to themselves.

As you notice, they are experiencing many changes, physical, social, cognitive and emotional. These
changes are due to changes in the adolescent brain. Developmental activities in their brain is very
dynamic especially in their pre-frontal cortex; or what they call the executive office of the brain because
of its executive function. The pre-frontal cortex is located just under the forehead (see figure 3). This part
is in charge of making sure we can focus on, retain, and work with information in our minds. It is
responsible for the thinking practices such as planning, problem-solving, and regulation of behavior
especially when we become adults.

But before they enter the age of puberty and adolescence, the executive function area (let us call it the
king and the King’s office) is not yet fully constructed. Their level of cognitive ability has not yet reached
its potential. In fact it is far from being constructed (without the king to lead and direct, what do you think
happens?). However, the basic materials, which we call brain cells (neurons) are present yet dormant
(sleeping). Puberty will awaken them and it will take about 10 years for the executive function area (the
king’s office) to be fully functioning, which is about until 24 years old.

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 Figure 3. Picture of the brain showing the functions particularly the pre-frontal cortex
(https://www.mayoclinic.org/functions-of-the-brain/img-20008699 )

Puberty triggers the maturation process at the neuron level. Puberty means maturation of the
reproductive system which is responsible for production of sex hormones. The sex hormones, together
with the environment (ex. diet, skill enhancements) and hereditary factors have significant impact on the
maturation of the adolescent brain.

They have several years to help their brain develop and attain its potentials. Though, they have to
remember that time is important. Every day is an opportunity for them to give their brain the proper
exercises it needs. Remind them to never say “I will do it tomorrow,” otherwise it will be like a house
constructed hastily that results to poor quality and prone to natural disaster.

If they admire great singers, musicians and dancers, then they should know that these people practice
every day. If they stop practicing, they actually experience slight difficulty going back to their routine.
They could actually feel a slight difference in their skills, before and after several days of not practicing.

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The participants may have also noticed this when they go back to school after a long vacation. They need
time to adjust to the routine even though they were in school for 10 months. There are activities they
need to do again and again to establish their skills, like reading, doing math problems, solving problems.
It is important to remind them to always engage in brain exercises. Emphasize to them that they must not
delay until it’s too late.

The completion in brain maturation will help them achieve their God-given potential during and beyond
adolescence. These include thinking ability and behavioral skills to prepare them for future challenges.
This includes the ability for life planning. It will help them in thinking about future plans and goals they
may want to achieve in the next 5 to 10 years of your life. This includes career and plans for family. Remind
them not to be a scattered brain individual – a person who is forgetful, disorganized, or unable to
concentrate or think clearly!

What you will be discussing with them may seem fuzzy, but they need to know and understand how the
brain works. When they have a clear picture of what is going on inside their brain, they will appreciate
the phase they are passing through. But for the mean time, they need to take care of their brain.

You have to take care of your brain! How do you protect your brain? How do you care for your brain?
There are some ways to care for the brain. They have to keep the following in mind:

1. Adequate sleep is crucial. Sleep at least 8 hours each night.

2. Drink plenty of water to hydrate your brain. At least 8 glasses each day.
3. Physical exercise oxygenates the brain. It keeps your mind sharp. Exercise stimulates new cell
growth in the brain increasing mental abilities 20-30%.
4. Follow a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables. A good diet is critical for the developing nervous
system, and that includes the brain.
5. Protect the head from traumatic injury.
6. Avoid drugs, alcohol, smoking, and violent video games. Don’t even think about them or go near
them to avoid triggering the desire.
7. Do Brain Teasers, games and puzzles, solve crosswords, Sudoku, etc.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Adolescence period is the right time to give brain the opportunity to develop its potential. The
opportunity starts at puberty and ends around 24 years old.
2. Adolescence period is a very important period to develop and practice skills to almost perfection.
3. The brain needs protection and care, which you always have to keep in mind.

SYNTHESIS

Ask some of the participants the relevance of the day’s activity and learning to their future. From their
answers, emphasize the importance of attending school and doing school exercises to help their brain
develop.

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REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

On a daily basis, write down your activities that you think you can learn something from. Ask yourself,
“What have I learned from this task or activity?” There is something to learn even from a simple task of
washing the dishes.

ASSIGNMENT (IF NECESSARY)

1. Ask each participant to interview at least two fellow youth. Use the guide below:
a. Age of respondent: ______
b. Sex of Respondent: ________
c. What time do you go to sleep?
d. On the average, how many hours of sleep do you have at night?
e. If you sleep late, what keeps you from going to bed?
f. How many glasses of water do you drink? If less than 8, ask them why?
g. Do you engage in regular exercise? If yes, what? If no, why?
h. Do you eat fruits and vegetable? If not, why?
i. Do you smoke? Drink?
2. Instruct the participants to tally the answers and to take note of the number of yes and no.
3. You may instruct them to assign a volunteer to role play as news anchor and to present the report
on the next session (or last session of the month if YDS is being conducted four times a month).
Encourage them to construct a TV screen-like window as a prop.
4. Option: This will also be a good opportunity to collaborate with the school and ask permission
from the head of the school if the volunteer can present the findings to the general population
like a news anchor.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

 The activities are suggested activities, you have the liberty to modify them to suit your target
participants.
 Be reminded to conduct yourself within the principles set by the YDS program.
 Always follow the protocols specified in the YDS implementing guidelines.
 Remind the participants to respect each other.

ACTIVITY 2. I OWE IT TO MYSELF TO MAKE “ME” BETTER

ENERGIZER: “MEMORY GAME”

1. Ask the participants to form a circle. If the size of the group is too big, form a circle/s within a
bigger circle. You may separate the girls from the boys if needed.
2. The first person says her name and the color of her toothbrush to the person next to her.

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 3. The next person will say her name and the color of her toothbrush, the name of the first person
and the color of her that person’s toothbrush, and so on and so forth until the next person makes
a mistake.
4. Once a person makes a mistake, the next person will start again.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Describe how the brain matures and functions in their own words;
2. Explain why it is important to engage in productive activities; and
3. Enumerate ways of exercising the brain to achieve its maximum potential.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “PASS THE MESSAGE, ACT AND GUESS”

This is a relay game between two groups of participants.

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Prepare two sets of several small notes (at least 10) with action words written on them (ex. Jog in
place, clap, do a face expressing bitter taste). Fold the paper and put it inside a plastic egg or any
small unbreakable container
 2 plastic eggs or a substitute
 Picture of the neuron
 Picture of the brain
 Optional: YouTube presentation on the following topics:
o How neurons communicate
o The neuron
 Paper and pen
 Music

PROCEDURE

1. Group the participants into two groups.

2. Get three volunteers from each group. Ask them to stand in front of their group.
3. Instruct the groups to pass the egg from one person to the next while the music plays. When the
music stops, the participant from each group holding the egg will get one note from the egg and
read the action word.
4. One of the three volunteers will act out the word.
5. Play the music again and let the participants pass the egg around following the same procedure
until they run out of action words. The volunteers will do the action in rotation.
6. The group who finishes first wins.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

Note to the facilitator: There are no right or wrong answers, allow them to voice out their thoughts. Make
sure to pick-up words or ideas that will be relevant to the discussion on how engaging in productive

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activities help in the development and maturation of the brain during the adolescent period. The phrases
enclosed in [parenthesis] are the possible responses that participants might give. Be ready to process
them.

1. How was your experience? [Allow the participants to express what they felt about the game].
2. Why do you think the egg fell from your hands? [When you dropped the egg, probably you were
in a hurry, you were not paying attention, you were having some, or you were resisting.
Sometimes when we are given a task, we fail to complete it because we are distracted by other
things].
3. What is the consequence when the egg was dropped? [Dropping the egg caused delay. It might
also cause the egg to open and the content to scatter. The momentum of the game will also be
interrupted].
4. How did it feel when you run out of action words? [At a loss. This is what we feel when we do not
have skills during times when we need them.]
5. How do you compare it to your brain? [It is good to have knowledge, talent and skills to prepare
us for challenges.]

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

First, tell the youth participants that by the end of the adolescent period, they will be a different person.
But how different? It would depend on how they participated in their development. What they do, think,
and experience during their teen years will shape their brain and ultimately make them unique.

They themselves can have an impact on who they will become by taking an interest in their developing
brain. They must know what is taking place inside their physical brain. Having the right knowledge will
help them handle the future challenges. They can actually train their brain to help them become the best
version of themselves!

Adolescents love to exploit possibilities to experience excitement. Ask the participants, “What are the
things you and other ‘teenagers’ love to do or are engaged in?” In reference to their answers in the
activity, it should reflect their observation about their peers.

Adolescents love to seek diversion and new experiences. But they also experience strong emotions, such
as anger, fun and excitement. These predispositions put them and their health at risks. Ask your
participants if they can name some of these risks (ex. unhealthy eating habits, drugs, daring activities,
sex).

These observable behaviors are typical among teenagers. Why? These actions are the results of the
dynamic developmental activities happening in their brain right now. The activities in their brain also
involve changes in the chemistry (interplay of chemicals) that set off (produce) desires. The desires drive
them to act in certain ways. Youths are actually going through a phase that they cannot escape.

Though, adolescence period opens opportunity for growth and development, youth are also vulnerable
to so many environmental threats with adverse (undesirable) consequences once exposed. In fact, they

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become a threat to themselves when they make decisions that can adversely affect them (like drugs,
misuse of gadgets). These threats have effects at the neural level.

Therefore, emphasize, that it is their responsibility to direct themselves to decide wisely on how they will
navigate their adolescence years.

Explain to them how the neuron behaves and what it is for.

The neurons are the building blocks of our brain which is part of the nervous system. The nervous system
is built up of neurons or nerve cells (Figure 4). The neurons are responsible for sending messages
throughout the brain. There is a constant communication that is happening among neurons: receiving,
processing and transmitting information. When reading and understanding a story, there is a
communication taking place. When exercising, communication among neurons is happening. When we
solve math problem, information are passed from one area of the brain to another. It would even reach
the hands if it includes a pen and paper calculation.

Figure 4. illustration of a neuron https://eprojects.isucomm.iastate.edu/314-4-

kbcm/2016/11/13/dendrite/ 2

2
For more illustration visit ( https://eprojects.isucomm.iastate.edu/314-4-kbcm/2016/11/13/neuron/ )

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 Figure 5. Illustration showing messages are transmitted from one neuron to another
(http://unisci24.com/data_images/wlls/36/294537-neuron.jpg)

The three components of neurons – cell body or soma, dendrites and axon – facilitate the passing of
information. The dendrites are short projections or extensions that stretch out of the cell body. It is
responsible for receiving information from other neighboring neurons. The information or message is
carried by chemicals called neurotransmitters (imagine it as the egg that we used in the game).

Where and how do the neurotransmitters travel from one neuron to another? The neurotransmitters
will pass along the axon, which is a long, thread like projection of the neuron. The axon is covered with
fat and protein materials called myelin sheath. The neurotransmitters travel through the axon with the
help of the electrical impulses. When message keeps on passing through the axon, the myelin sheath gets
thicker because of the electrical impulses that pass through it.

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What is the role of the myelin sheath? The myelin sheath also facilitates the travel of the electrical
current. The information moves slow or fast depending on the thickness of the myelin sheath. If it is thick,
the flow of current is fast. If it is thin, then the travel of message is slow. Fast flow of current means better
cognitive ability or better at performing a task.

“If you keep on practicing a skill, you are actually allowing the electrical
current to pass along the axon, which helps thicken the myelin sheath.
This results to the making of a stronger pathway for the
neurotransmitters. You can compare it to a good concrete skyway where
cars can travel at a faster rate.”

At the end of the axon are axon terminals. The axon terminal drops off the neurotransmitters to the
dendrites of the next neuron. The electrical impulses and the message from the sending neurons travel
to the cell body of the receiving neurons and then to its axon to deliver the message to the third neuron.
This is a continuous process where impulses are carried from one neuron to another. These impulses and
messages are finally delivered to the part of the brain where it will be processed. The outcome of this
communication among neurons is learning or body action.

To make it is easy to visualize, imagine traveling on a bus from one destination to another to reach your
destination. If you are coming from the north of the Philippines and you are going to the south, there is
no one-stop bus. Then you have to go from one terminal to another, embarking and disembarking one
bus to another until you reach your destination. The buses are likened to the neurotransmitters. They pick
up the messages and deliver them to the next neuron via the synaptic terminal (Figures 6 and 7).

Figure 6 and 7. Illustration showing how neurotransmitter delivers the messages at the synaptic
terminal

Do all neurons do this all the time at any age? This happens once the neurons are activated and are
consistently active. However, this procedure is not possible unless the neurons are mature enough to
facilitate the transfer of neurotransmitters. And there is a ‘Window of Opportunities’ for neurons to
mature. These windows are stages in our lives when the dendrites would start to grow. These are the

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times when we need to use them because if that window of opportunity lapses (expires), then these
neurons are pruned or goes through a natural death. When this happens, it’s a lost opportunity for you
to learn a skill.

Adolescence period is one of those windows of opportunities. And the most important part of the brain
that will go under construction during adolescence period is the pre-frontal cortex or the executive center
of your brain. The executive center is like the office of the president or the king as learned from previous
discussion. It can control all other areas of your brain that are responsible for learning and carrying out
actions.

Take note!

What is the importance of this information to you? It will help you to

understand why you need to engage in activities that will build strong
neural connections (neural skyways). You need to utilize your time to
study, read, and practice skills related to academic, social information,
and knowledge that can help you build a better future.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Windows of opportunity are specific ages in our lives when the dendrites would proliferate and
be ready to connect. If the dendrites will not be connected to other neurons and the window
closes, then it will wither away; and you lose the chance to learn a skill associated to those
neurons.
2. Puberty until around 24 years old (approximately 10 years from puberty) is the window for the
executive function (pre-frontal cortex) to prosper. The king will not be an effective king if not
nurtured during his growing years.
3. Life skills such as self-awareness, creative thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving, effective
communication, decision-making, empathy, and emotional mindfulness are potentially developed
during the adolescence period because all these are the responsibility of the executive function
of the brain – the pre-frontal cortex - the office of the president or the king (in our story).

SYNTHESIS

Ask volunteers to share their thoughts about the “window of opportunity.” Solicit their ideas on what they
can do to help themselves and others to achieve the maximum potential of their executive function.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSSESSMENT

Something to reflect on: Previously you were asked to write down daily activities and to reflect on them.
Go back to your notes and ask yourself, “Have I been helping my neurons connect and communicate with
each other? Have I been building strong neural highways?” Use your journal and try to set a goal, and plan
simple ways on how to achieve those goals, then monitor yourself if you are following your plans.

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REFERENCES

Siegel MD, Daniel J.. Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. Penguin Publishing Group.
Kindle Edition.

Jensen, Frances E.. The Teenage Brain. Harper. Kindle Edition.

Steinberg, Laurence. Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence. HMH Books.
Kindle Edition.

Deak, Joann; Deak, Terrence. The Owner's Manual for Driving Your Adolescent Brain. Sourcebooks. Kindle
Edition.

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-prefrontal-cortex.htm

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/brain/in-community/brain-awareness/brain-
health/adolescent-brain.cfm

http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=41158&cn=1310

ACTIVITY 3. TESTING MY BRAIN POW ER

ENERGIZER: “FIND SOMEONE WEARING...” 3

1. Ask the participants to walk around loosely, shaking their limbs and generally relaxing.
2. After a short while, shout “Find someone who is wearing...” and name an article of clothing. The
participants have to rush to stand close to the person described. Repeat this exercise several times
using different types of clothing or other descriptions.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Identify games and exercises that can be used to enhance brain power.
2. Collect and compile materials that can be considered as tools for brain exercise.

ACTIVITY: “TESTING MY BRAIN”

Transfer this to a sheet of paper and make multiple copies, or you can transfer this on a manila paper, but
make sure that the class would not see it before the game.

3
Energizing game found in 100 Ways to Energize Groups.

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The “2 ½ Minute Test” Handout

You have 2 ½ minutes to complete this test. Work quickly as you can, making sure you attempt to get all
the answers.

1. If a doctor gave you three pills and told you to take one every half hour, how long would they last?
2. Divide 30 by a half. Add 10. What is the answer?
3. If you only had one match and entered a dark room where there was an oil lamp, an oil heater
and some kindling wood, which one would you light first?
4. Take two apples from three apples. What do you have?
5. Some months have 30 days, some have 31. How many months have 28 days?
6. Imagine that you built a house with four sides, and each wall had a southern exposure. If a bear
went past one of the windows, what color would the bear be?
7. How many animals of each species did Moses take on the ark?
8. If you went to bed at eight o’clock in the evening, wound up the alarm clock and set it to get up
at nine o’clock the next morning, how many hours of sleep would you get?

Here are the answers to the 2 ½ minute test

1. One hour. If you started at 8:00 am, your second would be at 8:30 and the final one at 9:00.
2. 70, because 30 divided by a half equals 60.
3. The match.
4. Apples – remember, you took the apples.
5. All of them
6. White. The house has to be on the Northern Pole, therefore the bear must be a polar bear.
7. None. Moses didn’t have an ark – it was Noah.
8. One hour. You had to wind up the alarm clock, therefore it was a mechanical one. It only works
on 12-hour cycle, not a 24-hour one.

MATERIALS NEEDED

 2 ½ Minute Test handout

 Pen and paper for each group

PROCEDURE

1. Divide the students into groups of 5 members.

2. Ask the group to assign a documenter to take note of their final answers.
3. Give each group a copy of the ‘2 ½ Minute Test’ handout. Face down when given to each group.
4. The group will commence once you give the signal. Remind them that they are given only 2 ½
minutes to finish the test. Count the time down every 30 seconds to increase the pressure on
them.
5. After 2 ½ minutes ask them to stop.
6. Ask the group to post their answers on the board.
7. Review the answers before giving the correct answer.

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 8. Make sure to collect the answer sheet so that it will not circulate to other youth groups/classes.
You will still need it with other groups in other sessions.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

Note to the facilitator: There are no right nor wrong answers, allow them to voice out their thoughts.
Make sure to pick-up words or ideas that will be relevant to the discussion on how engaging in productive
activities help in the development and maturation of the brain during the adolescent period. The phrases
enclosed in [parenthesis] are just few of the possible responses that participants might give. Be ready to
process them.

1. How do you feel about the game? [hard and challenging, exciting and fun, brain squeezing]
2. Was it hard or easy? What makes it hard/easy? [the questions are tricky]
3. How do you think a grade three student will perform with this test? A much older person?
4. How do you compare people of different ages, including you in terms of their ability to think?
5. Note: Make sure to discuss that things can be overlooked when we rush, and mistakes can likely
happen.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Brain maturation is measured by the number of neural connections and the strength of these connections.
To mention again, the strength of these connections is dependent on the thickness of the myelin sheath.
The myelin sheath covering the axon thickens if electrical impulses continuously flow along the axon. The
thickening happens when a skill is repeatedly done. This means that brain exercise will help the brain to
attain maximum maturity.

As an example, “how do you master a dance step? You start with zero skill. Haven’t you noticed that the
first time you do a dance step, your body and your legs are not coordinated. However, when you do a step
many times, you reach a point where it becomes smooth and easy. It becomes automatic to almost
instinctive when you hear a tempo that fits the step. This is because, as you practice the steps, you create
communication pathways composed of neuronal connection. And the myelin sheath thickens as you keep
on practicing, building strong pathways for the neurotransmitters or the message carrier.”

Abstract thinking is associated with maturation of the brain, particularly at the prefrontal cortex, the last
to develop and mature.

Let’s reflect on the activity we did. The test requires abstract thinking skills, which is the function of the
frontal lobe area. To quickly process the challenge (problems), the frontal lobe requires certain physical
and functional maturity. To attain this level of sophistication, you need to use your brain (mind)
frequently. How is this going to happen? You need to engage in thinking activities (like math, reading,
science exploration, and analysis).

Did you experience difficulty in answering the questions? Perhaps because you needed more time to
process the problem. You also need to be more creative and more imaginative, as well as fluent in
language. In addition, you also need the necessary information to find a solution to the challenges. All this

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ability can be acquired. Being smart does not come in a silver platter. You have to push yourself to achieve
it. It can be done; your brain can be trained. Now is the time.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Brain maturation is measured by the number of neural connections and the strength of these
connections.
2. To help brain mature you need to engage in mental activities that challenge your mind like
puzzles.

SYNTHESIS

Ask the participants if they can identify activities and games that can be considered as challenges to their
cognitive ability. Ask them to name some activities that they have engaged in the past that they can
consider as brain exercise. Ask volunteers to explain why they consider these games as brain exercises.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Request the participants to engage in a mental exercise game during their free time and be ready to share
their experience to their friends and family members. They should ask the person to convey to them what
they felt while doing the activity. Afterwards, they should try to share what they have learned in this
session to other people.

ACTIVITY 4. TIME TO EXERCISE MY BRAIN

ENERGIZER: “PUNCTUATION MARK”

Prepare a set of posters each showing a different punctuation mark.

1. Ask the participants to walk around the room to soft music—either a recording or the group leader
playing an instrument.
2. Then, stop the music and hold up a poster showing a large punctuation mark.
3. Instruct the participants to talk to each other in a style related to the mark: excitedly if it’s an
exclamation point, curiously if it’s a question mark, hesitantly if it’s an ellipsis. The music starts
again, and the players stop talking until the next punctuation mark is held up.

Examples:

1. Exclamation Point (!) - The participants shout to each other as they walk, for example: “Hey,
Hillary!” “Come on, let’s walk together!” “Don’t walk so fast!” “That’s ridiculous!”
2. Question Mark (?) - The players ask each other questions, such as “How are you?” “What’s your
name?” “Do you like this game?”
3. Period (.) - The players make statements, declarations, or tell each other things like: “I like this
game.” “I’m bored.” “I’d like to have a break now.” “I like you.”

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SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this activity, the participants will be able to identify and write in their journal the goals they
would pursue to sharpen their cognitive and behavioral skills.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “TIME TO EXERCISE MY BRAIN”

MATERIALS NEEDED

 A printed copy of a short story (make your own or look for stories from websites. Keyword is
“running dictation.”)
 Paper and pen for each pair of students

Sample story:

“This is Yan-yan. She is tall, but she is lean. She loves to play soccer, and she loves to wear a yellow shirt.
She has a sister. She takes care of her. She loves to bring her to the movies. She buys cheese-flavored
popcorns with a soda. Oh, how her sister loves her.”

Example for the variation:

 There is a round pond in the middle of a round-about.
 There is a goldfish under the water.
 There are some beautiful lavender lilies on the water.
 There is a bridge on the pond.
 There aren’t any frogs swimming around.
 Are there any dragonflies around?

PROCEDURE

1. Divide the class into groups of two (person A and person B).
2. Instruct all person A to look for the piece of paper which you have hidden before the class starts.
Once found, he/she reads the content and learn it by heart.
3. Person A has to tell the story to person B. Person B has to listen carefully and write the story
properly.
4. Person A is not allowed to look at the reading material once she starts dictating it to person B.
5. Variation: A set of one sentence descriptions can be used. Each set can have 6 sentences. Have
multiple copies and put the copies up around the walls of the classroom or outside the classroom
but within school premises. The activity may be conducted outside the classroom. Put the
students in pairs or small groups. Partner A will walk to read the passage. Partner B will stay at a
facilitator-designated area. Partner A goes back and silently dictates what s/he remembers to
their partner who writes it down. Then they swap role to do the same procedure. The aim is to
duplicate what is written on the paper. Expect them to run back and forth until they complete the
sentences. Students will only remember three or four words at a time. The first pair to finish wins.
To perfect the sentences, they must really run back and forth until they are sure.

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PROCESS QUESTION

Note to the facilitator: There are no right nor wrong answers, allow them to voice out their thoughts.
Make sure to pick-up words or ideas that will be relevant to the discussion on how engaging in productive
activities help in the development and maturation of the brain during the adolescent period. The phrases
enclosed in [parenthesis] are just few of the possible responses that participants might give. Be ready to
process them.

1. How is your experience” [hard but enjoyable]

2. What are the skills involved? [memorizing, focus, physical exercise, writing, collaboration,
communication, listening, speaking]
3. How can you make the tasks (learning the story, listening and repeating into writing) easy? [maybe
developing clues, keeping cool and not too excited]
4. How can you sharpen the mentioned skills? [keep on practicing]
5. What have you learned from the “My Developing Brain” session? [answers will depend on how
they understood and appreciate the topic. Their response will give you a clue on whether they
now appreciate and value the adolescence period.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Life is full of challenges. Be prepared. Challenges are faced daily. Acquiring the essential knowledge and
necessary skills to meet the demands is a good preparation. Once we decide on the skills that we want to
foster, we must plan and implement the plan — practice, practice, practice.

“Whenever there is a challenge, accept it. Don’t resist. It will just make the task more agonizing. Build a
positive attitude. It is also a habit of the mind.”

The brain training activity is an example of how challenges can help strengthen skills like memory,
strategizing, working with others, being mindful, and the ability to monitor one’s behavior. The whole
process of making something a daily habit can train the brain to organize – it is called ‘habits of the mind.’
“Can you think of ways on how to establish a habit?”

Developing habits. Here are a few tips to follow to build a habit:

1. Set a goal, something contextually achievable, like learning to play the guitar. Not contextually
achievable is learning to swim when there is no water to swim in.
2. Set time and place to perform the actions that will lead you to achieve your goal. In learning to
play the guitar, you need to practice. So, practice is the action.
3. Focus on the practice and not the performance. Don’t give a deadline on the quality of your
performance. It is not your goal yet. Your goal is to establish a routine.
4. Map out your daily routine, and not just setting time for your practice. You should be able to see
the surrounding circumstances that will help or may hinder your practice. You might set up a 4PM
practice immediately after your class. Activities related to your academic routine may be
unpredictable sometimes; thus, the routine has the danger of being broken.

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 5. Reward yourself. Choose a realistic and healthy reward such as giving yourself 15-30 minutes of
quiet time. Treating yourself with something that you crave is not a good idea. You will be thinking
about it while you practice.
6. Complete this sentence to remind yourself:
a. Every (Frequency of your routine) ex. Every afternoon at 5 pm…
b. When (the cue) ex. When I get home and settle my things…
c. I will (routine) ex. I will get my guitar and practice three keys, and my strumming …
d. And after I’ve done that, I will reward myself (your reward) ex. Nice and quiet time laying
down on my bed…
7. Remove away all temptations. You do not want to test yourself, so make sure that all possible
obstacle or test to your will power is not present around you (ex. television, cellphone). Eliminate
anything that will distract you.
8. Track your progress. Use your journal to praise yourself when you know there is an improvement.
Being able to practice religiously in 5 consecutive days is progress in itself.
9. Don’t break the routine.

Building a habit is a way of strengthening your willpower.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. It is important to prepare yourself to life trials. Accepting the challenges that comes your way
because it will help you build skills
2. Adolescence period is the best time to build your skills.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

“I will work hard to achieve my goals.”

Participants will identify and write life goals in their journals.

REFERENCES

YouTube. www.nimh.nih.gov/ media/ video/ giedd.shtml

YouTube. Why The Teenage Brain Has An Evolutionary Advantage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P629TojpvDU

YouTube. Teenage Brains: Wired to Learn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GSvzgrBKaM

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Volume 1. Session 5. My Developing Brain
VOLUME 1. SESSION 6. CHANGING EMOTIONS

This session explains emotional development during the adolescence period. It also explains the
physiological basis of emotions.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participants will be able to cultivate and put into practice skills in emotional
regulation.

LIFE SKILLS

 Self-awareness
 Creative thinking
 Critical thinking
 Problem-solving
 Effective communication
 Decision-making
 Interpersonal relationships
 Empathy
 Coping with stress
 Coping with emotion

ACTIVITY 1: WHAT IS EMOTION

ENERGIZER: “ON YOUR TOES!”

Participants are grouped depending on the number of the participants and the duration of the activity
you are planning to achieve. Each group is given 30 seconds to plan and 30 seconds to perform a skit
featuring the following situations. Performers are chosen randomly. You may call two groups at the same
time.

1. Your group is at a video store to choose a movie to watch, but each one has a different choice.
2. One member of your group is at the dentist having his tooth pulled. You are all watching. But the
dentist forgot to inject a pain reliever.
3. Your group is at a library and keeps on talking with a loud voice. The librarian got pestered.
4. You are attending a birthday party. A guest gives a mouse as a gift.
5. You are walking down the street. One of you finds a wallet with ten thousand pesos in it.
6. You are in an ice cream parlor. You have enough money to buy just one sundae to share. But each
one prefers a different flavor, and two of you don’t want whipped cream on top.
7. One member of your group got lost in a vacation town. Every person he asks gives him a different
direction.
8. Your group is visiting a farm. When you sit down for breakfast, the host tells you that if you want
milk on your cereals you have to milk the cow.

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SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this activity, the participants will be able to define emotion in their own words.

ACTIVITY: “SCULPT ME”

MATERIALS NEEDED

Mood cards for several moods

PROCEDURE

1. Arrange the group in a circle. Ask them to form pairs.

2. Distribute to each pair a card with a mood written on it (e.g. angry, afraid, in love, tired, broken-
hearted, excited, victorious, mad, depressed, crying, etc.).
3. Ask them to keep what is written on the card a secret.
4. Each pair will have a turn in the circle. One person will be the clay and the other person will sculpt
his or her legs, hands and face to demonstrate the mood on the card.
5. Ask the other pairs to guess which mood is being portrayed by the pair. The first pair to give the
correct answer gets a point.
6. Ask a new pair to come to the center of the group and let the other pairs guess their portrayal.
Give the time for all the pairs to show their “mood.”
7. To save time, have half of the group sculpt while the other half moves around guessing the moods
being portrayed.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. Have you experienced emotions lately that you have not experienced when you were in grade
school? Can someone relate/share their experiences? [temperamental, becoming sensitive,
exaggerated feelings and actions]
2. Does your emotion affect your mood? How? [yes, no, sometimes; it becomes heavy inside if the
emotion is hurting, or light mood if I experience a happy situation]
3. Does your mood affect your action? How? [yes, I do actions that sometimes hurt my friends]
4. Is it normal for a person to react on different manners to show how they feel? (e.g. to be violent
when angry, to laugh and shout when happy, etc.)
5. Define emotion based on your own understanding. (The answer depends on the participants’
perception. It will be a good opportunity to assess their understanding of emotion and some
misconceptions.)

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

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Do you know what instinct means?

Instinct is an impulse. It is an inherent or natural tendency to immediately react to a stimulus below the
conscious level. It does not involve reason. Just like when you accidentally touched a live electrical wire,
you feel a sensation that runs through your hand, and immediately removes your hand. That’s an impulse.

Emotion is an instinct; it is innate. The term emotion refers to the reaction of our body to a stimulus.
When our body reacts to stimulus, in about 4 seconds, brain chemicals are released causing metabolic
changes in our body. You do not see these changes but you can actually feel its effects. Examples of these
effects are increases or decreases in heart rate, increase in blood flow to your face, feeling hot, sweating,
and butterflies in your stomach, all depending on how your brain perceives the stimulus. These are how
your body reacts when you feel the emotions like joy, fear, sad, anger.

When a dog barks and surprises you, your body’s immediate reaction is to jump startled without thinking.
It is a response that emanates from the brain (neuro-chemical response) telling your body to react. It is
instinctual because it is our body’s mechanism for survival. You do not have the time to process the idea.
Surprise is an emotional response to the treat.

When the mind, through our senses, perceives a stimulus from the surroundings, it is directly perceived
by our emotional system. The physiological reactions, such as an increase in heartbeat, sweating, body
tension, facial reactions, are felt by the body immediately after our mind perceives the stimulus. Our mind
could tell if it is a threat or a reward without conscious appraisal. The moment we become aware of it,
usually, in a matter of seconds, we label them as joy, fear, surprise, or sadness. The labels are called
feelings.

Certain emotions connect us to people; some warn us of danger; some help us cope with grief, and some
emotions help us to protect ourselves from a threat.

Being part of your being, you cannot avoid these feelings even if they put you in miserable and
uncomfortable situations. Therefore, the only solution to keep you in harmony with your emotions is for
you to recognize them, to be familiar with how you express them, or how they manifest in your body
reactions. They could be a threat to your well-being if they control you instead of you controlling them.

When you become familiar with them, you become conscious of their presence almost immediately and
it will allow you to restrain them; but most especially, you can regulate them to prevent them from
exploding.

There is no negative or positive emotion. We label them positive if it brings us closer to people, and
negative if it emotionally and psychological separates us from our social group because it hurts us or them.

Emotional regulation is a skill to be learned. This skill is necessary to manage the stress experienced by
your body. It will also improve your relationship skills so that you will become more sensitive and effective
in connecting with others.

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Notice how I refer to your body in the third person. It is because I want you to become more aware of
your body to direct it.

First on the list is you need to recognize your emotion. You need to learn to label what you feel. You may
always refer to it as feelings of emotion, but you need to know what specific emotion you feel at a
particular situation.

There are three (3) components of emotions. These are:

 Feeling
o This is the private manifestation of emotion.
o It is something we experience internally.
 Physiological arousal
o This is the distinct somatic and autonomic response of our body to stimulation
o It is a constellation of bodily responses producing racing heart, perspiration, tense muscle,
elevated blood pressure, etc.
 Actions
o The behavioral manifestation of the state of being "emotional". It is our body reaction to
a specific event (stimulant) which may involve conscious or unconscious decisions (reflex
action).
o This is the functional role of emotion, functional because it has a purpose and that is for
survival.

In order to label your feeling accurately, you must learn to pay conscious attention to them, especially on
the three components. We call it “self-awareness”. Without self-awareness, you may simply say I feel
“bad” or “good”, “okay” or “not okay”.

Emotions have categories. Let me present to you the different categories of emotions.

Table 1. Basic emotions and emotion blends

Primary Emotion Primary Blend Emotion Generated from Primary Blend

1 Anger Anger + Disgust Contempt
2 Anticipation Anticipation + Anger Aggressiveness
3 Joy Joy + Anticipation Optimism
4 Trust Trust + Joy Love
5 Fear Fear + Trust Submission
6 Surprise Surprise + Fear Alarm/Awe
7 Sadness Sadness + Surprise Disappointment
8 Disgust Disgust + Sadness Remorse

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Second, know what causes the emotion. In your daily interactions with your environment, learn to take
note of the events that result to specific emotion. If you need to list them down, then journal it and review
them once in a while.

Once you are able to recognize your emotions and the causes of your emotions, then practice the third
step, learn to focus on the components of your emotions by asking yourself the following questions:

1. What is my feeling right now?

2. How does my body respond to the emotion?
3. Is my heart beating fast? Am I sweating?
4. How am I behaving? Am I hysterical about it?
5. Am I overreacting to the situation?

By asking yourself these questions, you will be able to identify the sources of your stress. And the most
important step is to do something about the sources of your stress, which is the final step.

The decision is yours and making the decision is hard. It needs tons of self-control. We will learn self-
control in the activities and sessions to follow.

Becoming more emotionally intelligent requires mastery of your emotion and acquiring the habits of being
in command of them. Being emotionally intelligent will give you the ability to get along well with others
and prevent you from experiencing too much stress brought about by the period of adolescent
“metamorphosis.”

Remember this: based on several studies, youth without relationship skills are at greater risks for a
number of problems, including dropping out of school, compared to peers who have these skills.

In other sessions, we will discuss the specific emotions and the communication path in your brain
concerning emotional reactions. Having this knowledge will help you to be more mindful of your behavior.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

Emotions are instinctual reaction to protect and connect us to our surroundings.

Emotions and feelings are not the same thing. Emotions are the physiological reactions to stimulus around
us while Feelings are the label we give to these reactions once perceived by our consciousness.
Remember the four steps in regulating your emotions.

ACTIVITY 2: RECOGNIZING MY EMOTION

ENERGIZER

A stretching and breathing exercise are recommended to relax the body and prepare the participants for
the role playing. Example of a stretching exercise illustrated below.

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 Figure 1: Suggested stretching and breathing exercises
(https://bhls.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/computer-and-desk-stretches)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of activity, the participants will be able to recognize and describe their emotional responses.

ACTIVITY: “ANO ANG PAGKAKAIBA?”

MATERIALS NEEDED

Meta cards
Markers
Masking tape
Scissors

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Volume 1. Session 6. Changing Emotions
Notebooks

PROCEDURE

1. Form four groups with at least five members each.

2. Each group will role-play the scenario twice. The first act is to show how they, as a child, react to
the situation. The second act is to show how they, as an adolescent, respond to the same
situation.
3. Each group will individually come forward to receive their instructions. Use the following
scenarios:
a. Parent-Child Relationship (ex: Commanding the child to study hard, do household chores,
taking care of her younger sibling/s, asking permission to go out with friends)
b. Attraction to the opposite sex (ex: Unexpected encounter with your crush)
c. Interaction with peer group (ex: “asaran”)
d. Classroom situation (ex: teacher calling the attention of student for being noisy,
suspended student for vandalism)
4. Give them 10 minutes to practice; then, five minutes will be rendered for an actual demonstration
per group.
5. The other groups and the rest of the class will act as the audience. Instruct them to list down the
observed emotions on a meta card each.
6. Post the answers and process.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How did you feel about the role play? Describe your feelings.
2. Given the observed emotions, if you were in that situation, how do you manifest/show it?
[Describe the physical reactions, e.g., sweating, faster heartbeat, blushing, etc.]
3. How is it expressed in your actions? [e.g., stomping of feet, clenching of fists, jumping with joy,
shouting, etc.]
4. What do you think are the usual causes of teenagers’ emotions? [ex.: when parents do not allow
us to go with friends]
5. From what you have just experienced, what have you realized about emotions in general?
[depends on what participants learned]
6. What have you realized about yourself when you express your emotions? [impulsive or “pabigla-
bigla”]

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Emotional ups and downs are common among teens.

2. Identity crisis becomes an additional emotional trigger
3. Many of your emotional difficulties are socially oriented.

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QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Think of your everyday life scenario. How does your interaction with your parents transpire? How do you
react when they wake you up in the morning and you still do not want to move out of your bed, or when
you are browsing the Facebook and your mother tells you to stop and help out with the chores?

Often the interaction between you and your parents involve discipline and taking orders from them.
Rarely would they approach you and ask you about your feelings. In the course of your life, you grow up
thinking that feeling is something personal, and it seems odd to talk about it, especially with family
members. It seems that talking about "feelings" is almost a taboo.

This is the reason why this topic is included in our sessions. Why? Because you are in a new stage of your
life, the adolescent period. At this stage, emotion is taking a major role in your life. Why? There are two
reasons. First, your sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone, which elevates during puberty, contribute
to your emotionality. Second, your limbic system, the emotion processing part of your brain matures first
before your pre-frontal cortex (the executive function).

Experiencing neurobehavioral 1 excitement such as euphoria and risk-taking thrill is typical among teens2.
Everyone goes through this stage; even us, adults, went through what you are experiencing right now.
We were also emotionally driven and confused. We experience frustrations, too. There were times that
we could not define nor describe our feelings. We just react to situations, sometimes we get hurt or we
hurt other people. Few times we try to amend the wrongdoings, but there were times that we just ignore
them, hoping that it would improve by itself.

Emotional ups and downs are common among teens. All these changes in your emotional disposition are
the result of your physiological development triggered by puberty. The surge of sex hormones causes
changes in your brain chemistry and brain activities, which make you more vulnerable. Do not exclude
your environment, particularly your social environment, which influences your decisions like peer
pressure. All of this contributes to your immature and impulsive behaviours, and the pursuit of
excitement (like cutting classes to go on an adventure trip), including plunging emotions (like feeling
drained and confused after the adventure trip).

Also, the identity crisis becomes an additional emotional trigger. The physiological maturity drives you to
become more conscious of your body, causing a series of confusion regarding so many aspects of yourself.
Though this is happening, you have to realize that this is also an opportunity to conquer your feelings,
which is an indicator of emotional maturity. Now is the best time to practice emotional regulation, while

1
Neurobehavioral refers to the physiological reactions or behaviors generated by the brain and passes through the
body as nerve impulses.
2
Arain, M., et al. (2013). Maturation of the adolescent brain. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 9, 449–461.
doi:10.2147/NDT.S39776

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you are in your teens (like exercising impulse control when you are being persuaded by your friends to go
with them on this adventure trips). The skills you learn and practice will stay with you.

You may also experience changes in how you feel in terms of relating to other people, including your
family. As we have just discussed, changes in physical appearance may lead to changes in expectations
and, therefore, forcing you to adopt. In short, many of your emotional difficulties are socially oriented. ().

The facilitator may want to ask the participants their recent

emotional experiences at this point.

To summarize, your emotionality is at its height during the adolescence period because it is the result of
the changes going through your body and the changes in your social environment. We cannot avoid it.
But, what we can do is to monitor our reactions to avoid hurting people, especially those who are close
to us.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

“My Moodscape”: A Journal Entry 3

Figure 2. Illustration to represent the narration. Screenshot from

101 More Life Skills Games for Children.

1. Participants will draw according to the description after listening to the facilitator with their eyes
closed.
2. Read the instructions and description of the activity below with emotions:

3
Adopted from 101 More Life Skill Games for Children (“Moodscape”, p.21).

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 a. In the middle of the paper, from left to right, draw a road. This is your day’s journey path.
When you feel neither good nor bad, you walk along this path, just on the road. It is really
boring to walk just on the road.
b. Above the road is a meadow of green grass with a small lake. When you find the road trip
boring, you can run through the meadow, and your mood will get better. Above the
meadow is a gentle slope covered with flowers. You can stop to pick flowers, watch the
butterflies, bees, and the small colorful beetles. As you move above, it gets hilly but you
find yourself among trees, brooks, and all sorts of gentle animals. It’s a nice hiking trail.
You feel relaxed and free.

If you climb higher, you are beyond the trees. The mountain becomes steep. The scenery
is now amazing with waterfalls and inviting mountain cottages. You can climb the peaks
and enjoy the view and the peacefulness. You feel so happy to be there, especially when
you reach the peak and enjoy the proud feeling of accomplishing something not
everybody can do.

At the very top of the pictures, you are among the clouds, the sky and the birds that fly
high, gliding through the air. It is like a beautiful dream. Detached from all the problems.
You are very happy to see the ground below you. The freedom is boundless. All the duties
and worries are far away. This is when you have accomplished all the tasks.

Now let us look below the day’s path. It’s sandy and rocky. Nothing grows there. Walking
along this path is really boring, and you stumble a lot. Then comes a strip of marsh and
filthy vegetation. You need to make detours. You even hurt yourself because of thorns.
Sometimes you sink into the mud or step in a paddle. It is not a good feeling. As you move
further down, you find yourself in a jungle. You can feel thick undergrowth, thick grasses
and vines as you step forward. There are also thorns which makes it almost impossible to
continue. Dangerous snakes and animals scare you. It’s damp, dark and hostile. Whoever
walk here gets lost and feels hopeless.

3. Prepare several markers to represent yourself. Use this marker to track your activities and the
level of moods during those activities. Trace your moods based on what you felt as we read the
story.

Ask yourself:

1. What are my mood experiences during the day? Is mostly on the upper side or lower side of the
day’s path? Or did I stay mostly on the road?
2. What triggered the mood? What made me happy, sad, disappointed, frustrated, drained?
3. Who helped me feel better?
4. Who can help me stay on the upper side of the road?
5. What can I do to help myself?

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ACTIVITY 3. CONTROLLING MY EMOTION

ENERGIZER: “A DEADLY WINK”

Before the game starts, ask someone to play as a popular person with a deadly wink, and ask him/her
identity as secret. Tell the participants that there is popular person among them and that his wink can
make them faint. The participants move around the room keeping eye contact with everyone. If the
popular person wink at them they pretend to faint (but remains standing up pretending to be sleeping).
Everyone has to try to guess who this person is.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTIVITY

At the end of this session, the participants will be able to:

1. Discuss the various emotions they experience, and

2. Identify the emotional triggers.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “TANGLE-UNTANGLE”

MATERIALS NEEDED

Pictures of facial expressions showing different emotions

Written scenarios that elicit different emotions

PROCEDURE

1. Form groups with 15-25 members each. It is recommended to separate the boys from the girls.

2. Ask the groups to select someone to act as the director. Then, ask the directors to go out of the
room so they will not see what their groupmates are doing.
3. Ask the rest of the members of the group to join hands and form a circle.
4. Without letting go of each other’s hands, people move over, under, and between each other to
form a human knot.
5. After forming the knot, the director will try to untangle them. No one moves unless the director
instructs.
6. Keep track of time. Give a time limit.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How is your experience? (group and director)

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 2. Which is easier, making or untangling the knots?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Your brain can form and reform itself at the neuro-level. Have you heard the word neuro-plasticity? Yes,
plastic! Your brain can form and reform itself at the neuro-level. Your adolescent brain contains billions
of neurons that are as excited and happy to connect and communicate with each other (Figure 3). Your
task is to help them connect so that they can collaborate and become smarter.

The same is also true for the neurons responsible for emotional regulation. You need to connect your
thinking brain to your emotional brain (see Figure 4) so that your thinking brain can tame the hyperactive
amygdala (the part of your brain where emotion is generated). You see, during the adolescence period,
your amygdala becomes more active because of the changes in your brain chemistry brought about by
puberty.

Figure 3. Neurons communicating to each other.

The changes in your amygdala have a reason. Changes in the chemistry of your brain during your teen
years force you to go out and explore, to take the road and live to your purpose. And when you follow
that voice, you are allowing yourself to learn and improve your survival skills. However, you are also
exposing yourself to threats and danger, the side of the road that exposes you to many life adversaries.

Your emotional system, in which your amygdala is a part of, becomes your powerful radar that alarms
when you are in danger. So, you see, your emotional system is your brain’s defense system. However, it
needs some taming. Thus, emotional regulation skills are necessary.

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 Figure 4. Illustration to show the amygdala and the
prefrontal cortex. The site of the communication between
the thinking brain and the emotional brain is at the areas
where the tip of the cerebrum is almost touching the
amygdala. Whenever you try to tame your emotional
impulses, the connection in this area is strengthened
helping with your emotional regulation skills.

Emotional regulation is a skill. You can train yourself to monitor and regulate your emotions until it
becomes a habit. A habit is an indication that neurons are connected, and the axons are strongly
myelinated. Having emotional management skills will help you manage stress. Your relationship skills will
also improve. You will become more sensitive and effective in relating to others.

Are you interested to learn emotional regulation skills? On the following days before our next meeting,
journal your emotional experiences. Note the trigger, the feelings that you felt, and the reactions you
exhibited.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. It is easy to tangle your emotions but difficult to untangle it.

2. Your brain has the capability to form and reform itself at the neuro-level.
3. The changes in your amygdala has a reason.
4. Emotional regulation is a skill that can be learned.

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ACTIVITY 4. PAYING ATTENTION TO MY EMOTION

ENERGIZER: “UNMASKING”

PROCEDURE
1. Form a circle. Ask everyone to show a poker face (no expression, blank).
2. Begin the session by miming a tragic facial expression. Then, gradually pretend to peel the mask
of tragedy and reveal a smiling, joyful face.
3. Name someone in the group and "throw" the “tragic mask” to that person.
4. That person will continue the mime by putting on the tragic mask and then peeling it off slowly,
revealing a happy face. The "throwing" of the tragic mask to someone else will continue, and so
on until everyone in the group is wearing a happy face.
5. Each person in the group should continue to hold the happy mask on their face until the whole
group has done it.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THE ACTIVITY

At the end of this activity, the participants will be able to describe their body sensation.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “GETTING ACQUIANTED WITH MY BODY”

MATERIALS NEEDED

None

PROCEDURE

Begin the lecture and just follow the quick reference guide. Practice the learning points/tips in the quick
reference guide. (Process questions will come after the quick reference guide.)

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Master your emotions by practicing emotional self-awareness.

1. Emotional Self-Awareness is the ability to understand your own emotions and their effects on
your performance. 4 To understand your emotions, you need to know your body and the
reactions that it displays. Listen to your body; your body will tell you a lot about you. Let's see:

4
Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Self-Awareness: A Primer (Building Blocks of Emotional Intelligence
Book 1) (Kindle Locations 201-202). More Than Sound, LLC. Kindle Edition.

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Volume 1. Session 6. Changing Emotions
 a. When you are tired, how does it show? You yawn, right? It is not intentional; your
body does that automatically.
b. When you are hungry, what signs does your body give you? Your stomach grumbles,
and sometimes your mouth can taste bitterness. What else?
c. When you are cold, what do you notice? Your body Shivers.
2. These are sensations that your body will generate because something is happening inside
your body because it is reacting to something (stimulus); and this is how your body sends
signals to you. What happens next is that you attend to these signals to remove the
discomfort.
3. Tell me what you do when you experience the three examples. You take a rest when you are
tired, you eat or drink when your stomach gives you signs, and you put on a jacket to warm
your body. These sensations are body signals to prompt you to act. All this happens on its
own, and you may not even notice them. However, it is important to pay attention to these
body signals.
4. Let us do some exercises to make you aware of your body. The following exercises will help
you raise your awareness. Call for volunteers along the way to answer the questions.
a. Exercise 1: Rub your hands together. What do you notice? Did you feel the heat? Was
there some sweating?
b. Exercise 2: Let’s jog around the room or jog in place for a minute. Now make it fast.
Stop. What do you feel? Put your palm on your chest. Describe what you feel. Put
your fingers on your neck or behind your ears. What do you feel? Do you feel your
heart racing and your pulse beating? What about your breathing? What about your
whole body? Do you feel getting warm? From where does the warmness start
appearing?
c. Exercise no 3: Place your hands on your belly and take 10 deep breaths. Notice your
belly as it moves in and out. What do you feel as you take those deep breatha? Do
you feel your body relaxed as you breathe out? Breathing out lowers down your heart
rate.

These are body feelings that your body produces when you experience something. The feel is always
changing depending on how your body reacts, which depends on what you experience (threat, comfort,
love).

From now on, try to journal body feelings until you become conscious of it whenever you feel it. This is a
way of becoming aware of them. This will also help you understand how your body responds to your
emotions like how you feel when you are embarrassed, or surprise, or startled. Observe your body. This
will help you foster mindfulness.

In other sessions, you will get to be more familiar with the different emotions particularly the big four.
You will also learn how to control them; but before you can learn to control them, you need to be aware
when your emotions produce body reactions.

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PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. What do you feel?

2. Describe what you felt?
3. What other sensations can you describe? And when do you experience them?

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Your reactions can be felt physically.

2. Paying attention to your body sensations will develop your mindfulness skills which will help in
emotional regulation.
3. Becoming more self-aware and emotionally intelligent can help you own your emotions and your
actions more.
4. For better self-awareness, learn to recognize your emotions; know what causes the emotions;
learn to focus on the components of your emotions; and do something about the sources of your
stress.
REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT
Journal Prompts:
1. Collect an item that would remind you of a memorable event. Recall your body actions associated
to the event (ex.: I joyfully jumped; I was so happy I treated my friend to a burger.)
2. Write about something that taught you an important lesson. Recall your feelings, how you
reacted.
3. If you could relive one moment from yesterday what would it be? Describe it in detail.

“Experiences are more meaningful and remembered when they have an

emotional meaning to us.”

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VOLUME 1. SESSION 7. EXPRESSING EMOTIONS
This session discusses the big six emotions and deepens on the most common emotions experienced by
adolescents. Also, this session teaches that emotional regulation is an important skill. This gives some tips
on how to practice owning one’s emotions.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participants will be able to:

1. Effectively cope with their emotions;

2. Recognize, accept, and appreciate the presence of emotions and their manifestations;
3. Practice emotional regulation; and
4. Practice empathy.

LIFE SKILLS

 Self-awareness
 Creative thinking
 Critical thinking
 Problem-solving
 Effective communication
 Decision-making
 Interpersonal relationships
 Empathy
 Coping with Stress
 Coping with Emotion

ACTIVITY 1: THE SIX BIG EMOTIONS

ENERGIZER: “TIDE’S-IN, TIDE’S-OUT”

1. Divide the participants into four groups.

2. Draw a big square on the floor. Each group will stand along the sides of the square. Allocate
enough space for movement. The lines represent the seashore.
3. Ask participants to stand behind the line. When the facilitator shouts “Tide’s out,” everyone jumps
forward over the line. When the facilitator shouts “Tide’s in,”everyone jumps backwards over the
line. If the facilitator shouts “Tide’s out!” twice in a row, participants who move have to drop out
of the game.
4. The group left with the most number of participants wins.

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SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this session, the Participants should be able to explain why they need to be thankful for their
emotions.

ACTIVITY: “FORCED CHOICE”

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Chalk and chalkboard or

 Meta cards and pen

PROCEDURE

Note: This activity will be conducted midway.

1. Ask for volunteers to act the following scenario one at a time. The number of volunteers per skit
may vary depending on the scenario. The rest of the participants including those volunteers
waiting for their turn to perform will watch and decide whether they agree or disagree with the
reaction.
a. Skit for joy: A group of students (“barkada”) look at a list of University passers. All of them
passed the exam, so they shout and jump in celebration even though they were in a public
and quiet place. Approve or disapprove?
b. Skit for surprise: You and a friend are walking down the corridor of a library. A rubber
frog was thrown to you by a friend. You were startled. You scream and jump and over
react. Approve or disapprove?
c. Skit for fear: You just finished your school project and it’s almost 11pm. On the way
home, you and your friend decide to use the shortcut, a dark alley. You keep on imagining
that there is a ghost somewhere. You are also worried that somebody will just hit you
from behind. You keep on blaming your friend. Approve or disapprove?
d. Skit for sadness: Your parents have to leave you to the care of your grandparents who
live very far from home because your grandmother is very sick. You argue with them and
blame them for not taking care of themselves. Approve or disapprove.
e. Skit for anger: When somebody hits you, you hit back. Agree or disagree.
f. Skit for disgust: You are invited for dinner in your friend’s house. When you tasted the
food, it was something unfamiliar and you were disgusted by the taste. You squirmed and
blurted, “yuck”. Agree or disagree?
2. The participants will position themselves on the presented choices after each skit. If they choose
to answer 'disagree,' they will position themselves on the right side, and if they want to answer
'agree,' they will go to the left side.
3. Each participant will record their answers.

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PROCESS QUESTIONS

Note: The activity is an exercise not only on awareness and empathy but on decision-making and logical
reasoning.

1. Can you identify the emotions from the reactions?

2. What do you think of your answers? Do you think your agreeableness or disagreeableness is
reasonable? Can someone justify their answers for each scenario?
3. Given the conditions above, how did you react when it happened to you? Or how would you
react?
4. Why do you think you reacted or will react that way?
5. Did you think about the reactions before doing it? Or was it immediate?
6. What do you think is the proper way to react?
7. You may also want to process some examples provided by the student.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Emotions are something to be thankful for. They are gifts of life. Without emotions, life can be compared
to a bland food, tasteless. Life would be lonely or without challenges. But emotions can be cruel
sometimes if we let it lose from our hold.

“That’s the astonishing secret that lives inside the emotional realm: If you trust and attend to your
emotions, they’ll take care of you. If you don’t, your life will be pretty miserable, and you’ll leave a mess
for others to clean up.” (McLaren, 2010)1

How do you feel today? Some days you are feeling good, and it shows as a big smile on your face; and
some days, you are feeling low and don’t feel like smiling. Notice how you are eager to hang out with your
friend, or as excited to come to class and be with familiar people when you are happy. But, you also
probably notice that when you feel low, there is nothing you would like to do. Can you describe how you
feel and what you want to do when you are in this (somber) mood?

Well, on those low days, you may not want to fool around with your friends or even do anything. Those
could be the days when you wish that you could stay in bed or be alone. But, whatever you are going
through, you are feeling something. Emotions are experienced and felt every day.

What is emotion again? How do we differentiate it from feelings? Emotion is how your body behaves
when something is happening to you (like jumping when someone says, “Boo!”). Feelings come after that,
such as you might get “angry.” Feelings are the label that you put to explain that emotion, it also includes
the behavior that you exhibit, like making a “fist.”

The six big emotions. Let me introduce the big emotions that everyone feels: Joy, surprise, fear, sadness,
anger, and disgust. These are the primary emotions to help us to become aware, and to perceive and

1
McLaren, Karla. The Language of Emotions. Sounds True. Kindle Edition.

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adapt to changes in the environment. These emotions can affect how you behave in any situation, like at
home with your family, at school with your teacher, classmates, and friends. It is a daily thing. As
mentioned before, it can affect the quality of your relationships if you do not know how to handle them.

Go back to the activity that you have done. Can you give other situations showing the big six emotions?
Let us try to describe your behavior when you feel the emotions. You can demonstrate to the group what
you did when you were in that circumstance.

Perhaps, you are only familiar to those emotions that you frequently feel. These are joy and happiness,
fear, anger, guilt and shame. It is very important that we discuss these big emotions. Being familiar with
them will help you process and handle them.

Try this!

Are you feeling agitated? Frustrated? Angry? Try this simple method to control your emotions. Practice
this every time you think you are about to experience emotional reactivity. Use this to avoid conflict. It is
called the “ZIPPER Method.”

 Z – Zip your mouth. Stop and take a deep breath, slowly, and continue until you feel your body
relax, focus on your breathing and not the situation.

 I - Identify the problem. What do you need? What is your problem? What is it that you want
because what you desire at the moment may not be what you want? For instance, you may be
frustrated because your work was criticized, but what you really need is to be appreciated or
recognized, which is something that can not be given to you at the moment.

 P - Pause. Take a moment to calm down. Remove yourself from the situation if you can. Go outside
and be alone. Avoid going to other people because you will be tempted to tell them what
happened, and it may aggravate the situation.

Instead of releasing some “body stress” because you are trying to divert your attention, you might
get opinions that can make you more furious.

 P - Put yourself in charge. Take control of your actions. Feel your body, shake your hands, drink
water. Focus on the parts of your body manifesting the distress (ex. Sweating palms, you may
want to wash your hands with cold water to redirect your attention or wash your face to cool
down, don’t forget to keep a deep breath now and then)

 E – Explore. What can you do? Try to relax and tell yourself, “I can forget about it!” Do not dwell
on the feeling. Divert your attention by doing other things.

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  R – Reset. When you are already relaxed, you are now ready to list down your options. It would
be good to write them down. “What made me react? Why did I act that way? What is it that I
want?” Be honest with yourself since you are the only one reading your notes. “Is it worth
pursuing when I can find an alternative? Is it really important that I am risking many things,
including my pride? Is it better to let go because letting go means winning in the end? Winning
because I would not feel distressed all week long?”

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. There are common feelings everyone experiences.

2. We feel and express the emotions depending on the situation.
3. Emotions help our body to cope and adapt to the different situations.

ACTIVITY 2: JOY

ENERGIZER: “IF YOU’RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT…” SONG

This is a popular children’s song. Ask the participants to modify it using funny body movements.
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap clap)

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this session, the participants will be able to:

1. Differentiate happiness from joy;

2. Describe the manifestation of the emotion “joy;” and
3. Describe how one behaves when they experience joy.

ACTIVITY: “EXPRESSING JOY”

MATERIALS NEEDED

None

PROCEDURE

1. This is a variation of the icebreaker “Unmasking.”

2. Form a circle.
3. Begin the session with yourself (facilitator) miming a “poker face,” and then gradually pretending
to peel the mask of no emotion from face to reveal a joyful face and reaction (example: jump,

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 raise their hands, clap, or shake their hands). Encourage them to explore joyful reactions using
their whole body. It is important that all sorts of behavior will come out to make them aware of
these body actions.
4. Name someone in the group and "throw" the mask to that person.
5. That person will continue the mime by putting on the mask and then peeling it off slowly, revealing
a joyful expression. The "throwing" of the mask to someone else will continue, and so on, until
everyone in the group shows not just a happy face but a joyful mood as well.
6. Each person in the group should continue to hold the happy mask on their face until the whole
group has done it.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. What did you notice? Are there many ways of expressing joy?
2. What can you tell about these body actions? (Let them think and reflect on these behaviors.
These behaviors may be spontaneous, learned, practiced and conditioned – disclose these only
when the participants are not able to provide them).

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

All emotions are true, but… that doesn’t mean they are right and that you should listen to them without
the help of your thinking brain. What do I mean by this?

Example: How would you react if a handsome guy (campus heartthrob or “crush ng bayan”) from school
offered you a ride or asked to walk you home? Would you have second thoughts? The excitement would
perhaps block your reason. This is happiness taking control.

Think of your past experiences. Did you notice that it has been easy for you to make decisions when you
are happy? This is because your mind is on the positive thinking mode – hopeful, playful, invigorated. Even
though happiness is a good feeling, it is a strong emotion. Beware of the danger it can cause.

Let me explain further.

All incoming information, whether it comes from the environment or inside our thoughts, pass through
our emotional brain first (limbic system) for screening whether it is desirable or undesirable, whether it is
good or bad. After that, our brain will automatically tell the rest of our body to react, whether we advance
or keep a distance. That is why we need the help of the thinking brain to help us correctly assess the
situation.

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 Figure 1. Illustration showing the three major part of the brain
(https://elearning.adobe.com/2018/04/classic-learning-research-practice-triune-brain-connect-
audience/)

But unfortunately, when your emotion is turned on, and you do not get hold of it at once, it remains
turned on, preventing the thinking brain from interfering or helping. You see, when the emotional brain
is turned on, the thinking brain is turned off, preventing you from thinking clearly and reasonably. Please
remember this!

To prevent your emotional brain from hijacking your entire thinking system, you need to alert yourself at
once of the possible dangers. Make the right decision at once.

Since your thinking brain is not yet fully mature, the number one rule is to listen to your parents, to your
teachers, and other trusted adults.

Let’s talk about happiness and joy.

What makes you happy? (Give time for students to answer). Happiness is different from joy, although
they are relatives. Happiness is associated with amusement and anticipation. You may not be aware, but
inside you, it is saying, “Thank you for this celebration!” When you are happy, you feel lighthearted and
cheerful. You feel wonder or amazement. There is also a feeling of anticipation or hopefulness for
something good to happen. And if you haven’t noticed, you are energized. So perhaps this is what you
want to feel before an exam.

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Joy is deeper than happiness. Joy seems to come forth during moments of communion with nature, love,
and beauty when you feel as if you’re one with everything. It is closer to the feeling of contentment.

Whether happiness, joy, or others (including fear, sadness, anger, etc.), emotions are the results of brain
activity. It comes from the actions of the neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are tiny chemical
“messenger” cells that transmit signals between neurons (nerves) and other bodily cells. Those
neurotransmitters are responsible for processes and feelings in almost every aspect of the body, from
blood flow to digestion.

Figure 2. Neurons releasing neurotransmitters at the synapse. 2

(https://www.dana.org/article/neurotransmitters/ )

We feel joy in our body because of the release of neurotransmitters - dopamine and serotonin. When
something you perceive as happy happens, your brain receives the signal to release these chemicals into
your central nervous system (which consists of your brain and spinal cord). This then causes reactions in
other bodily systems,3 which consists of: changes in heartbeat and blood pressure, the redness on your
face, and facial expression such as grin and body contour, and finally, what you feel – lightheartedness,
optimism, etc.

2
Sukel, Kayte (2019). Nuerotransmitters. Explore neuroscience. Dana Foundation.
https://www.dana.org/article/neurotransmitters/
3
Carrie Murphy (2018). This Is How Joy Affects Your Body. https://www.healthline.com/health/affects-of-joy#3

Page 8 of 14
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Joy and happiness energize you. It inspires you to be productive. Moreover, it helps you connect socially
and emotionally to other people, which is the most important function of joy and happiness.

Try this!

You can trick your body to feel happy. When you put a smile on your face,
your brain will think that you are happy. It will elevate your mood, lower
your heart rate, and reduce stress. Exercise can also enhance your sense of
well-being and can take your mind off from worries and negative thoughts. A
nature walk, petting a dog or cat, and hugging your loved ones (your parents
in particular) can help your neurotransmitters do their job.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Joy and happiness are the emotions for social connection.

2. Joy and happiness energize and make you productive.
3. However, joy and happiness, when unmonitored, can lead to impulsiveness.
4. You can trick the body to feel happy.

ACTIVITY 3: FEAR

ENERGIZER: “ELEPHANT, CHICKEN, MONKEY” 4

1. Get everyone to stand or sit in a circle.

2. Everyone will make sound of either an elephant, chicken or monkey. Participants are free to
choose, but make sure that all animals will be represented. Monkeys will make the chimp sound
and do a monkey action. Chicken will make a “tweet” sound while flapping their wings. Elephants
will “roar” with one arm outstretched from your nose. Practice the sounds. They have to make
the sound in unison. The aim is to find and end up with the same animal. Individuals will start with
an animal of their choice, once they meet another animal or group of a particular animal, they
decide whether they will convert into that or the other individual or group converts. See how long
it takes for everyone to end up with the same animal without giving any instructions.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

4
Naylor, by Sharon. Incredible Ice Breaker Games & Ideas: Everything You Need to Make Your Event a
Huge Success! (Kindle Locations 128-137). Kindle Edition.

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At the end of this session, the participants will be able to:

1. Recognize the manifestation of fear; and

2. Explain the function of fear.

ACTIVITY: “MYSTERY INSIDE THE BOX”

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Big shoebox or any bigger box, sealed with a small hole that can fit a hand.
 Any object that may feel creepy when touched (ex.: overcooked rice with raisins and oil;
something unfamiliar to the students).

PROCEDURE

1. Put the mystery objects inside the shoe box.

2. Invent a story about what is inside the box. Like an object that you found creeping in your house.
Something that does not smell good.
3. Ask volunteers to feel the object inside but tell them that they are not allowed to peep.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. Describe your feelings as you went through the experience.

2. Can you identify your emotions?
3. Can you describe your body reactions?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

It's time to talk about fear. Fear is something common among teens. What do you fear? Have you felt the
emotion of fear lately? What triggered your fear? Can you describe your body reactions?

Fear includes anxiety, worry, and reminiscence of emotional trauma. Fear is a survival instinct. When you
think you’re in danger or feel like something bad might happen, you feel fear. When you are afraid, it
makes your heart beat faster. It may even make you breathing faster. Your hands may feel shaky too. The
increase in heart rate means your body is storing energy to prepare your body to run and escape because
your life is in danger.

In addition, you might not notice, but fear, according to McLaren (2010), is the intelligence that takes over
our bodies, our minds, and our emotions and turns us into surprisingly masterful lifesavers. It makes you
focused and able to respond effectively to your environment. Your focus and readiness will allow you to

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act in ways that protect you. Fear is your constant companion, not just in potentially endangering
situations, but in all situations.5

There are many challenges that we need to face, which makes us anxious about it. Fear is a warning to
help us prepare and sharpen our skills so that we can face the danger or the challenge like performing in
front of a big crowd.

Here are some tips to help you conquer your fear. The following will help you calm down, not to escape
but to prepare yourself for the challenge to come.

Tips for conquering your fear and anxiety:6

1. Always check your thoughts. Sometimes your thoughts invent ideas that are not real. [Ask
volunteers to share their experiences]. These thoughts will trigger more fear and anxiety. Use
your thinking brain to decide what is real and what is not.
2. Send your brain on a scavenger hunt. [Encourage everyone to practice, and then ask volunteers
to share.]
a. Breathe in through your nose for a count of three,
b. Breathe out through your mouth for a count of five,
c. Think of five things that you can see,
d. Think of four things you can hear,
e. Think of three things you can feel,
f. Think of two things you can smell,
g. Think of one thing you can taste, and finally,
h. Breathe in through your nose for a count of three,
i. Breathe out through your mouth for a count of five.
3. Find something to do with your hands. Remember the fidget spinner toys that once became a
craze. It would be useful during moments of high anxiety. You can also use those stress balls that
feel like jelly. Squeezing them will relax your hands. [Ask students for suggestions. Other may be
playing with a paper clip or a pen in your hand.] But be careful that these may not be developed
into a mannerism.
4. Stay in the present moment. Remember, fear is created in anticipation of the future. Often, what
you fear are events that may happen in the future. Stay calm by focusing on what you are doing
at the present moment. [Think of examples such as thinking of failing at test.]
5. Avoid avoiding things. Do not avoid things that you feel nervous about. Conquer it!

5
McLaren, Karla. The Language of Emotions (p. 236). Sounds True. Kindle Edition.
6
Allen MEd NBCT, Vanessa. Me and My Feelings: A Kids' Guide to Understanding and Expressing Themselves (p. 17).
Rockridge Press. Kindle Edition.

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 6. Control your breathing. Blow or pretend to blow bubbles. [Ask for suggestions.]
7. Get a hug from someone who loves you like your mother, an elder sister, or your grandparents.
Or give yourself one.
8. Find something to distract you. Turn to your hobby.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

The participants can do exercises to practice the tips on conquering fear and anxiety. Thus, this meeting
may be extended until the next meeting.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Fear is a survival instinct to help our body run from life threatening objects or situations.
2. However, fear is also our body’s alert system to prepare for what is feared.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Write in your journal a circumstance when you will feel fear and how you conquered it. Share your entry
with the group the next meeting when you feel like sharing.

ACTIVITY 3: GUILT AND SHAME

ENERGIZER: “RABBIT”

Someone starts by putting both hands up to their ears and wiggling their fingers. The people on either
side of this person put up one hand only, to the ear nearest the person with both hands up. Then, the
person with both hands up points to another person across the circle. This person now puts both hands
up to their ears and wiggles their fingers. The people on either side have to put up the hand nearest the
person with both hands up and wiggle their fingers. The game continues in this way until everyone
becomes a ‘rabbit.’

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this session, the participants will be able to:

1. Explain what guilt and shame are,

2. Describe how one feels, and
3. Explain the purpose of guilt and shame.

ACTIVITY: “OBJECTIFYING SHAME”

MATERIALS NEEDED

Various objects that can be found around the room, including personal possessions

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PROCEDURE

1. Ask the participants to pick an object around the room that, for them, represents guilt or shame.
It can be any object: a pencil, a chair, shoe, shoelace, etc.
2. Have the participants take a few minutes to explore their chosen object and discuss how their
choice relates to their experiences with shame.
3. Ask for volunteers, but it would be good if the timid participants will share. Use the popcorn
method (wait for those who are really willing to share) as this may be a sensitive topic.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How did you feel when we were doing the sharing?

2. Was it difficult for you to share your experience?
3. Why do you think the object you are holding symbolizes guilty/shameful experiences and
feelings? [Answer depends on their personal experiences and how creative they can be]
4. How are you feeling now?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

This time let’s talk about guilt and shame.

Have you ever felt guilt or shame? How do you define guilt? How do you define shame? Can anyone share
their experience of shame? Can you describe how you felt when you experience these feelings? When do
you experience them? Do you experience the heavy pumping of your heart? Do you feel the hot flashes
radiating from the center of your body moving to your neck and to your face?

You may not know it, but guilt will show on your face, your speech, your mind, and your whole body. Do
you feel that anytime somebody will catch up on you? These are how guilt and shame make their
presence.

Guilt is a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or
imagined. It also means a sense of having committed wrong or failed in an obligation. Shame, on the other
hand, is a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish
behavior. It also feels like losing one’s honor.

Losing one's sense of honor may also correspond to losing your trustworthiness. When you lose your
sense of integrity, a feeling of isolation may creep in. Why? Perhaps it's all in your mind, but you may
sense that people are always having second thoughts about your reliability. It's called paranoia. This may
happen at the early stage, but if you keep on doing the offense, then you will totally blow it. You will be
"tagged," stereotyped, and would never feel safe in a social group. You will be setting a boundary around
you for psychological protection. It may damage your self-esteem.

The feeling of guilt and shame are important. There is a reason why you have these emotions. The
moment you do or attempt to do something not socially accepted, especially that which is against your
moral values and the moral values of the society you belong, guilt will creep in. Thus, if you look at it

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YDS Volume 1. Session 7. Expressing Emotions
positively and, again, as a survival instinct, guilt appears to push people to act in a more moral way to
appease (ease, relieve) their guilt. Once you submit to the immoral act, shame follows you. It makes you
feel bad about yourself. This is when you start to feel like you lost your honor. Once you lose your honor
and people see it, what do you think their reactions will be? Perhaps they will not believe you. Would you
like it if people keep on doubting you even if there is no basis? They form this attitude towards you
because of what you have done.

Guilt and shame are forms of anger that arise when your boundary has been broken from the inside
because of what you have done wrong or realized to be wrong. They are vital emotions that you may lose
if you keep on ignoring it. When you listen to these emotions whenever they knock, they will help you
grow into a mature and conscientious person. They will help you become a more mindful and well-
regulated person, and you can be proud of yourself. Remember, if you lose them, they are irreplaceable.

Sometimes you will face challenges and lose to them. You will need to resolve it to regain your inner
peace. To resolve your inner conflict, ask yourself who has been hurt and what must be made right. Do
you need to apologize? Do you need to amend it? Once you resolve the conflict, you will restore your
balance, your inner peace. The feelings you will experience are penitence, then, integrity and self-respect.
You will experience the feeling of being reborn. You will naturally move into happiness and contentment.
So you see, the only way to resolve guilt and shame is to confess and amend. We are all gifted with
conscience.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Guilt and shame are important feelings with social survival functions
2. Listen to these emotions when you feel them it will save your ‘ties’ with your social groups.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

Provide a brief summary of the whole session or synthesis from the first to the last meeting and emphasize
the relevance on this session to the youth.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Write your guilty and/or shameful experiences and how you have conquered them. Did you try to confess
and amend the situation or the other party? What was the result?

REFERENCES

McLaren, Karla. The Language of Emotions. Sounds True. Kindle Edition.

Joaquín Selva, Bc.S.(2019) Why Shame and Guilt Are Functional For Mental Health.
https://positivepsychology.com/shame-guilt/

Phrases. Seek first to understand and then to be understood by Stephen Covey (2011)

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YDS Volume 1. Session 7. Expressing Emotions
VOLUME 1. SESSION 8. CHANGING ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS

This session discusses the increase in adolescents’ roles and responsibilities at home, in school, and in the
communities. This session is different from the other sessions as the meetings in this are building up for
the participants to create a presentation or creative output that they will showcase in their class, school
and/or community.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participants will be able to internalize new roles in the family, school, and
community.

LIFE SKILLS

 Self-Awareness
 Creative Thinking
 Critical Thinking
 Problem-Solving
 Effective Communication
 Decision-Making
 Interpersonal Relationships
 Empathy
 Coping with Stress
 Coping with Emotion

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

1. Be gender and culturally sensitive.

2. Consider indigenous resources/materials available in the community.
3. Use vernacular language in terms of material development and actual facilitation.
4. The input/lecture can be done before the activity planning or during the session after the groups
have presented their activity.
5. Appropriate guidance will be needed by the participants in every activity of the meetings.

ACTIVITY 1: CHANGING EXPECTATIONS

ENERGIZER: BUZZ

1. Ask the group to stand up and form a circle.

2. Everyone takes turns saying a number starting from 1, 2, 3 and so on. Of course, there is a catch.
For each number with a 4 in it or that is a multiple of, the person needs to say BUZZ instead of the
number. For example: 1 - 2 - 3 - BUZZ - 5 - 6 - 7 - BUZZ - 9 - 10 - 11 - BUZZ - 13 - BUZZ - 15 - BUZZ -
17, and so on. The round continues until someone makes a mistake and is eliminated.
3. For the next rounds, replace BUZZ with another word related to roles that adolescents have at
home, at school, or in the community. For example: 1 - 2 - 3 - ASSISTING IN PERFORMING
HOUSEHOLD CHORES - 5 - 6 - 7 - STUDY - 9 - 10 - 11 - PARTICIPATING IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES,

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Volume 1. Session 8. Changing Roles and Expectations
 and so on.1

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this session, the participants will be able to identify at least three changes in their social
developmental domain.

ACTIVITY: CREATIVE ROLES

PROCEDURE

1. Form three groups among the participants.

2. Each group shall plan, create, and present the activities assigned to them:
a. Group 1: Family - Perform a skit about the different roles the adolescents play in the
family or household.
b. Group 2: School - Create posters and slogans about the different roles and
responsibilities junior high school students have in school.
c. Group 3: Community - Perform a rap and a dance number describing the roles and
responsibilities adolescents have in the community.
3. Give each group 30 minutes to plan and research for the activity, let them use the process
questions as guides.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. As a child, what were the different roles that you portrayed in different situations?
2. Now that you are an adolescent, are the roles that you portrayed still the same? Why is this so?
3. What are the new roles that you take now?
4. What similar experiences do you share with your groupmates in terms of the roles you portray?
5. How does the role you take in one situation affect your roles in other situations (e.g. how your
roles in school influence your roles at home and vice versa)?
6. How do you manage conflicts between roles?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Changing Expectations

Adolescence is a time filled with many changes; and the social domain is one area which will show
numerous changes. Given the adolescents’ changing bodies and their more adult-like appearances, adults
often start viewing adolescents as young men and women who are capable of much more than they
were as kids.

There are both advantages and disadvantages related to this. On one hand, looking more adult-like may
make it easier for parents to give adolescents adult privileges like staying outside at night much later. On
the other hand, they may start to have more and bigger expectations, in particular, expectations for more
mature and independent tasks and behaviors.

KEY LEARNING POINT

As we grow older our roles and responsibilities in the family, school and community would grow bigger.

1
Source: https://www.bookwidgets.com

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Volume 1. Session 8. Changing Roles and Expectations
ACTIVITY 2: EVERYONE MATURES AT THEIR OWN PACE

ENERGIZER: TOUCH SOMETHING

1. Ask everyone to stand up.

2. Explain that you will call out instructions and everyone must touch something in that color. For
example, “Touch something blue!” This could be a blue skirt, shirt, bag, etc. Then call out, "Touch
something green!" and everyone should run to touch a green object
3. The game continues as the facilitator calls out different instructions.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this session, the participants will be able to explain the changing roles and expectations of
adolescents within the context of the family, school and community.

ACTIVITY: CREATIVE ROLES

PROCEDURE

1. Allow the participants to practice and prepare for the activity assigned to them from the previous
meeting.
2. Instruct them that they will be presenting their outputs in class or in a program. The posters, on
the other hand, will be posted around school or the barangay hall after presenting them to the
group/class.

Note: This session will be devoted for the practice or crafting of their last meeting’s activity assignment.
Make sure to monitor and guide the progress of the groups.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Everyone Matures at Their Own Pace

Even if an adolescent seems physically mature, that does not automatically mean he/she is also socially
and emotionally mature. Many will go through a trial and error phase as they discover the responsibilities
that come with the increased independence that they are allowed. Some will discover that they are not
yet capable of functioning well in adult social roles, and some may make mistakes as they explore the new
limits of what they are allowed to do.

This mismatch between what the adolescent and the adults expect and what adolescents can actually
accomplish leads to stress and possibly role confusion that can continue until that time that physical
maturity and social maturity coincide.

ACTIVITY 3: HOW ADULTS AND PARENTS CAN HELP

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this session, the participants will be able to journal their daily activities.

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Volume 1. Session 8. Changing Roles and Expectations
ACTIVITY: CREATIVE ROLES

MATERIALS NEEDED

Depends on the group’s plans

PROCEDURE

1. Let the groups present their creative output.

2. After the activity, process the presentations using the process questions below.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. What was the message of the activity?

2. What roles did you observe in the presentations?
3. Do you experience the same expectations?
4. How difficult was it playing those roles?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

How Adults and Parents Can Help

According to psychologist Diana Baumrind (1967), there are distinct parenting styles. Each style is strongly
correlated to children manifesting specific behaviors as early as preschool. Baumrind’s theory is that these
styles lead to behaviors that in turn have far-reaching consequences in their children’s lives. Baumrind
initially identified three parenting styles, but Maccoby and Martin (1983) expanded this into four styles:
authoritative parenting, authoritarian parenting, permissive/indulgent parenting, and neglectful
parenting. The table below summarizes the important differences between the styles:

Style Characteristics of Parents Outcomes in Children

Authoritative Warm and Responsive Higher Academic Performance
Clear Rules More Self-Esteem
High Expectations Better Social Skills
Supportive Less Mental Illness
Values Independence Lower Delinquency
Authoritarian Cold and Unresponsive Lower Academic Performance
Strict Rules Less Self-Esteem
High Expectations Poorer Social Skills
Expects Blind Obedience Mental Illness
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
Delinquency
Permissive/ Warm and Responsive Impulsive Behavior
Indulgent Few or No Rules Egocentric
Indulgent Poorer Social Skills
Lenient Problematic Relationships
Neglectful Cold and Unresponsive Impulsive Behavior
No Rules Delinquency
Uninvolved Drug/Alcohol Abuse
Indifferent Suicide

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Volume 1. Session 8. Changing Roles and Expectations
According to Steinberg (2001), research shows that adolescents benefit most from having parents who
are authoritative: warm and involved in the child’s daily life; firm and consistent in establishing and
enforcing guidelines and limits; have high but developmentally appropriate expectations; and allowing for
their children to develop their own beliefs and opinions.

Adolescents raised in authoritative homes show the following positive outcomes: self-reliance,
achievement motivation, prosocial behavior, higher self-control, cheerfulness, and social confidence; all
of which are highly desired in our society.

We can apply this knowledge to adolescent development. Whether we are parents or mentors, these are
positive outcomes that we desire for all individuals. We can promote the development of such outcomes
by adopting a more authoritative parenting/mentoring style. We can also observe adolescents closely and
identify outcomes that stem from their relationships with their parents.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

Like the adolescents, parents also have a great role in shaping their young adults. through the mixture of
parenting styles, with no one size that would fit all, adolescents can be guided into achieving their desired
and expected roles from them and grow into active and contributing citizens of the community.

ACTIVITY 4: INCREASE IN SOCIAL ROLES AND RELATIONSHIPS

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this session, the participants will be able to make a value review as part of their daily
journaling.

ACTIVITY: AKO ITO

MATERIALS

 Metacards
 Markers
 Draw Table 1 on the board or on a Manila paper

Table 1. Roles
Category Roles
Positive Roles Challenging Roles
Family 1 1
2 2
School 1 1
2 2
Community 1 1
2 2

PROCEDURE

1. Ask participants to regroup using the groupings in the last meeting.

2. Each group will be given six (6) meta cards.

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Volume 1. Session 8. Changing Roles and Expectations
 3. Based on the earlier discussion and activities, ask them to list down the biggest role and the most
challenging tasks they performed inside their home, school, and their community (each group will
focus on the social group assigned to them during the first meeting of this session.
a. Group 1: Family
b. Group 2: School
c. Groups 3: Community
4. Tell participants to post their meta cards on the assigned area on the board or wall. The roles that
they can post have no limits. They can post as many as they can.
5. Discuss the results as a class using the process questions.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. Why do you find these roles positive?

2. Why do you find these roles challenging?
3. Are there roles which are challenging for you but are not challenging to others; or the other way
around? Why is this so?
4. How can you turn challenging roles into positive roles?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Increase in Social Roles and Relationships

Adolescents will begin to form many different types of relationships outside the home, and many of these
relationships will become more deeply involved and more emotionally intimate. Your social networks may
greatly expand to include more people and many different types of relationships.

Adolescents begin to differentiate friends from acquaintances, indicating a more mature understanding
of the different ways to know another person. They develop the capacity to form closer and more intimate
relationships with their friends. Friends become the first line of support during times of worry or upset.
This increased reliance on friendships is yet another way that teens demonstrate their growing
independence. They may also start forming romantic attachments and have a greater desire for a
romantic relationship. In some cases, this may lead to questions about sexual orientation and gender
identity. Such questions are difficult in that only the adolescent can really make his/her conclusions and
decisions.

Adolescents must also learn to balance multiple roles and relationships that compete with the
family’s/school’s time, energy, and attention. There are many teachers with different requirements and
priorities. In order to complete group projects or assignments with classmates, they need the ability to
form cooperative relationships. This ability is important to have once they become adults who have bosses
and colleagues.

Consequently, as relationships become more complex, roles and responsibilities also become
complicated. The community expects them to become productive citizens. They are expected to do well
in school so that they can acquire skills and knowledge that would make them perform better as part of
the workforce. These are heavy responsibilities, and parents and mentors should prepare them so that
they can handle these.

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Volume 1. Session 8. Changing Roles and Expectations
KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Different people may see the same person differently.

2. We have different roles to play in the different social environments we are part of.
3. The adolescent looks more adult-like and this leads to changes in how people perceive them and
what is expected of them.
4. Adolescent social development involves a dramatic change in the quantity and quality of social
relationships among family members, classmates, peers and other people.
5. Parents’ expectations may be very different from what adolescents know and feel.
6. Adolescents’ expectations from parents may be very different from what parents know and feel.
7. Communication is very important in the parent-child relationship.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Journal prompt:

Now that you have understood your roles better, please complete the sentences below in your journals:

1. I will stop doing __________________.

2. I will continue doing ______________.
3. I will start doing __________________.

REFERENCES

[1] Baumrind, D. (1967). Child care practices anteceding three patterns of preschool behavior.
Genetic Psychology Monographs, 75(1), 43-88.

[2] Maccoby, E., & Martin, J. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child
interaction. In P. Mussen, Handbook of Child Psychology (pp. 1-101). New York: Wiley.

[3] Sessa, F. M., Avenevoli, S., Steinberg, L., & Morris, A. S. (2001). Correspondence Among
Informants On Parenting: Preschool Children, Mothers, And Observers. Journal Of Family
Psychology, 15(1), 53-68.

[4] Power, T. G. (2013). Parenting Dimensions And Styles: A Brief History And Recommendations For
Future Research. Childhood Obesity, 9(1), 14-21.

[5] "4 Parenting Styles - Characteristics And Effects [Infographic] - Parenting For Brain".
2020. Parenting For Brain. https://www.parentingforbrain.com/4-baumrind-parenting-styles/.

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Volume 1. Session 8. Changing Roles and Expectations
VOLUME 1. SESSION 9. DEFINING IDENTITY
In this session, the activities are meant to help the participants go deeper into their self and develop an
understanding of what “identity” means and how it develops. The activities will also encourage them to
enhance other life skills such as effective communication and creative thinking.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participants will be able to practice self-analysis to enhance one’s self.

LIFE SKILLS

 Self-Awareness
 Creative thinking
 Critical Thinking
 Problem-solving
 Effective communication
 Decision-making
 Interpersonal relationships
 Empathy
 Coping with Stress
 Coping with emotion

ACTIVITY 1. COATS OF ARM

ENERGIZER: “HUMAN BINGO”

MATERIALS

 Human bingo cards

 Pencil

PROCEDURE

1. Each participant will be given a “human bingo card” containing different attributes of a person.
You can translate this to Filipino or to your vernacular.

Has
Has an
Likes spicy grandmother Loves to Loves
older
food living with sing spaghetti
brother
them

Has an Can dance Loves to Has a pet

Catholic
older sister very well read dog

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Volume 1. Session 9. Defining Identity
 Has a
Can Loves to play Plays
Is a boy good
whistle video game basketball
voice
Plays a
Was born on Has curly Is good in Is an only
musical
December hair math child
instrument
Does not Very
Member Is left- Is good in
eat popular in
of a club handed science
vegetable school

2. Instruct the participants to walk around and ask the others to find the exact person possessing
the characteristics indicated in the bingo card.
3. Have that identified person sign the specific box. Only one signature per person per bingo card is
allowed. The identified person who signed in one box should not repeat signing the other
attributes in the same Bingo Card.
4. Tell the participants to shout “Bingo” when all boxes in their cards are signed. The first one who
finishes the game wins.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Define identity; and

2. Identify factors shaping one’s identity.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR:

 Elicit and recognize participants’ feelings and insights by writing their responses on the
board/craft papers (if available).
 Highlight significant points that they shared or raised.
 Encourage open discussion and clarification, as this will deepen the discussion on the topic.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “COAT OF ARMS”

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Manila paper
 Scissors
 Masking tape
 Pens
 Crayons (Optional)
 Permanent markers

PROCEDURE

1. Group the participants into groups of 5 members each and distribute the Manila paper to each
group.

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Volume 1. Session 9. Defining Identity
 2. Instruct the participants: “Imagine yourselves as WARRIORS” ready for battle but one important
gear is missing – a SHIELD, otherwise known as COAT OF ARMS. As warriors, you should be
completely armed and have a clear picture of who you are.”
3. Show Figure 1. Illustration of the shield.

Strengths

Fears Passions
& &
Weaknesses Ambitions

Figure 1. Illustration of the shield.

4. Each group will brainstorm and identify their very own individual strengths, fears, weaknesses,
passion, and ambition and write them inside the corresponding area of the shield drawn on the
manila paper. Allow duplication, this will indicate which attributes are common among
participants.
5. Give them 10 minutes to do this.
6. Once completed, post the Manila paper on the board/wall and choose one representative from
each group to share their output.

PROCESS QUESTION

1. How do you understand the “Coat of Arms” based on the activity conducted?
2. What were the traits that were difficult and easy to identify?
3. If you reflect on these several traits, how do these traits help you develop and mature?
4. Can you explain how these traits make you who you are?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Sino ako? Saan ako nanggaling? Saan ako patungo?

“Who among you here have asked the same questions?”

These are common questions that young people often ask, which we associate with the concept of
“identity crisis” [which we will tackle in activity no.2].

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Volume 1. Session 9. Defining Identity
The answers seem easy, but in reality, we are often put to silence when we ask these questions ourselves.
Nevertheless, if we are asking these questions, it means we are living our life mindfully or consciously
(nag-iisip ka at naglalaan ka ng panahon upang magmuni-muni), which is a great thing!

Self-knowledge is an essential step towards self-appreciation.

It is knowing our thoughts and feelings, how they came about, and how they influence our behavior (Ong,
2010). Knowing the self means knowing our needs, desires, motivations, beliefs, views, and values.
According to Ong (2010), it is about “knowing how you tick and what makes you tick.”

The attributes listed in the human bingo cards are traits to reflect on. These traits affect behaviors and
relationships with other people, and these are also traits that influence motivations, beliefs, desires, and
values. These traits also indicates what our needs are. If we analyze the activity, when we look for people
who fit these traits, it shows how we see them. And, if we reflect on the lists where our names are written,
we tend to assess our views about ourselves – “Am I really popular?” The activity is a way of showing us
that there are ways on how we can look deeper inside us to know who we are.

The same is true for the “Coat of Arms.” When we self-reflect, or focus our attention on our thoughts to
dig deep into our own past experiences, we discover so many things about our selves – what we are and
how we behave. In essence, doing this helps us gain knowledge of our self, our ‘identity’.

Our perceptions about ourselves affect our sense of self-esteem. Going back on the lists on the “Coat of
Arms,” our strengths drive us to be productive and proud of ourselves. They motivate us towards learning
and self-improvement. Our fears and weakness slow us down; thus, a need to reflect on them and to ask
ourselves how we can overcome them. Our passion and ambitions give us hope and the will to move
forward. It creates anticipation that fuels our will to live our life.

The self is an all-encompassing concept that refers to everything that we are. It is the totality of who we
are. Our strengths, our weaknesses, even our deepest secrets and concerns, and how we reconcile all of
them. When we are referring to the 'self,' we are often relating to our ‘identity.’

According to James Marcia, psychologist, “identity” refers to our “self-structure,” the “internal, self-
constructed, dynamic organization of drives, abilities, beliefs, and [personal] history (Handbook of
Adolescence, p. 159). Identity is:

 A sense of who we are (pagkakakilala sa sarili) or how we see and feel our self;
 A personal declaration (kadalasan ay pinipili natin) or what we choose to become;
 A sense of belongingness (naaapektuhan ng kung saang pangkat tayo kabilang) or our social
affiliation, their values and culture;
 And relatively stable (hindi bastabasta natitinag) because our identity is like a structure and its
development went through a process; and composed of several stable elements such as values,
habits, dispositions, and a lot more. These are strongly connected to each other; thus,
restructuring will have to go through the same process; and
 Dynamic and complex (maari ring magbago dulot ng mga karanasan), though relatively stable, it
can change depending on our day to day experiences.

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Volume 1. Session 9. Defining Identity
Our identity is formed in a lifelong process. We become who we are as we live our lives. Some of our traits
may change from the time we were born, but we are still generally the same person.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Identity formation is a lifelong process.

2. Identity is everything about us.
3. Adolescents are at the forefront of identity crisis due to increasing self-awareness and
understanding of the world.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

What do I mean by the word, ‘self’? How do I become the way I am now? And, as adolescents, what are
my concerns in connection with my understanding about the “self”?

REFERENCES

Ong, Tim, (2010) The importance of self-knowledge.

https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/the_importance_of_self_knowledge . Accessed 2020 March 30.

ACTIVITY 2. TOO MUCH FOR MY PLATE

ENERGIZER

To start with this activity, engage the participants in movement, either through dance/zumba, aerobics,
or stretching just to prepare the participants’ mind and body for the sessions.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Explore how one’s “identities” align or contradict one another; and,

2. Reflect how one deals with conflicting identities

ACTIVITY TITLE: “PASS THE MESSAGE, ACT AND GUESS”

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Paper plate
 Crayons (Optional)
 Permanent markers

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Volume 1. Session 9. Defining Identity
PROCEDURE

1. Identify the different roles and identities you take. For example, you are a student, a
daughter/son, a friend, a leader of an organization etc. On the paper plate, draw as many slices
for each of the roles and identities you take. Label each slice with the identity.

Figure 2. Sample paper plat with slices of roles

2. On the front side of each slice, write down expectations that you hear from other people (ex.
Student: perhaps according to your parents “you need to study hard” or from your teacher, “you
need to do and submit requirement”).
3. On the back side of the slice side of each slice, write down the qualities and traits which you are
expected to have respective to what is in front. For example, answer this question: As a
student/child/friend what are the qualities you must possess so that you can perform your role
effectively? (ex. diligent, resourceful)
4. Write down your answer for all of the roles?

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How’s your experience doing the activity?

2. What are the common qualities and traits expected of you?
3. Are there qualities that contradict? (e.g., you are being expected to be tough as a leader but to
be obedient as a child to your parents)
4. How do you manage these contradictions?
5. What do you do when these expectations become overwhelming?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Adolescence is a unique phase in terms of identity formation because this is the time when we spend
more of our attention on asking who we are. According to Erik Erikson, another psychologist, this is the
stage called “identity vs. identity confusion.”

(Note: to be placed in a bubble or the minute activity - In what ways have you experienced confusion
regarding your roles?)

When somebody asks us, “who are you?” how do we answer? Perhaps, our answer would be like, “Hello
ma’am. I’m George, your son’s scout leader.” Notice that aside from our name, we give them information
that identifies our [contextual] position? Contextual in the sense that the information we provide is

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Volume 1. Session 9. Defining Identity
related to how we expect that other person to relate to us. In this case, her son’s scout leader. As a scout
leader, you would project the persona expected of a scout leader. Perhaps you would lean back your
shoulder to look respectable because that is how you perceive a scout leader to be like. However, when
you go home, your mother greets you with angry words because you left your room untidy. How would
you feel? There would undoubtedly be a crisis between these two roles.

Identity crisis is a well-known occurrence among adolescents. A period of uncertainty and confusion in
which a person's sense of identity becomes insecure, typically due to a change in their expected aims or
role in society (Oxford). From the definition, we see the words ‘uncertainty’ and ‘confusion.’ Any adult
will tell us that during their adolescence period, they experience moments where they begin to doubt
whether their actions are acceptable not only to other people but even according to their personal
standards.

There are also situations when they become confused because of conflicting expectations from several
people. For example, parents expect their children to focus on their studies, but also expect them to do
household chores that consume time. It is an [situational] example of role-related uncertainty and
confusion, and this would progress to a crisis if it keeps repeating for some time.

Identity does not only refer to our legal name, but it encompasses everything about us, such as personal
characteristics, memories, experiences, relationships, and values that create one’s sense of self. However,
during the adolescence period, identity construction is in progress. Identity formation is an essential
developmental task that an individual needs to satisfy.

When you examine the pie that you made, you see the expectations on one side; and on the other side of
the pie, you wrote the characteristics and attributes that you need to demonstrate/possess to satisfy the
demands of the role. When you have enhanced these traits, then you can say that you are moving out of
the crisis. As you gradually strengthen your character within each role, you will notice that you are forming
your core values, which would become the foundation of your true identity. This true identity is something
that you bring with you in all the roles you assume.

Adolescents, as you are, you assume different identities.1 You have:

 Self-identity (who you are according to you). Statements such as “I am poor in math” or “I get
nervous when I am in front of a big audience” are statements that we say about our selves
because this is how we perceive our selves. This is dictated by our own recognition of our selves.
And these traits are unique to us and these set us apart as distinct individuals.
 Social identity (who you are according to others). This refers to the set of characteristics by which
a person is recognizable or known by society. Example would be doctors or nurses. These
individuals have common attributes that are shared by other doctors and nurses. Same as with
priests. These attributes categorize and puts them in same group. These gives them their social
identity.

1
https://www.kennethmd.com/the-difference-between-social-identity-and-self-identity/

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Volume 1. Session 9. Defining Identity
There are things about us that only others see. These comprise our social identity. Those things that only
we can see constitute our self-identity. Were there instances with your friends, family, or other people
when your social- and self-identity were in clash? How did you respond? (Note: Ask participants to share).

Aside from these two, you have other identities to assume based on the region you are living in, the ethnic
group you belong to, the economic status you have, the religious faith you profess, and many others. Can
you cite experiences wherein these identities are in contrast? (Ask participants to share).

Perhaps, it is also due to these multiple identities that adolescents experience a crisis at this particular
stage in their life. As an adolescent, how do you reconcile these various identities? (Ask participants to
share.)

These are several ways of experiencing an identity crisis.

KEY LEARNING POINT

Adolescents assume different identities and these identities may come in contrasts with each other and
thus experiences identity crisis.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

“Got a Minute” activity: “Who am I” and “who do I want my future self to be?”

Instruct participants to face the person seating beside them and share their reflection.

REFERENCES

Identity. Psychology today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/identity. Accessed 31 March

2020

The Difference Between Social Identity And Self Identity. https://www.kennethmd.com/the-difference-

between-social-identity-and-self-identity/

ACTIVITY 3. ABAKADA PUMILI KA

ENERGIZER: “FIND SOMEONE WEARING...” 2

Instruct the participants to walk around the room and listen to your instructions. Shout to the group “Find
someone wearing (a specific color or object of clothing or accessories)” and let them go to that specific
person. Repeat the process until you feel that the group is energized.

2
Energizing game found in 100 Ways to Energize Groups.

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SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Explain the concept of identity status; and

2. Reflect on one’s identity status.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “ABAKADA PUMILA KA”

MATERIALS NEEDED:

 A, B, K, D signposts
 List of activities

PROCEDURE

1. Explain that this activity is a forced choice game. Tell participants that they will be asked to choose
among four options:
a. A - Hindi ko pa alam ang gagawin; bahala na, di na muna ako magiisip
b. B – Susunod na lang ako sa sinasabi sa akin ng iba
c. K – Hindi ko pa alam ang gagawin; magiisip ako kung ano ang gagawin
d. D – Alam ko na ang gagawin; napagisipan ko na nang mabuti
2. Ask four (4) volunteers to hold the signpost.
3. Tell all the participants to stand together at the back of the room.
4. Instruct them that after each statement/question that they have to line up behind the answer of
their choice.
5. Read the following statements one at a time and provide time for the participants to choose and
line up:
a. Pinagdesisyon ka kung ano ang iluluto sa hapunan
b. Pinapili ka kung anong kurso ang kukunin sa college
c. Inaya ka ng kaibigan mo na lumiban sa klase (magcutting klases)
d. Pinasasali ka sa isang paligsahan na sa tingin mo ay di mo kayang gawin
e. Sinabihan ka ng teacher mo na magsimba o sumamba sa takdang araw ng pagsimba o
pagsamba.
f. Niyaya ka nga mga kaibigan mong makipag-online gaming pagkatapos ng klase.
g. Niyaya ka ng mga kabarkada mo na mag-outing sa tabing-dagat kahit alam ninyong hindi
kayo pinapayagan.
6. Ask participants to explain their choices.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How’s your experience doing the activity?

2. What are your bases for making the choices?
3. What have you discovered about yourself?

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NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

You may modify or add more depending on your judgement in terms of culture.

QUICK REFERENCE

Different adolescents will have different responses when they are confronted with conflicting identities.
Look at these boxes and identify which of the descriptions fit you most:

(1) (3)

“Hindi ko pa alam kung ano ang “Kapag may problema, lubha akong
pinaniniwalaan ko. Bahala na. nagiisip. Nais kong maunawaan
Magdedesisyon ako pagandyan kung bakit kailangan gawin ang
na.” isang bagay.”

(2) (4)

“Bata pa lang ako alam ko na ang “Ako ay mayroon nang personal na

tama at mali. Mas maiging basehan ng tama at mali. Alam ko
sumunod kesa maging bukas sai na kung sino ako at kung bakit ko
bang ideya.” ginagawa ang mga bagay-bagay.”

Each box corresponds to an IDENTITY STATUS. According to James Marcia (Psychologist), as the
adolescent's journey towards understanding themselves, they may either COMMIT or NOT COMMIT in
any of the identities we discussed above. Likewise, they may either EXPLORE or NOT EXPLORE.

In Box No. 1, identity status is DIFFUSED – low level of identity (commitment) and low level of search
(identity). It means the adolescent is not committing to any identity and, at the same time, not trying to
explore who she or he really is?

In Box No. 2, the identity status is FORECLOSED – high level of identity (commitment) and low level of
search (crisis). It means the adolescent has already committed to an identity but, at the same time, already
stopped exploring other possibilities.

In Box No. 3, the identity status is MORATORIUM – low level of identity (commitment) and high level of
search (crisis). The adolescent has not yet committed but is exploring who she or he really is. Most
adolescents are in this status.

The goal of an adolescent is Box No. 4 ACHIEVEMENT – High level of identity and high level of search that
one has already committed to an 'identity' and yet still searching to become a better person.

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What does Marcia's theory tell us? It tells us that identity development is like a journey where there are
four main points or stations. At every point of the continuum, we are challenged by situations and events
which he calls "crisis." These events are catalysts that push us to make self-evaluation that would gradually
prompt us to take steps to self-evolvement.

In the self-evaluation process, we examine and question our beliefs, values, and goals.

As we explore options and new possibilities, new beliefs will arise, we adopt different sets of values, and
therefore make different choices.

This "crisis" event causes the adolescent to develop a progressively greater commitment to a particular
individual identity. It is how we resolve the crisis and form our identity.

Emphasize to the participants that it takes years for them to become who they would be in the future. At
this point, they need to think about who they would become so that they can work for it. And to remember
that it requires conscious participation on their part to evolve and become the person they dream of
becoming.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. Adolescents experience crisis as part of your developmental task.

2. Adolescents when confronted by crises may opt to explore or not explore (i.e., engage in the
activity) and commit or not commit (i.e., consistently commit to a belief or role).

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

“Where am I in Marcia’s theory of identity status?”

ACTIVITY 4. SPOKEN POETRY

ENERGIZER

Use this energizer for getting the group into teams of (x) members.

1. Look for several familiar recipes with (x) number of ingredients. The number of recipes depends
on how many groups you want to form. Write the name of the recipes on a Manila paper or on
the board, but make sure to cover them.
2. Write each the ingredient on a piece of paper, fold and drop in a box.
3. Each participant will pick one paper from the box. Instruct them not to look until you say so.
4. Tell them that there will be a party and they are tasked to cook for the banquet. Tell them that
they will only cook what you will tell them to cook.
5. After you announce what they need to cook, participants will move around to compare and look
for ingredients that are needed for a recipe, until groups are formed.

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Volume 1. Session 9. Defining Identity
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Recall learnings from all the activities/meetings that are most applicable to their lives as
adolescents; and,
2. Exhibit working in a team by planning and performing a creative presentation regarding the
learnings they acquired from all the sessions.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

 This activity will serve as a synthesis of the entire session and will focus on skill development such
creative thinking and communication skills.
 It will use the rules of ‘spoken word’
 Make sure to guide the students in preparing their presentations. Affirm the students for a job
well done.

ACTIVITY TITLE: “SPOKEN POETRY”

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Paper
 Pen

PROCEDURE

1. Maintain the grouping you have accomplished from the energizer.

2. Instruct the groups to come up with an eight-stanza/verse spoken poetry. The guide is as follow:
a. Use the letter from the word I-D-E-N-T-I-T-Y. You may choose other key words from this
session.
b. Each stanza should start with the letters from the word ‘IDENTITY.’
3. After the groups wrote down the verse, ask the participants to plan for a group spoken poetry.
4. Give them 20 minutes to prepare and two (2) minutes to present the output.
5. Below are some tips/guidelines in creating spoken words on how to write a spoken poetry:
a. Use words and phrases that project onto the minds of the listeners like vivid images,
sounds, actions and sensations.
b. Choose a subject and have and attitude. Feelings and opinions are important. They give
life to the poem. Be confident about your what you think.
c. Key features are repetition and rhyming. Repeating a key phrase or image can bring
excitement.
d. Performance is a key component. Spoken words are meant to be performed. Have a
good stage presence. Project your ideas and feelings through how you speak your words.
Make sure you enunciate the words. Open your mouth. Maintain eye contact. Facial
expression and gesture help animate your poem. Example: look angry if your poem is
about anger.
e. If you wish, memorize your poem so you can focus on your performance.

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PROCESS QUESTION

1. What did you feel while doing the task?

2. What did you feel when you were sharing/presenting your output with the group?
3. What were the similarities among the output?
4. What were the differences among the output?
5. What were the facilitating factors that contributed to the success of the activity?
6. What were the factors that hinder the success of the activity?
7. What did you learn and discover in the exercise?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

What is Spoken word?

Spoken word is written on a page but performed for an audience. It is a poem that is meant to be read
aloud with emotion and attitude. It relies on improvisation, rhythm, rhymes, word play and jargon.
Examples (you may look for other examples that are localized, like a spoken poetry in your vernacular or
in Filipino):

“Enemy”3

I ran myself hard on the street,

Just a baby,
Hittin' the cold concrete,
The fear of feeling,
Evoked my defeat,
But I chose the path of
The lonely, dark, bitter and obsolete;
Picked up survival techniques
To make ends meet,
Learned life lessons
Through being beat,
In more ways than one,
And in repeat;
So weak,
No choice but to retreat,
Long sleeves
To keep track marks discrete,
I was desperate,
Lit fires in cans for heat,
fought to eat,

3
https://www.digitalpoet.net/enemy.html

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Volume 1. Session 9. Defining Identity
 Ran burnt out buildings
Leaving the stench of sweaty feet,
Finding harmony in a colony
of broken lives,
Incomplete…

KEY LEARNING POINT

Anyone can be creative, it is strength that can define one’s identity

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

“What is the best thing that I learned today?”

REFERENCES

James Marcia and Self-Identity. Child Development Theory: Adolescence (12 to 24).
https://www.risas.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=41164&cn=1310

Page 14 of 14
Volume 1. Session 9. Defining Identity
VOLUME 1. SESSION 10. MY DREAMS ARE MY DESTINY
This session discusses aspirations as a purpose in life and planning one’s actions as a tool to reach one’s
destiny. The activities are meant to create awareness of one’s aspirations and bring out their commitment
to themselves and to their community to carry out tasks and bring out the best in themselves.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of the session, the participants will be able to demonstrate a positive disposition in life and
show appreciation for one’s physical being and its innate capacity as an instrument to achieve their
aspirations in life.

LIFE SKILLS

● Self-Awareness
● Creative thinking
● Critical Thinking
● Problem-solving
● Effective communication
● Decision-making
● Interpersonal relationships
● Empathy

ACTIVITY 1. MY LIFE TODAY AND TOMORROW

ENERGIZER: “FORTUNE TELLING”

MATERIALS NEEDED

Paper and pen

PROCEDURE

1. Independently, participants shall write their names on a piece of paper and draw two to three
objects that say something about themselves. Discourage participants from discussing what they
are drawing.
2. The facilitator collects the paper, shuffles, and distributes them randomly back to the group.
3. Participants take turns calling the person whose name is on the paper they are holding. One
stands up, calls the name, and interprets the drawing but in a horoscope-like style. They must add
humor to their prediction.
4. Example:

“This is Edwin, I see a pencil and an ant.”

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Volume 1. Session 10. My Dreams are My Destiny
 Prediction: “I see that you have a good future as a writer, but you keep on eating sweets. If you
don’t control yourself, you might end up with a tooth decay!”

5. Edwin will now call the name on the paper he is holding. Continue until everyone has been
introduced.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Communicate their aspiration for themselves, their family, and community; and
2. Identify factors affecting the achievement of these dreams.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

Relate their output to the discussion.

ACTIVITY: “MY LIFE TODAY AND TOMORROW”

● Bond paper
● Pens
● Crayons
● Permanent markers

PROCEDURE

1. Distribute the materials to the participants.

2. Instruct the participants to draw a staircase with five steps (see figure below).

10 years
8 years from now
6 years from now
4 years from now
Current from now
life

3. Tell the participants that each step represents their life:

a. At the present (bottom step)
b. Four years from now (2nd step)
c. Six years from now (3rd step)
d. Eight years from now (4th step)
e. 10 years from now (5th step)

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Volume 1. Session 10. My Dreams are My Destiny
 4. Tell them to think of symbols that will represent their life, and to draw these symbols in each step.
In this session, ask the participants to focus on themselves and their families.
5. Once the participants are done, ask at least five volunteers to share their staircases.
6. Discuss their output, focusing on possible actions on how to turn their aspirations into reality.
7. Based on the identified actions to be taken, let participants write their pledge or letter to self and
their parents at the back of the stairs on how to achieve their dreams.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How was your experience doing the activity?

2. What did you discover about yourself?
3. What are the aspirations you have for yourself and your family?
4. What do you think you should do to achieve these aspirations?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE FOR THE FACILITATOR

Have you ever thought about what you will become in the future? How do you see yourself? How do you
see your family? While there is so much uncertainty about what will happen in our life, having some vision
about what kind of life we wish to have is essential in making day to day decisions.

Studies show that having aspirations leads to a positive psychological outcome. First, aspirations improve
our performance. They motivate us to do better in our daily tasks such that they allow us to progress and
develop into someone who can actualize our dreams. Second, aspirations enable us to lead others
effectively. When we have a vision of the future, and when we aim to achieve a particular dream to be
realized, we can strategize how to achieve them, and thus, provide us signposts in helping others also to
realize their dreams. Third, aspirations make us feel good. Since we are motivated, we find meaning in
what we do, and we feel good about recognizing the value of everything we do or even the sacrifices we
offer every day.

What do you think are the factors that could affect how you aspire and dream? How can you achieve
these dreams? [Ask volunteers to share their thoughts].

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

Elicit participants’ feelings and insights. Recognize the participant’s ideas/sharing by writing their
responses on the board/craft papers (if available) and highlight significant points that they raised.
Encourage open discussion and clarification, as this will deepen the discussion on the topic. Provide
highlights of the group outputs during the presentation, compare each response, and connect them to
the Key Learning Points.

PAIR SHARE ACTIVITY

Face the person next to you and ask each other “Why do we aspire/dream? (Bakit ba tayo nangangarap?)”
Then, share your answer to each other.

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Volume 1. Session 10. My Dreams are My Destiny
KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. We should aspire for a positive, beautiful, and fruitful future for ourselves and our family.
2. Having an aspiration motivates us to act conscientiously.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ASSSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

“I want to do better because ______________________________________.” (why?)

ACTIVITY 2. ASPIRATI ONS

ENERGIZER: “COCONUT”

The facilitator shows the group how to spell out C-O-C-O-N-U-T by using full movements of the arms and
the body. All participants then try this together. Repeat several times, making it slow first and then faster
and faster.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of this activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Learn the song, and

2. Explain why it is important to set their daily goals.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

Download the music video of the song “The Impossible Dream”

ACTIVITY: GROUP SINGING

Teach the song to the participants. You may opt to choose any of the two songs, or look for other songs
with the same message and that is more relatable to the participants.

“The Impossible Dream”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGsYrpejAYw

To dream the impossible dream

To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong

To love pure and chaste from afar

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 To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest, to follow that star

No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march
Into hell for a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true

To this glorious quest
That my heart will be peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest.

And the world will be better for this,

That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage.
To fight the unbeatable foe.
To reach the unreachable star.

MATERIALS NEEDED

● Copy of the lyrics

● Video copy of the song with lyrics and melody (follow the links)

PROCEDURE

1. Play the recording of the song and teach the song to the participants.
2. This may be given as an assignment from the previous session so that they can learn it at home.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How do you feel about the song?

2. What can you learn from the song?
3. What is an impossible dream for you?
4. Can you share your impossible dream with the group?
5. How can you make an impossible dream possible?

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

What is aspiration? Aspiration is a firm hope, a dream, or a goal. When we think of aspiration, we think of
something positive, with upward implications. It is moving forward to become something better than
what or where we are at present.

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The song “The Impossible dream” is inspirational. It gives us a picture of the meaning of aspiration.
Aspiration is reaching for the stars. “We may never quite make it, but the act of looking and moving
upwards is what makes our day to day life meaningful” (anonymous).

If breathing is a physical necessity, aspiration, on the other hand, is a mental and emotional necessity.
Both help us keep going. Aspirations answer the question, “why”: Why do we keep on waking up every
day? Why do we attend our class? (Allow participants to reflect on the questions.) Maybe the answer
would be, “because I want to make something for myself,” or “I want to become someone,” or “I don’t
want to be helpless in the future, incapable of feeding myself.”

Even if our answers are fundamental, these are all tied to our aspirations.

What is the difference between aspiration, goals, and ambition?1

Though these three concepts are somehow related in meaning, they are not at all the same. Aspiration is
a long- term goal, while goals can be almost anything [though a goal can be an aspiration too]. However,
goals can be considered as stepping stones to fuel our aspirations. Therefore, it is worthwhile to keep in
mind, that goal must always be a part of our daily planning.

Aspirations have directions; ambition, on the other hand, can be unfocused. Ambition could be a
challenge. But some ambition can be considered as a tool to achieve your aspirations or could be the end
in itself.

Aspiration can exist without actions, while ambition involves movement towards what we desire. People
may say that they aspire for something or a state of being but may not take steps or actions. Strong
aspiration requires ambition, and ambition involves a set of concrete goals to serve as stepping stones.

Focus and work towards your aspiration, but make sure to fuel it with ambition and lay down your goals
to serve as your stepping stones.

It is important to make your life meaningful on a day-to-day basis. It will push you to move on no matter
how heavy the load you carry. It is beneficial to have aspirations. However, you need to consider your
limitations. You must not aspire for something unrealistic because this may result in frustrations and
might threaten your mental health.

When you examine your aspirations, always ask why you are doing what you are doing. Your plans and
actions should be relevant to your aspirations. Also, ask yourself, “Is this really what I like? Or am I doing
this to please other people?” If you have doubts, always ask for advice from trusted adults.

Lastly, articulate your aspirations. You may be doing actions without direction and long-term purpose.
Give yourself time to reflect. Is there a role you would like to fill? Reflect on your interest. Write them
down in detail so you can review them now and then.

1
What is Aspiration. BetterHelp, (Jan 30, 2020). https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/alzheimers/what-is-
aspiration/

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Volume 1. Session 10. My Dreams are My Destiny
KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. It is important to have aspirations to make our life meaningful on a day to day basis. It pushes you
to move on no matter how heavy the load you carry.
2. Goals are the stepping stones that you need to lay down regularly to remind you of your direction.
3. Regularly reflect on your actions and assess if they are still relevant to your aspirations.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

Write a letter that you could have received from yourself ten years from now. What would your future
self have to tell you?

ACTIVITY 3. A LIFE’S MISSION

ENERGIZER

To start with this activity, engage the participants in movement, either through dance, zumba, aerobics,
or stretching just to prepare the participants’ mind and body for the session.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Express their perception about the issues in their community through arts, and
2. Generate ideas on how they can help solve this issue.

ACTIVITY: “LIFE’S MISSION”

MATERIALS NEEDED

● Old magazines
● Paste or glue
● Cardboard
● Crayons
● Permanent markers

PROCEDURE

1. Ask the participant to identify one issue or problem in the world today, which they feel very
strongly about. The problem can be related to politics, culture, environment, or other areas of
life.
2. Once they are able to pick one, ask the participants to think why they feel strongly about this
issue. Tell them to note their answers on the side.

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Volume 1. Session 10. My Dreams are My Destiny
 3. Distribute the materials to the participants.
4. Instruct them to create a collage showing the following:
a. An issue in the community, country, or the world which they feel strongly about
b. How they aspire to help in solving this particular problem
5. As soon as the participants are done with the collage, ask some volunteers to share.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. How was your experience doing the activity?

2. Why did you pick that particular issue or problem?
3. How does that problem affect you, your friends, and your family?
4. Do you believe that problem can be solved? How?
5. How can you take part in giving a solution to the problem?
6. Why do you think you should take part in addressing that issue?

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

1. Focus the discussion on what the participants think they can do to contribute in solving their
community’s problems, and what they need to do for themselves in order to have the capability
to contribute.
2. Once in a while, ask for participants' experiences related to the content. This way they will feel
connected to what is being shared.
3. Don't forget to affirm the participant's responses.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE FACILITATOR

Adolescence is not only an individual process but also a social process. The community and society are
also involved in the reconstruction and definition of one’s identity. For example, journalists, politicians,
teachers, and youth workers affect how adolescents look at themselves. Also, growing up is different
among varying youth groups.

Allowing them to explore the social processes in their community will help them understand their
connections to the various social groups and institutions. It will open their minds to the effects of crime,
deviances, antisocial behaviors, homelessness, poverty, and suicide to their developing self and their
aspirations. Furthermore, allowing them to acquaint with the community social network will also allow us
the opportunity to understand the politics of the youth. This dimension is of crucial significance to policy
makers, activists, and practitioners.

Youth is a social concept. Its definition is anchored to the institutional framework of the specific society
where the youth belong. It can change in time or place. Aside from that, society’s contextual definition of
youth can have a powerful influence on how we look at these young people and interpret their behavior.
However, their collective social behavior can also influence the social definition of youth. And we can
influence how they behave by creating a social structure that provides an opportunity to alter their beliefs,
attitudes, and actions.

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Participation is a fundamental issue. We must create an enabling environment to promote youth
participation in decision-making. We must ensure that young people can operate and contribute to
society.

And we must begin by allowing them to see their community through a discerning eye. The first step is to
open their eyes and their conscious ability to see reality from their point of view. From our standpoint,
we will have the chance to observe how they perceive the landscape of their community. From here, the
youth will evolve, the definition redefined, and our perception of them will change. The changes that will
transpire will enhance their aspirations.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

1. While it is natural for us to initially think about ourselves and our families’ welfare for survival
reasons, it is also our responsibility to have a social interest in issues in the broader community.
2. Growing up is a process of building particular types of interdependence with other people.
3. Young people have the right to participate in all development initiatives and activities, particularly
if it will affect their lives and their future.
4. Participating in your community will help you discover your purpose in life.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSESSMENT

Journal Prompt:

“My important life lesson”

ACTIVITY 4. TALENT FAIR

ENERGIZER: “BODY WRITING”

Ask participants to write their names in the air with a part of their body. They may choose to use an elbow
or their nose, or a leg. Continue in this way, until everyone has written his or her name with several body
parts. Make sure that participants face the group.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

At the end of the activity, the participants will be able to:

1. Recall learnings from all the sessions that are most applicable to their lives as adolescents;
2. Exhibit working in a team by planning and performing a creative presentation regarding the
theories and learnings they acquired from all the sessions.

ACTIVITY: MY YDS JOURNEY

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Pack of candies for prizes

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Volume 1. Session 10. My Dreams are My Destiny
  Marker/s
 Coloring Pens
 Cartolina/Manila Paper
 Any indigenous material/s available in the area
 Bond paper

PROCEDURE

1. Divide the participants into three groups.

2. Instruct the group to come up with the following output that will reflect their learnings drawn
from all the sessions given based on the assigned task to be accomplished using the available
materials:
a. Group 1 – poster and slogan
b. Group 2 – song
c. Group 3 – role play
3. Describe the mechanics of the activities/ materials that the group will be using.
4. Give them 30 minutes to prepare and two minutes to present the output.
5. Through a consensus, ask each group to select a facilitator, artist (for poster making) and a
rapporteur among your group.
6. The selected facilitators will spearhead the conceptualization of the task assigned to their
respective groups - for group 1: poster and slogan; for group 2: song; and group 3: role play – that
will best present the learnings they have gained from the previous sessions given.

NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

 Make sure to guide the students in preparing their presentations. Affirm the students for a job
well done.
 You could add discussion on the different skills, talent, intelligence a person could have.
 Encourage gratefulness for whatever they have.
 Then, with the realization and appreciation of their talents and skills, the students could decide
on their presentation of their learnings (aspirations, dreams, etc.) through talent fair/showcase.

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. What did you feel while doing the task?

2. What did you feel when you were sharing/presenting your output with the group? (rapporteur)
3. What were the similarities among the outputs?
4. What were the differences among the outputs?
5. What were the facilitating factors that contributed to the success of the activity?
6. What were the factors that hindered the success of the activity?
7. What did you learn and discover in the exercise?

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Volume 1. Session 10. My Dreams are My Destiny
NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR

● Discuss first the different skills, talent, intelligence each person has, then relate this to
appreciation and gratefulness.
● Then, with the realization and appreciation of their talents and skills, the students could decide
on their presentation of their learnings (aspirations, dreams, etc.) through a talent fair/showcase.
● Make sure to guide the students in preparing their presentations. Affirm the students for a job
well done.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE FACILITATOR

Gratitude is a very important character strength that we must hone. Thankfulness or gratefulness to the
things we have is a positive feeling of appreciation for the help we receive or for the benefits we enjoy
because of these things, the people, and the qualities we all possess.

When we are grateful, we tend to channel the negative feelings and thoughts that we may have into
something positive and useful. Being thankful for what we have also allows us to realize that we have a
purpose in this world and that there are things, people, and qualities bestowed upon us which will enable
us to perform this mission that we have.

Sometimes, we are unclear about the mission that we have in the world. Especially during the adolescence
stage, we tend to focus on the rapid changes happening to us and the challenges related to these changes.
However, identifying the things we are thankful for somehow gives us an idea of what we can do and what
we can still learn to do to be able to achieve our aspirations in life.

KEY LEARNING POINT

Be grateful and celebrate whatever you have.

SYNTHESIS

Everyone is gifted with talents and these include all our capacities to overcome life challenges. Our task is
to discover these talents and to enrich them by engaging in productive activities.

REFLECTION/JOURNALING/ ASSESSMENT

Journal prompt:

“What are your biggest values? How can you portray them more in your daily life?”

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Volume 1. Session 10. My Dreams are My Destiny