TM

Resilience Builders
YEARS 7 & 8
1.

With a friend, come up with ten

expectations that all students should meet
to ensure your classes give everyone a
good chance to learn and enable your
teachers to teach well. Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to do this?

3.

With two friends brainstorm as many

emotions as you can in five minutes.
Then look at the List of Emotions A
in the Professional Practice Support
Resources section of the website
to add another ten you believe are
important to be happy. Which Habits
of Mind are best to use to do this?

6.

Your body
language changes
for different
emotions. With
three friends take it
in turns for twenty
seconds to use
body language
to show three
different emotions
each. Try to guess
the emotion each
of you is role
playing. Which
Habits of Mind are
best to use to do
this?

7.

9.

4.

2.

To build healthy relationships you have to be aware of and

understand your emotions to keep what you think, say and do
positively focused. Your emotions are how you feel about things.
Describe five feelings which you think are important to have to
build good relationships. Which Habits of Mind are best to use to
do this?

What are five emotions you

need to be mindful of every
day to ensure you are focusing
positively in class and lifting
your efforts to overcome
learning challenges you face.
Which Habits of Mind are best
to use to do this?

Describe a time that you found it really hard to

read the body language of another person to
recognise the emotions they were feeling. Which
Habits of Mind are best to use to do this?

5.

Emotions can build in intensity

and strength as situations
become more stressful, for
example, happy, delighted,
thrilled. With a friend look for
four sets of three emotions from
List of Emotions A which build in
strength. Which Habits of Mind
are best to use to do this?

8.

Healthy relationships rely on

showing empathy, which is
understanding, recognising
and accepting how others are
feeling. Describe how you show
empathy for others and a time
you have shown empathy for
someone else. Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to do this?

Describe what happens when people dont

show empathy for your or others feelings.
Describe a time this has happened to you and
how did you feel? Which Habits of Mind are best
to use to do this?

10.

With a friend, pick five emotions from List of Emotions

A and come up with two situations for each one that
would cause someone to show each of them. Which
Habits of Mind are best to use to do this?

12.

Mixed emotions are when you feel both

positive and not so positive emotions
together, such as you might really like
doing an activity, but you could be
afraid of hurting yourself. Describe a
time you have felt mixed emotions and
what they were. Which Habits of Mind
are best to use to do this?

14.

Ask your parents or Grandparents

what types of things caused them
to become emotional when they
were young and what they did
to control their emotions from
strengthening. Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to do this?

13.

15.

With two friends reflect on what

makes a healthy relationship
and come up with five personal
qualities, five actions and five
emotions which are essential
to building relationships. Which
Habits of Mind are best to use
to do this?

11.

There are situations

where your feelings
will be dominated by
stronger emotions.
Describe the emotions
you would feel if you
werent asked to a party
of a person you thought
was a friend. What
further things could
happen to make your
emotions strengthen in
intensity? Which Habits
of Mind are best to use
to do this?

Character Strengths are personal values based attributes which

develop in each of us through our upbringing and experiences. Ask
your teacher to go to the website www.viacharacter.org to register
your class. Then do the youth survey to discover your five strongest
Character Strengths, called your Signature Strengths. We will also call
them your super powers. Write down yours. Which Habits of Mind are
best to use to do this?

TM

Resilience Builders
YEARS 7 & 8
16.

Think about someone you know

personally and really think highly
of. Describe the personal qualities
and Character Strengths you
admire in them and how they use
them to make them special. Do
you think you share any Character
Strengths with them and if so,
which ones? Which Habits of Mind
are best to use to do this?

19.

Ask your family to do the

Character Strengths survey on
the website. Then each of you
share your super powers and
how you can use them build your
relationships. Write down the ones
you had in common and how each
of you use them. Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to do this?

23.

Self-talk is when you talk to

yourself inside your head; it can
either lift your efforts or pull you
down. Describe what self-talk
means to you, how you use or
could use it to spur yourself on
and give three examples of selftalk you use. Which Habits of Mind
are best to use to do this?

17.

Describe two things

you currently do to
use each of your super
powers at home, then
at school and then
in your community.
Which Habits of Mind
are best to use to do
this?

20.

With a friend describe which

Character Strengths you would
need to draw on if you not
selected for a part in the school
musical which you practised so
hard for. Describe how you could
you use them to overcome the
setback. Which Habits of Mind are
best to use to do this?

22.

With a friend discuss which are the six most important Character
Strengths you need to use at school to bring out the best in yourself
and others. Describe why you chose each of them. Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to do this?

24.

Positive self-talk focuses on what is right about how you are going to
approach something you set out to do. It has proven to make your
success in achieving it more likely. Describe a time you have used it
well to overcome challenges to accomplish what you set out to do;
your goal. Which Habits of Mind are best to use to do this?

18.

With two friends each share your

super powers; note any you have
in common and how you use them.
Brainstorm together two things you
can do for each of your combined
super powers to make a positive
difference to the lives of others; other
people really do matter. Which Habits
of Mind are best to use to do this?

25.

Negative self-talk focuses on

what is wrong about what
you are doing and makes
your chances of achieving
your goals less likely. With a
friend describe two situations
where it could happen or has
happened. Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to do
this?

26.

Technical self-talk is talking

yourself through the different
stages of what you are doing.
With a friend describe two
situations where you could use
it or have used it. What do you
say to yourself when you cant
see the next step? Which
Habits of Mind are best to use
to do this?

27.

28.

Your super powers are your

personal best strengths to
achieve what you set out to
do. Describe two examples of
positive self-talk you could use
for each of your super powers.
Which Habits of Mind are best
to use to do this?

29.

We all use negative self-talk at times.

To pull yourself out of it, use the
following three step model 1. Write
down your super powers 2. Why do
each of them make you strong 3. What
will you start doing right now to use
them. Practise it now. Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to do this?

21.

What are three extra

Character Strengths that
you would like to build
into your makeup and
describe why each of
them would build you
further as a person.
Which Habits of Mind are
best to use to do this?

With two friends think of

examples of positive self-talk you
could use when doing a test,
water skiing for the first time,
speaking at an assembly and
cooking a barby for the family.
You can use your own situations
to describe your positive self-talk.
Which Habits of Mind are best to
use to do this?

30.

With two friends, use

the three step model
to come up with
twenty positive self-talk
statements you can
use. Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to
do this?

TM

Resilience Builders
YEARS 7 & 8
31.

With two friends practise using positive

self-talk to overcome negative self-talk.
One of you say something negative and
the other two you reply with positives to
see what is right with things. Take it in
turns. Which Habits of Mind are best to
use to do this?

34.

What are the five most important one or

two word positive descriptors you would
like to use to describe others in your peer
group and why do you think so? Which
Habits of Mind are best to use to do this?

35.

With your family

brainstorm the ten most
important one or two
word positive descriptors
they would use to
describe themselves.
Describe why as a family
you value each of them.
Which Habits of Mind are
best to use to do this?

38.

Problems are caused by many different reasons, and finding and

then implementing a solution is often easier said than done. The
main thing is to critically think about possible solution strategies
and their effectiveness in minimising future consequences from
the problem. With a friend describe a problem which may be
very difficult to completely solve and an effective way to minimise
future consequences from it. Which Habits of Mind are best to
use to do this?

40.

Describe three
situations for
each in which
you might be
aggressive, you
might be assertive
or you might give
in. Which Habits
of Mind are best
to use to do this?

43.

With a friend, discuss and describe what you think the difference is between being challenged and being stressed.
Come up with three examples which would show the difference. Which Habits of Mind are best to use to do this?

41.

36.

32.

33.

What are five positive

things you want to
come into peoples
minds when they think
about you. For example,
truthful, accepting,
loyal, motivated, caring,
happy, open-minded &
considerate. Describe
why you value each of
them in peoples vision
of you. Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to
do this?

37.

You will be faced with many problems

as you go through life and it is
important for you to have effective
ways to solve them. From the website
use the Thinking Tool Problem,
Issue, Options, Effects, Solution to
analyse the following situation. Your
parents are on your back because
you havent eaten lunch this week
at school. Which Habits of Mind are
best to use to do this?

Assertive language is the best type to

use because you are using your super
powers to firmly and clearly get your
message across to request how you
want the problem to be solved. Describe
what you would say to someone who
used your bike without your permission
(dont be aggressive). Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to do this?

39.

With three friends, brainstorm

as many positive one or two
word descriptors of people
you can in five minutes,
for example, easy going,
relaxed, determined. After
you have finished you can
add to your list from Positive
Personal Descriptors from
the Professional Practice
Support Resources section
of the website. Which Habits
of Mind are best to use to do
this?

With two friends, think of a

problem that you have faced
or may face, and use either
Problem, Issue, Options,
Effects, Solution or another
Thinking Tool from the website
to solve it. Remember for each
of you to use your individual
super powers to look at the
problem. Which Habits of Mind
are best to use to do this?

With three friends, use a dictionary

to identify and describe aggressive,
assertive and giving in types of
language and behaviours. Come up
with a definition in your own words and
give two examples for each of them.
Which Habits of Mind are best to use to
do this?

42.

The word stress is used to describe

peoples feelings when they are
under pressure. Some stress is
positive and some is negative.
Different people are stressed by
different things. How would you
describe what stress is for you and
give three examples of things which
may stress you? Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to do this?

TM

Resilience Builders
YEARS 7 & 8
44.

With two friends, brainstorm what could

be three stressors and what could be
three challenges for your age group,
what you can do about them and how
long they last for. Which Habits of Mind
are best to use to do this?

45.

Describe five things you do to calm yourself down when you are
under pressure. Have you tried Square Breathing on page 78 to
reduce tense feelings; it is an effective form of meditation? Also,
look at Relaxation Techniques on page 168 for more ideas to
relax yourself; try them at home. Which Habits of Mind are best to
use to do this?

46.

You need to be fully focused to

overcome stress and welcome
challenges using positive self-talk, your
super powers and calming activities.
Sometimes you need others support.
Describe three situations when you
should seek the help of trusted adults
and how you think they will help you.
Which Habits of Mind are best to use to
do this?

47.

49.

There are times when a sign of strength

is to ask for help. With a friend, come
up with ten ways to ask for help with
a problem from a trusted adult. Which
Habits of Mind are best to use to do
this?

With a friend, describe

five of the most
challenging barriers you
have to achieving your
goals this year. The
key Character Strength
in asking for help is
Courage. What are
four other Character
Strengths that could also
help and why? Which
Habits of Mind are best
to use to do this?

50.

With two friends brainstorm five things that you can do to

build good relationships. What are five things which can ruin
relationships and how you can avoid doing them. Which Habits of
Mind are best to use to do this?

48.

Mental health concerns,

family relationships, bullying,
emotional wellbeing, child
abuse, suicide-related
concerns and friends/peer/
partner relationships are the
main things young people of
your age ring Kids helpline to
discuss. Rank them in order
of importance for yourself
and why you put them in that
order. Which Habits of Mind
are best to use to do this?

TM

Resilience Builders
YEARS 7 & 8
EXTENSION RESILIENCE BUILDERS
The following Resilience Builders are designed to help you use all of the things you have learnt to overcome ten different
situations and events.
For each resilience builder describe:

Three emotions you could experience and the body language you could show.

Two sets of three emotions as they became more intense.

The three most suitable Character Strengths you could use to help you.

Two things you could do to show empathy for the needs and feelings of others involved.

Two examples of positive self-talk you could use to lift your efforts.

Two things you could do to calm yourself down.

Two people you could ask for help and what you would say.

Two Habits of Mind which are best to use to do this.

1.

Your parents are very busy in their jobs and you decide that it would really help them if you did some chores around the
house for them. While mowing the grass a rock flew from under the mower and smashed a window on your home. Your
parents arrived home and became very angry with you because of the smashed window.

2.

At lunchtime your friend asks to use your phone to text someone. At the next class the Deputy Principal comes into the
room and takes you to his office. He accuses you of cyberbullying using your phone through sending nasty texts and
posting unacceptable comments on Facebook.

3.

Your Year Level Coordinator congratulates you on really putting a big effort into your class work and asks you to speak at
a whole school assembly on how you motivate yourself. The thought of standing up in front of everyone makes you feel
very scared and uncomfortable.

4.

You are asked to go to a friends party on the weekend and your parents wont let you go. They tell you that they dont
trust your friend and dont want you to hang around with her. They prefer you to have other people for friends.

5.

You have a couple of friends come round to watch movies at your home and one of them goes to the fridge and helps
themselves to food your Mum has prepared to dinner. He then puts his feet up on your parents new couch.

6.

At lunchtime while doing activities with a group of students, one of them starts picking on one your friends and tells
her that the group doesnt want her to hang around with them. Your friend has done nothing to deserve such nasty
treatment.

7.

In class you saw another student write graffiti on one of the desks with permanent marker pens. At the beginning of the
next class, your teacher is furious with the class and said he will keep everyone in at lunchtime till someone owns up to
doing it.

8.

One of your friends is always unhappy and crying at school. When you show empathy for her feelings by asking what
you can do to support her, she tells you that she has family problems and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

9.

You missed three days school last week because you were sick. You have fallen behind in one of your subjects and your
teachers is very strict and you feel really uncomfortable asking her for help to catch up.

10. You practised really hard to get selected into the school basketball team, but you missed out. All of your friends made
the team.

Acknowledgement and thanks to Youth Research Centre, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne: Building Resilience: Social &
Emotional Learning Materials