Our Everyday Decision-Making Skills

This week we focused our learning on decision-making and the factors that influence the processes we use to make a decisions. The students began by exploring different interactive games where they are to support a community by the decisions they make. We discussed the game that was played and how decision-making was involved.

Afterwards, we played an interactive game called Snap Decisions. The students would have to answer question within 5 seconds while throwing a tennis ball. The questions became progressively harder as the students required more time to answer. We discussed how questions such as "what color socks did you wear today" and "what will you do after school today?" compare in terms to making decisions. The students understood that certain decisions are easier to make, while others require more time and contemplation.

We connected these hard and easy decisions with the underlying consequences that are attached to them. We discussed what consequences mean and how they impact the decisions we make. The students were then introduced to positive and negative consequences as the word consequences possesses a negative connotation; yet they overlook that there are also positive consequences. In discussing these consequences, the students understood how weighing different types of consequences impact their decision-making skills.

Our K-3rd graders engaged in a read aloud of What Should Danny Do?, an interactive book that allows readers to decide the decisions for the main character. Based on what they choose, there are different events that occur. The students loved reading this book and exploring all the other consequences attached to a specific decision. This activity demonstrated the importance of analyzing our consequences prior to making a decision.

To end our lessons on Monday and Wednesday, the students implemented their artistic skills in drawing different influential figures who have made an impact on Black History. Check out their beautiful work!