Worry Warriors & Courage Connections

Have you read Maya Angelou’s Life Doesn’t Frighten Me? What worries you? Turn your concerns over to a Worry Warrior and you may find courage to conquer them!

• 1.

  What do you think of when you hear these words: concern, connect, conquer, and courage. What does each word mean? List worries that you and other kids have, such as pets, storms, bus rides, and friendship troubles. Read poetry and books including Life Doesn't Frighten Me. Talk about Jean-Michel Basquiat’s dramatic illustrations. Brainstorm ways to conquer worries.

• 2.

  <STRONG>Build a Worry Warrior.</STRONG> Create an imaginary creature or contraption to help gobble up your worries! Here are some construction ideas. You can use any handy craft materials to make yours. Cut paper to fit a recycled cereal box with Crayola® Scissors. Decorate the paper with Crayola Erasable Markers and Gel Markers. Attach paper with Crayola School Glue. Air-dry the glue.

• 3.

  To make a mouth, tape a container with a lid to the box. Tape two decorated craft sticks to the bottom of the box for feet. Cut recycled cardboard into a half circle for a forehead. Draw or glue on plastic caps for eyes and one for a nose. Attach to the box. Poke holes in the head and push in chenille stems or yarn for hair. Poke holes in the box sides and push through craft sticks for arms.

• 4.

  <STRONG>Feed your Worry Warrior.</STRONG> With Erasable Markers, write something that bothers you. Put it into your Worry Warrior.

• 5.

  <STRONG>Create a Courage Connection.</STRONG> While you imagine that the worry is being digested, make a Courage Connection. Maybe you talked to a friend, family member, or teacher about a worry you faced. When you take the worry back out of the Worry War

• 6.

  If you are comfortable with the idea, share your Courage Connection with other people. You may be helping them to conquer their concerns! Save your Courage Connections in a notebook--they might encourage you in the future!

Benefits

• Students discuss and cooperatively define vocabulary.
• Students construct a tool to enhance independent problem solving and more mature functioning in their own lives.
• Students practice self-encouragement in response to reading books related to courage and concerns.

Adaptations

• Hold a "Worry Feast" for your Worry Warriors. Feed them common group concerns, like worrying about bullies, making mistakes, and starting a new school year. Work together to make Courage Connections responding to each kind of worry.
• Children with special needs might partner with other children who are differently-abled or older while building Worry Warriors.
• Assessment: Role play possible solutions to common worries. Ask children to try out as many positive solutions as they can think of for each one.