LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read about the failures of five successful people; describe a variety of healthy reactions to failure; distinguish facts from myths about failure.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 7: Practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.

CASEL COMPETENCY: Self-awareness, self-management

KEY VOCAB

aspiring

invested

detrimental

accolades

Lesson Plan: Secrets of a Winning Fail

What do many of the most successful people in the world have in common? A history of failing—and trying again. Here’s how to make failure work for you.

PREPARING TO READ

Before you read the article “Secrets of a Winning Fail,” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

What are the benefits and drawbacks of failure?

READING AND DISCUSSION

  • Have your students read the article “Secrets of a Winning Fail”; read the article out loud to them; or have students partner-read the article out loud.
  • After they’ve read the article, revisit the pre-reading question. Have their answers changed?

BUILDING COMPREHENSION AND VOCAB

Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:

  • Comprehension Quiz
  • Vocab Builder

EXPANDING SEL OPPORTUNITIES

Continue the learning journey with the following writing prompt:

In MY WINNING FAIL, have students write a two- to three-page personal essay about a time they failed. Have them describe what they wanted to happen, and what prevented them from reaching their goal. Then, they should explain any unexpected upsides to failure, including what they learned from the failure and what advice they would give to someone going through a similar situation for the first time.

Print the Lesson Plan

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