Setting Up Space and Community
Day 1: Eggs Can Fly Part 1
Participants will understand leadership class expectations and build trust through team building activities.
LESSON GOALS:
To build trust and get used to working as a team.
To share expectations for student participation and behavior.
To understand course goals.
LESSON AGENDA:
Introduction to Leadership Class (20 min)
Eggs Can Fly part 1 (20 min)
Closing (10 min)
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
Marking Pens
Butcher Paper
Team baskets (make one basket per team of 3-5 students with these items): one egg placed in a paper
bag, 6 popsicle sticks, 2 plastic bags, 1 roll scotch tape, scissors, 1 yard of string, 3 straws, 2 paper
napkins, prizes for winning teams, a deck of cards, a stopwatch, and trash bags.
VISUALS NEEDED:
Lesson goals on butcher paper
Lesson agenda on butcher paper
Course goals on butcher paper
Leadership class expectations (blank) butcher paper
SOURCES:
San Francisco Peer Resources Leadership Program
1: INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIP CLASS
20 minutes
a. Check-in activity: Leadership Class Expectations

Round robin: What is your name, grade, one thing you hope to get out of leadership class?
(record on butcher paper)
b. Introduction to Meaningful Student Engagement

This class is part of Oakland’s new student leadership model called Meaningful Student
Engagement, which is based on the idea that students develop and emerge as leaders through
student organizing or school change campaigns organized by students for students. When
students are engaged in this way, students empower themselves to take leadership, ownership,
and active decision making in their own education- leading to greater schools, greater academic
achievement, and greater success in life.

We are part of a larger student leadership organization in Oakland, called the All City Council.
Eight other schools are participating in this new leadership model. We will have guests from ACC
come in talk about this a little more in the upcoming weeks.
c. Course Goals

Through this class we hope to develop:
o
Strong relationships with each other
o
Strong student voice in school planning and decision-making
o
Strong student leader relationship with constituents (your base, who you represent - the
student body)
o
Student leader access to and relationship with decision makers
o
Strong student leader network in Oakland (through All City Council)
o
Build and strength positive youth culture and school change on campus
2: TEAM BUILDER – EGGS CAN FLY part 1
a. Hold egg in front of the class.
20 minutes

What would happen if we took this egg up to the top of a building and threw it over the edge?
Do you think it could fly? How could I throw this egg off a two story building, and have it reach
the ground in one piece?

We are going to break up into teams to build a structure that will allow the egg to be thrown off
a high place and land without breaking. Teams that are successful win a prize.
b. Break up into teams of 3-5 students.

You will work with your team to construct a container or object that will keep the egg from
breaking after it is thrown off the building. While you work pay attention to how your team
works together:

o
How do they plan and implement their project?
o
How do they communicate?
o
How do they make decisions?
You have 15 minutes to build your object, and 5 minutes at the end of class to clean up. No one
will be allowed to go over time. Any questions?

You cannot open the bags until I say go. Distribute bags.
c. Clean up and get ready for egg drop

After 15 minutes, everyone cleans up, labels their object, and sets it in designated area for egg
drop the next day.
3: CONCLUSION
10 minutes
a. Check out question

What is one thing you were surprised by today? Or one thing you are looking forward to
tomorrow?
Setting Up Space & Community
Day 2: Eggs Can Fly (2)
Participants will continue with the team builder and set group agreements.
LESSON GOALS:

To build trust and get used to working as a team.

To Set up group agreements.
LESSON AGENDA:
Check-in (10 min)
Eggs Can Fly part 2 (30 min)
Group Agreements part 1 (7 min)
Closing (3 min)
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
Marking Pens
Butcher Paper
Team Projects
Teamwork Evaluation Sheet
VISUALS NEEDED:
Lesson goals
Lesson agenda
SOURCES:
San Francisco Peer Resources Leadership Program
1: CHECK-IN
10 MINUTES
a. Check in activity

Before we begin, let’s check in with each other. This is part of our daily routine. The purpose of
the check in or opening activity is to provide a space to get to know and support each other in a
genuine way – where we do not inquire in a matter of fact sort of way “how are you?” but in a
real “how are you doing”.

How is your first week of school going?
2: EGGS CAN FLY PART 2
30 MINUTES
a. Team work

Get back into groups from the day before. Hand out Teamwork Evaluation Sheet.

Every team fills out together: Teamwork Evaluation Sheet. Each team picks Team Facilitator,
Team Recorder, and Team Presenter for report back. The report back happens before they drop
their egg.

Next, each team picks one person to drop the egg, and one person to pick it up to see if it has
broken. Distribute student projects and go to drop site.

At drop site, one student from each team picks a card (from deck of cards) to determine order of
team drops.

Before each team drops their egg, their Team Presenter presents their project, answering the
questions from their evaluation sheet.

Give each successful team a prize.
b. Reflection with whole class

What happened?

Was it easy for you to work as a team?

What was your team’s style of decision-making? What was your own personal style? Did you
tend to lead or follow? Did you mediate between others in your team?

Did we learn anything new?

What does this exercise have to do with leadership?
4: CLOSING
a. One word check-out

Say one word that describes how you are feeling after our class today.
3 MINUTES
TEAMWORK EVALUATION SHEET
Activity Name:
Date:
Group Name:
Group Members:
Name
Job
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Group interaction was:
(circle what best describes your group interaction, 1 = weak, 5 = strong)
WEAK
STRONG
Poor use of time
1
2
3
4
5
Good use of time
Few participated
1
2
3
4
5
All participated
Barely started
1
2
3
4
5
Accomplished goal
Too much arguing
1
2
3
4
5
Good discussion
Other comment:
What were the specific problems?
What are things you would do differently next time?
Comments:
Setting Up Space & Community
Day 3: Life Maps
Students will continue to build unity through sharing their personal and family histories and culture.
LESSON GOALS:

To become familiar with the diversity of our group.

To understand each other better through shared family experiences.
LESSON AGENDA:
Check-in (5 min)
Life Map Activity (20-30 min)
Sharing Our Life (approx. 20 min each day)
Closing (5 min)
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
Marking Pens
Butcher Paper (cut into puzzle pieces that fit together)
Scissors
Tape
Drawing supplies
VISUALS NEEDED:
Lesson goals
Lesson agenda
SOURCES:
Youth Together
1: CHECK-IN
a. Check in activity

How was your weekend? Share one highlight, and one lowlight.
5 MINUTES
20-30 MINUTES
2: LIFE MAP ACTIVITY
a. Distribute puzzle pieces and markers.

Students will create a visual “life map” of their family history. Write/draw important moments
and times in your family’s history, based on the following questions:

o
Where is your family from?
o
When did your parents/grandparents/ancestor/you come to the United States?
o
How did your family come to the United States?
o
What was their/your experience, celebrations, struggles, etc.?
Use creative symbols, pictures, and words describing your life map/family history.
3: SHARING OUR LIFE
20 MINUTES EACH DAY
a. Large group sharing

Everyone share their life maps with whole group

After sharing, each student tapes their puzzle piece to the wall or fit into other puzzle pieces
already there.
b. Option: Sharing with no time limit

Sharing may be emotionally heavy. Extend sharing into the next day. Ask each student to give
as many details as they feel comfortable sharing about their family experiences. Model this with
your own life map, sharing experiences with racism, violence, abuse, healing from traumas,
positive ways of coping with challenges, etc.
4: CLOSING
5 MINUTES
a. Closing points

Our strength as a community comes from understanding where we’ve been, and seeing each
other as people. We are united by our similar struggles and journeys to live our lives with peace
and dignity.
b. One word check-out

Say one word that describes how you are feeling right now.
Setting Up Space & Community
Day 4: Leadership Vehicle
Students will continue to build as a leadership class.
LESSON GOALS:

To understand why its important for us to keep building as a team

To understand the power of collective voice
LESSON AGENDA:
Check In (10 min)
Build a Mobile/Vehicle (30 min)
Report Back (20 min)
Closing (5 min)
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
Marking Pens
Butcher Paper
1: CHECK IN

10 MINUTES
If you could use any form of transportation what would it be?
2: BUILD A MOBILE
30 MINUTES
a. Explain activity

Count off into groups of four and get into the groups

Hand each team a box of markers and butcher paper

Each group will have 30 min to build a mobile/vehicle that represents the values and goals we
have in working together.
3: REPORT BACK
20 MINUTES

Each Group will report back the values and goals of their teams mobile or vehicle
4: CLOSING

5 MINUTES
What is one way value or goal you want to work harder on in order to make our team
stronger?