Social+Savvy

=**Title: 5 Building Blocks of Being Socially Savvy**=

Status: MODERATED

Objective:

 * To experience dealing with social dilemmas
 * To develop alternative solutions to these dilemmas

Materials:

 * Handouts for students and suggested solutions for teachers

Preparation:

 * Need minimum of 5 students. 10 to 15 students would be ideal.
 * Divide into 5 groups of students. e.g. by counting off by 5s

Method:

 * 1) Introduce subject by examining what the Golden Chain says about what we think, what we say and what we do (karmic actions)
 * 2) Distribute the Social Dilemmas Handouts with social situations and have students read.
 * 3) Have students write how they would deal with each situation.
 * 4) Teacher ask the students for their responses and write them down on a board for all to see.
 * 5) Teacher reads the suggested solutions and see how they differ or from what the class came up with.
 * 6) Discuss how students feel about their solution vs the suggested solutions.

Evaluation:

 * Give quick review of the 5 Building Blocks (Responsibility, Compromise, Sensitivity, Respect, Know-how)
 * How all this relates to Karma (karma is a "sea" of causes and effects)
 * How this relates to Mindfulness (mindful person can be aware of the causes of their thinking and actions as well as mitigate how they are affecting others.)

Note:
Carefully sense the level of student's involvement with exercise and lesson esp. for younger students. Might need additional adult guidance.

Author:
Mas Horiuchi, mashoriuchi@sbcglobal.net, San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, September, 2010 ||