Spatial Requirements: Regular classroom setup: little or no space required
Activity Type: Group
Grades: 5-12
Group Size: 2 or more
Time: 15 minutes

Introduction: This activity will show students that celebrities and other famous figures are forgettable: they will come and go from the spotlight.  The people who have the greatest impact in our lives are those who stick by us, care about us, and help us believe in ourselves.

Materials: 

• 1 piece of paper per student
• 1 pen/pencil per student

Activity:

Tell the students you are going to give them a quiz, and ask them to number their papers from one to six.  Ask them the following questions:

1. Name the three wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last three Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last three winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name three people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last three Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last five World Series winners.

Ask the participants how they did on the quiz.  Ask them to number their papers from one to six again.  Now ask them the following questions:

1. List three teachers, counselors, or school officials who have helped you in school.
2. Name three true friends who you can count on.
3. Name three people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Name three people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Who are three people you enjoy spending time with?
6. List three people who really care about you.

You will notice that the people in the first set of questions have fame and fortune and are generally well-known, yet they eventually fade from the limelight.  The people we remember are those from the second set of questions.  These people have a lasting impact on our lives.

Processing the Experience:

• Was it easier to answer the first set of questions or the last set of questions? Why?
• Who has a more lasting impact on our lives: the people who would be in the first set of questions or the last set of questions? Why?
• Which of the people from the second set of questions has had the biggest impact on your life? Why?
• How can we find more people like those in the last three questions to help us in life?
• How can we be this type of person for others?
• How can plugging in help us achieve our goals?

*Taken from “People Who Make A Difference,” by Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip.