Spatial Requirements: Regular classroom setup: little or no space required
Activity Type: Group
Grades: 4-12
Group Size: 2 or more
Time: 5 minutes

Introduction: Overcoming our hurdles becomes easier when we take them one step at a time. This activity will help students see that when we follow the necessary steps, we can find solutions to our problems.

Materials:

• None

Activity:

Ask the group members to complete the following problem:

• Pick a number between 1 and 10.  Do not share the number with anyone.
• Double the number.
• Add 10.
• Divide by 2.
• Subtract the number you started with.
• Add 11.

Tell the group that the result is the age you get your driver’s license.  If the license age in your area is below or above 16, do the following: On the last step (“Add 11”) change the number (11) so that whatever number added to 5 will give them the age they get their driver’s license.  If their license age is 14, add 9.  If the age is 18, add 13, etc.

Processing the Experience: 

• For those of you that did the math right, why did you get the answer of 16?
• What happened to the rest of you?
• Who was in control of that activity, you or me?  (I may have set up the parameters, but if you followed the instructions, you will always get the same results.)
• Who is in control of your own life?
• What are the steps that successful people follow to overcome challenges or hurdles in their lives?  (At this point, you may share an experience wherein you or another well-known figure overcame a difficult challenge/hurdle in life.)