MAKE ME A GROWN UP

PROGRAMME 2: TOM

ACTIVITIES

Young people are often sensitive about personal development issues. These activities support a mix of individual, paired and group work, depending on the context and the composition of the groups involved.

Before viewing

Create a picture of a 'troublemaker' – looks, clothes, speech, attitudes, values and behaviour. Share your ideas. Discuss the possible consequences of being a troublemaker for the individual concerned. How do troublemakers affect their families, their peers and other people?

Describe an ideal outfit for a young man working in an office. Share and discuss your ideas.

Demonstrate facial expressions to show that:

• you are asleep/awake
• you are bored and fed up/excited and enthusiastic
• you feel superior/inferior/equal to the person who is talking to you
• you care/do not care what the person talking to you thinks about you
• you are nervous/confident
• you are right/wrong.

After viewing

To view 4Learning video clips you will need Windows XP/2000 and Windows Media Player 9, 10 or 11. Unfortunately, the clips are not supported on Macintosh computers.

The video clips may contain a few seconds of extra material at the beginning and end. We have therefore included opening and closing descriptions to help identify the intended scene.

Negotiation
Clip one: 7:08 – 7:42
Discuss whether Stephen is right when he says that if Tom sets out to charm and win people over he is more likely to get them on his side. Working with a partner, practise your negotiation skills using one of the following scenarios. Try to find a solution to the problem that suits you both.

• There is one portion of your favourite food/drink left in the fridge. Just as you try to sneak off with it, your brother/sister comes up and demands that you hand it over.
• Your pay is below the national minimum wage. Your employer says that you are lucky to have a job and that the company cannot afford to pay you the proper rate.
• Your dog ate your assignment but your teacher does not believe you.
• Your neighbour is making so much noise that you cannot concentrate.
• You have broken the DVD and your parents want you to contribute to the cost of a new one.

Work outfits
Clip two: 12:01 – 12:35
Vote on whether Tom got good value for his £150 and explore the reasons for any major disagreements. Imagine that you have £150 to spend on a new work outfit. Create an outfit using pictures and information from magazines, catalogues, the internet and other resources. Cost every item and make sure that you do not over-spend. Share and discuss your results.

Role reversal
Clip three: 14:21 – 14:52
Working in pairs, discuss whether Stephen is right when he says that if you get into a battle of words with someone there will be no winner. Think of a time when something that you said or did led to a battle of words. Describe what happened, the reasons for it and the eventual outcome. Re-enact the scene with your partner and try to change the outcome. Share any important points with the rest of the group.

Using help
Clip four: 18:59 – 19:23
Share examples of times when you have asked for help. Explain why you sought help, who you asked to help you, why you asked them and whether their help was useful. Discuss the following questions:

• What do you think are good reasons for asking for help?
• What do you think are good reasons for rejecting, or refusing to ask for, help?
• Is it a strength or a weakness to ask for help?
• Who would you ask for help if you really needed it?

Change
Clip five: 22:58 – 23:22
Describe the changes that Tom has made in six weeks. Do you think that these are permanent changes? Will the 'new' Tom will be more successful in life than the 'old' Tom? What, if anything, can you learn from Tom's experience?