Think of an act of courage. What comes to mind? Someone plunging into a pond to save a friend from drowning? A firefighter racing into a burning building to rescue a child?

Those are courageous deeds. However, if we save ourselves for life-and-death situations, we’re missing the opportunities to act courageously every day of our lives. Usually these opportunities aren’t spectacular. Yet they can make a difference to our life and the lives of those around us.

May is also National Mental Health Month. That’s fitting because it takes courage to seek treatment if we feel we’re having mental problems. So if you’re struggling with mental health issues contact your local mental health counseling center.

Regular Classroom Activities for the Month

Role Playing. Role play some typical situations which require taking a courageous stand against a group or individual. After each improvisation have a discussion. What important principle or issue what was at stake? How well did the individual stand up? What he/she could have done better? What did they learn from this?

Expressing Feelings. Using art, music, or poetry to describe experiences and express feelings. Students might work in groups to produce a play or video. Or have group discussions that allow students to express their feelings, to understand and be reassured that many of their reactions are normal and not “crazy”.

Find Slogans, Saying and Quotes on Courage. Have students research slogans, sayings and quotations concerning risk and courage. Make banners or posters to display in the classroom or hallway.

Peer Pressure. What does it take to stand up against peer pressure? As a class, discuss the kinds of peer pressure that exist at your school. What makes it difficult to resist these pressures? Develop some good strategies for standing up to them. Compile this into a written report for the students in your school.

Teen Pregnancy. Discuss teen pregnancy with students, have them write down concerns and have an open discussion regarding those concerns. Talk to them about how courageous it is for them to avoid peer pressure and wait.

Online Classroom Activities for the Month

Acts of Courage. Have students identify acts of courage by people in the news or by people in the community. Then have them make a presentation to the class and conduct a discussion in Elluminate. Also have them scan and send in pictures of examples of people or situations where courage was demonstrated.

Keeping a Journal . Have students keep a journal of personal positive risk taking activities.

Articles of Courage. Have students find articles from magazines and newspapers describing situations in which moral courage is an issue. Conduct a discussion in which they decide who is acting courageously and who isn’t? What difference does it make?

Self-Esteem Building. Have students make lists of five of their strengths, five things they admire about themselves, five greatest achievements, and 20 accomplishments.

Courageous People. Have students research people in history who have been courageous, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Helen Keller or Joshua Chamberlin. Have them discuss how that person could or has inspired them to step toward a goal.