Christina Sirianni 104 374 683

Break-out Plan #1
Date: September 11, 2018
Break-out Title/Topic: Tips for Academic Success Resources Time
Bridge-in:
 “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
 What do you expect going forward in this class? In your first semester of
University? What do you hope for?
 How do you feel that your peers’ answers are similar/different from your 3
own? Minutes
Pre-Assessment:
 Has anyone here ever been (falsely) informed that Intro to Psych is so difficult
to pass? Or that the way to succeed in University is natural intelligence alone?
 Has anyone here begun to think of tips or strategies to succeed in University? 2
Minutes
Learning Objective:
 By participating in this activity, you will learn tips and strategies to succeed in
your Intro class as well as your first semester of University overall.
 You will also learn more about your peers’ opinions.
 You will learn from the stories and mistakes of a mentor, myself, who has 1
been in your shoes before. Minute
Participatory Activity:
 Everyone will participate in a game of Jenga with colour-coded blocks.
 1- First, I will set up the tower of blocks on the desk.
 2- Second, each student will take a turn coming up in front of the group
individually, and carefully remove a block from the tower. 54 Jenga blocks
 3- Third, each block will be associated with a question or piece of advice. total, colour coded
When they remove a block from the tower it will correspond to one of three to correspond to
category colours, and have a number from 1-18 that matches with a question three categories.
or piece of advice from each category. 18 yellow blocks
 4- Next, I will read each student the question or statement that their block for personal
corresponds to from my list. For questions, they will answer (e.g. What is one questions, 18 red
psychological concept that you are excited to hear more about?). For tips, I blocks for tips to
will ask them to explain why they think following that piece of advice would succeed in 46-115,
be beneficial to their academic success. and 18 blue blocks
 5- Lastly, each student will participate until the tower falls, so that everyone for tips to succeed
gets a turn to answer a question or receive a piece of advice. We may rebuild in University in 15
the tower again if time allows for it. general. Minutes
Post-Assessment:
 Debrief students on the activity and explain the importance of following these
tips for their intro class, as well as University in general. 2
Minutes
Summary:
Emphasize that success in the Introduction to Psychology course, as well as University overall, is dependent
upon effort more so than innate intelligence.
“Try to see Jenga as a metaphor for your experience in this mentee group: you communicate, work, and
strategize together in order to achieve a common goal. Furthermore, just like in the game, sometimes a
small risk is necessary in order to build something bigger and better.” 2
Minutes