Lesson Plan
Scavenger Hunt Instructions
Guide students in a collaborative scavenger hunt to identify examples of personal and interpersonal strengths in texts, media, and peers, reinforcing CASEL’s self-awareness competencies.
By actively seeking and naming strengths, students build accurate self-perception, self-efficacy, and social awareness—core skills for personal growth and positive classroom culture.
Audience
11th Grade
Time
25 minutes
Approach
Structured, small-group scavenger hunt.
Materials
Spot the Strengths Slides, Strengths Scavenger Hunt handouts, Pens or highlighters, and Timer or clock
Prep
Teacher Preparation
10 minutes
- Review Spot the Strengths Slides to familiarize yourself with discussion prompts and examples aligned to CASEL’s self-awareness competencies.
- Print or digitally distribute enough copies of the Strengths Scavenger Hunt handouts so each group has one.
- Set up any media stations (e.g., device or projector for video clip) to ensure smooth transitions.
Step 1
Set the Scene
5 minutes
- Display Spot the Strengths Slides and briefly review CASEL’s Self-Awareness framework:
- Accurate self-perception
- Recognizing strengths
- Self-confidence and self-efficacy
- Explain scavenger hunt objectives and rules: identify at least one example of a strength in three categories (literature, media, peer).
- Form student groups of 3–4 and assign each group a starting station.
Step 2
Conduct Scavenger Hunt
12 minutes
- Distribute Strengths Scavenger Hunt handouts to each group.
- Groups rotate through three stations:
- Text excerpts (identify strengths in characters or narratives)
- Short media clip (note demonstrated strengths)
- Peer huddle (share and observe classmates’ strengths)
- At each station, groups record the strength they found, evidence (quote or observation), and which CASEL competency it reflects.
Step 3
Transition to Share-Out
1 minute
- Signal groups to finish their final entry and return to their seats.
- Collect or have students hold on to their handouts for discussion.
Step 4
Quick Reflection
2 minutes
- Ask students to individually jot down which newly discovered strength surprised them most and why—connecting others’ strengths to their own self-awareness.
Step 5
Debrief & Connect
5 minutes
- Invite each group to share one standout example from their hunt.
- Facilitate discussion prompts:
- How does recognizing strengths in others help us understand our own abilities?
- Which CASEL self-awareness skill did you practice today, and how might you apply it going forward?
Slide Deck
Spot the Strengths: CASEL Self-Awareness
An interactive activity to identify strengths in literature, media, and peers
Welcome students! Today we’ll dive into CASEL’s Self-Awareness framework and practice spotting strengths in texts, media, and each other. Set expectations for participation and curiosity.
What is Self-Awareness?
The ability to accurately recognize your own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior.
Define self-awareness in your own words before showing the slide. Emphasize why understanding ourselves helps us recognize strengths in others.
CASEL Self-Awareness Competencies
- Accurate self-perception: Understanding your strengths and areas for growth
- Recognizing strengths: Identifying talents and skills in yourself and others
- Self-confidence & self-efficacy: Belief in your ability to succeed
Walk through each competency and invite brief examples from students. Ask: “What’s one strength you’ve noticed in yourself?”
Example in Literature
"Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." —Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird
Strength: Moral courage
Competency: Recognizing strengths
Read the quote aloud and ask: “What strength does Atticus Finch show here?” Link this to recognizing strengths in characters.
Play this short clip. Ask students to note one strength they observe. Pause at key moments if needed.
Scavenger Hunt Instructions
• Identify one strength in each category:
- Literature (characters or narrative)
- Media (video clip)
- Peer (observe classmates)
• Record your findings on the Strengths Scavenger Hunt handout
Review each bullet. Emphasize that groups will rotate through stations and record evidence tied to CASEL skills.
Getting Ready
• Form groups of 3–4
• Take a Strengths Scavenger Hunt handout and highlighter
• Set a timer: 12 minutes per station
Prompt students to form into groups of 3–4. Distribute handouts and highlighters, and explain the timer for each rotation.
Activity
Strengths Scavenger Hunt Handout
Instructions:
Rotate through each station. At each location, read or observe the prompt, then record your group’s findings in the space provided. Focus on linking evidence to a CASEL self-awareness competency.
Station 1: Literature
Prompt: Identify a strength demonstrated by a character in the text excerpt.
Strength Observed:
Evidence (quote or description):
CASEL Competency (circle one):
• Accurate self-perception • Recognizing strengths • Self-confidence & self-efficacy
Station 2: Media
Prompt: Watch the video clip and note one demonstrated strength.
Strength Observed:
Evidence (timestamp or description):
CASEL Competency (circle one):
• Accurate self-perception • Recognizing strengths • Self-confidence & self-efficacy
Station 3: Peer
Prompt: Discuss with classmates and observe a peer’s strength during your huddle.
Peer Name:
Strength Observed:
Evidence (what you observed):
CASEL Competency (circle one):
• Accurate self-perception • Recognizing strengths • Self-confidence & self-efficacy
Discussion
Findings Share-Out
Purpose
This whole-class discussion allows each group to showcase their discoveries, deepen understanding of CASEL self-awareness competencies, and reflect on how recognizing strengths builds both personal and social insight.
Guidelines for Participation
- Listen actively and respectfully to each group’s example.
- Keep comments concise (30–60 seconds per share-out).
- Connect your responses to the CASEL competencies we’ve practiced.
- Build on others’ ideas by using phrases like “I noticed…” or “That example reminds me of…”
Discussion Questions
- Group Share-Out
- Invite each group to state:
• The station (Literature, Media, or Peer)
• The strength you identified
• The evidence you used
• The CASEL competency it reflects
- Invite each group to state:
- Deepening Understanding
- Which example resonated most with you, and why?
- How did the evidence you found help clarify the character’s or peer’s strength?
- What made you choose that particular competency?
- Connecting to Self
- How does spotting a strength in someone else help you recognize a similar strength in yourself?
- Was there a strength you hadn’t noticed in yourself before today? How might you develop it further?
- Applying What We’ve Learned
- In what other settings (e.g., team projects, family, sports) can you practice spotting strengths?
- How can this skill of recognizing strengths support your goals this semester?
Follow-Up Prompts
- “Can you give an example from real life (outside class) where you saw this strength in action?”
- “What challenges might keep us from noticing strengths, and how can we overcome them?”
- “How might recognizing strengths change the way we give feedback to peers?”
Closing Reflection
- Ask students to jot down one action they will take this week to notice or build on a strength—either their own or someone else’s.
- Reinforce that today’s activity strengthens both self-awareness and our capacity to support one another.
Cool Down
Group Insight Reflection
Exit Ticket:
Please respond to the following prompts before you leave:
- What is one new insight you gained today about recognizing strengths in literature, media, or peers?
- How does noticing strengths in others help you understand your own abilities?
- What is one action you will take this week to apply the skill of spotting strengths—either in yourself or someone else?