Tapestry of Faith: Heeding the Call: A Program on Justicemaking for Junior High School Youth

Activity 1: Is This Acting With Courage?

Activity time: 10 minutes

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Print Leader Resource 1, Is This Acting With Courage? and cut scenarios apart.

Description of Activity

Youth explore courage in seemingly small acts.

Ask for three volunteers to choose a scenario and read them aloud in order. After reading each scenario, ask the group if individuals were acting with courage. Different opinions are fine. If the group feels individuals are not acting courageously, ask for suggestions of other ways the individuals in the scenarios could act.

After discussing the scenarios, ask:

  • What makes an action courageous?
  • Do possible consequences influence whether an act is courageous or not? If there is no possibility of negative consequences, is the act still courageous?
  • What role does fear play in acting with courage?
  • Has there been a time that you or someone you know has been confronted with a problem that required acting with courage?

Invite youth to share their experiences. Remind them that acts do not have to be big to be courageous. Explore the role that the possibility of negative consequences and/or fear played in their experiences.