True Colors

Summary

This lesson is a fun way for students to gain self-awareness. It helps with relationships and finding a career interest. Students will identify and demonstrate how to utilize personality types to improve interpersonal communication.

Materials

1. Magazines
2. Large Sheets of Paper
3. Masking Tape
4. Colored Markers
5. Colors Dot Stickers

Background for Teachers

1. History of "True Colors"
2. Examples of Color Type Characteristics
3. Colors Chart for Improving Relationships
4. Esteem Colors Chart
5. Personal Style Color Chart

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to understand how their perspective affects relationships and how they communicate with others. They will be able to understand why others may have a different perspective and utilize this understanding to improve relationships.

Instructional Procedures

Day 1:
Teacher will lead discussion with students about interpersonal communication using questions: What happens when you disagree with someone? Why do you disagree?

Perception activity: Show the picture of the glass/faces and ask, "What do you see? Who is right?" (PowerPoint) Teacher Discussion: It depends on our perception. There is not a right or wrong. Discuss how perception affects all of our communication and relationships. Show the picture of men marching up a hill, and then turn it upside down to see George Washington. Discuss what a difference it makes in how we look at things and there is always more than our perspective. If there is a problem with communication and relationships the only one you can change is yourself. Explain (using "History of True Colors" theory) how this theory can help with their relationships by understanding themselves and how they interact with others.

Administer Color Test (Higher level -- Word Chart and lower level- Pictures tests available) and score to determine each student's color. Have students place their color dot so others can see what type they are.

Explain each different personality type using power point, pictures, video, or examples. If time allows, students will find pictures in magazines that relate to their color.

Explain that individuals are a spectrum of colors and there are times they will use each color type, but they basically operate in one color.

Assessment:
Have each student choose a person outside of class they know and write what color they think they are. Hand the paper to the teacher. Before the next class, the student will give the color test to that person, score it to determine the color type, and bring it back the next class period.

Day 2:
Review the different color type characteristics. Pass the papers back and assess if students were able to determine the correct color of the person they tested.

Divide students into color groups. Provide each group with large sheets of paper and markers to match their color type. Have them work as a group, brainstorm and write: "Things they like to do or things they like". Have them report to the group and hang the paper in the room so it can be seen.

Have the students go back to their color groups again and write "Things I don't like or what drives me crazy". Have them report to the group and hang the paper in the room so it can be seen.

Introduce the reframing exercise by asking students what would happen if we didn't have any greens, blues, golds, oranges. Discuss how the world would be different if one of the groups was missing. Discuss how we need every color type to enhance and widen our perspectives. Have each group use reframing worksheets to change negative statements to positive statements and report to class. Assign green and blue to reframe each other and orange and gold to reframe each other.

Hand out the self-esteem colors chart and discuss how each color builds esteem.

Have students role play how they would handle a situation for different colors i.e.: Assign each student a different color than they are and have them all work together to: Plan a trip to St. George Work on the homecoming committee Diffuse an argument at work with an irate customer Communicate with a certain color supervisor to solve a scheduling problem

Assessment Plans:
Completion of Assignments
Role-play of Scenarios

Strategies for Diverse Learners

Pictures may be used to make color assessments.

Extensions

Have the students bring examples of careers for each color. They may also do a report on careers in certain colors.

Assessment Plan

See Assessment Attachment

Bibliography

True Colors Communication Group-Please Understand Me by Dr. David Keirsey www.truecolors.org