In this SEL lesson, students learn more about personal growth by exploring an aspect of their choice through an independent research and reading project. After self-selecting a book related to self-improvement, students will become familiar with the general advice provided by the author, as well as complete a close reading of at least three chapters. Students will have opportunities to process what they are learning in multiple ways, including sharing takeaways and personal connections with classmates so all students can also learn ideas from one another. Can be used as part of SEL programming.

Begin by curating a collection of books related to personal growth. Possible topics that you may consider are not only those directly labeled as self-improvement or self-help, but also financial literacy, entrepreneurship, the creative process, college advice, career exploration, physical health and wellness, etc.

Connect students with books that match their personal interests or pique their curiosity. This may include providing a digital collection for them to browse in advance, having a book tasting and/or in-person browsing session, and through booktalking and readers' advisory.

Once students have selected a book to focus on, they will engage with the text through four guided activities. While the suggested timeline for implementation is a week for each activity, you may adjust the activities and timeline to best fit your students' needs.

Week 1

Research the author. Students will start by researching the author during Week 1 with support for research, as necessary. See the Week 1 student activity template: bit.ly/personal-growth-week1. Note that as they get a general sense of ideas shared by the author, this is a good opportunity for them to switch books if they feel their initial selection is not a good match.

Week 2

Summarize and connect. Students will build background knowledge about the book by examining the book cover and reviewing other information such as online summaries or reviews. They will consider and explain how the subject connects with them personally. See the Week 2 student activity template: bit.ly/personal-growth-week2.

Week 3+

Deep Dive. Students will select three chapters or portions of the book to read closely, provided context that some books are intended to be read cover-to-cover, while others are written in a way where readers can skip around, reading selected chapters as desired and skipping over others that may not inspire them. Students may choose to read the first three chapters of the book, or alternatively, may browse and choose three with the most intriguing chapter titles. While they may certainly choose to read more on their own, this provides an opportunity for them to read full-text portions of the book without necessarily reading the entire book.

There are different activities to accompany each selected chapter/section: (1) quote selection and analysis (bit.ly/personal-growth-week3-1) with students locating, explaining, and articulating personal connections to passages within their reading; (2) visual representation (bit.ly/personal-growth-week3-2) with students summarizing and then representing their understanding of their reading through a visual format; and (3) letter to the author (bit.ly/personal-growth-week3-3) with students synthesizing their reading by expressing a compliment, critique, and questions through the practice of writing a letter to the author.

Week 4

Rate, Review, Report. Students rate, review, and create a report about the book to share what they have learned with classmates. See Week 4 student activity template: bit.ly/personal-growth-week4.