The following social extensions are connected to the Search Institute's 40 Developmental Assets which are described as "concrete, common sense, positive experiences and  qualities essential to raising successful young people."

We encourage you to explore more about the Search Institute, the 40 developmental assets and the supporting research here .
 

Social Extension: Anti-Gravity

Key Assets Addressed
(External Assets: Support) Family Support
(External Assets: Support) Caring School Climate
Internal: commitment to Learning) Achievement Motivation

Example Lesson
(External Assets: Support) Caring School Climate

Caring School Climate is defined as ?relationships with teachers and peers that provide a caring, encouraging environment.? Anti-Gravity is a cooperative activity where support, encouragement, respect and teamwork are all necessary components for success. This activity promotes the key aspects of a caring school climate and can be a perfect entry-point for a lesson around this topic.

As an extension of this activity do the following: Ask students to find a partner. Each student is now a world-class reporter for the ?name-of-your-school? times and must interview his or her partner for a feature story (have pencils and paper ready so they can take notes). Ask students to explore the unique characteristics that make up his or her partner, as a real journalist would. Here are some questions to get them started.

1. What is your favorite thing to do?
2. What sets you apart from everyone else?
3. What is the most extraordinary thing that you have done?
4. Can you tell me something about you that the class does not already know?
5. What is the nicest thing you have ever done for someone or something?
6. What are you most proud of?
7. Who do you care about most and why?
    

Give each student about 5-8 minutes to interview his or her partner.

Next, ask the group to come back together so you can explain the next challenge. In Anti gravity, the group kept a beach ball in the air as long as possible. In this challenge, the group must keep introductions ?in the air? as long as possible. Here?s how it is done.
 

1. Ask for a volunteer to begin by introducing his or her partner and presenting the answer to one of the seven questions. Make sure they first state the question before the answer so the audience knows the context for the answer, and begin with ?this is _________? so the other students can put a face to the name. It may look something like: "This is James. The nicest thing he has done for someone else is_______."
2. Within three seconds, someone else must jump in and begin introducing his or her partner or else it is considered a ?drop,? such as in the beach ball version.
3. Challenge the group to keep the introductions going as long as possible, keeping track of how many are done in succession.
    

Follow up by asking your students to find connections between how knowing more about each other and finding things in common can help create an environment of caring and support in the program.