Year 3, Lesson 2.2: Engagement and wellbeing

Unit Learning Goal

Students will examine how values, culture, and context shape definitions of success, and reflect on the role of balance, well-being, and intercultural understanding in doing meaningful and ethical work.

Lesson Goal

Students will analyze the concept of “balance” and reflect on their own experiences of pressure, motivation, and burnout, while identifying practices that support long-term engagement and well-being.

Assessment

  • Monitor participation and responses during group activities for depth of understanding around engagement and well-being.

  • Analyze Exit Tickets for students’ ability to articulate what contributes to burnout and how they might personally seek meaningful balance.

Casel Alignment

Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Responsible Decision-Making

Portfolio Documentation

Resources

Prerequisites

Students should be familiar with the 3 Es of Good Work (especially “Engagement”) and basic reflection skills from prior lessons.

Total Time

45 minutes



Instructions

  • In the last lesson, students explored different cultural definitions of success and the tension between trying your best and meeting high standards. Today, they’ll focus on engagement, especially how it connects to balance, pressure, and personal well-being—a key part of good citizenship, as engaged citizens must also sustain themselves over time.

1. Opener: “Where Are We on the Balance Line?” [10 minutes]

  • Set up an “Opinion Continuum” across the room. Label one end “Balance is overrated—you have to grind for success” and the other end “Balance is essential for long-term success.”

  • Read a selection of statements aloud (see below), and have students place themselves along the continuum to reflect their perspective.

  • Students then discuss their reasoning with someone nearby.

  • Invite a few volunteers to share highlights with the whole class.

  • Statements may include:

    • “Working harder always leads to better results.”

    • “If you love what you do, you won't ever feel tired or burned out.”

    • “Taking breaks is a sign that you're not committed enough.”

    • “People who achieve the most often sacrifice their well-being to get there.”

    • “Balance is something only people with fewer responsibilities can afford.”

    • “Being constantly busy means you’re doing something right.”

    • “You need stress to be successful.”

    • “It’s better to push through exhaustion than to fall behind.”

    • “You can be fully engaged in your work and still take care of yourself.”

    • “Success that costs your mental health isn’t really success.”

  • Optionally, invite students to generate one or two additional statements to add to the spectrum. 

Remind students that active citizenship requires sustained commitment over time. But what happens to civic engagement when people burn out or don’t take care of themselves?

2. Activity – “Two Truths and a Lie: Burnout & Balance” [15 minutes]

  • Distribute the handout: “Two Truths and a Lie: Burnout & Balance.”

  • Students work in pairs or small groups to identify which statement in each set is false.

  • Statements are drawn from real research in the Grind Culture report and the Good Project’s blog.

  • After groups finish, debrief as a class:

    • What answers surprised you?

    • Why do certain myths about work and balance persist?

    • How can awareness of these truths help us as citizens and workers?

3. Reflection & Meaning – “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” [15 minutes]

  • Read the dilemma or show the video version: Should I Stay or Should I Go? (about Maria, a college student questioning whether to take time off).

  • Think-Pair-Share using these guiding questions:

    • What internal and external pressures is Maria experiencing?

    • How do Maria's responsibilities to herself and her family shape her thinking?

    • In what ways might taking a break impact Maria’s long-term engagement and well-being?

    • What support systems could help Maria make a sustainable decision?

  • Ask: What happens to participation in school, community, or broader society when people are overwhelmed or burnt out? How do pressure and well-being shape our ability to show up as responsible, engaged citizens?

4. Closing and Exit Ticket [5 minutes]

  • Ask students to answer the Exit Ticket: “Reflect on a time when you felt really engaged in something—school, a hobby, an activity. Did it feel balanced or overwhelming? What helped or hurt your engagement? What’s one thing you want to try this month to keep your engagement sustainable?”

  • Collect the Exit Tickets for assessment and portfolio documentation.