Purpose: To understand that our first interaction with a situation can affect our future relationship with it and to identify actions and attitudes that help create comfort and the ability to stay in control in unfamiliar cultural circumstances.

             Preparation Time:  None.

Materials:  Paper and pen or pencil for making notes, if desired or appropriate for level.

Preparation: A few days before using this activity, give the students the 4 questions to think about ahead of time.

Procedure:

1. Ask students to reflect on their first week in the U.S. by responding to 4 questions.

·        What situations do you especially remember?

·        Were there any people who had a particular effect on you?  Who were they? What did they do?

·        What feelings and thoughts did you have the first week you were in the U.S.?

·        Did you do anything that helped you feel more comfortable and relaxed?  What?

2. The students share their responses to the 4 questions.  Encourage them to be brief and to the point.  Try to keep purpose of the activity clearly in everyone’s mind.
3. Ask students to make concluding statements based on the objectives of the activity.  In conclusion, ask students to talk about how their first experiences have affected the rest of their time in the U.S.

Variations:  Ask students to imagine that they are going to a country they’ve never been to before and where they don’t speak the language very well.  What could they do and what attitudes could they have that would help them in this situation?