Resilience Recreational Therapy

Running head: DEVELOPING RESILIENCE IN FIFTH GRADERS 1
Developing Resilience in Fifth Graders:
A Proposal for a Recreational Therapy Prevention Program
Sasha Gordon
University of Utah
Comprehensive Qualifying Examination
Sandy Negley
November 20, 2017

DEVELOPING RESILIENCE IN FIFTH GRADERS 2
Introduction
There has been a shift during recent decades within health and human services that has
largely moved the focus of treatment services away from deficit reduction to a focus on
strengths-based practices. The positive psychology movement highlights this shift, with the idea
that the most powerful ingredient common to effective therapies may be the building of human
strengths (Carruthers & Hood, 2007, 277). This shift can be seen within the field of recreational
therapy with the development of the Leisure and Well-Being Model (LWM). Carruthers and
Hood (2007) explained that this model is based on the idea that deficit reduction alone does not
result in well-being. Rather, to increase well-being, it is important to facilitate the development
of ones strengths and abilities.
Resilience theory also supports this shift to strengths-based practices. Zimmerman (2013)
stated that resilience theory provides a conceptual framework for considering a strengths-based
approach to understanding child and adolescent development and informing intervention design
(p. 381). Much of the work within this theory has focused on treating and preventing
psychopathology. However, there has also been a shift towards implementing prevention
programs to help individuals develop resilience in their lives, no matter what challenges they
come across. According Goldstein, Brooks, and DeVries (2013), even though not all children
will experience significant adversity or trauma, no child is immune to the pressures around
them and the expectations placed upon them (p. 74).
The purpose of this proposal is to show the benefits of a resilience-based recreational
therapy program intended to be implemented as a prevention program for fifth grade students.
The developmental needs of this age group will be highlighted to show how a resilience program
could be used to address those needs for all children. Additionally, the LWM will be discussed to
show why recreational therapy would be an effective modality to use in the implementation of
this program. Finally, the framework of such a program will be described using the Seven
Resiliencies Model (Wolin & Wolin, 1993) as a guideline, and a specific outline will be given to
show an example of what each session will be like.
Developmental Needs
In fifth grade, children are in the stage of development called middle childhood. This is a
critical transitional period for children as they are moving towards adolescence and adulthood.
They are experiencing many physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes, and as a result, there
are many things that adults can do to aid them in their growth and development.
Physical Development
During middle childhood, physical growth becomes more slow and steady than it was
previously. This allows them to maintain the coordination they have developed thus far and
continue to refine and develop new physical skills (Berger, 2013). Their gross motor skills lead
to increased flexibility, balance, and agility (Morelli & Dombeck, 2015). As a result, they begin
to participate more in advanced physical activities and sports. Additionally, their fine motor
skills continue to improve, which is manifest by improved handwriting, art skills, and the ability
to play musical instruments (Glowiak & Mayfield, 2016). Adults can support the development of
these skills by providing opportunities for children to engage in physical activities, and teach
them new skills.
Late in the middle childhood years, children begin to experience hormonal changes, and
their bodies begin to change as they prepare for puberty. Many children feel awkward and
confused about these changes in their bodies, and it is important for adults to support them and
educate them about the changes to help make the transition easier for them (Morelli & Dombeck,
2015).
Cognitive Development
Middle childhood is a time of significant cognitive development. Children are usually in
Piagets concrete operations stage of cognitive development, and are better able to think logically
and reason about their experiences and perceptions based on what they know and have seen.
However, they still struggle to think about abstract concepts (Berger, 2013). Towards the end of
middle childhood, they gradually become better at organizing their thoughts, allowing them to
think about complex things in more abstract and hypothetical ways. They also begin to develop
better deductive reasoning skills (Scott & Saginak, 2016).
Vygotsky suggested that children develop these cognitive skills through their interactions
with others. Additionally, he used the term zone of proximal development to describe the
difference between what children can do on their own and what they can do with the help of
others (Morelli & Dombeck, 2015). Adults can support children in their development by
providing scaffolding to help with tasks that are too difficult for children to do on their own, but
that can be accomplished with support.
Psychosocial Development
As with the other domains, children experience many emotional and social changes
during middle childhood. At this age, most children are in Eriksons Industry vs. Inferiority stage
of development. Industry is defined as a sense of feeling industrious and productive, which
happens when the child develops and establishes skills, and then feels successful when they
demonstrate those skills effectively. In contrast, inferiority happens when children fail to
accomplish a task, and feel inadequate or incompetent (Berger, 2013). Thus, it is important for
adults to provide opportunities for children to experience success and feel a sense of industry.
Much of the emotional and social development that takes place in middle childhood
relates to this idea of industry vs. inferiority. For example, this is the time when children begin to
be better at recognizing their own and others emotions. They are increasingly able to manage
their own emotions and communicate what they are feeling. They start to understand the
complexity of emotions and become better at perspective-taking, meaning that they develop
more empathy towards other people (Morelli & Dombeck, 2015). Additionally, this is the time
when personality characteristics become more defined, and personal identity becomes more
complex. Children begin to describe themselves based on their personality qualities, and can
identify their strengths and weaknesses. This often is when they begin to compare themselves to
others, and their self-esteem often reflects those comparisons (Morelli & Dombeck, 2015).
Adults can support children as they are figuring out who they are, and provide opportunities for
them to feel a sense of industry as they recognize their strengths and address their weaknesses.
As children begin their full-time schooling, they are spending more time with their peers
than they are with their families. While they are becoming more independent and rely less on
their parents, their peer group becomes more influential than ever before (Berger, 2013).
Additionally, as cognitive and emotional abilities develop, the friendships children form begin to
be more than simple companionship. As they are increasingly able to think more abstractly and
understand each others emotions, they are able to build relationships based on trust and respect
(Morelli & Dombeck, 2015). Adults can play an important role during this time when a childs
peer group is forming, and can help model healthy relationships and self-respect.
Resilience Theory
There are many different definitions of resilience. Emmy Werner was one of the
pioneering researchers within the field, and coined the term to describe the ability that many
young people have to bounce back, or thrive in the face of adversity (Peterson, 2006). Most
definitions use the term to explain three things: achieving good outcomes in spite of risk
exposure, competence in the face of stress, and the ability to recover from traumatic experiences
(Werner, 1995). In other words, the word resilience is used to describe individuals who achieve
healthy developmental outcomes despite the difficulties and challenges they face in their lives.
For the purpose of this prevention program, the definition that will be used is the ability to
overcome the emotional, developmental, economic, and environmental challenges children face
as they grow up (Goldstein et al., 2013, p. 73).
Historically there have been three main waves of research regarding resilience theory.
The first wave focused on risk factors as scientists attempted to understand the development of
psychopathology and tried to identify what could be done to prevent it. Through this phase of
development, researchers began to identify biological, psychological, economic, and social
factors that could hinder development, such as exposure to drugs, poverty, and parental mental
illness (Aronowitz, 2005). As they discovered these things, they also began to notice that some
individuals were achieving positive outcomes in spite of these risk factors.
This led to the second wave of research, as researchers began to focus on the processes
and factors that helped individuals growing up in the face of extreme difficulties. They began to
identify themes and classify the variables that seemed to modify or compensate for the effects of
risk exposure (Luthar, Lyman, & Crossman, 2014). Researchers began to notice that these
protective factors fit into three main categories, referred to as the triad of resiliency:
personality disposition, a family support system, and the environment outside the family
(Richardson, 2002). Others broadened this classification and looked at internal assets and
external resources that contributed to resilience.
As more information was gained about protective factors, resilience research moved into
the third wave, which is centered on implementing intervention and prevention programs to
promote resilience and help individuals develop these protective factors (Zolkoski & Bullock,
2012). This work has focused not only on individuals growing up in the face of risk and
adversity, but has also begun to be applied to the population of children in general in an effort
to create a resilient mindset in all youth (Goldstein et al., 2013, p. 74).
One specific resilience model has been developed and used in many intervention and
prevention programs. Wolin and Wolin (1993) created the Seven Resiliencies Model (see Figure
1) after conducting years of research about resilience and identifying the strengths that survivors
of trauma and adversity possess. They combined these strengths into seven categories of
resilience, which form the resiliency mandala. The following is a brief explanation of each of the
seven strengths (Wolin, Desetta, & Hefner, 2000):
Insight: the ability to ask difficult questions and give honest answers.
Independence: being able to draw boundaries and keep an emotional and physical
distance from sources of trouble in ones life.
Relationships: making fulfilling connections with those who matter, and
balancing the processes of give and take with those people.
Initiative: taking charge and addressing problems head-on.
Creativity: using ones imagination as a way to express oneself and handle
difficult feelings and experiences.

Humor: finding the comic in difficult, stressful, or tragic situations, and being
able to keep perspective.
Morality: doing the right thing even when it is not easy.
Wolin and Wolin (1999) suggest that this resiliency mandala can be used to guide a
strengths-based approach to promoting resilience. They created Project Resilience because they
believed these strengths can be taught, modeled, and learned.
Figure 1: The Seven Resiliencies. Figure 2: Phases of Development.

(Wolin & Wolin, 1999). (Wolin & Wolin, 1999).
The resiliency mandala has also been expanded to show the stages of development for
each category through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood (see Figure 2). Each circle of this
mandala shows one of the phases of development, with the smallest circle near the center
representing childhood, adolescence being represented by the next circle, and adulthood in the
circle closest to the strength. In other words, these seven strengths take different forms as an
individual progresses through the developmental stages.
The information presented within this model can be beneficial to professionals working
to develop intervention and prevention programs. The seven resiliencies can provide a
framework to guide the program. Additionally, the phases of development are important to
understand based on the population for which the program is designed.
Leisure & Well-Being Model
Several service models have been developed within recreational therapy to guide practice
and provide a theoretical foundation on which to build programs. The LWM is one particular
service model that emphasizes the strengths and abilities of clients and uses them to facilitate the
development of additional resources. The LWM is grounded in the literature of psychology,
strengths-based practice, leisure theory, and human development (Hood & Carruthers, 2007, p.
299). Additionally, many components of the model are supported by the literature in positive
psychology. Specifically, the LWM draws from theories such as leisure behavior theory, self-
efficacy, resilience, and flow theory.
As shown in Figure 3, the LWM identifies well-being as the long-term outcome of
recreational therapy services. The authors define this as a state of successful, satisfying, and
productive engagement with ones life and the realization of ones full physical, cognitive, and
social-emotional potential (Carruthers & Hood, 2007, p. 280). While the authors recognize that
there are many dimensions to well-being, they acknowledge that they are not all equally
attainable through recreational therapy interventions. Thus, the two dimensions of well-being
that are focused on within this model are (a) increasing positive emotion, affect, and experience
on a daily basis, and (b) the cultivation and expression of ones full potential, including
strengths, capacities, and assets (Carruthers & Hood, 2007, p. 280).
There are also two proximal goals to guide individual interventions with clients:
enhancing leisure experience, and developing resources. The hope is that as recreational
therapists work with individuals on these two goals, they will lead to greater personal fulfillment
and well-being. Additionally, as shown in Figure 3, these components of the model are all
interrelated, and will ultimately create a positive spiral of well-being. What this means is that as
people develop more resources and have more positive leisure experiences, it will lead to higher
levels of well-being. Experiencing well-being will lead to an increase in positive emotions and
experiences. In turn, this will lead to the development of further resources that can be used in
diverse ways and contribute to further positive experiences (Carruthers & Hood, 2007).
Figure 3: The Leisure and Well-Being Model. (Carruthers & Hood, 2007).
Enhancing Leisure Experience
The LWM places a large emphasis on the leisure experience, and stresses the importance
of not only doing leisure, but also the quality of the leisure experience in supporting well-
being (Hood & Carruthers, 2007). Based on this, there are five types of leisure experience that
can be facilitated through recreational therapy services to help clients achieve well-being. These
are savoring leisure, authentic leisure, leisure gratifications, mindful leisure, and virtuous leisure.
Depending on the specific needs of the client, a recreational therapist may incorporate all of
these into their service delivery, or just focus on the ones that are most needed by an individual.
Savoring leisure. This type of leisure experience is paying attention to the positive
aspects of, and emotions associated with, leisure involvement and purposefully seeking leisure
experiences that give rise to positive emotions (Hood & Carruthers, 2007, p. 311). As people
intentionally engage in meaningful and quality leisure activities, and focus on the positive
emotions they feel during the experience, it will contribute to well-being. There are three
strategies that can be used to engage in savoring leisure: being fully present for the experience,
being purposeful in the selection of leisure involvement, and maximizing the possibility of
experiencing positive emotions (Hood & Carruthers, 2007).
Authentic leisure. When people engage in leisure experiences that are aligned with their
interests and abilities, it is authentic leisure because it reflects the individuals true self. Leisure
can support identity development and authenticity when individuals are allowed to explore
interests and strengths that align with their values (Hood & Carruthers, 2007). As they do this,
they are able to develop further strengths and resources, which can lead to well-being.
Leisure gratifications. Leisure experiences that are both enjoyable and challenging are
referred to as leisure gratifications. These types of experiences help individuals experience flow,
which is when the activity is challenging enough that it requires sustained effort and
commitment, but is not too difficult that the individual is unable to accomplish it. Engaging in
leisure gratifications can lead to personal growth and the development of further resources (Hood
& Carruthers, 2007).
Mindful leisure. Mindfulness refers to being present in the moment and aware of the
current experience. Mindful leisure is when an individual is fully engaged in the experience, and
disengaged from other thoughts and concerns. As people practice mindfulness techniques such as
meditation, breathing techniques, and yoga in leisure experiences, they will be able to implement
similar strategies in other aspects of their life (Hood & Carruthers, 2007).
Virtuous leisure. The final type of leisure described in the LWM is virtuous leisure. This
is defined as the ability to engage in experiences that develop and/or mobilize personal
strengths, capacities, interests, and abilities in the service of something larger than oneself
(Hood & Carruthers, 2007, p. 316). Volunteering is one type of virtuous leisure.
Developing Resources
The second proximal goal of recreational therapy within the LWM is the development of
resources (Hood & Carruthers, 2007). These can be developed through psycho-educational
interventions specifically designed to improve certain resources, as well as through enhancing
ones leisure experiences.
Carruthers and Hood (2007) define resources as the internal and external assets,
strengths, and contexts upon which one can draw in order to create a satisfying, enjoyable and
productive live (p. 288). Internal assets refer to intrapersonal abilities to find happiness in ones
life as well as interpersonal capacities that help individuals make social connections. External
resources are those that help individuals successfully engage with their community.
The LWM divides resources into five interrelated categories: psychological, cognitive,
social, physical, and environmental resources (see Figure 4). It is suggested that development of
the resources included within these categories can be directly facilitated within recreational
therapy services. As such, although there are many other resources that could be identified, the
authors only included ones that would be addressed through this modality (Hood & Carruthers,
2007). Additionally, not all of these resources should be focused on with every client group. It
would be the responsibility of the recreational therapist to determine the needs of the specific
clients, and then focus on developing those resources.
Figure 4: The Resource Development Framework. (Hood & Carruthers, 2007).
Psychological resources. This category has the most identified resources within the
LWM. Many researchers have talked about the importance of psychological resources in
contributing to well-being. Several specific resources have been identified consistently such as
capacity for happiness, emotion regulation, self-awareness and acceptance, self-determination,
competence, optimism, and sense of meaning (Hood & Carruthers, 2007. p. 303). These are
included in the LWM because research has shown that leisure can be an important source of
developing these strengths.
Cognitive resources. The cognitive resources included in the LWM are the ability to
attend, memory, concentration, problem solving, goal setting, and following directions. These
resources impact an individuals ability not only to engage in satisfying leisure, but also their
day-to-day living. As people engage in a variety of challenging and stimulating leisure activities,
their cognitive capacity increases, which improves their ability to engage more fully in life and in
future leisure pursuits (Hood & Carruthers, 2007).
Social resources. The LWM defines social resources as those capacities and strengths
that lie within the individual and that allow for meaningful social engagement (Hood &
Carruthers, 2007, p. 306). There are four social resources identified by the model:
communication skills, social confidence, interpersonal skills, and reciprocal relationship skills.
Leisure and recreational activities are often viewed as an ideal context for developing these
skills.
Physical resources. The four physical resources listed in the LWM are physical health,
mobility, fitness, and energy. There are many benefits to developing these strengths, such as
greater independence, increased positive mood, better self-esteem, and personal growth. As
individuals are more physically active, they will have more energy to engage in activities. This
results in an upward positive spiral of growth, becasue the development of physical resources
leads to more diverse activities. This in turn leads to more personal growth (Hood & Carruthers,
2007).
Environmental resources. The final category of resources includes those things that lead
to well-being which are outside of the individual, and include social connections and networks as
well as community engagement. Social connectedness can be developed as individuals engage in
shared leisure pursuits. Additionally, there are many leisure activities that provide opportunities
for individuals to engage in their community (Hood & Carruthers, 2007).
Recreational Therapy as a Modality
There are many reasons why recreational therapy is an effective modality to help children
develop resilience, especially using the LWM as a guide for service delivery. One of the biggest
reasons is the alignment between the concepts of resilience theory and the LWM. For example,
the protective factors that are such an integral part of resilience theory are similar to the
resources that are a large focus of the LWM. Resilience research suggests that as individuals
develop more resources, they will become more resilient and achieve healthier outcomes.
Similarly, as described earlier, the LWM is based on the premise that as people develop more
resources, they will experience greater well-being. The concepts of resilience and well-being are
also similar in the sense that resilience refers to an individual achieving healthy and positive
outcomes in spite of challenges and adversity. Well-being is experienced when individuals
experience positive emotions and reach their full potential.
Another reason recreational therapy effective for this program is related to the benefits of
leisure. Caldwell and Smith (2006) explain, leisure has great potential for personally
meaningful activity, enjoyment, autonomy, self-determination, becoming connected to
community, developing competence, forming durable relationships with adults, voicing opinions,
being listened to, feeling a sense of belonging and mattering, and having control over ones
actions (p. 400). Recreation and leisure can be an effective modality not only for having
positive experiences, but also for developing protective factors that can lead to resilience.
Finally, recreational therapy can be especially beneficial in promoting resilience in
children in relation to their specific developmental needs. Participating in recreation and leisure
activities provides a context for physical development as children have opportunities to practice
their gross and fine motor skills. As discussed above, fifth graders are usually in the concrete
operations stage of cognitive development, and they are able to think more logically and reason
about things they have experienced. Because they often struggle with more abstract thinking,
developing some resources might prove difficult without having experiences that support their
development. The experiential aspect of recreational therapy could benefit these children by
providing them with experiences on which to build those resources.
Recreational therapy can also support psychosocial development by giving children
opportunities to feel a sense of industry and productivity. By utilizing tasks and interventions
that give children the opportunity to utilize their strengths and be successful at something, it not
only supports their psychosocial development, but also can promote and build other strengths
that lead to resilience and well-being. Participating in the different types of leisure experiences
can facilitate positive emotional development as children have opportunities to experience and
manage different emotions, build self-esteem, and begin to develop their personal identity.
Additionally, middle childhood is an important time in childrens social development, and leisure
experiences provide many opportunities for social interactions and developing positive social
skills.
Resilience Program
The proposed resilience program will be implemented as a prevention and promotion
effort with all fifth grade students in the school. The Seven Resiliencies Model will serve as a
framework for the program, and it will be grounded in the LWM. The purpose of the program
will be to provide children with opportunities to start to learn new skills and develop these
protective factors that can help them as they face whatever challenges or changes they
experience. A main focus of the program will be to help children identify their strengths, and
learn how to utilize those to develop more resources in their lives. It is not believed that the
program will help every child completely develop every single one of the resiliency factors.
However, it is hoped that by participating in the program, students will learn skills and develop
the vocabulary so they can begin to have a resilient mindset as they go through their daily lives.
In accordance with the LWM, the sessions will utilize tasks and interventions related to
the different types of leisure. The specific resources that will be focused on are the seven
resiliencies, but the other resources identified in the LWM could also be incorporated into the
tasks and processing of each session. Wolin and Wolins (1999) phases of development for the
seven resiliencies will be utilized in the development of the program to plan sessions that align
with how the factors usually manifest during childhood. Because fifth graders are nearing the
transition to adolescence, possible processing questions will be included that can be used to
move children towards the next phase of development if the recreational therapist assesses that
the students are developmentally ready for that.
There would be a total of nine one-hour sessions, with one for each factor of resilience, as
well as an introductory session and one to bring closure to the program. Each session of the
program will be aligned with specific fifth grade Utah Core Standards within Health Education,
making the program even more applicable to the classroom setting. The sessions will take place
once a week, and students will be given challenge assignments at the end of each session to
practice the skills they are learning throughout the week. Each session will include a check-in
with each student, follow-up with the challenge assignment, introduction of the days resiliency
factor, some form of recreational task, group processing about the experience, a challenge
assignment for the upcoming week, and closure for the session (see Appendix A for an example
of a session outline/lesson plan).
Conclusion
Carruthers and Hood (2007) suggest that all people hope for a life of well-being and
have untapped reservoirs of capacity and strength (p. 291). Resilience theory and the Leisure
and Well-Being Model build on this idea with their focus on helping individuals develop
strengths and resources that will help them cope with challenges in their lives and experience
well-being. Recreational therapy is an ideal modality to utilize in planning and implementing a
prevention program for fifth grade students that will teach them different resiliency factors and
help them begin to develop these skills in their lives.
The proposed program will utilize the research from resilience theory and the LWM to
help children identify their strengths and build on those as they begin to develop these protective
resources that will support them throughout the challenges they will face, and will hopefully help
them experience well-being in their lives.

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Appendix A
Session 4 OutlineRelationships
5th Grade Health Education Standards:

Standard 2, Objective 1b: Differentiate between positive and negative influences.
Standard 3, Objective 1: Demonstrate qualities that help form healthy interpersonal
relationships.
Standard 5, Objective 3c: Analyze the value in creating respectful, healthy relationships.
Purpose:
To help students identify characteristics of positive and negative relationships, and to
help them understand how they can develop positive friendships.
Objective:
Students will identify characteristics of positive relationships and explain how they can
develop positive relationships with others.
I Can Statement:
o I can identify 5 characteristics of positive relationships and explain one thing I
will do to make good friends.
Setting Considerations:
A large area is needed to complete this task
o The schools gym would be an ideal location
o If the gym is unavailable, the task could be done outside
Area should be free of other distractions or sounds.
Supplies Needed:
I can statement written on a poster
White board/poster on the wall to make a listwrite positive and negative on the top, and
draw a line down the middle
Partner cards
Exit ticket assessments
Pencil for each student
Various obstacles such as Frisbees, blocks, balls, cones, etc.
A way to designate the boundaries of the minefieldlines in the gym, rope, etc.
Blindfoldsenough for one per partnership
Intervention Description:
Before group:
o Set up the minefield. Determine the boundaries of the game, and use rope or the
lines on the gym floor to mark the boundaries. Place various obstacles throughout
the area.
NOTE: Depending on the size of the class, it might work best to create
two separate minefields to allow enough space for the children to do the
task.
Welcome/Check-in:
o Welcome students to group and invite students to sit in a circle on the floor.
o Facilitator script: Welcome to our resilience class today. We are going to start by
giving everyone a chance to check in with the group. We will go around the circle
and each person will say one thing they think makes a good friend.
o Allow each group member to have a chance to check in.
Group guidelines:
o Facilitator script: Before we start group today, I would like us to quickly review
the group rules we decided on in our first session. Who can help remind everyone
what those rules are?
o Review the rules with the students, and make sure they all remember what they
are. Have them show a thumbs-up if they are willing to follow the rules today.
Challenge Assignment Follow-up:

o Facilitator script: Last week we talked about the resilience factor of independence.
Who remembers what that means?
o Allow students to share what they learned from the last group.
o Facilitator script: At the end of our last group, I gave everyone an assignment to
write in your Resilience journal about how you used healthy boundaries this
week. I want everyone to turn to a partner next to you and share one example.
o Give students a few minutes to share with their partners.
o Facilitator script: Would anyone like to share with the group?
Introduction of Todays Topic:

o Facilitator script: The resilience factor we are going to talk about today is
relationships. We are going to focus on what makes good relationships and why it
is important to have healthy and respectful friendships. To start, we are going to
read our objective for the class.
o Ask a student to volunteer to read the I Can statement out loud to the group.
o Facilitator script: At the beginning of our group, I asked everyone to share one
thing that makes a good friend. I want to talk more about what qualities make a
good friend, or a healthy relationship. I want you to turn and talk with your
partner again and brainstorm about what qualities make a positive relationship.
o Give students a few minutes to brainstorm with their partners.

o Facilitator script: We are now going to share with the group, and make a list on
the board of qualities we think make healthy relationships.
o As students share, make a list on the white board/poster under the positive
heading.
o Facilitator script: Now I want you to talk to your partner again to think of
qualities of negative relationships.
o Have students share qualities, and write a list under the negative heading.
o Facilitator script: As you compare these two lists, what do you notice? What
kind of friendships do you want to have? What kind of friend do you want to be?
(Allow for some discussion.) We are now going to do a task, and I want you to
keep these lists in mind.
Task:
o Facilitator script: The task we are doing today is called minefield. You will be
working with a partner. To find out who your partner will be, I am going to pass
out these cards and I want you to find the person who has a matching card.
o Assign students into partnerships. Pass out the cards and tell students to find the
person that has the matching card. They will be partners. Determine which
member of each partnership will go through the minefield first (Partner 1), and
who will be the guide (Partner 2).
NOTE: Various strategies could be used to determine which member goes
first. For example, you can have partnerships determine whose birthday is
first. That person will be Partner 1. Another strategy is to have each
partnership decide who is the apple and who is the orange. All of the
oranges will go first.
o Explain the rules of the task:

Partner 1 stands at the edge of the minefield and puts a blindfold on.
When told to start, Partner 2 gives directions to help their partner make it
safely across the minefield without touching any of the obstacles.
NOTE: All partnerships are doing the task at the same time, so
Partner 2 will also have to help their partner avoid running into
other people. Partner 1 will have to make sure to listen only to the
instructions given by their partner.
If Partner 1 touches a mine (obstacle), they have to go back to the
beginning and start over.
NOTE: The facilitator should monitor students going through the
minefield to make sure they are safe. Also watch to make sure they
are being honest and are starting over when they touch a mine.
Once Partner 1 has made it all the way across the minefield, the partners
switch places so Partner 2 has the opportunity to cross the minefield.
o Check to make sure students understand the rules and answer any questions they
may have.
o Give students time to do the task.

NOTE: As mentioned before, it may work best to divide the class in half
and have them use two different minefields so they have enough space and
are able to say safe while blindfolded in the minefield.
Processing:
o Based on the observations during the task, the facilitator will ask processing
questions to help students understand how the task relates to having healthy
relationships. The following are possible questions the facilitator could ask (it is
not a comprehensive list, as the facilitator can ask specific questions based on
observations or the needs of the group):
Remembering:
Tell me about your experience in the task.
How did you communicate with your partner?
Understanding:
Why was it important to have a partner in this task?
What made it difficult for you to make it through the minefield?
How did the other voices affect your ability to focus on the
instructions from your partner?
Applying:
What qualities of a positive relationship did you notice as you and
your partner worked together?
What could the other voices represent? How did they distract you
from reaching the end of the minefield?
Analyzing:
What strategies did you use to focus on the instructions given by
your partner?
What strategies did you use to communicate effective directions to
your partner?
Evaluating:
What impact can negative relationships have on you in staying
positive or achieving your goals?
What is the value of positive relationships in your life?
What problems can happen if you surround yourself with negative
influences?
Creating:
What can you do to strengthen the positive relationships in your
life?
What role do you play in forming healthy relationships?
What do you want to do differently to develop more positive
relationships?
Challenge Assignment:
o Facilitator script: For your assignment this week, I want you to use your
resilience journal and write about three different positive relationships you have.
Write about the qualities that make it healthy, and what you do to build the
relationship. I will have you share what you write next week at the beginning of
group.
Assessment:
o Facilitator script: Your exit ticket from group today will be to write 5 qualities of
a healthy relationship, and to write one idea you have of what you can do to make
good friends. I will give you a couple minutes to write your answer, and then you
will hand it to me on your way back to your classroom.
Closure
o Facilitator script: Thank you for participating in group today. Before we leave, I
want to just read this quote to you about positive friendships: F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
Fight for you. Respect you. Include you. Encourage you. Need you. Deserve you.
Stand by you. (Write the quote on the board while reading each part.) As you
go through this week, I encourage you to think about your friends and the
qualities of positive relationships we have talked about. Friends can be really
important resources for us when we go through hard times, but we need to make
sure that the friends we have are positive influences, not negative ones.
o Remind students to complete their assignments before next week, and collect their
exit tickets as they leave group.
Accommodations/Modifications:
If there is an uneven number of students, the facilitator can choose to either have students
be in a group of three, or have them take turns being distracting voices to those in the
minefield. This could then be talked about in processing.
Modifications could be made for physical, hearing, or speaking impairments:
o Physical: If a student is in a wheelchair or has some other physical impairment,
the mines could be spread out more to provide enough space for the student to
navigate through the minefield.
o Hearing/speaking: If a student is deaf, their partner could walk alongside them
and physically guide them through the minefield. The same could be done if the
partner has speaking impairments and is unable to give verbal directions.
Reference/Source:
Williams, K. (2015). Mine Field. Retrieved from: http://theracreate.blogspot.com/2015/02/mine-
field.html?m=1

Resilience Recreational Therapy

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Resilience Recreational Therapy

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Running head: DEVELOPING RESILIENCE IN FIFTH GRADERS 1

Developing Resilience in Fifth Graders:

A Proposal for a Recreational Therapy Prevention Program

Comprehensive Qualifying Examination

November 20, 2017

result in well-being. Rather, to increase well-being, it is important to facilitate the development

of ones strengths and abilities.

them and the expectations placed upon them (p. 74).

The purpose of this proposal is to show the benefits of a resilience-based recreational

show an example of what each session will be like.

them new skills.

Middle childhood is a time of significant cognitive development. Children are usually in

better deductive reasoning skills (Scott & Saginak, 2016).

that can be accomplished with support.

of development. Industry is defined as a sense of feeling industrious and productive, which

as they grow up (Goldstein et al., 2013, p. 73).

development, researchers began to identify biological, psychological, economic, and social

individuals were achieving positive outcomes in spite of these risk factors.

external resources that contributed to resilience.

to create a resilient mindset in all youth (Goldstein et al., 2013, p. 74).

seven strengths (Wolin, Desetta, & Hefner, 2000):

distance from sources of trouble in ones life.

Relationships: making fulfilling connections with those who matter, and

balancing the processes of give and take with those people.

Initiative: taking charge and addressing problems head-on.

Creativity: using ones imagination as a way to express oneself and handle

difficult feelings and experiences.

able to keep perspective.

Morality: doing the right thing even when it is not easy.

believed these strengths can be taught, modeled, and learned.

Figure 1: The Seven Resiliencies. Figure 2: Phases of Development.

individual progresses through the developmental stages.

understand based on the population for which the program is designed.

Leisure & Well-Being Model

development of additional resources. The LWM is grounded in the literature of psychology,

efficacy, resilience, and flow theory.

As shown in Figure 3, the LWM identifies well-being as the long-term outcome of

strengths, capacities, and assets (Carruthers & Hood, 2007, p. 280).

Enhancing Leisure Experience

experiencing positive emotions (Hood & Carruthers, 2007).

& Carruthers, 2007).

interventions specifically designed to improve certain resources, as well as through enhancing

ones leisure experiences.

clients, and then focus on developing those resources.

Figure 4: The Resource Development Framework. (Hood & Carruthers, 2007).

capacity for happiness, emotion regulation, self-awareness and acceptance, self-determination,

developing these strengths.

future leisure pursuits (Hood & Carruthers, 2007).

well as community engagement. Social connectedness can be developed as individuals engage in

for individuals to engage in their community (Hood & Carruthers, 2007).

Recreational Therapy as a Modality

outcomes in spite of challenges and adversity. Well-being is experienced when individuals

experience positive emotions and reach their full potential.

meaningful activity, enjoyment, autonomy, self-determination, becoming connected to

Finally, recreational therapy can be especially beneficial in promoting resilience in

providing them with experiences on which to build those resources.

Recreational therapy can also support psychosocial development by giving children

The proposed resilience program will be implemented as a prevention and promotion

the students are developmentally ready for that.

of a session outline/lesson plan).

well-being. Recreational therapy is an ideal modality to utilize in planning and implementing a

help them begin to develop these skills in their lives.