https://nifa.usda.gov/ 

program/4-h-positiveyouth-development 

National Institute 

of Food 

and Agriculture 

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

lesson plan: activity 2.5 

lesson details 

Finding the right person For the job 

A FederAl PArtnershiP For steM educAtion 

expeditionary

skills

for life 

National Aeronautics 

and Space 

Administration 

 

 

age/grade level 

Middle School 

learner outcoMes 

Youth will develop skills for organizing an activity using team member 

strengths identified through development of personal and cultural 

inventories. 

success indicators 

Youth will be able to delegate 

responsibilities based on their 

understanding of the person most 

qualified to complete the task. 

life skills 

Critical thinking and problem solving, 

communication, productivity and 

responsibility 

national standards 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and 

collaborations with diverse partners, 

building on others’ ideas and 

expressing their own clearly 

and persuasively. 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.6

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts 

and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English 

when indicated or appropriate. 

21st Century: Life and Career Skills / 

LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY 

/ Guide and Lead Others. Leverage 

strengths of others to accomplish a 

common goal 

prep tiMe 

15 minutes 

activity tiMe 

2 hours 20 minutes (total time for all 

activities combined) 

Materials list 

• Paper

• Pens

• Handouts

• White board or chart paper

• Tape

• Markers

Handouts 

• Cultural Inventory Worksheet

• Cultural Inventory Diagram

• Learner Assessment Questions

suggested space 

Indoor setting 

suggested group size 

15-25 

Background inforMation 

Share after the first task has been 

completed and the Cultural Inventories are started. 

references 

Culture Advantage 

http://www.culture-advantage.com/

awarenesspage2.html

30 Reflective Staff Development 

Exercises for Educators 

https://books.google.com/

books?id=HcshAQAAQBAJ

Mediate.com Training Manual: 

Types of Conflict 

http://www.mediate.com/divorce/

pg17.cfm

t

introduction 

eamwork is an important part of 

getting along in the world. As youth, 

you will have to learn to work with 

other youth to complete projects, 

participate in group or team activities, and 

share resources. As adults, you will also 

have to become part of a team in many 

situations in your work environment. 

Whether you stay here locally or move to a 

location far away, you will still find many 

people with different backgrounds than your 

own. These differences are not necessarily a 

bad thing, they just may require a better 

understanding in order for people to work 

together. 

While it may seem that differences can create 

problems, knowing your team members’ 

backgrounds can be an advantage. Different 

people have different strengths and talents 

that they can bring to a project. For example, 

one of your fellow team members might enjoy 

speaking in front of crowds and would make a 

great person to present the project. Another 

team member might be an excellent artist and 

could make a great poster for the project. 

Many conflicts result from miscommunication. 

The more you know about your team 

members, the easier it will be to communicate. 

By taking the time to learn about one 

another’s strengths and weaknesses, you can 

create better working environments. 

continued next page >> 
page 2

lesson plan: activity 2.5 

Finding the right person For the job, continued 

expeditionary

skills

for life 

 

>> continued from previous page

activity instructions 

introduction activity (10 Minutes) 

Begin by asking youth to raise their hand and name their 

favorite food. Make a list of the answers. Include asking 

youth if they have eaten certain ethnic foods if they are not 

included in the list (suggest more common foods such as 

sushi, spaghetti, and burritos if youth are unable to name 

them). Once a list of 10 or so items is generated, have 

youth “vote” for their favorite food. 

Once the results have been tallied, point out that there are 

similarities but also differences in the answers. Have a 

discussion as to why there might be different tastes. Guide 

youth toward the idea that background/household/culture 

impacts what we like to eat. Let youth know that they will 

be looking at other preferences based on their history and 

background. 

activity 1: cultural inventory 

(35 Minutes) 

Give youth the cultural inventory worksheet. Share or go 

over the vocabulary list for words that may be unfamiliar 

or unfamiliar in this context, if necessary. Have youth 

select the best choice for each topic based on their personal preferences. Instruct them that the choices they are 

given are meant to be opposite and that they should 

choose the one they more closely identify with most of the 

time. 

Once all youth have completed the worksheet, pass out 

the cultural inventory diagram to each youth. Have youth 

use their answers to create a diagram showing their own 

cultural inventory. 

For every A answer, youth will color in the corresponding 

pie section in the chart with one color. Be sure youth do 

not color over the section label. For every B answer, youth 

will leave the section uncolored. If necessary, call out each 

topic area one by one and have the youth color (or not 

color) the area before moving to the next topic. 

When youth have completed the chart, start the discussion by asking for a show of hands for each area, whether 

youth selected A or B. Create a tally or chart on the board 

for each topic’s answers (how many A’s and how many 

B’s). 

When completed, discuss the topics that had the most 

similarities and the topics that had the most differences in 

the group. The discussion could include specific student 

choices. Include discussion of how one’s background 

(culture) could affect answers (certain religions might 

require attendance on weekends; some families place a 

priority on family events; some households might hold 

quietness in esteem, etc.). Guide the discussion to how 

there could be wider ranges of differences in larger groups 

such as the entire community. 

activity 2: project delegation 

(35 Minutes) 

Create mixed groups based on student answers ensuring 

as best possible that there are A’s and B’s for as many 

topic areas as possible. For example, have a group with 

youth that both like technology and find it challenging, that 

like working as a team or like working independently, etc. 

Once groups are formed, let youth know that they are now 

an example of a group that might be found in a business or 

school setting. Ask them to discuss how they would 

complete the following tasks, based on the characteristics 

of their group. For each task, have the groups write down 

how they chose people for each particular task and role 

based on the members’ inventory diagrams. 

Complete the following tasks (one per group) 

• 4-H or School Club Meeting – The meeting will be 

after-school for 1 hour and will require an agenda, 

refreshments, invitation to the principal to speak, and 

an activity for participants. 

• Community Center Dance - The dance will be on 

Saturday night and will have music, a crowd of teens, 

refreshments, decorations, and posters. Chaperones 

will need to be invited. 

continued next page >> 
page 3

lesson plan: activity 2.5 

Finding the right person For the job, continued 

expeditionary

skills

for life 

>> continued from previous page

• Presentation at a Town Hall Meeting – The presentation needs to be created using visual slides that can be 

projected to a screen. The project has specific 

deadlines to show the first and second draft to an 

advisor. The presentation requires photos and 

research on the topic. 

• Pep Rally – the rally will be during the lunch period in 

the school gym. Flyers need to be created and put up 

during the week. Posters will be created at an after 

school meeting. A pep song needs to be made up and 

someone needs to be the lead singer at the rally. All 

supplies need to be purchased after asking the adult 

advisor for funds. 

Once groups have created their plan, have them take turns 

sharing how they planned their tasks. They need to include 

the cultural inventory answers in their decisions and 

discussion. Have the group discuss where they agreed or 

disagreed on the division of tasks and why. 

Discussion: 

1. Who benefits from teams and leaders being aware of

the cultural inventories of team members?

2. Does being aware of team members’ backgrounds and

cultures make it easier or more difficult for you to work

with them?

3. What is the best way to learn of a team members’

cultural background?

deBrief activity (20 Minutes) 

Explain: Metaphors can be symbols, drawings or words 

that suggest a comparison between two things that are 

unrelated. Examples: You are my sunshine. The peaceful 

lake was a mirror. Sam is a night owl. Maria’s words are 

like cotton candy. 

Directions: 

1. Post three large sheets of chart paper on the wall –

side by side. On the top of each sheet write the

following: THEN (on the first sheet), NOW (on the

second sheet) and INTO THE FUTURE (on the third

sheet).

2. Give each youth a colored marker (make sure the

marker will not bleed through the paper)

3. Ask the group to reflect on the activities that they just

finished.

4. Ask the group to think about metaphors – you may

need to prompt them and say that metaphors can be

of any sort – musical/artistic, animals, mechanical,

seasons, plants, etc.

5. After you have led that discussion, prompt the group

to think of a metaphor of what they thought leadership was before they did the activity. They will note

that metaphor on sheet 1 (THEN).

6. Next, ask them what they think leadership is now after

they did the activity. They will note that metaphor on

sheet 2 (NOW).

7. Next, asking them to again reflect on the activity and

how they might apply the leadership skills learned to

the future. They will note that metaphor on sheet 3

(INTO THE FUTURE).

8. When that is completed, have the group review the

metaphors on each sheet and ask clarifying questions

about the metaphors.

9. Metaphors can be grouped in to similar meanings.

The metaphors can likely tell a very powerful story that can 

be used again as the group moves through the other 


activities. 


applied cHallenge (30 Minutes) 

Youth can create a plan of delegation and teamwork for a 


real-life scenario. 


Directions:
 

• Have youth choose a current event or project relevant 

to their own school or personal (or family) life where 

they can collaborate with others. 

• Youth generate a list of tasks to be completed for the 

event or project. 

• Youth create their own cultural inventory (using blank 

worksheet) based on criteria important to them for 

the given task. 

continued next page >> 
page4

lesson plan: activity 2.5 

Finding the right person For the job, continued 

expeditionary

skills

for life 

>> continued from previous page

• Youth ask their collaborators to complete the inventory worksheet. 

• Youth assign tasks to members of the group based on 

the inventory. 

• Youth report and reflect on the process and completion (if time allows) of the project or event. 

did you know? 

More and more businesses are hiring people who don’t 

shy away from differences, and have a talent for fostering 

an inclusive work environment. Businesses appreciate the 

ability of people who can not just work in diverse teams 

but can take advantage of the variety of skills and experiences those teams represent. 

People who are culturally competent can communicate, 

network and work in multicultural teams. They are highly 

sought-after talent in the increasingly globalized business 

environment. 

did you know? 

Because there can be overlap between cultures, measuring them is particularly difficult. In addition, the media 

and travel are creating rapid cultural changes. As the 

English language becomes more used worldwide, the 

cultural practices associated with it have an influence. 

Western culture is found in many areas of the world, and 

by the same token American culture has become more 

diverse thanks to immigration. Although it is difficult to 

measure cultures, there are some clear differences 

worldwide. For example, Western culture differs significantly to the cultures found in North Africa, Southeast 

Asia and other areas. Such differences are apparent in 

terms of religion, food and social etiquette. 

How fast languages spread and disappear can be a slight 

indicator of culture. As of 2000, there were 5,000 to 

6,000 languages spoken worldwide, but only half were 

spoken by children, which suggests they are dying out. As 

many find it easier to communicate using other languages, lesser known ones disappear. 

https://www.reference.com/world-view/many-culturesworld-a6b66f86285de851 

instructor’s notes 
page expeditionary 5 skills lesson plan: activity 2.5 

cultural inventory worksheet 

for life 
page

6 for life Handout: expeditionary cultural inventory skills diagram lesson plan: activity 2.5 

naMe 
activity 2.5: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

activity 2.5: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

activity 2.5: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

activity 2.5: learner assessMent 

These questions are about things you learned during this 

activity. Please check the circle that best describes you. 

expeditionary

skills


expeditionary

for life

skills


for life 

When I am around people who are different from me, 

I listen before I talk. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

When I am around people who are different from me, 


I ask for help from an adult if I am unsure of something.
 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

When I am around people who are different from me, 


I politely ask them to explain things to me that 


I don’t understand.
 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

When I am around people who are different from me, 

I listen before I talk. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

When I am around people who are different from me, 


I ask for help from an adult if I am unsure of something.
 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

When I am around people who are different from me, 


I politely ask them to explain things to me that 


I don’t understand.
 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

When I am around people who are different from me, 

I listen before I talk. 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

When I am around people who are different from me, 


I ask for help from an adult if I am unsure of something.
 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

When I am around people who are different from me, 


I politely ask them to explain things to me that 


I don’t understand.
 

Not at all like me 

A little like me 

Somewhat like me 

A lot like me 

expeditionary

skills


for lifefor life

expeditionary

skills


Q1
 When I am around people who are different from me, 


I listen before I talk. 

Not at all like me
 

A little like me
 

Somewhat like me
 

A lot like me
 

Q2
 When I am around people who are different from me, 


I ask for help from an adult if I am unsure of something. 

Not at all like me
 

A little like me
 

Somewhat like me
 

A lot like me
 

Q3
 When I am around people who are different from me, 


I politely ask them to explain things to me that 

I don’t understand. 

Not at all like me
 

A little like me
 

Somewhat like me
 

A lot like me