Health & Wellness © 2008

Unit 2: Mental and Emotional Health

WebQuest Projects

Building Self-Esteem And Self-Respect

Introduction

In this WebQuest, students will use the Internet to learn about the importance of self-esteem and self-respect. They will create a list of ten actions they can take to improve their own self-esteem and then describe how each action will benefit their self-image, health, and overall well-being.

Task

Before starting their internet research, students will read six questions about self-esteem and self-respect. Using these questions as a starting point, they will use the resource Web sites to investigate the sources of self-esteem, the effects of high and low self-esteem, and actions a teen can take to improve his or her self-image and self-esteem.

As students learn more about self-esteem, they will create lists of ten things they can do to improve their own self-esteem. For each item on the lists, students should describe how the action will improve their self-image.

Objectives

• Investigate the definition and sources of self-esteem.
• Analyze the importance of respect for others and for oneself.
• Consider how a person's self-esteem affects his or her quality of life.
• Analyze the effect of hobbies and talents on a person's self-esteem.
• Discover the impact of media on a person's self-image.
• Identify how self-respect relates to receiving respect from others.
• Identify ten actions to take to improve self-esteem and describe how each will improve quality of life.

Resources

Students will use the internet links given in order to research the definition and sources of self-esteem. They will identify different actions and behaviors that lead to both low self-esteem and high self-esteem. They will discover how outside sources, such as family, media, and peers, can positively or negatively influence their self-image. By using these Web sites as a springboard for ideas, students then will create a list of ten actions they plan to take in order to improve their own self-esteem.

Time

Two days to research the Web sites and create their lists

Process

Before students begin their research on the Web sites, have them review the list of questions provided on the student page. Ask them to keep these questions in mind while reviewing the information on the resource Web sites. These concepts will help students focus on the core influences on and effects of both high and low self-esteem. You may want to discuss these questions as a class prior to beginning the internet research. Answers are as follows:

1. A person's belief about his or her own worth is self-esteem.
2. Having respect for yourself and others shows that you have good character. It demonstrates that you have the confidence and self-control to act in responsible ways.
3. Low self-esteem puts people at risk for depression, for poor performance in school or the workplace, for drug and alcohol abuse, and for mistreatment by others. When you don't think highly of yourself, you show others that they should not either.
4. Having a talent or a hobby to participate in gives a person a sense of pride and belonging.
5. The media can affect a person without the person being aware of it. Commercials, magazine ads and articles, and television can influence the way we see ourselves, both positively and negatively.
6. When people respect themselves, they show others that they are worthy of respect and being treated well.

Students then will create a list of actions to improve their self-esteem. Encourage them to think beyond the resources given and to use any other ideas they feel would help them improve their own self-image. Students also will need to provide a description of how each action will improve self-esteem.

Evaluation

You may assign 10 points to each of the ten items for a total of 100 possible points. You may rate each activity by the following scale: Excellent: 9-10 points; Very Good: 7-8 points; Good: 5-6 points; Satisfactory: 3-4 points; Poor: 1-2 points; and Unsatisfactory: 0 points.

The review should include both the action the student plans on taking and the description of how this action will improve his or her self-esteem.

Conclusion

After researching the information on the resource Web sites, students should have a good understanding of self-esteem and its effects on a person's quality of life. They should be able to create a list of personalized activities that will help them improve their self-esteem. Also, they should have a better understanding of the importance of respecting others and earning respect from others by working to maintain a positive self-image.