Worksheet and questions on being a leader - Life skills Gr 4-5

Some people are put on this earth to become leaders to others, but not all people become good leaders.  

We will be looking at the qualities of a good leader and will also have a look tomorrow at some leaders in History that did great things and are still remembered for their leadership and how they helped others.

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Maybe you were not chosen to be a leader or prefect at your school.  Does that mean you are not a leader?  No, only so many kids can be chosen to be leaders at school but there are many other places where you can be a leader.

You can be a leader in your sport's team, or at your house with your siblings or between your friends.  It does not mean if you do not wear a shield saying LEADER on it that you are not a leader.  

If you are helpful and help other people or animals you are a leader and does good things.  Even if you are just a leader to yourself that is also fine, because that way you will always try and be positive and a good person.

Complete the following test on the video to see if you are a good leader

Sometimes there are people who lead or influence people to do bad things.  They think because they are in a position of power they can do whatever they want and do and not care about others or if they hurt them.  These people are negative leaders.

We can even have leaders of a country that do bad things.  

We must always strive to be a good leader and influence people positively and show them what the right thing is to do.

Have a look at the signs of a bad leader

There are a few qualities (something you can say about a person) that a good leader has

• they listen to people
• they have courage - they are not scared to stand up against something that they feel is wrong
• they work well together with others and do not think they are better than the rest
• they do not steal and badmouth other people - they se a good example
• they can work in a team and motivate others to do their best
• they do not leave all the work for other people to do, they are helpful

Enrichment:  

1. Do you have some of these qualities?  If not, which ones can you better yourself in?
2. Look at the picture at the top of the page again,  Read all the qualities of a good leader and explain the words to yourself - if you do not understand the words, look it up in a dictionary or on the internet. 

We all know somebody that we look up to and admire.  Somebody that you feel plays a positive roll in your life.  It can be a teacher, a family member, an adult, a sibling, a celebrity or a friend.

Think about this person and answer the following questions about them.

1. Why do you think this person is a good leader according to you?
2. Are there people who like to follow or look up to this person and who are they?
3. What job does this person do? 
4. What do you admire most about this person.

A good leader is somebody who takes his job very serious and they do not do it half way.  

They want to inspire others  and they believe in what they do and are not worried if not everybody likes them.  For them it is more important to do the right thing.  They will also make sacrifices which means they will give up certain things in order to do the right thing or to be good to others.

We can all be good leaders if we just try.  Are you going to try?

For the teacher

Activities to develop leadership skills and qualities

“This is Me”

Materials: Poster board or construction paper, crayons, scissors, magazines, and newspapers



 Description: Having the confidence to lead  is an important part of leadership. Have children draw a picture of  themselves on the poster board or construction paper. Have children cut  out pictures from the magazine or newspaper that best show who they are.  They can include their favorite foods and activities, pets, where they  live, and whatever makes them special. After they create their poster,  children can present to other children. 

“How are we the same and different?"

Materials: None needed.



 Description: Have the children sit in a  circle and select one child to go first. Ask the child to point at  someone in the circle who shares the same characteristic as him, such as  a hair color. Then that child can find someone with a different  characteristic, such as shirt color, that is the same. Allow the  children to compare the similarities and differences between one  another. Explain that everyone has differences and everyone also has  things that are the same. 

“How can we help?”

Materials: None needed.



 Description: When children volunteer, they  can take on leadership roles. Ask the children how they would like to  help others in need. As the teacher, you can direct children to  organizations in your own community that may need assistance. For  example, if there was an article in the local paper about the dog  shelter losing funding, you might suggest the children collect items for  the shelter such as dog or cat food or blankets. If there is a child in  the class that has a parent that is in the military or collecting  treats to send to military members. Choose volunteer opportunities that  give children a chance to lead and work with other children. 

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