Ask students if they have ever heard the phrase “you are who your friends are!” and ask them to share whether they agree or disagree with it.

Answers will be all over the place, but try to funnel the conversation down to this point: regardless of your opinion of the phrase, is there any truth that if you are friends with someone long enough, you will be participating in similar experiences, demonstrating a certain personality when with friends, and thinking about the world in a similar fashion? Ask students to think about this quietly and privately for a moment and then finish with this question:

How might your environment impact your ability to align your decision-making with your values, goals, interests or strengths?

This discussion is a lead in to the video – will.i.am.Be able to project a video and sound from the Find Your Grind website.

Watch the will.i.am video of the Find Your Grind website. Record the answers to the discussion questions listed below for the video and add to the list of questions as you see fit.

Explanation:

1. The teacher will show the will.i.am video from the Find Your Grind website.
2. At the conclusion of the video, lead a class discussion by asking the following questions:

According to will.i.am, what was the key to him being successful?

Based on what you have learned so far on this journey, what did will.i.am say in the video about being successful that you agree with? 

What connections can you make from the video to what you have learned?

Instead of hustling, what did he do to be successful and to get out of the surroundings he was born in to?

Before asking the next question, tell students they will not be sharing their answer out loud with the rest of the class, but they will write down their answer as a form of self-auditing in the following activity From will.i.am to I Will Be.

 Read the question aloud so students can begin thinking about their answer..

When will.i.am says to look at ten of your closest friends because that is what you will end up like, think about your ten closest friends. Where are they headed with the choices they are making and the visions they have for themselves? Is that where you are headed as well?