Trying in spite of fear

Like a baby's first steps. Flying is natural for a bird, as walking is for a baby. Yet both begin with fear and falls. When a baby falls, parents don't stop it walking. They hold its hands and let it try again.

Being pushed. The seagull's parents scold, threaten and then trick him into trying. Our parents and teachers often do the same: they push, coax and help us towards something we are afraid of.

Success is not certain. For the bird, success came almost at once. For us, it may not. The book asks: was your success guaranteed, or did it matter to try anyway? Trying, even when we might fail, is how anything is learnt.

Group presentation. Choose one topic: models of aeroplanes over time, models of motorcars, birds and their wingspans, or migratory birds and their journeys. Collect facts, put them in order, and give each member a part.

Write: learning a skill. Riding a bicycle, swimming, cooking. Tell it in order, add funny details (the first wobble, the first splash), and end honestly with how you got better.