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Beyond Peer Power

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Lesson Plan

Knowing Your Limits and Resources

Students will learn to differentiate between problems they can support peers through and situations requiring adult intervention, ensuring timely and appropriate help for themselves and others.

Empowering students to recognize when a situation is too big for them to handle alone fosters a safer school environment and ensures peers get the professional help they need, preventing potential harm or escalation.

Audience

8th Grade Students

Time

50 minutes

Approach

Interactive scenarios, discussion, and a quiz to apply decision-making skills.

Materials

Smartboard or Projector, Markers or Whiteboard, Beyond Peer Power Slide Deck, Help-Seeking Scenarios Quiz, and Who Can You Talk To? Cool Down

Prep

Review Materials and Set Up

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: What Would You Do?

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students to think about a time a friend came to them with a problem. (Do not ask for specific examples to protect privacy).
    - Pose the question: "What kind of problems do you feel comfortable helping your friends with, and what kind of problems make you feel like you need more help?"
    - Briefly discuss their initial thoughts, emphasizing that it's okay not to have all the answers.

Step 2

Introduction: Beyond Peer Power

10 minutes

  • Display the first slide of the Beyond Peer Power Slide Deck.
    - Introduce the concept of peer support and the importance of knowing one's limits.
    - Explain that while being a supportive friend is crucial, some situations require the expertise of a trusted adult.
    - Go through the initial slides, defining what constitutes a

Step 3

Scenario Exploration & Discussion

15 minutes

  • Move through the scenario slides in the Beyond Peer Power Slide Deck.
    - For each scenario, facilitate a class discussion using the prompts provided in the slide deck's teacher notes.
    - Encourage students to share their reasoning, discuss potential risks, and identify when and why adult intervention is necessary.
    - Guide them to articulate who a trusted adult might be in different situations (parent, teacher, counselor, coach, etc.).

Step 4

Quiz: Help-Seeking Scenarios

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Help-Seeking Scenarios Quiz.
    - Explain that this quiz will help them practice applying what they've learned to different situations.
    - Give students time to complete the quiz individually.
    - Review the answers as a class, discussing any misconceptions and reinforcing the key takeaways about when to seek adult help.

Step 5

Cool-Down: Who Can You Talk To?

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Who Can You Talk To? Cool Down activity.
    - Instruct students to complete the activity, reflecting on the trusted adults in their lives and the types of situations they would go to them for.
    - Collect the cool-downs as an exit ticket to assess understanding and identify any students who might need further support or clarification.
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Slide Deck

Beyond Peer Power

Knowing When to Get Help for Your Friends (and Yourself)

Welcome students to the lesson. Briefly introduce the topic of peer support and the importance of understanding our role as friends. Explain that today we'll talk about situations where friends need more help than we can give.

What is Peer Support?

Being there for your friends when they need you.
Listening, offering advice, and showing care.
But... how much help can one friend truly give?

Ask students: "What does 'peer support' mean to you?" Allow a few students to share. Guide them towards understanding it as helping and supporting friends through challenges. Then, transition to the idea that there are limits.

Knowing Your Limits

It's awesome to be a supportive friend!
But some problems are too big for friends alone.
Knowing when to get help isn't giving up; it's being responsible.

Introduce the core concept: sometimes problems are too big for just friends. Emphasize that it's not a failure to realize this, but a sign of strength and responsibility to know when to bring in an adult.

Why Involve an Adult?

Adults often have:
- More experience
- Access to resources (like counselors, doctors)
- Training to handle serious situations
- The ability to make bigger changes

Discuss why some problems need adults. Brainstorm with students. Ideas: adults have more experience, resources, training, and legal responsibilities. Reassure students that trusted adults are there to help, not to judge.

Who is a Trusted Adult?

Someone you feel safe talking to.
Someone who listens without judgment.
Someone who has your (and your friend's) best interest at heart.
Examples: Parent/Guardian, Teacher, School Counselor, Coach, School Nurse, Principal.

Introduce the idea of a trusted adult. Ask: "Who are some trusted adults in your life?" (Teachers, parents/guardians, counselors, coaches, principals, school nurses, other family members). Emphasize that a trusted adult is someone you feel safe with and who you believe will help.

Scenario 1: Feeling Really Down

Your friend has been very quiet and withdrawn lately. They stop coming to lunch with the group and don't seem interested in their favorite activities. When you ask if they're okay, they say, "I just feel really sad all the time and nothing feels fun anymore." They mention they've been having trouble sleeping.

Scenario 1: Read the scenario aloud. Ask students: "What do you think? Is this something a friend can handle alone? Or does it need an adult? Why?" Guide discussion towards identifying signs of depression or serious emotional distress requiring professional help.

Scenario 2: A Secret That Worries You

A close friend tells you they've been feeling overwhelmed and mentions, "Sometimes I just wish I could disappear. I've even thought about hurting myself, but don't tell anyone." They make you promise to keep it a secret.

Scenario 2: Read aloud. Ask: "What are the risks here? What could happen if no adult gets involved?" Highlight the danger of self-harm and the immediate need for adult intervention.

Scenario 3: A Threatening Message

You see a message on a mutual friend's phone where someone is threatening to seriously hurt them after school. Your friend is scared and doesn't want to tell anyone because they're afraid of making it worse.

Scenario 3: Read aloud. Discuss the seriousness of potential violence and bullying. "What if this threat is real? What is the responsibility of a bystander?" Emphasize that threats of violence should always be reported to an adult.

Scenario 4: Experimenting with Substances

You notice your friend has started drinking alcohol and smoking vape pens regularly. They sometimes come to school smelling like smoke and seem to be struggling more in classes. They brush off your concerns, saying, "Everyone does it. It's no big deal."

Scenario 4: Read aloud. Focus on the legal and health implications of substance abuse. "What resources do adults have that friends don't? Why is it important to involve an adult quickly?" Discuss how adult intervention can provide access to support programs.

Key Takeaways

  • You are a good friend for caring.
    - Some problems require adult help.
    - Don't keep dangerous secrets.
    - Identify your trusted adults.

Recap the main message. Reiterate that it's brave to get help and that taking care of a friend means making sure they get the right kind of help. "What's one thing you'll remember about today's lesson?"

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Quiz

Help-Seeking Scenarios Quiz

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Cool Down

Who Can You Talk To?

Think about the adults in your life whom you trust. These are people you feel safe talking to, who listen, and who you believe want to help you.

1. List at least three trusted adults in your life. (These could be family members, teachers, counselors, coaches, mentors, etc.)

1. Trusted Adult #1:


2. Trusted Adult #2:


3. Trusted Adult #3:


2. For each trusted adult you listed, briefly describe a type of problem or situation you would feel comfortable talking to them about.

1. Problem for Adult #1:



2. Problem for Adult #2:



3. Problem for Adult #3:



3. What is one important thing you learned today about when to involve a trusted adult to help a friend?







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