Lesson Plan
Culture Curators
Students will analyze a peer-pressure scenario and propose an integrity-based response to support a healthy team culture.
Developing moral courage and fostering positive social dynamics are essential life skills. This lesson empowers students to navigate challenging social situations with integrity.
Audience
10th Grade Students
Time
15 minutes
Approach
Concise discussion and quick scenario-based problem-solving.
Materials
Smartboard or Projector, Markers or Whiteboard, Culture Curators Slide Deck, Culture Curators Script, Quick Peer Pressure Scenario Activity, and Integrity Reflection Cool Down
Prep
Review Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Culture Curators Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the content and flow.
- Read through the Culture Curators Script to prepare your talking points and discussion prompts.
- Print or prepare to display the Quick Peer Pressure Scenario Activity.
- Ensure you have a way to display the Integrity Reflection Cool Down.
- Gather markers and a whiteboard or chart paper for discussion.
Step 1
Introduction: What is Culture?
2 minutes
- Begin with a brief discussion: "What does 'culture' mean to you, especially in a team setting?"
- Introduce team culture and individual contributions. (Refer to Culture Curators Slide Deck - Slide 1-2, Culture Curators Script - Introduction)
Step 2
Understanding Peer Pressure
3 minutes
- Briefly define peer pressure and its positive/negative impacts on team culture. (Refer to Culture Curators Slide Deck - Slide 3-4, Culture Curators Script - Understanding Peer Pressure)
Step 3
Quick Peer Pressure Scenario Activity
7 minutes
- Present the Quick Peer Pressure Scenario Activity to the whole class or in pairs.
- Facilitate a brief discussion on how students would respond with integrity to support a healthy team culture. (Refer to Culture Curators Slide Deck - Slide 5, Culture Curators Script - Quick Peer Pressure Scenario Activity)
Step 4
Integrity Reflection Cool Down
3 minutes
- Conclude with the Integrity Reflection Cool Down.
- Ask students to briefly reflect on one commitment they can make. (Refer to Culture Curators Script - Integrity Reflection Cool Down)
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Slide Deck
Culture Curators
What does "culture" mean to you?
- In a team or club?
- In our classroom?
Welcome students and quickly introduce the concept of culture, asking them to think broadly about what it means in various contexts. Transition to team culture specifically for a brief discussion.
Building a Healthy Team Culture
What is team culture?
- Shared values, beliefs, behaviors.
- How people interact & support each other.
- Everyone curates it!
Explain that today we're focusing on 'team culture' and how everyone contributes to building it. Emphasize that positive team culture is actively curated, and we'll practice this.
Understanding Peer Pressure
What is peer pressure?
- Influence from peers to change attitudes or behaviors.
- Can be direct or indirect.
- Can be positive or negative.
Introduce peer pressure. Briefly discuss both explicit and implicit forms of pressure, asking for quick student examples they may have observed.
Peer Pressure: Friend or Foe?
How can peer pressure affect a team's culture?
- Positive: Encouraging support, hard work.
- Negative: Exclusion, compromising values, gossip.
Focus on the negative impacts of peer pressure on team culture. Briefly discuss how individuals can resist this and uphold integrity.
Quick Curator Challenge: Scenario
How can you be a Culture Curator?
- Analyze a quick peer pressure scenario.
- Propose an integrity-based response.
- Share your strategy for a positive team culture!
Introduce the quick scenario activity. Explain that students will analyze one scenario (whole class or pairs) and come up with an integrity-based response. Reinforce being a 'culture curator' by actively shaping the team's environment.
Script
Culture Curators Script
Introduction: What is Culture? (2 minutes)
"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're quickly exploring something important: culture.
What does 'culture' mean to you in a team setting – like a sports team, a club, or even our classroom? Turn to a partner and share one quick idea."
(Allow students 30 seconds to quickly share with a partner, then call on 1-2 students for a brief class share.)
"Great points! Culture is the shared vibe, the interactions, the support within a group. We are all Culture Curators!"
Understanding Peer Pressure (3 minutes)
"Part of being a Culture Curator is navigating peer pressure. How would you describe peer pressure, and how can it show up in a team?"
(Allow 1-2 students to briefly share ideas. Guide them to positive/negative, direct/indirect.)
"Exactly. Peer pressure can be positive, encouraging us to do well. But negative peer pressure can challenge our integrity and hurt team culture. How might negative peer pressure specifically impact a team's health?"
(Allow for 1-2 quick responses.)
Quick Peer Pressure Scenario Activity (7 minutes)
"Now, let's practice curating. I'm going to present a quick scenario. Think about it, and then we'll discuss as a class (or you can briefly discuss with your partner). How would you respond with integrity to support a healthy team culture?"
(Display the Quick Peer Pressure Scenario Activity. Read the scenario aloud, and give students 1-2 minutes to think or quick-pair-share. Then facilitate a whole-class discussion, guiding them through the questions.)
"Excellent thinking, Culture Curators! It takes courage to respond with integrity."
Integrity Reflection Cool Down (3 minutes)
"To finish up, let's make a personal commitment. On your Integrity Reflection Cool Down, quickly jot down one commitment you can make to uphold integrity in your own groups or teams. It could be something you'll say, do, or how you'll approach a situation."
(Collect the cool-down slips, or have students share if comfortable and time permits.)
"Thank you, Culture Curators! Keep shaping that positive culture!"
Activity
Quick Peer Pressure Scenario Activity
Instructions: Read the scenario below. How would you respond to this situation with integrity to support a healthy team culture? Be ready to share your ideas!
Scenario: The "Shortcut"
Your school's annual fundraising drive is underway, and your class is competing for a prize. You overhear a few classmates planning to inflate their reported sales by adding a few imaginary donations to the online form, saying, "It's just a small boost, everyone fudges numbers a little to win, right? It won't hurt anyone, and we really want that pizza party!" They turn to you and ask, "Are you in?"
- What kind of peer pressure is this?
- What are the potential consequences for your class's culture and integrity?
- How would you respond to your classmates, upholding integrity and a healthy team culture?
Cool Down
Integrity Reflection Cool Down
Instructions: In one or two sentences, briefly reflect on today's discussion. Write down one quick commitment you can make to uphold integrity within your own teams or social circles.
My Commitment: