Debate: Short vs. Long-Term Gains Protocol

Purpose:
Help students practice weighing immediate rewards against future benefits by defending one side of the argument and responding respectfully to opposing views.

Roles:

• Team Short-Term Gains (2–3 students): Argue that quick rewards (e.g., trying substances in the moment) can be valuable.
• Team Long-Term Gains (2–3 students): Argue that delaying gratification and avoiding early substance use leads to stronger future outcomes.
• Moderator (teacher or a student): Keeps time, calls on speakers, and manages audience Q&A.
• Audience (remaining students): Listen actively, take notes, and pose questions during Q&A.

Materials:

• Paths We Take Slide Deck (for examples from Alex and Jordan)
• Chart paper & markers for recording key arguments
• Timer or stopwatch

Guidelines & Rules:

1. Speak clearly and stay on topic.
2. Use evidence from Alex and Jordan’s stories or personal examples.
3. Listen respectfully—no interrupting or personal attacks.
4. Frame critiques around ideas, not individuals.

Time Segments (20 minutes total):

1. Team Prep (5 minutes)
   • Teams huddle, review talking points, and assign who speaks when.
2. Opening Statements (4 minutes)
   • Each team has two speakers. 1 minute per speaker, alternating teams.
3. Rebuttal Round (2 minutes)
   • One speaker from each team responds. 1 minute per team.
4. Audience Q&A (7 minutes)
   • Audience members raise hands, moderator calls on questions.
   • Each team answers briefly (30–45 seconds).
5. Closing Statements (2 minutes)
   • Team captains give a 1-minute summary of their key points.

Prompts to Guide Arguments:

• Why might someone choose an immediate reward even if it risks long-term harm?
• What are examples of benefits that come from waiting and preparing for future goals?
• How can peer pressure tip us toward short-term choices? What strategies help resist it?
• In what ways do our long-term dreams (e.g., sports, academics, health) get stronger when we delay gratification?

Potential Follow-Up Points:

• Ask teams to reflect on how their positions might shift if they were Alex vs. Jordan.
• Have the audience vote on which arguments were most convincing and why.
• Connect debate insights back to real-life scenarios: “Name one moment this week you can apply the long-term viewpoint.”
  
  
  

Future Self Letter

Dear Future Me,

1. Reflect on Today’s Choices:
   What is one decision I made recently about substance use or peer pressure, and how did it make me feel at the moment?

1. Consider the Ripple Effects:
   Looking back from the future, how do I think that decision influenced my relationships, health, or goals in the months that followed?

1. Advice to My Present Self:
   What three pieces of advice would I give to my present self when faced with a similar situation?

• Advice 1:
• Advice 2:
• Advice 3:

1. Future Goals and Dreams:
   What are the top two goals I’m proud to have achieved because I made healthy choices? How did those choices help me reach those goals?

1. Closing Thoughts:
   What final encouragement or reassurance do I want to leave for my present self to stay strong and make positive decisions?

Sincerely,

Your Future Self

Commitment Circle

Purpose: Reinforce healthy decision-making by publicly committing to positive choices and receiving group support.

Instructions:

1. Have students stand in a circle.
2. One by one, each student completes the prompt below and shares aloud.
3. After each share, classmates respond with a group clap and say, “We’ve got your back!”

Prompt:
When I feel pressure to ____________________________________________________, I will ____________________________________________________, because ____________________________________________________.

Closing Affirmation:
Once everyone has shared, the class shouts together:

“Small choices, big impact—together we stay on track!”