Lesson Plan
Real Talk Decisions Facilitation Plan
Guide 7th graders through real-life social media and friendship scenarios to practice CASEL Responsible Decision-Making skills and commit to a personal action pledge.
Students face daily choices that impact relationships and well-being. This lesson builds practical decision-making habits, boosting confidence and social responsibility.
Audience
7th Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive poll, scenarios, discussion, personal pledge.
Prep
Teacher Preparation
10 minutes
- Review the Real-Life Scenarios Slides to familiarize yourself with each scenario and guiding questions.
- Set up the Would You Rather Poll on your digital platform (e.g., polling app or LMS).
- Print or prepare digital copies of the Action Pledge Journal for each student.
- Read through the Safe Space Sharing Guidelines to ensure a respectful discussion environment.
Step 1
Warm-Up Poll
5 minutes
- Launch the Would You Rather Poll and have students respond on their devices.
- Display live results and ask 2–3 volunteers why they chose their option.
- Highlight how quick judgments require responsible decision steps.
Step 2
Scenario Exploration
10 minutes
- Present each slide from the Real-Life Scenarios Slides.
- For each scenario, ask: “What choices does this person have?” and “What might happen next?”
- Record key student ideas on the board, modeling decision-making steps (identify problem, consider options, predict outcomes).
Step 3
Safe-Space Sharing
10 minutes
- Review the Safe Space Sharing Guidelines together.
- Organize students into small groups of 3–4.
- Prompt each group to share a time they faced a similar choice and how they decided.
- Circulate to support respectful listening and reinforce decision-making language (e.g., pros/cons, values).
Step 4
Action Pledge Journal
5 minutes
- Distribute the Action Pledge Journal.
- Ask students to write one decision they’ll make differently this week and list the steps they’ll follow.
- Invite volunteers to share their pledge aloud if comfortable.
- Collect journals or have students save them digitally for reflection.
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Scenario 1: The Rumor Machine
Your friend Sam texts you a screenshot of a classmate saying something mean about another student. Sam wants to forward it to everyone.
Choices:
- Forward the screenshot immediately
- Talk to Sam about why it matters
- Verify the accuracy before sharing
- Ignore it and say nothing
Guiding Questions:
- What could happen if you forward it?
- How might you check if it’s true?
- Which option aligns with your values?
Introduce Scenario 1: The Rumor Machine. Read the scenario aloud and prompt students to identify the problem, list possible actions, and predict outcomes. Highlight how verifying information is a key decision-making step.
Scenario 2: Chat Pressure
In your group chat, friends are teasing Alex and urging you to send a funny but embarrassing photo of them without permission.
Choices:
- Send the photo to join in
- Politely refuse and explain why
- Suggest everyone delete the photo
- Leave the chat if it feels too mean
Guiding Questions:
- Whose feelings should you consider?
- What rules or rights are at stake?
- What outcomes do you predict for each choice?
For Scenario 2: Chat Pressure. Encourage students to consider empathy and digital respect. Ask them to weigh short-term fun against long-term consequences.
Scenario 3: Photo Tag Dilemma
A friend tags you in a party photo where you’re making a silly face. You worry future colleges or employers might see it.
Choices:
- Untag or delete the photo
- Ask the friend to take it down
- Leave it up to show your fun side
- Comment to add context before deciding
Guiding Questions:
- How could each option affect you later?
- Who controls the content online?
- What steps help you feel in control?
Scenario 3: Photo Tag Dilemma. Discuss personal brand and consent. Guide students to think about long-term reputation management.
Scenario 4: Excluding a Friend
Your close group plans a weekend game night but forgets to invite Jamie. Jamie confronts you asking why they weren’t included.
Choices:
- Apologize and invite Jamie immediately
- Explain it was an honest mistake
- Say nothing and hope it blows over
- Blame someone else for the oversight
Guiding Questions:
- What’s the fair thing to do?
- How do you repair trust?
- Which choice shows responsibility?
Scenario 4: Excluding a Friend. Focus on fairness and apology. Encourage students to role-play both inviting Jamie and explaining honestly.
Scenario 5: Viral Trend Dilemma
A new social-media challenge encourages users to post embarrassing dares. It’s trending, but some dares could be unsafe or hurtful.
Choices:
- Participate so you don’t feel left out
- Skip it and post a positive challenge instead
- Warn your friends about potential risks
- Report the challenge if it violates guidelines
Guiding Questions:
- What risks are involved?
- How does wanting to fit in influence your decision?
- Which action protects you and your community?
Scenario 5: Viral Trend Dilemma. Explore peer pressure vs. personal safety. Ask students to brainstorm safe alternatives they could share instead.
Warm Up
Would You Rather Poll
Spark conversations about social media and friendship decisions.
- Would you rather share a meme that might embarrass a friend but get lots of likes, or keep your friend’s feelings safe even if you get fewer reactions?
- A) Share for the laughs
- B) Protect their feelings
- Would you rather respond right away to a hurtful comment online, or take time to calm down and think before replying?
- A) Reply immediately
- B) Wait and plan my response
- Would you rather join a trending social-media challenge that could be risky, or create your own safe challenge to share instead?
- A) Join the trend
- B) Make up a safer version
- Would you rather publicly accept an apology after being left out of plans, or talk one-on-one with your friends to express how you feel?
- A) Accept it in public
- B) Have a private conversation
- Would you rather forward a rumor you heard to clarify it, or check the facts first and risk sounding hesitant?
- A) Forward now to see reactions
- B) Verify before sharing
Discussion
Safe Space Sharing Guidelines
- Listen Actively
• Give your full attention when someone is speaking.
• Avoid interrupting or planning your response while others talk. - Speak from Your Experience
• Use “I” statements (e.g., “I felt…,” “I noticed…”) to share your perspective.
• Focus on your own choices and feelings rather than judging others. - Respect Confidentiality
• What’s shared in your small group stays in your small group.
• Be trustworthy: don’t repeat personal stories outside this circle. - Show Empathy and Kindness
• Acknowledge others’ feelings (“That sounds hard…”).
• Encourage one another—avoid teasing or dismissing anyone’s experience. - Be Open and Non‐Judgmental
• Welcome different viewpoints and decisions.
• Ask questions to understand, not to criticize.
Small-Group Discussion Prompts
- Share a time when you faced a choice similar to today’s scenarios.
• What problem did you notice?
• How did you decide what to do? - Describe the steps you used (or could have used) to make a responsible choice.
• Did you identify options? Weigh pros and cons? Predict outcomes? - How did your values, friends’ feelings, or online rules influence your decision?
• Which value mattered most? Why? - If you could go back, what would you do differently?
• What might change about the outcome? - What advice would you give someone else facing the same situation?
• How can they use the steps we’ve discussed?
Cool Down
Action Pledge Journal
Instructions
Reflect on a decision you'll face this week related to social media or friendships. Use the prompts below to make a clear plan.
1. My Decision:
Describe the situation where you'll need to make a choice.
2. Why It Matters:
Explain why this decision is important to you and others.
3. Options I Have:
- Option A: __________
- Option B: __________
- Option C: __________
4. My Action Pledge:
Which option will I choose and why?
5. Steps I'll Follow:
6. What Could Happen:
Predict two possible outcomes:
- Positive outcome:
- Challenging outcome:
7. Reflection Afterward:
How did my decision process help me? What would I do differently next time?