Lesson Plan
Your Choices, Your Future
Students will be able to identify key risks associated with gang affiliation and articulate strategies for making positive choices regarding peer groups and future aspirations.
Understanding the pressures and potential dangers of gang involvement is crucial for 7th-grade students to navigate social dynamics and make informed decisions that impact their safety and future well-being.
Audience
7th Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Through discussion, scenario analysis, and personal reflection.
Materials
Smartboard or Projector, Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck, Teacher Script: Your Choices, Your Future, Scenario Cards Activity, and Reflection Journal: My Path, My Power
Prep
Review Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
- Read through the Teacher Script: Your Choices, Your Future to prepare for guiding the discussion.
- Print and cut out the Scenario Cards Activity if facilitating a group activity.
- Prepare copies of the Reflection Journal: My Path, My Power for each student.
Step 1
Introduction & Warm-Up
5 minutes
- Greet students and introduce the topic: making important choices for their future.
- Pose an open-ended question to start the discussion (e.g., "What's one choice you made recently that had a positive impact?").
- Introduce the Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck (Slide 1-2).
Step 2
Understanding Influence
10 minutes
- Discuss different types of influence (positive vs. negative) and peer pressure, using examples relevant to 7th graders.
- Present scenarios related to difficult choices and group dynamics.
- Engage students with Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck (Slide 3-5) and facilitate a brief discussion using prompts from the Teacher Script: Your Choices, Your Future.
Step 3
Consequences and Choices
10 minutes
- Discuss the potential consequences of negative choices, specifically touching upon the risks associated with gang affiliation without sensationalizing.
- Introduce the Scenario Cards Activity. Divide students into small groups to discuss and respond to the scenarios.
- Facilitate a brief debrief of the activity, ensuring students focus on positive alternatives and support systems. (Use Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck Slide 6-8).
Step 4
Reflection & Conclusion
5 minutes
- Distribute the Reflection Journal: My Path, My Power.
- Ask students to write down one key takeaway or a personal goal related to making positive choices.
- Conclude by reinforcing the power of their individual choices and the availability of trusted adults for support. (Use Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck Slide 9).
Step 5
Extension Activity (Optional)
Varies
- Students can further explore the themes in their Reflection Journal: My Path, My Power as homework or for a longer session.
- Continue the discussion on specific scenarios or introduce additional role-playing activities.
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Your Choices, Your Future
Every day, you make choices. Big choices, small choices.
What kind of future are you building with your choices?
Welcome students and introduce the concept of choices. This slide sets a positive tone, focusing on empowerment.
What's a Good Choice You Made?
Think about a choice you made recently that had a positive impact on you or someone else.
Share with a partner!
Engage students with a question that encourages personal reflection on positive decisions.
Understanding Influence
Who or what influences your decisions?
- Friends
- Family
- Social Media
- Music
- Movies
- Teachers/Mentors
Introduce the idea of different types of influence. Discuss how friends, family, and media can all have an impact.
The Power of Peer Pressure
Peer pressure isn't always bad! It can be:
- Positive: Encouraging you to study, try new things, or be kind.
- Negative: Pressuring you to do something you know is wrong or unsafe.
Explain peer pressure, both positive and negative. Provide simple, relatable examples.
How to Say NO to Negative Pressure
It's okay to say NO!
- Trust your instincts.
- Have a plan.
- Walk away.
- Find supportive friends.
Discuss how to identify negative peer pressure and strategies to resist it. Emphasize trusting their gut feelings.
Choices and Consequences
Some choices have much bigger consequences.
Today, we're going to talk about understanding serious risks and protecting your future.
Transition to the serious consequences of certain choices. Introduce the concept of gangs without using fear tactics, but focusing on risks.
Understanding Group Dynamics: What Are the Risks?
- Safety Risks: Violence, danger.
- Legal Risks: Arrest, criminal record.
- Future Risks: Limits on education, jobs.
- Emotional Toll: Stress, fear, isolation.
Briefly outline some real-world risks associated with gang involvement in a factual, non-judgmental way.
Your Path, Your Power
You have the power to choose your path.
- Choose friends who uplift you.
- Choose activities that help you grow.
- Choose to seek help from trusted adults when you need it.
Emphasize the importance of choosing a positive path and seeking help. This slide leads into the activity.
Build Your Best Future
Your choices today shape your tomorrow.
What is one positive choice you will commit to making this week?
Concluding slide for reflection. Encourage students to think about their personal commitment.
Script
Teacher Script: Your Choices, Your Future
Introduction & Warm-Up (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Or good afternoon, depending on when you're joining me. Today, we're going to talk about something really important: the power of your choices and how they shape your future. Every single day, you make decisions, big and small. Sometimes we don't even realize how much impact these choices have. (Advance to Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck - Slide 1)"
Teacher: "To get us started, I want you to think about a choice you made recently that had a positive impact. Maybe it was choosing to help a classmate, or studying hard for a test, or even just picking a healthy snack. What was one choice you made that had a positive outcome? Turn to a partner or think quietly for a moment, and then we'll share a few." (Advance to Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck - Slide 2)
(Allow 1-2 minutes for sharing. Call on a few students to share their examples.)
Teacher: "Great examples! It's clear we all make choices that can lead to good things."
Understanding Influence (10 minutes)
Teacher: "Now, let's think about who or what helps us make those choices. Who or what influences your decisions?" (Advance to Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck - Slide 3)
(Allow students to offer suggestions, writing them on the board if possible. Guide them towards friends, family, social media, music, etc.)
Teacher: "Absolutely! Our friends, family, what we see online, even the music we listen to – all of these can influence us. Sometimes this influence is really positive, like when a friend encourages you to try out for a school play or helps you understand a tough homework problem."
Teacher: "But sometimes, influence can be tricky. It can come in the form of 'peer pressure.' When you hear 'peer pressure,' what comes to mind?" (Advance to Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck - Slide 4)
(Listen to student responses.)
Teacher: "You got it. Peer pressure is when people your age try to get you to do something. It can be positive, like pushing you to do your best, or negative, like trying to get you to do something you know isn't right or safe."
Teacher: "It's super important to know that it's okay to say NO to negative pressure. What are some ways you can say no or get out of a tough situation?" (Advance to Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck - Slide 5)
(Encourage students to brainstorm ideas: trust your gut, make an excuse, walk away, find another activity, talk to a trusted adult.)
Teacher: "These are excellent strategies! Trusting your instincts and having a plan are key."
Consequences and Choices (10 minutes)
Teacher: "Sometimes, the choices we face can have really big consequences – consequences that can change the direction of our lives. Today, we're going to talk about understanding these serious risks and how to protect your future." (Advance to Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck - Slide 6)
Teacher: "We're talking about situations where group dynamics can become dangerous, like involvement with gangs. It's a serious topic, but one we need to understand to make truly informed choices."
Teacher: "What are some of the potential risks or negative outcomes you can think of if someone gets involved in a group that encourages risky or illegal behavior?" (Advance to Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck - Slide 7)
(Guide students to consider safety risks, legal consequences, future limitations, and emotional impact. Be factual and avoid overly dramatic language.)
Teacher: "These are very real and serious risks. Involvement in gangs can lead to violence, legal trouble, and can close doors to future opportunities like college or good jobs. It also takes a huge emotional toll, causing stress, fear, and isolating people from positive influences."
Teacher: "Now, we're going to do a quick activity. I have some Scenario Cards Activity here. In your small groups, I want you to read through the scenarios and discuss how the characters could respond to make a positive choice, thinking about what we just discussed regarding influence and consequences." (Distribute Scenario Cards Activity and allow 5-7 minutes for discussion.)
(After the activity, bring the group back together.)
Teacher: "What were some of the key takeaways from your discussions? What positive choices could the characters make?"
(Facilitate a brief debrief. Emphasize that seeking help from trusted adults (parents, teachers, counselors) is always an option.)
Reflection & Conclusion (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Remember, you have so much power to choose your path. You can choose friends who uplift you, activities that help you grow, and you can always choose to seek help from trusted adults when you need it." (Advance to Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck - Slide 8)
Teacher: "I want you to think about this statement: 'Your choices today shape your tomorrow.' I'm going to hand out a Reflection Journal: My Path, My Power. On the first page, I want you to write down one positive choice you will commit to making this week." (Distribute Reflection Journal: My Path, My Power. Advance to Your Choices, Your Future Slide Deck - Slide 9)
(Allow 2-3 minutes for students to write.)
Teacher: "Fantastic. Hold onto those journals. Remember, you have the strength and the support to make choices that lead to the future you want. Don't hesitate to talk to me or another trusted adult if you ever feel pressured or have questions. Thank you for your thoughtful participation today!"
Activity
Scenario Cards Activity
Instructions: Read each scenario carefully. In your small group, discuss the following:
- What kind of pressure is the character facing?
- What are the potential short-term and long-term consequences of making a negative choice in this situation?
- What positive choices could the character make?
- Who could the character talk to for help or support?
Scenario 1: The New Crew
Maria just moved to a new neighborhood. She feels a bit lonely and wants to make friends. A group of older kids at the park invites her to hang out. They seem cool, but she notices they often spray paint walls and sometimes talk about skipping school. They asked her to join them after school tomorrow to