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Your Choices, Your Story

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Lesson Plan

Your Choices, Your Story

Students will be able to identify how personal choices lead to various consequences and analyze different decision-making scenarios, recognizing the impact on themselves and others.

Understanding the link between choices and consequences empowers students to make thoughtful decisions, take responsibility for their actions, and navigate life's challenges more effectively, leading to positive outcomes for themselves and their community.

Audience

7th Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Through engaging scenarios and group discussion.

Materials

Whiteboard or Projector, Slide Deck: Your Choices, Your Story, and Scenario Cards

Prep

Preparation

10 minutes

  • Review the Slide Deck: Your Choices, Your Story and familiarize yourself with the content.
    - Print and cut out the Scenario Cards (one set per small group).
    - Ensure whiteboard or projector is ready for display.
    - Review all generated materials as needed.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Ripple Effect

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students: 'Think about a small choice you made recently. What was one immediate result of that choice?'
    - Explain that even small choices can create a 'ripple effect' of consequences.
    - Show the first few slides of the Slide Deck: Your Choices, Your Story to introduce the topic.

Step 2

What's the Consequence?

15 minutes

  • Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
    - Distribute one set of Scenario Cards to each group.
    - Instruct groups to read each scenario and discuss:
    - What are the potential choices the character can make?
    - What might be the immediate consequences of each choice?
    - What might be the long-term consequences?
    - How might the choices affect others?
    - Circulate among groups, facilitating discussion and answering questions. Encourage students to think beyond obvious consequences.

Step 3

Group Share & Discussion

7 minutes

  • Bring the class back together.
    - Ask each group to share one scenario and their discussion points.
    - Use the Slide Deck: Your Choices, Your Story to guide a brief whole-class discussion, highlighting key takeaways about responsibility, empathy, and critical thinking.
    - Emphasize that consequences aren't always negative; good choices lead to positive outcomes.

Step 4

Cool-Down: One Big Idea

3 minutes

  • Ask students to reflect individually: 'What is one big idea you're taking away from today's discussion about choices and consequences?'
    - You can have them write it down or share with a partner. This can lead into a Journal Entry for homework or extended reflection.
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Slide Deck

Your Choices, Your Story

Understanding the Power of Your Decisions

  • How do your choices shape your day?
  • How do they shape your future?

Welcome students and introduce the engaging title. Explain that today's lesson is about understanding the power of their decisions.

Every Choice Matters

What is a choice?

  • A decision you make
  • A path you take

What is a consequence?

  • The result of a choice
  • What happens next

Prompt students to think about recent choices. Guide them to see that even seemingly small decisions have outcomes.

The Ripple Effect

Your choices aren't isolated events.

Like dropping a pebble in water, one choice can create many ripples:

  • Immediate results
  • Long-term impacts
  • Effects on yourself
  • Effects on others

Use the analogy of a ripple in water. A small stone (choice) creates expanding circles (consequences). Ask for examples where one choice led to several outcomes.

Scenario Time!

In your groups, you will discuss real-life situations.

For each scenario, think about:

  • What are the possible choices?
  • What are the consequences (good and bad) of each choice?
  • Who else might be affected?

Explain the activity and transition to group work. Remind them to consider all types of consequences: positive, negative, immediate, and long-term.

Reflect & Share

Let's hear what you discussed!

  • What was a challenging scenario?
  • What was a surprising consequence?
  • How can thinking about consequences help you make better choices?

Facilitate the wrap-up discussion. Encourage groups to share diverse perspectives and insights.

Empower Your Story

You have the power to write your own story!

  • Think before you act.
  • Consider the ripples.
  • Choose wisely.

Conclude by reiterating the main point: students have control over their actions and thus, influence their future.

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Activity

Scenario Cards

Instructions: Read each scenario with your group. Discuss the questions below for each situation, considering all possible choices and their consequences.

Scenario 1: The Group Project Deadline

Your group has a big history project due tomorrow. You were assigned to create the timeline, but you spent last night playing video games instead. Now, it's the morning of the due date, and your part isn't done.

Questions to discuss:

  1. What are your choices right now?
  2. What are the immediate consequences of each choice (for you and your group)?
  3. What are the long-term consequences of each choice (for your grade, your reputation, and your friendships)?
  4. What would be the most responsible choice, and why?







Scenario 2: The Social Media Post

You see a funny but slightly mean meme about a classmate shared by a popular student in your class. Many people are commenting and laughing. You think it's funny, but you also know the classmate it's about can be sensitive.

Questions to discuss:

  1. What are your choices regarding the post (e.g., like it, share it, ignore it, report it, comment)?
  2. What are the immediate consequences of each choice?
  3. What are the long-term consequences of each choice (for you, the classmate, and the school environment)?
  4. How might your choice impact the person the meme is about?







Scenario 3: Finding Money

On your way home from school, you find a twenty-dollar bill on the sidewalk. There's no one else around, and you could really use the money to buy that new game you've wanted.

Questions to discuss:

  1. What are your choices with the twenty-dollar bill?
  2. What are the immediate consequences of each choice?
  3. What are the long-term consequences of each choice (for your conscience, your character, and your financial situation)?
  4. What does this situation tell us about honesty and integrity?







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Journal

Choices and Consequences: My Reflection

Prompt:

Today we discussed how our choices lead to consequences, like a ripple effect. Think about a time when you made a choice that had unexpected consequences (either good or bad). Describe the situation, the choice you made, and what happened as a result.

Then, reflect on what you learned from that experience and how it might influence your future decisions. How does understanding the

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