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Lesson 1
Empathy and Communication: Working in GroupsGrade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 109
Lesson 1
Handout 1A: My Hopes, Plans, and Challenges
Grade
Name:
Write down at least two hopes or plans and at least one challenge.
My hopes and plans:
1.
2.
My challenges:
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 111
Lesson 1
Mix-and-Match Situations
Grade
This person has just heard an untrue rumor that has been spread about him or her.
This person just saw a student bullying another student.
This person has just remembered that there is a test the next period, and he or she has forgotten
to study for it.
Another student just threatened to beat this person up after school.
This person’s mom has just lost her job.
This person has just realized that his or her clothing is torn.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 113
Lesson 1
Mix-and-Match Feelings Cards
Grade
Embarrassed
Sad
Upset
Frustrated
Stressed Out
Confused
Angry
Frightened
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 115
Lesson 1
Mix-and-Match Photos
Grade
A
C
B
D
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 117
Dear Family,
Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way to protect your middle school student from risky behaviors such
as bullying, aggression, and substance abuse while improving his or her school success? Fortunately,
research shows there is a way to do just that.
This week we begin the Stepping Up program. The program focuses on skills that will help your student
succeed in school and in life. These skills include:
• Empathy
• Communication
• Perspective taking
• Respectful disagreement
• Assertiveness
• Emotional management
• Problem solving
You play a vital role in helping your student develop strong social skills. During these next few weeks,
the focus of the lessons will be empathy and communication. Ask questions about the skills your student
is learning, such as:
• “How do you show someone you’re actively listening to them?”
• “What are some ways you can be an ally to someone?”
• “Why should you try to understand other people’s perspectives?”
If you have any questions about the curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact me for more
information. Thank you for supporting your student in learning the skills that lead to success in school
and in life.
Sincerely,
P.S. Make sure to join
www.secondstep.org
with the activation key
SSP6 FAMI LY12
to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 119
Lesson 1
Homework: Inspecting Your Skills
Grade
Name:
You are a communication skills inspector. Just as a building inspector makes sure a building is in good
working order, you will make sure your communication skills with another person are in good working order.
Today you’re going to inspect your
communication skills with an adult
family member. Think of an activity or
chore you can do together where you
will need to use communication skills.
Take a look at the list of communication
skills “inspection items” here before
you start. Then get going! When you’ve
completed the activity, go through the
checklist and mark all the skills that
were in good working order.
Can’t think of an activity?
Here are a few ideas: chores,
homework, grocery shopping—
just about anything you can do
where you work cooperatively
with another person!
The chore or activity I will be doing with an adult family member is
.
Communication Skills Inspection List
Active Listening Respecting
Look at the person.
Give compliments.
Don’t interrupt.
Listen to the adult’s ideas.
Show interest.
Be polite.
Don’t be judgmental.
Empathy
During the activity, the adult was feeling
.
My clues were
, ,
and
.
How would you rate your overall communication skills?
Great!
Need some work
Okay
Now show this to the adult, and see if he or she agrees!
This homework assignment was completed on
.
(date)
[adult] signature
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 121
Lesson 1
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
When working with other people, it’s important to
to each other and
each other’s ideas.
Name two things you try to do when you use empathy skills:
1.
2.
Connecting to My Life
Name a situation in which you will be interacting with others. Describe how listening and respecting others’ ideas
will be helpful in that situation.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 123
Lesson 1
Additional Practice: Sculpture Challenge
Grade
The Challenge
Build the tallest free-standing three-dimensional sculpture.
Materials for Each Group
1 pair of scissors
1 piece of paper
6 inches of tape
Paperclips
Instructions for Students
1. Work in groups of four. Students in each group number off one through four.
2. Only one person can touch each material.
Ones—Only touch scissors
Twos—Only touch paper
Threes—Only touch tape
Fours—Only touch paperclips
3. Build the tallest free-standing three-dimensional sculpture you can using just the above materials.
4. You must use all the materials.
5. You have
minutes to complete this challenge.
6. Additional challenge: If anyone touches someone else’s material, you must start your sculpture over
with a new piece of paper.
Group Exchange Post-Activity Questions
What communication skills contributed to your group’s success?
What behaviors stood in the way of successful collaboration?
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 125
Lesson 1
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
What are they feeling?
Have students work in groups to choose three photos of faces that show a range of
expressions. They can use personal photos of faces or ones that they have found in
newspapers, magazines, or other media. Have each group write a detailed description of
each face and identify what the person might be feeling. Make sure your students include
the elements of the expressions and clues that helped them identify what the people in the
photos might be feeling.
Health and Science
How do animals communicate?
All animals—from amoebas to humans—communicate with each other. Preselect
appropriate animal-science Web sites or search engines for your students (your school
librarian can help). Then have students work in groups to research the ways different
animals such as bees, birds, cats, dogs, chimpanzees, or whales communicate. For example,
honey bees perform a “waggle dance” when they return to their hive to alert other bees
of their arrival, and chimpanzees greet each other by touching hands. Have students
investigate the different ways animals communicate. How are they similar and different
from the ways humans communicate? Students can work in groups and report what they
found back to the class.
Media Literacy
Are the characters actively listening to each other?
Record a clip from an age-appropriate TV sitcom. Before playing the clip, identify the
main characters for your class. Divide the class into groups. Turn off the sound, then
play the clip. Ask the groups: Are the characters actively listening to each other? Remind
students that active listeners look at the person who is talking, don’t interrupt, and show
interest. Have each group take notes on how well the characters in the clip are actively
listening to each other based on what they see rather than what they hear.
Lesson 2
Empathy and Communication: Friends and AlliesGrade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 139
Lesson 2
Handout 2A: Making Friends
Grade
We are going to give advice to .
(Name of student)
’s situation is:
(Name of student)
Write three pieces of advice.
1.
2.
3.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 141
Lesson 2
Handout 2B: Being an Ally
Grade
Our situation is:
Here are some things an ally could do to support someone in that situation:
1.
2.
3.
Our situation is:
Here are some things an ally could do to support someone in that situation:
1.
2.
3.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 143
Name:
When you go to a new school or a new place, it can be hard without friends. Friends are there to joke with, hang out
with, and just be there when you need them. But sometimes it can be hard to make new friends. How do you do it?
How do other people do it?
Get together with an adult family member and think about all the different ways you both make friends. Then come
up with a list of “Friendship Tips.” These tips are ideas for how to make friends. You may want to include some
additional tips for keeping good friends, too!
Friendship Tips
1. 4.
2. 5.
3.
Additional Tips: Keeping Good Friends
This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
Lesson 2
Homework: Friendship Tips
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 145
Lesson 2
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
An ally is
Connecting to My Life
Think of a time when you were or could have been an ally to someone. Describe the situation.
Describe what you did or could have done.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 147
Lesson 2
Additional Practice: When and How to Be an Ally
Grade
Instructions for Students
1. Work in pairs.
2. Write one to three sentences that describe a situation you have experienced yourself or noticed at school where
you or someone else needed an ally. Do not use real names.
3. Exchange situations with another pair of students.
4. Write down at least three things an ally could do in that situation.
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 149
Lesson 2
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
What does it mean to be an ally to another nation?
Extend the ally definition used in this lesson to nations: An ally is a nation that consciously
decides to support another nation because it’s the right thing to do. Put students into
groups to discuss the following questions: What does it mean to be an ally to another
nation? How is this different or the same as being an ally to someone at school? Who are
the United States’ allies? What makes them our allies? How is the United States an ally to
other countries? Have students give specific examples when appropriate.
Health and Science
What are the similarities and differences between being an ally and symbiotic
relationships between organisms?
Have students research the different symbiotic relationships between organisms using
preselected Web sites or search engines. There are three different types of symbiosis:
mutualism, where both partners benefit (for example: a tickbird and a rhinoceros);
commensalism, where only one organism benefits but the other is neither helped nor
harmed (for example: a remora fish and a shark); and parasitism, where one organism
gains while the other suffers (for example: ticks and mammals). Have students work in
groups to research and find examples of each different type of symbiosis. What are the
similarities and differences between being an ally and each of these different types of
symbiotic relationships between organisms?
Media Literacy
What are the pros and cons of social-networking sites?
Although most social-networking sites have minimum age limitations (14 years), many
of your students may be becoming very interested in using them soon as a way to make
and maintain friendships. Ask students: Are social-networking sites a good way to make
friends? Put students in groups to brainstorm the pros and the cons of using social-
networking sites. Have each group discuss their ideas with the class.
Lesson 3
Empathy and Communication: Considering PerspectivesGrade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 163
Lesson 3
Handout 3A: Considering Perspectives
Grade
Do the sample situation on the board together as a class.
Sample Situation
Character A: You have been friends with Character B for years. You hang out all the time. You’ve borrowed each
other’s clothes a lot. Now you’ve changed your mind, but Character B still wants to borrow
your clothes.
Character B: You have been friends with Character A for years. You hang out all the time. You’ve borrowed each
other’s clothes a lot. Character A tells you she or he doesn’t want to lend or borrow clothes anymore.
Instructions
1. Read your situation with your partner.
2. Imagine some possible feelings, experiences, and needs or wants each character could have.
3. Record your ideas in the boxes.
Title of our situation:
Possibilities Character A Character B
Feelings
Experiences
Needs or Wants
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 165
Character A: You have been friends with Character B for years. You hang out all the time. You’ve borrowed
each other’s clothes a lot. Now you’ve changed your mind, but Character B still wants to borrow
your clothes.
Character B: You have been friends with Character A for years. You hang out all the time. You’ve borrowed each
other’s clothes a lot. Character A tells you she or he doesn’t want to lend or borrow clothes anymore.
Possible Student Responses
Lesson 3
“Considering Perspectives” Teacher Version
Grade
Perspective Character A Character B
Feelings Annoyed Confused
Frustrated Hurt
Uncertain Puzzled
Unhappy
Experiences Character B has been the one It has worked out well to
to borrow clothes much more borrow each other’s
often. clothes in the past.
Character B has sometimes It has been fun to have
returned things dirty or stained. different things to wear.
Needs or Wants Does not want to lend clothes Wants to have something
anymore. different to wear because
his or her family can’t afford
Needs to know his or her to buy a lot of clothes.
clothes won’t get messed up.
Wants to look good for a
Wants to express his or her special occasion.
individuality through clothes
and does not want to have Really likes Character A’s
Character B look the same. taste in clothes and wants
to dress like him or her.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 167
The Challenge
Character A: You are good friends with Character B, who has asked you to help him deal with some boys who have
challenged him to a fight. You think fighting is a bad idea.
Character B: You have been challenged to a fight by some boys who have been harassing you for a long time.
You asked your good friend Character A to back you up. You think friends should defend each other.
Borrowing Money
Character A: Your good friend Character B has asked to borrow ten dollars. You think friends should not borrow
money from each other.
Character B: You ask your good friend Character A if you could borrow ten dollars. You think friends should lend
and borrow money, as long as it’s not too much.
Science Project
Character A: You have been assigned to work on a science project with Character B. You think you should get
started right away.
Character B: You have been assigned to work on a science project with Character A. You think you should get
started later on in the week.
Name-Calling
Character A: Another student keeps calling you names when you pass in the hall. Your friend, Character B, thinks
you should fight or tell him or her off. You think you should just ignore the name-calling.
Character B: You are friends with Character A. Another student keeps calling Character A names when they pass in
the hall. You think your friend should fight or tell the other student off.
Lesson 3
Considering Perspectives Situations
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 169
This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
Lesson 3
Homework: What’s Your Perspective?
Grade
Name:
You are a talk show host. Today’s guest is an adult in your family. You’ll be
talking about whether kids should or should not use cell phones at school.
As a good talk show host knows, it’s important to be able to take the other
person’s point of view or perspective.
Ask the following questions during your interview. The answers will help
you understand the other person’s perspective. Write the responses in the
spaces below.
Today’s Topic: Kids Using Cell Phones at School
Question Response
How do you feel about
kids using cell phones at
school?
What’s your experience
with kids and cell phones?
What do you want or need
to have happen with kids
using cell phones at school?
Remember!
When you consider another
person’s perspective, you’ll
need to find out what feelings,
experiences, and needs or wants
underlie that perspective.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 171
Lesson 3
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
Considering another person’s perspective is part of . When you consider another
person’s perspective, it helps you avoid making
about the other person.
Connecting to My Life
Name two situations in which you think it will be helpful for you to practice considering another
person’s perspective.
1.
2.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 173
Preparation
1. Make sure each student has a blank copy of Handout 3A.
2. Make copies of the photos included here, enough for each individual, pair, or group.
Instructions for Students
1. Work individually, with a partner, or in a group.
2. Choose one of the photos.
3. Make up a situation that fits one of the photos where the two people have different perspectives.
Character A:
Character B:
4. Using Handout 3A, record what you imagine are the feelings, experiences, and needs or wants of the two
people in the photo.
Lesson 3
Additional Practice: Considering Perspectives
Grade
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 175
Lesson 3
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
What’s another perspective?
Have students choose a controversial issue in your school, such as cell phone use, school
safety, cafeteria rules, or dress code. Divide the class into groups. Ask each group to
imagine the different points of view on the issue from the perspectives of the following
people: the principal, a new student, an eighth-grade boy, a parent, the custodian, a
seventh-grade girl, and a teacher. Have each group choose one of these people and
write down what his or her perspective on the issue might be. Have groups report their
perspectives to the other groups and discuss.
Health and Science
What do you observe?
Take your students outside or have them look out the window. Give students five minutes
to write down what they observe about the outdoor environment. After five minutes,
have students exchange what they observed with another student. How many of their
observations were the same? How many of their observations were different? In what ways
did their own personal backgrounds and perspectives influence what they each observed?
Media Literacy
Whose perspective is that?
Have student groups make their own montage of images focused on one theme, such as
school, sports, travel, or geography. All the images should depict different perspectives
about the theme. For example, if the theme is school, images might include students,
buildings, buses and drivers, football fields, and cafeteria workers. They can clip their
images from magazines and newspapers, or they can create their own. The final montage
can be a media presentation or a poster. Have groups show their montages to the other
groups. Can the groups name all the points of view or perspectives represented in each
others’ montages?
Lesson 4
Empathy and Communication: Disagreeing RespectfullyGrade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 189
Lesson 4
Handout 4A: Respectful Disagreement Skill-Practice Instructions
Grade
Skill-Practice Instructions
1. Decide who will be the characters and who will be the coaches.
2. Each character reads his or her perspective aloud.
3. Characters talk back and forth at least three times, communicating about their different perspectives.
4. Coaches watch, check off skills the characters use on their checklists, and give suggestions.
5. Then switch parts and do the second scenario.
Respectful Disagreement Checklist
Respectful disagreement skill Character A Character B
Keep calm.
Use active listening.
Consider the other person’s perspective.
Explain your perspective clearly.
Act nonjudgmentally.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 191
Set 1
Disagreeing on how to present what you’ve learned
Character A: Your idea: Poster
Your reasons: Afraid to get up in front of people. Acting is stressful. Got really embarrassed last time
you had to do it.
Character B: Your idea: Skit
Your reasons: Don’t like to do artwork. More fun to act. Active. Can get out of seat.
Disagreeing on what to make for dinner
Character A: Your choice: Chicken and rice
Your reasons: Want something hot to eat. Don’t much like salad. Rice is your favorite food and you
could eat it every night. Prefer to eat the same things all the time.
Character B: Your plan: Chicken salad
Your reasons: Want something cold to eat. Love salad. Had rice the night before. Want to try something
different. Get tired of eating the same things all time.
Set 2
Disagreeing about which movie to watch
Character A: Your idea: Comedy
Your reasons: Get freaked out by scary movies. Love to have a good laugh. More relaxing.
Character B: Your idea: Scary movie
Your reasons: Love to sit on the edge of your seat. Good thrill is exciting. Love to scream and shiver.
Disagreeing about what activity to sign up for together at the youth center
Character A: Your idea: Mural
Your reasons: Love to paint. More fun, less stressful. Not a competition. Not sure how to
play volleyball.
Character B: Your idea: Volleyball
Your reasons: Enjoy team sports. Active. Unsure of painting skills. Painting stays up there forever.
Volleyball just a game.
Lesson 4
Respectful Disagreement Skill-Practice Scenarios
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 193
This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
Lesson 4
Homework: What Do You Hear?
Grade
Name:
Have you ever watched a TV show where you’ve heard characters say some surprising things to each other? Why
do they say such things? They may do it for higher ratings. But could it also be because they aren’t good at taking
another person’s perspective?
Now you get to take a closer look (and listen). Watch a sitcom, cartoon, or dramatic TV show with an adult family
member. Select two characters to focus on for 10 minutes. Listen carefully to the interactions between them. How
well do they take the other person’s perspective? Fill in your observations below.
What I Observe
Name of Character 1: Name of Character 2:
How clearly do they explain their opinion?
Character 1:
great! okay not so good
Character 2:
great! okay not so good
Are they being nonjudgmental?
Character 1:
great! okay not so good
Character 2:
great! okay not so good
Are they respectful of the other person’s opinion?
Character 1:
great! okay not so good
Character 2:
great! okay not so good
The best way to describe the communication between these two characters is:
Character 1:
great! okay not so good
Character 2:
great! okay not so good
Being judgmental adds the following to the show (check all that apply):
humor conflict interest nothing
If you were a part of this show, how would this style of communication make you feel (check all that apply)?
happy angry frustrated respected unsure
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 195
Lesson 4
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
If you are having a disagreement with someone and are communicating disrespectfully,
you might
and .
When you respectfully disagree with someone, you
and
.
Connecting to My Life
Name two situations when you think respectful disagreement skills will help you.
1.
2.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 197
Lesson 4
Additional Practice: Respectful Disagreement
Grade
Preparation
1. Put students into groups.
2. Give each student another copy of Handout 4A.
3. Give each group the set of Respectful Disagreement Skill-Practice Scenarios that they did not do in the lesson.
Instructions for Students
1. Work in groups.
2. Read and follow the skill-practice instructions on Handout 4A using the set of scenarios that you have not
yet done.
~OR~
Preparation
1. Put students into groups.
2. Give each student another copy of Handout 4A.
3. Have students write their own scenarios about respectful disagreement.
Instructions for Students
1. Describe in one or two sentences a situation where Character A and Character B have a difference of opinion.
2. Write a word or phrase that describes each character’s perspective.
3. Write one or two sentences that support each character’s perspective.
4. Read and follow the skill-practice instructions on Handout 4A using the scenarios you just wrote.
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 199
Lesson 4
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
Can they respectfully disagree?
A town meeting is often used by local governments to obtain suggestions, get feedback on
existing policies and government officials, or debate potential policies and proposals.
Have students use the town meeting format to debate a proposal to build a new skateboard
park. Proponents of the proposal say that building a skateboard park will provide a
healthy outlet for our youth and keep them off busy streets. Opponents are worried
about the cost, the environmental impact, and the kinds of kids the park will attract. Put
students in small groups. Have half of the groups take the proponents’ perspective, and
the other half take the opponents’ perspective. In a town meeting format, have each group
present their arguments based on their perspective using the respectful disagreement skills
practiced in this lesson.
Health and Science
Is there life on other planets?
Have student groups contemplate the question: Is there life on other planets? Have half
of the groups take the position that there is life on other planets, and the other half that
there is not. Give the groups time to come up with support for their positions. Then
have opposing groups debate whether there is or is not life on other planets while using
respectful disagreement skills.
Media Literacy
Can you identify respectful disagreement skills?
Record a clip from an age-appropriate TV sitcom, drama, or movie that shows a conflict
between characters. Before showing the clip, direct your students to look for a conflict
between characters. Show the clip and have students analyze how the conflict is or is not
resolved. Do the characters use the skills for disagreeing respectfully? Have them write
down all the skills they see the characters using. If they are not using the skills, have them
describe how the conflict might have been resolved differently if they had. Then discuss
as a class or in groups some of the following questions: How often do you see respectful
disagreement on-screen? Do you think disrespect is seen as more compelling or exciting?
Why or why not? Do you think disrespectful or respectful disagreement between characters
on-screen is encouraged? Why?
Lesson 5
Empathy and Communication: Being AssertiveGrade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 213
Lesson 5
Handout 5A: Communication Styles
Grade
Instructions
1. Look at the way the mouse is communicating to get his cheese back in each cartoon.
2. Choose a communication style—passive, aggressive, or assertive—that best describes the way the mouse
is communicating.
3. Write your choice on the line below each cartoon.
Hey Pete,
I need to have
my cheese back.
Oh,
okay, Fred.
Um, sorry...
mumble, mumble,
mumble.
Gimme
my cheese
NOW!
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 215
Lesson 5
Handout 5B: Chart of Communication Styles
Grade
Characteristic
Words that give
the message...
Tone of voice
Facial expression
Body language
I am not
important.
My opinions
don’t matter.
Timid, unclear.
Eyes looking
down or away.
Worried or
uncertain
expression.
Head down,
shoulders round.
Slumped posture.
You are not
important.
Your opinions
don’t matter.
Forceful or
accusing.
Glaring, narrow
eyes.
Hard, angry
expression.
Tense body,
clenched fists,
pointing fingers.
Confrontational
posture.
We are both
important.
Both of our
opinions matter.
Clear, firm, calm.
Eyes looking at
the person.
Confident
expression.
Head up,
shoulders back.
Confident
posture.
Passive Assertive
Chart of Communication Styles
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 217
Lesson 5
Handout 5C: Assertive Communication Skill-Practice Instructions
Grade
Skill-Practice Instructions
1. Decide which set of partners will practice first and which will be the coaches.
2. One practice partner reads the situation while the others listen carefully.
3. The coaches suggest assertive responses to the situation.
4. The student who is practicing chooses one of these responses or uses one of his or her own.
5. The coaches give encouraging feedback and fill in the checklist.
Assertive Communication Checklist
Assertive communication skill Student 1 Student 2
Look at the other person.
Keep your head up and shoulders back.
Use a calm voice.
Use respectful, clear language.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 219
Set 1
The Party
You are hanging out with a group of friends on a Friday night. You’re trying to decide what to do. Your best friend
wants to go to a party, and you know no adults will be there. Your parents don’t allow you to go to parties when no
adults are home. Besides, you want to go to a movie. Assertively tell your friends what you want.
Silent Treatment
A friend wants you to ignore another friend because she’s mad at her. You don’t have a problem with this other
friend. You don’t think it’s fair to give the other girl the silent treatment. Assertively tell your friend your perspective.
Team Morale
You have a teammate who constantly puts down other team members when they make mistakes. You think this is
bad for team morale. Assertively tell your teammate your perspective about his or her behavior.
Joking Around
Every time a particular kid in your math class walks past your desk, he “accidentally” knocks your pencil, paper, or
book off your desk. You are annoyed by his “joking around,” and you want him to stop. Assertively tell him what
you want.
Set 2
Family Insult
A classmate makes fun of your family. You feel insulted and angry. Your family’s reputation is very important to you.
Assertively tell your classmate your perspective.
Cigarettes
You are at a new friend’s house. This friend finds a pack of his or her father’s cigarettes and says, “Let’s try one!”
Assertively tell your new friend that you don’t want to smoke.
The Assignment
You were talking quietly to the person sitting next to you when your teacher gave out the writing assignment.
She has told the class to work silently on the assignment and you don’t know what it is. You need to ask her to
repeat the assignment and apologize for not hearing it the first time. In private, tell your teacher what happened
in an assertive way.
Band Harassment
As you’re getting out your instruments in band class, your friends start harassing another kid who often acts kind of
strange. He’s not a friend of yours, but you feel that even though you think he’s a little weird, no one deserves to be
harassed. Assertively tell your friends your perspective.
Lesson 5
Assertive Communication Skill-Practice Scenarios
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 5
Homework: What’s Your Style?
Grade
Name:
Sometimes you “hear” what a person is saying
without him or her saying a word. You can often tell
a person’s communication style just by looking at his
or her facial expressions and body language. A passive
communicator might have slumped posture. An
aggressive communicator might have glaring, narrow
eyes. An assertive communicator holds his or her head
up while looking straight at you.
Now try to “hear” different communication styles just
by looking at them.
1. Look through magazines or newspapers for
people who are using passive, aggressive, and
assertive communication.
2. Find one image for each, and glue them in the
boxes to the right.
3. Imagine what each person might be saying.
Write it in the space below each picture.
4. Now show the pictures and descriptions to
an adult. Can he or she guess which style of
communication each person is using? Circle
their answer.
5. If he or she guessed wrong, go over with him
or her the characteristics of different styles of
communication. If he or she guessed right—
way to go!
This homework assignment was completed on
.
(date)
[adult] signature
Style: Passive Aggressive Assertive
What is the person saying?
glue picture here
Style: Passive Aggressive Assertive
What is the person saying?
glue picture here
Style: Passive Aggressive Assertive
What is the person saying?
glue picture here
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 5
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
Describe the tone of voice of someone who is:
Passive
Aggressive
Assertive
Connecting to My Life
Briefly describe a situation in which you could have been more assertive, and describe how acting assertively could
have helped.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 225
Preparation
1. Put students into groups.
2. Give each student another copy of Handout 5C and each group a set of the additional scenarios below.
Instructions for Students
In your group, read and follow the skill-practice instructions on Handout 5C using the new set of scenarios.
Additional Scenarios
Set 1
Lunch Money
A friend keeps forgetting to return things he or she has borrowed from you. Last week he or she borrowed five
dollars, and you really need the money back to buy lunch. Assertively tell your friend what you need.
Mean Things
You find out that a friend has been saying mean things about you behind your back. You feel hurt and angry and you
want him or her to stop. Assertively tell your friend your perspective.
Please Knock!
Your younger sibling keeps barging into your room. You feel this is an invasion of your privacy and you want your
sibling to knock before entering. Assertively tell your sibling your perspective.
A Beer from the Fridge
You’re at a friend’s house after school, and there are no adults home. Your friend’s older brother asks you to go to the
fridge and get him a beer. Assertively tell him you don’t want to do that.
Set 2
Staring
A student you don’t know is staring at you obnoxiously in the library while you’re trying to work. You’ve already
told him to stop once. He’s making it difficult for you to concentrate. Assertively tell him what you want.
Borrowing Clothes
Your brother or sister keeps borrowing your clothes without asking. You feel that it is all right to share clothes
sometimes, but you really want to be asked first. Assertively tell your sibling your perspective.
Throwing Pencils
A friend you sit with on the bus is throwing pencils out the window when the bus driver isn’t looking. You know
this is a dangerous thing to do. You don’t want anyone to get hurt. You also don’t want to be accused of joining in,
because you are sitting right next to her. Assertively tell your friend your perspective.
The Line
You’ve been waiting patiently at the deli counter to be helped. There isn’t a formal line, so when the deli worker asks
“Who’s next?” a woman who hasn’t noticed that you’ve been waiting longer says, “I am.” You’re in a hurry and don’t
think it is fair for someone else to take your turn. Assertively tell the deli worker and the other woman what you need.
Lesson 5
Additional Practice: Assertive Communication
Grade
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 5
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
What would an assertive pig say to an aggressive wolf?
Have students work in groups to write and perform a script for a Readers’ Theater. First,
read aloud (or have a student read aloud) “The Three Little Pigs” (or any other applicable
folktale from your students’ heritage). Then have each group take the theme from the story
and rewrite it. The first two pigs are passive communicators. The wolf is an aggressive
communicator. The third pig is an assertive communicator. The third pig must confront the
wolf in an assertive manner. Have each group perform their story for the class.
Health and Science
Can dogs be assertive?
Have students groups research the different ways dogs communicate. Direct your students
to look for examples of how dogs communicate joy, anger, anxiety, submission, and
dominance. Can dogs be passive, assertive, or aggressive in the ways they communicate
these things? What are the similarities and differences between the ways dogs and humans
communicate the same feelings? Have each group report their findings to the class.
Media Literacy
Is there a better way to resolve this dispute?
Record sports or political news clips from TV or the Web that show passive and/or
aggressive communication styles. Put students in groups. Play the clips. Have each group
identify the dispute. Then ask: What communication style are they using? How can you
tell? Have students describe how the dispute may have been resolved differently if assertive
communication was used. Have each group report on their story to another group or
the class.
Lesson 6
Bullying Prevention: Recognizing BullyingGrade
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Lesson 6
Handout 6A: Tips for Dealing with Bullying
Grade
Tip 1: Tell yourself that it is not your fault.
Write one thing that someone could say to him- or herself.
Tip 2: Stay in control. Don’t retaliate by fighting or bullying back. This usually makes things worse.
Write one thing that someone could say to him- or herself or do to stay calm.
Tip 3: Tell the person or people who are bullying to stop, if you feel safe and confident doing this.
Name one thing that might make someone feel unsafe.
Tip 4: Avoid places or situations where bullying happens. If you can’t, keep someone you know or an adult nearby.
Name two places or situations in our school to avoid or to make sure someone you know is nearby.
1.
2.
Tip 5: Get support from a trusted adult.
Name two trusted adults.
1.
2.
Tip 6: Add your own tip.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 245
Dear Family,
Middle school is a time when bullying among peers peaks. This week we started a new topic of the Stepping Up
program: bullying. Your student is learning to recognize bullying, whether it is happening to the student or to
someone else. We are focusing on what students can do about bullying so they can be safe and happy at school.
Here at school, we are creating a safe learning environment. We would like to work with you to make this happen.
There are several warning signs that could indicate that your child is experiencing bullying at school. Please be on the
alert for:
• Damaged or missing clothing, books, or other belongings
• Unexpected bruises, cuts, or scratches
• Few or no friends to spend time with
• Fear of going to school
• Fear of riding the bus or walking to school
• Taking an illogical or long route home
• An unexpected drop in grades and/or interest
• Unusual moodiness, depression, anxiety, or crying
• Frequent headaches or stomachaches
• Loss of appetite
• Trouble sleeping
If you suspect your student is being bullied, contact
at our school for
help. If you suspect your student is participating in bullying, please visit www.cfchildren.org/resources to find online
resources that can help guide you in talking to your student about bullying.
Ask your student to talk to you about Stepping Up tips for dealing with bullying and the Bystander Power
suggestions. Talk about what might work best for your student. Tell your student about your experiences with
bullying, either what you remember from your youth or what you have experienced in the workplace. Ask your
student about what kinds of bullying he or she sees happening at school.
Together we can help our youth stay safe and develop confidence and empathy during the middle school years.
Sincerely,
P.S. Make sure to join
www.secondstep.org
with the activation key
SSP6 FAMI LY12
to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.
Lesson 6
Family Letter
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 6
Homework: What’s It Like?
Grade
Name:
What does it feel like to be bullied? Many people have experienced some
sort of bullying at some point in their lives—even adults! Now it’s time
to find out how they felt. Ask an adult the following questions
about his or her experience with bullying anytime in his
or her life. Can you relate to his or her experience?
What’s bullying?
Bullying is when one or more
people repeatedly harm, harass,
intimidate, or exclude others.
Bullying is unfair and one-sided.
What’s It Like to Be Bullied?
1. Can you describe a time in your life when you or someone you know was bullied?
2. Were there other people around?
Yes
No
3. If you said “Yes,” what did you want them to do? (check all that apply)
Nothing
Not watch
Get help
Not laugh
Say something to stop the bullying
Other:
4. What did you do? (check all that apply)
Told myself that it wasn’t my fault
Told the person or people who were bullying to stop
Ignored it (or tried to ignore it)
Walked away
Asked for help
I didn’t know what to do
Other:
5. How did the bullying make you feel? (check all that apply)
Sad
Angry
Discouraged
Worthless
Hurt
Scared
Other:
6. What do you wish someone who knew it was happening had done?
This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 249
Lesson 6
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
List three types of bullying:
1.
2.
3.
Connecting to My Life
The next time you are bullied or teased, you can try using the tips for dealing with bullying. What three tips will
you try?
1.
2.
3.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 6
Additional Practice: Recognizing Bullying
Grade
Instructions
1. Work with a partner or group.
2. Read the additional situations below.
3. Decide whether or not the situation is bullying. Put a check by those that are bullying.
4. Identify the kind of bullying that is going on in each situation you checked as bullying: either face-to-face
or behind-the-back. Write an F by the face-to-face behaviors and a B by the behind-the-back ones.
Additional Situations
Lizzie was told that a group of girls had taken a photo of her and changed it to make it funny and
ugly. They were passing it around for other kids to see.
Colin decides to sit at a different lunch table without telling his friend Avi. Avi is expecting to sit with
Colin and is upset with him for sitting somewhere else.
When Jerome joins basketball games at lunch, a boy who also plays tries especially hard to throw
him hard-to-catch balls. Most days, this boy laughs at him and calls him clumsy.
Cara received an email message. In it, the writer called her a rude name and said mean things about
her that are not true. She does not know who it is from.
Often in class, a boy who sits in front of Stephen sticks his foot out and trips Stephen when he gets
up out of his chair. Twice, Stephen has actually fallen and hurt himself.
Jenna borrowed her friend Olivia’s lip-gloss and accidentally got dirt in it, so Olivia had to throw it
away. Olivia is mad and doesn’t want to let Jenna borrow her lip-gloss again.
A student whispered to Roy, “Move over so the new kid can’t sit with us at lunch.” The new kid
could see exactly what was going on.
Every day when Sandra gets on the bus, a group of kids in the back make rude gestures at her.
Leo is trying to talk his friend Mason into joining the soccer team. Mason doesn’t like soccer, and he
doesn’t like Leo trying to talk him into playing.
Grade
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Lesson 6
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
Is it bullying?
Have your students examine unkind or mean behaviors that occur between characters in
any novel they are currently reading in class or on their own. Have each student write a
description of the mean behavior. Then have them use the definition of bullying given in
the lesson to determine whether the behavior is bullying: Bullying is when one or more
people repeatedly harm, harass, intimidate, or exclude another person. Bullying is unfair
and one-sided.
Health and Science
What do you observe?
Have students work in groups to make observations about other people’s behaviors. Assign
each group a location in your school (such as the hallway, lunchroom, or sports field).
Have each member of the group take notes about the behavior of the people they observe
in these locations for a determined amount of time (such as 10 minutes). Have groups
come back and discuss their observations. Have them use the bullying definition in this
lesson to determine whether any of the behaviors they observed were bullying. Have each
group report their findings to the class. Were there some locations in the school where
more bullying was observed? If so, why do you think this occurs?
Media Literacy
What’s the message?
Record clips from animated cartoon programs that show some form of bullying. (Caution:
Some kids might think that the bullying depicted in some cartoons is funny.) Show the
clips. Ask student groups to watch for examples of bullying, then discuss the following
questions: Do any of the characters bully others face-to-face? Do any of the characters
bully others behind their backs? What kind of message do you think this sends to young
kids? How could these cartoons be funny without the bullying? Can you think of some
funny cartoons that do not use bullying? Have each group report their responses to
another group or the class.
Lesson 7
Bullying Prevention: BystandersGrade
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Lesson 7
Handout 7A: Bystander Power
Grade
Be part of the solution:
Don’t take part in bullying.
• Don’t laugh.
• Don’t stay to watch.
• Don’t encourage.
• Don’t pass on rumors.
Offer support.
Be an ally to someone being bullied.
• Label the bullying.
• Talk to the person. Ask questions like,
“Are you okay?”
• Offer help.
Take action against bullying.
• Distract the person doing the bullying.
• Walk away with the person been bullied.
• Tell the person doing the bullying to stop.
• Get support from a trusted adult.
You can make a difference!
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 269
Instructions
Fill in the blanks, using Handout 7A to help you.
Dear
,
You are a bystander to bullying. As a result, it sounds like you feel
.
Here are some suggestions for some things you could do: You could make sure not to be part of the bullying by
.
(give a suggestion)
You could also offer support by
(the person being bullied) (give a suggestion)
.
Or you could take action by
.
(give a suggestion)
If you decide you feel safe talking to the person (or people) doing the bullying, you could say:
.
You will need to decide how you can be part of the solution.
Writing the letter was a brave first step to solving the bullying problem.
Good luck,
[Name(s) of advice column writer(s)]
Lesson 7
Handout 7B: Advice Letter
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 7
Advice Letter Situations
Grade
Letter 1
Dear Expert,
There’s this kid (I’ll call him Eric) whose locker is next to mine. Every day for the past month, a mean kid forces
Eric to give him his math homework. He wants to copy it. Eric tells him he doesn’t want to do it, but the mean kid
threatens to make his life miserable. He’s really popular and could get a lot of his friends to gang up on Eric. It’s not
like Eric is my best friend or anything, but I don’t like to see this happen every day. I feel like I should do something.
But this kid is really mean. I don’t want him to start picking on me. What should I do?
Signed,
Unsure
Letter 2
Dear Expert,
The last time my friends and I got together at our friend Jen’s house, some weird stuff happened. We did our
homework, and then Jen got online and showed us this Web page she made. It’s called “We Hate Sarah.” She and
some other girls have been writing really bad lies on the page about this other girl, Sarah, who goes to our school. I
don’t really like Sarah either, but I think spreading rumors about her on the Internet is wrong. Jen is one of my best
friends and I don’t want to make her mad, but I think what she’s doing is really mean. What should I do?
Signed,
Disappointed
Letter 3
Dear Expert,
Something happened yesterday and today at lunch that really made me angry. This boy Jeffrey tried to sit down at a
table with a group of kids. When he did, they all moved over so that there was no room for him. I heard them saying
that he couldn’t sit with them. Jeffrey went and sat all by himself. What should I do?
Signed,
Upset
Letter 4
Dear Expert,
There is a girl in my school (I’ll call her Annie) who can’t walk very well. When Annie goes down the hall between
classes, there is a kid who copies how she walks. His friends watch and laugh. Annie knows he’s doing it, and I can
tell it really bothers her. I see her pretending it isn’t happening. What should I do?
Signed,
Angry
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 273
This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
Lesson 7
Homework: Bystander Power!
Grade
Name:
How can you be part of the solution? Use your Bystander Power! Unlike the powers of superheroes or wizards,
Bystander Power can be used by anyone—even you!
But not everyone may be familiar with Bystander Power.
Explain what Bystander Power is to an adult family member.
Then come up with suggestions and examples for a Bystander
Power poster together. Write your suggestions and examples
in the spaces to the right.
Don’t take part in bullying.
Offer support.
Be an ally to someone being bullied.
Take action against bullying.
You can make a difference!
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 275
Lesson 7
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
A bystander can be part of the problem in a bullying situation by:
A bystander can be part of the solution in a bullying situation by:
Connecting to My Life
Two things I want to remember to try as a bystander are:
1.
2.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 277
Lesson 7
Additional Practice: Bystander Power
Grade
Preparation
Make sure students have a blank copy of Handout 7B.
Instructions for Students
1. Work alone, in pairs, or in groups.
2. Write a “Dear Expert” letter similar to those in the lesson. Base the letter on a real experience.
Do not use real names.
Dear Expert,
Signed,
3. Exchange your letter with another student, pair, or group.
4. Write your response on Handout 7B.
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 7
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
What does this artwork mean to you?
Have student groups really look at the artwork on the Bystander Power poster. What do
they think the artwork means? Encourage students to identify the lesson concepts that
they think are represented by the symbols. Have small groups come up with words that
represent main elements of the program or elements suggested by the posters. Then have
the groups report to the class their words and what they mean.
Health and Science
What is herd behavior?
“Herd behavior” is when individuals in a group act together without a planned direction.
Have students work in groups to research (using preselected Web sites or search engines)
animals that exhibit herd behavior, such as flocks of birds, herds of sheep, or schools
of fish. What are the advantages of herd behavior for these animals? What are the
disadvantages? Have each group present their findings to the class. Then discuss: When
and why might crowds of humans exhibit the same sort of herd behavior? How can
bystanders who exhibit herd behavior be part of the problem?
Media Literacy
Is this really funny?
Use the same animated cartoon clips used in the Lesson 6 media literacy integration
activity to show bystander behavior. Show the clips again. This time, ask student groups to
notice how the bystanders to the bullying that they identified earlier behave. Then discuss
the following questions: How do the bystanders react? Do they think the bullying is funny?
How does their behavior encourage or discourage more bullying? What kind of message
do you think this sends to young kids? Can you think of funny ways the bystanders can be
“part of the solution?” Have each group report their responses to another group or
the class.
Lesson 8
Emotion Management: Emotions—Brain and BodyGrade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 167
Digital version available!
Go online today:
www.secondstep.org
Lesson 8
Teacher’s Answer Key to Handout 8A
Grade
emotions
amygdala
alarm
sensory input
Instructions
With your partner, fill in the blanks. Use each word once.
adrenaline heart thinking amygdala feelings alarm
calm down automatic lungs analyze cortex
emotions pupils wake up sensory input danger
control
Some sensory input triggers in the brain.
The thalamus sorts different . It sends emotional
input to the amygdala.
The is an area in the automatic part of the brain. It is your
“ .” Your “feelings alarm” is
. It is set to go off instantly.
It sends out two messages. One is an urgent message to your brain and body to get ready to respond.
When your body gets ready to respond, all these things happen:
rushes through your body.
Your beats faster to pump more blood to your muscles and brain.
Your take in air faster to supply your body with oxygen.
The of your eyes get larger to see better.
Sometimes you might feel like you’re losing control. You are probably not thinking clearly.
The other message sent by the amygdala is for the . The cortex is the
part of the brain. The message tells the cortex to
and start thinking.
The cortex has to the situation and figure out what is really happening. It decides
if there is really . If there is no real danger, it sends a message back to turn off the
“feelings alarm.” The body starts to , and you
begin to feel back in again.
feelings
automatic
Adrenaline
heart
lungs
pupils
cortex
thinking
up
analyze
danger
calm
control
down
wake
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 293
Lesson 8
Handout 8A: Emotions—Brain and Body
Grade
Instructions
With your partner, fill in the blanks. Use each word once.
adrenaline heart thinking amygdala feelings alarm
calm down automatic lungs analyze cortex
emotions pupils wake up sensory input danger
control
Some sensory input triggers in the brain.
The thalamus sorts different
. It sends emotional
input to the amygdala.
The
is an area in the automatic part of the brain. It is your
“
.” Your “feelings alarm” is
. It is set to go off instantly.
It sends out two messages. One is an urgent message to your brain and body to get ready to respond.
When your body gets ready to respond, all these things happen:
rushes through your body.
Your
beats faster to pump more blood to your muscles and brain.
Your
take in air faster to supply your body with oxygen.
The
of your eyes get larger to see better.
Sometimes you might feel like you’re losing control. You are probably not thinking clearly.
The other message sent by the amygdala is for the
. The cortex is the
part of the brain. The message tells the cortex to
and start thinking.
The cortex has to
the situation and figure out what is really happening. It decides
if there is really
. If there is no real danger, it sends a message back to turn off the
“feelings alarm.” The body starts to
, and you
begin to feel back in
again.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 297
Lesson 8
Handout 8B: Pause and Think Twice Skill-Practice Instructions
Grade
Instructions
1. Choose which pair will practice first and which pair will coach.
2. Students who are practicing will decide who will be the emotional part of the brain and who will be the
thinking part of the brain.
3. The student playing the emotional part of the brain reads the first scenario and says the very first thing that
comes to mind.
4. The student playing the thinking part of the brain will give a pause signal and think twice.
5. Coaches use their checklist to check for “pause” and “think twice” and give suggestions if necessary.
6. The students practicing switch parts and do the next scenario.
7. Then everyone switches, and you do the same thing again with the last two scenarios.
“Think Twice” Questions and Statements
Is that the best idea?
Wait a minute. Let me think this through really carefully.
I just need to calm down.
I’m not thinking straight.
I need to take a break.
What assumptions am I making?
What is the other person’s point of view?
Do I really know what is going on here?
Do I need more information?
What is happening here?
I’m feeling
.
Pause and think twice Thinking part of the brain
First scenario Second scenario
Used a “pause signal.
Asked questions or made statements to help the character
think twice.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 299
Lesson 8
Pause and Think Twice Skill-Practice Scenarios
Grade
Missing Stuff
Your little sister or brother came into your room and was playing with your stuff. Now you can’t find something
important. You are really angry.
Ripped Clothing
Your friend borrowed a favorite piece of clothing and put it back in your locker without showing it to you.
You see that it is ripped. You are really upset.
A Big Test
You have a big test coming up at school. Tests make you very anxious. You can’t focus on studying.
Spilled Food
Someone bumped into you while carrying a lunch tray. Food spilled all over your shirt. You are angry
and embarrassed.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 8
Family Letter
Grade
Dear Family,
Have you ever made a decision when you were angry or frustrated that you later regretted? When emotions are
intense, it is hard for anyone, especially young adolescents, to think straight. Strong feelings of anger can lead to
aggression and violence. Students can also struggle to make good choices when they experience strong feelings of
sadness, jealousy, anxiety, or even happiness.
This week we started our Stepping Up lessons about managing emotions. Your student is learning the Steps for
Staying in Control of strong emotions. Students are learning that emotions come from one part of their brain, but
that they also have a thinking part of their brain that helps them stay in control.
The Steps for Staying in Control are:
Notice. Recognize your physical and mental signs.
Pause. Use your signal.
Think twice. Use your brain.
Calm down if necessary. Use your calming-down strategies.
Reflect. How did you do?
Ask your student about the steps. Help your student remember to pause and think twice before doing something he
or she might regret.
The strategies for calming down are useful for anyone, adult or teen. They are:
Doing something physically active
Doing something relaxing
Thinking about something else (like counting to ten)
Using centered breathing
Using positive self-talk
Ask your student to show you how these work!
Staying in control helps students get along with others and focus on their schoolwork. Both of these things help them
be more successful in school. Thank you for your support in creating a successful learning environment for your
student.
Sincerely,
P.S. Make sure to join
www.secondstep.org
with the activation key
SSP6 FAMI LY12
to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
Lesson 8
Homework: Talking to Myself
Grade
Name:
Something happened between you and your friend. You get angry. You start
to
lose control. What do you do? You need to talk—to yourself! Instead of
just reacting, you can use positive self-talk. It’s a great way to start thinking
clearly in an emotional situation. It’s so great, in fact, that you should tell
an adult about it!
Explain the Steps for Staying in Control to an adult family member. Then ask him or her the following questions
about what
makes him or her angry, how it makes him or her feel, and what things he or she might say to himself or
herself to calm down. Then
tell the adult how you’d respond to the same questions. Use the space below to record
both of your thoughts.
Adult You
When do you get angry?
How can you tell when you’re mad?
What are some things you might
say to yourself to calm down
when you’re mad? Think of as
many things as you can!
Staying in Control
Notice.
Recognize your physical and mental signs.
Pause.
Use your signal.
Think twice.
Use your brain.
Calm down if necessary.
Use your calming-down
strategies.
Reflect.
How did you do?
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 8
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
My “pause” signal is .
Three “think twice” questions or statements that always help are:
1.
2.
3.
Connecting to My Life
Describe a time when you lost control. What might have happened differently if you had used the Steps for Staying
in Control?
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 8
Additional Practice: Pause and Think Twice
Grade
Preparation
1. Make additional copies of Handout 8B for each student.
2. Put students in groups.
3. Give each group a set of the additional scenarios.
Instructions for Students
1. Work in groups.
2. Read and follow the skill-practice instructions on Handout 8B, using the set of additional scenarios.
Additional Scenarios
Homework
You are having a hard time doing your homework. You are really frustrated and feel like giving up.
Drippy Ice Cream
You loaned your younger brother or sister one of your T-shirts. He or she is eating ice cream. You see that it is
dripping onto the shirt and that he or she has not noticed. You are really upset because you are afraid it will
get stained.
The Binder
Someone bumped into you in the hallway. Your binder was knocked out of your arms. It fell to the ground and all the
papers came out. You are embarrassed.
A Mean Note
You find a mean note stuck to the front of your locker. It looks like the writing of a boy who’s been calling you
names. You are really angry.
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 8
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
How can anger be positive?
Anger is not a good or bad emotion. It’s the response to anger that is either good or bad. If
people did not get angry about situations such as oppression, slavery, or abuse, then many
positive changes would not have come about. Have students work in groups to research
nonaggressive responses by people to unjust situations in history. Possible people to
research include Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso),
Aung San Suu Kyi, and Rosa Parks. Have groups write a brief summary of how the leader
they selected used anger to make a positive change. Then have each group report back to
the class.
Health and Science
Do animals feel emotions?
Do animals feel emotions? Or do humans project their own emotions onto animals? Divide
students into groups. Have each group research these questions (using preselected Web
sites or search engines), focusing on a different animal species (such as dogs, dolphins,
pigs, or reptiles). Compare how animal and human brains process information and feel
emotions. Have students report what they found out about the animal they researched to
the other groups.
Media Literacy
How do images and sounds in advertisements influence how you feel?
Explain to students that images are processed in the same “primitive” part of the brain
where strong emotions and instincts are located, but that written and spoken language
is processed in the cerebral cortex, the “thinking” part of the brain. First have students
listen to the sound only of a TV advertisement that you have recorded. How does it make
them feel? Do they want to buy the product? Now show them the same ad with the sound
and the images. Does it make them feel any different? Why or why not? In what ways do
they think advertisements encourage “impulse” buying? What can they do to control
those impulses?
Lesson 9
Emotion Management: Calming-Down StrategiesGrade
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Lesson 9
Handout 9A: Identifying Self-Talk
Grade
Instructions
1. Read and think carefully about each situation.
2. Imagine you are the character in the situation.
3. Decide whether the self-talk is negative or positive.
4. If it is negative, write at least two examples of positive self-talk in the space below.
1. Kaylee’s good friend is sitting with others
at lunch and doesn’t invite Kaylee to join
them. Kaylee is very upset.
3. Morgan gets his math test back and finds
he has a very bad grade. He is very unhappy.
2. A boy takes Max’s shoe while he is
changing for P.E. and throws it in the
garbage can. He is very angry.
4. A boy walks right in front of J.C. as he
runs for the bus, and he falls down. He is
very angry, and his knee hurts.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 9
Teacher Answer Key and Follow-Up Questions to Handout 9A
Grade
1. Kaylee’s good friend is sitting with others at lunch and doesn’t invite Kaylee to join them.
Kaylee is very upset.
Negative self-talk.
Why? (It’s going to make her more upset.)
What assumption is she making? (She is making
the assumption that her friend doesn’t like her.)
What might happen if she acts on her assumption?
(She could ignore her friend and create a
problem.
She could say something mean to her friend.)
Possible positive self-talk:
“I guess she wants to sit with her other friends
today. She was really friendly yesterday, so she’s
probably not mad at me.”
2. A boy takes Max’s shoe while he is changing for P.E. and throws it in the garbage can. He is
very angry.
Positive self-talk.
Why? (He is not letting the other boy control him.
It is helping him stay in control.)
3. Morgan gets his math test back and finds he has a very bad grade. He is very unhappy.
Positive self-talk.
Why? (He is focusing on what he can do to fix his
grade. He is not making himself more unhappy by
saying he’s stupid or bad at math.)
4. A boy walks right in front of J.C. as he runs for the bus, and he falls down. He is very angry,
and his knee hurts.
Negative self-talk.
Why? (It may just have been an accident. It keeps
his brain thinking there is a problem. It makes him
more angry.)
What assumptions is he making? (That it was on
purpose.)
What might happen now? (He could try to hurt the
boy. He could get in a fight with the boy.)
Possible positive self-talk:
“Even if it was on purpose, getting back at him
will just make things worse. He could just have not
been watching where he was going. I’ll be okay. It’s
not a big deal.”
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 9
Handout 9B: Staying in Control
Grade
Name:
Pause. Use my signal.
Words I will use:
Think twice. Use my brain.
Calm down if necessary. Use my calming-down strategies.
• Doing something physically active
• Doing something relaxing
• Thinking about something else
• Using centered breathing
• Using positive self-talk
Strategies I can use at my desk:
Strategies I can use when I am with friends:
Strategies I can use at home:
Strategies I can use in the hallway, lunchroom, or bathroom:
Remember: Sometimes you need to take a break and calm down away from the situation.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 9
Homework: Emotion Check-Up
Grade
Name:
You are an emotion coach. Just as an athletic coach teaches skills,
encourages, and gives feedback to athletes, you will need to do the same
thing with your “emotion athletes.”
The “emotion athlete” you’ll be coaching today is an adult family
member. First, explain the Steps for Staying in Control.
Use the poster to guide you. Next, ask
the questions and go through the
checklist here. Make sure you
encourage and give feedback
to the adult as he or she responds.
Remember—you are the coach!
Staying in Control
Notice.
Recognize your physical and mental signs.
Pause.
Use your signal.
Think twice.
Use your brain.
Calm down if necessary.
Use your calming-
down strategies.
Reflect.
How did you do?
Describe a situation in which you often feel angry.
When you get angry, what are your physical and mental signs?
Heart beats faster
Stomach hurts
Breathing gets more rapid
Headache
Hard to think straight
Muscle tension
Other:
What different things do you do to stay in control when you
feel angry?
(As a coach, you will have to explain these.)
Use a signal to pause the action
Physical activity
Think twice
Think about something else
Positive self-talk
Do something relaxing
Centered breathing
Other:
Write a brief comment on what your athlete knows about managing his or
her emotions. Give suggestions if he or she needs more practice!
Comments and suggestions:
This homework assignment was completed on
.
(date)
[adult] signature
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 331
Lesson 9
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
List three of the calming-down strategies:
1.
2.
3.
Connecting to My Life
Briefly describe a situation that happens often when you can use positive self-talk to help (for example, getting to
school on time, working on a difficult assignment, or having a disagreement with friends or family).
What will you say to yourself?
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 333
Lesson 9
Additional Practice: Identifying Self-Talk
Grade
Preparation
1. Put students into groups.
2. Give each student a copy of the additional situations below.
Instructions for Students
1. Read and think carefully about each situation.
2. Imagine you are the character in the situation.
3. As a group, decide whether the self-talk is negative or positive.
4. If it is negative self-talk, write down at least two examples of positive self-talk.
Additional Situations
1. Mai doesn’t understand how to complete
her assignment. She is overwhelmed.
3. Joanne’s friends start whispering to each
other when she walks into class. She is
really upset.
2. A boy picks up Grant’s assignment and
draws a rude cartoon on it. Grant is very
angry.
4. A boy hits Joseph on the head with a
basketball. It hurts and he is mad.
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 9
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
What makes you happy?
Have students write a detailed description of a time when they felt calm and happy.
Remind students that when they use the calming-down strategy “thinking about something
else,” they can think about their description.
Health and Science
What happens to your body when you experience strong emotions?
Have students research the physiology of experiencing specific strong emotions such as
fear, sadness, happiness, or anger using preselected Web sites or search engines. Divide
students into groups. Have each group explore a different aspect of the body’s reaction to
the specific emotion, such as: What hormones are released when the body experiences fear?
What happens to the liver when the body experiences anger? What happens to the heart
the when the body experiences sadness? What happens to the respiratory system when the
body experiences happiness? Have each group report what they learned to the class.
Media Literacy
Does this music make you feel calm?
Record several different types of music such as classical, new age, rock, jazz, country, or
rap. Play clips of each type of music for the class. After playing each clip, have student
groups come up with one or two words that describe the way the music made them feel,
such as: relaxed, anxious, nervous, happy, calm, energized, excited. After listening to all
the clips, ask your students which type of music might help them calm down and why.
Lesson 10
Problem Solving: Using the Action StepsGrade
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Lesson 10
Handout 10A: Analyze the Situation
Grade
Instructions
Fill in the descriptions for your character.
Action Steps
A: Analyze the situation
Describe the problem from each boy’s perspective.
Tony:
Jason:
Describe how each boy feels.
Tony:
Jason:
Describe what each boy needs or wants.
Tony:
Jason:
Does either character need more information? If so, what?
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 351
Lesson 10
Handout 10B: Consider Each Option
Grade
Instructions
Explain your answers in the spaces provided. Write a complete explanation, not just a one-word answer.
We decided our best option was
Possible option What might Is it safe? How might people Is it ethical?
happen if I do this? feel about it?
Negative
Positive
Negative
Positive
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 10
Family Letter
Grade
Dear Family,
As young people grow up, they are faced with more complex
situations to deal with. Problems can arise with friends, at
school, and at home. Addressing problems in a thoughtful way
is an important life skill.
The next theme in the Stepping Up program is solving
problems in everyday life. These can be any kind of problems,
including those involving other people. The students are
learning a process for solving problems called the Action
Steps. The process has six parts:
A: Analyze the situation.
B: Brainstorm options.
C: Consider each option.
D: Decide on and Do the best option.
E: Evaluate if it works.
If necessary:
F: Figure out another way.
When students analyze a situation, they are learning to really think about the other person’s perspective—
how that person feels and what he or she might need or want. They are realizing that problems often arise when two
people see things differently and need or want different things.
The Action Steps help students respectfully solve problems with others. Students who can solve problems in a
peaceful way are more successful in school. They can use the Action Steps now in school or later in the workplace.
Try it out at home. Next time you have a problem, ask your student to use the Action Steps with you to solve the
problem. The back of this letter has a form you can use that will guide you through the Action Steps.
Sincerely,
P.S. Make sure to join
www.secondstep.org
with the activation key
SSP6 FAMI LY12
to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.
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Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention
© 2008 Committee for Children
Grade
Action Steps
Analyze the situation.
What is the problem?
How do I feel?
What do I need or want?
Do I need more information?
Brainstorm options (without first judging them as good or bad)
.
1.
2.
3.
Consider each option.
What might happen if I do this?
Is it safe?
How might people feel about it?
Is it ethical?
Decide on the best option.
The best option is
.
Do the best option. Create a plan.
1.
2.
3.
Evaluate if it works.
If necessary:
Figure out another way.
Lesson 10
Family Letter
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 355
Lesson 10
Homework: Match Your Action Steps
Grade
Name:
When you’ve got a problem, what do you do? Take Action! Action Steps, that is. What are the Action Steps? They are
the steps you learned about in this lesson that help you solve problems calmly. And they work for adults too! Show
the Action Steps below to an adult family member. Then cut apart the visuals below and glue the ones you and the
adult think best match each Action Step. Are you ready to take action? Go!
Analyze the situation.
Consider each option.
Brainstorm options.
Decide on and Do the best option.
This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 357
Lesson 10
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
When I am analyzing a situation, there are four questions I can ask myself:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Connecting to My Life
Next time you have a problem with someone, you can try using the Action Steps. Choose one step and describe how
you can use it.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 359
Lesson 10
Additional Practice: Applying the Action Steps
Grade
Preparation
1. Put students into pairs.
2. Give each student a copy of the Action Steps handout on the back of this page.
3. Give each pair the Problem-Solving Situations below.
Instructions for Students
1. Work with another student.
2. Read the problem-solving situations.
3. Work through one of the situations using the Action Steps on the handout.
Problem-Solving Situations
The Report
Student 1: You asked Student 2 to help you write a report because you help look after her or his sisters and brothers.
Student 2: Student 1 wants you to help her or him write a report, but you think it’s a form of cheating.
Fashion
Student 1: Student 2 copies everything you wear. You want her or him to stop.
Student 2: You admire Student 1 for setting fashion trends. You try to dress the same way.
The Beating
Student 1: You both saw a kid get beaten up at school. You are afraid to tell the principal who did it.
Student 2: You both saw a kid get beaten up at school. You want to tell the principal who did it.
Friends
Student 1: You’re best friends and always together. Student 2 has started inviting someone you don’t like to hang out
with you.
Student 2: You’re best friends and always together. You have a new friend you want Student 1 to get to know.
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Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention
© 2008 Committee for Children
Lesson 10
Additional Practice: Applying the Action Steps
Grade
Action Steps Handout
Analyze the situation.
What is the problem?
How do I feel?
What do I need or want?
Do I need more information?
Brainstorm options (without first judging them as good or bad).
1.
2.
3.
Consider each option.
What might happen if I do this?
Is it safe?
How might people feel about it?
Is it ethical?
Decide on the best option.
The best option is:
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 361
Lesson 10
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
How would you solve the problem?
Have students work in groups to use the first four Action Steps to analyze a problem found
in current events. The event could be international, national, local, or schoolwide (such
as conflict-resolution talks between countries, local zoning issues, or school dress codes).
Have students determine the problem, identify the perspectives of those involved, and
come up with a neutral problem statement. Next, have them generate multiple options
for solving the problem, or for why the problem exists. Finally, have them consider each
option and decide on the best one. Have each group present their analysis of the problem
to the class.
Health and Science
How do the Action Steps and the scientific method compare?
Have students compare the Action Steps with the scientific method. Put students in groups.
Have each group write down all the Action Steps. Next to each Action Step, have them
write down the equivalent step in the scientific method. How are they the same? How are
they different? Discuss the benefits of using methodical steps for solving problems.
Media Literacy
How do you rate their problem-solving skills?
Prerecord a clip from a TV sitcom or drama that is age-appropriate for your students and
displays poor problem-solving skills. Show the clip to your class. Have students work in
groups. Ask each group to identify the problem and rate the characters’ use of problem-
solving skills on a scale from one to five (one=poor, five=excellent). Then have each group
brainstorm multiple options for how they might solve the problem and decide on the best
one. Have groups read their options to the class.
Lesson 11
Problem Solving: Making a PlanGrade
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Lesson 11
Handout 11A: Making a Plan
Grade
Situation 1
Fill in the blanks.
You borrowed a from your
(favorite item)
without asking, and it got damaged.
(family member)
Make a plan for talking to the person you borrowed the item from and making amends.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Take turns practicing any parts of the plan that involve talking to the person you borrowed the
item from.
Situation 2
Fill in the blanks.
You forgot to do and
(a chore)
had to do it for you.
(family member)
Make a plan for talking to the family member and making amends.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Take turns practicing any parts of the plan that involve talking to the family member.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 373
Situation 3
Fill in the blanks.
You promised a friend that you would help with and you forgot.
(important task)
Make a plan for talking to the friend and making amends.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Take turns practicing any parts of the plan that involve talking to the friend.
Situation 4
Fill in the blanks.
You avoided a friend so as not to have to include him or her in the
(social event)
you were planning. Your friend found out about it.
Make a plan for talking to the friend and making amends.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Take turns practicing any parts of the plan that involve talking to the friend.
Lesson 11
Handout 11A: Making a Plan
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 11
Handout 11B: Practicing the Action Steps
Grade
Pretend you are the character in the situation.
Analyze the situation.
What is the problem?
How is the character feeling?
What does he or she need or want?
Does he or she need more information?
Brainstorm options
(without first judging them as good or bad)
.
1.
2.
3.
Consider each option.
(Write each of the options on the chart on the next page. Fill in the rest of the chart for each one.)
Decide on the best option.
The best option is .
Do the best option.
Create a plan.
1.
2.
3.
Take turns practicing any parts of the plan that involve talking to someone.
Page 376
Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention
© 2008 Committee for Children
Consider each option.
1. Copy each option from the previous page into the chart.
2. Fill in the boxes for each option.
Lesson 11
Handout 11B: Practicing the Action Steps
Grade
Possible option What might Is it safe? How might people Is it ethical?
happen if I do this? feel about it?
Negative
Positive
Negative
Positive
Negative
Positive
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 377
Lesson 11
Action Steps Practice Situations
Grade
Tomás has been invited to a birthday party by a new group of kids. His best friend has not been invited and is
expecting to hang out with him on the same day. He really wants to get to know this new group, but he doesn’t want
to lose his best friend. He feels conflicted.
Addy overhears her brother’s friend saying he has alcohol in his backpack. She hears him offering to give his friends
some at lunchtime. She is worried. She doesn’t want her brother to start drinking.
There is a girl who keeps bothering Leon’s sister. The girl calls her names and pushes her around. Leon has told the
girl to stay away from his sister. The girl challenged him by saying, “Make me stay away!” Leon is angry. He wants
the girl to stay away from his sister, but he doesn’t want to get into a fight.
Alina has forgotten to do an important school assignment. A friend offers to let her copy the assignment. She is trying
hard to do well in class. She is not sure how she feels about copying. She knows other kids do it sometimes, but her
Dad has told her never to cheat.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 379
This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
Lesson 11
Homework: Making Amends
Grade
Name:
Have you ever done something to another person that you regretted? Did you wish you could just take it all back?
It may be too late to take it back, but it’s not too late to make amends. Making amends is more than saying you’re
sorry. Making amends is trying to make things better between you and the person you hurt. But like so many other
things, learning how to make amends takes practice.
Think of a time when something you said or did hurt a friend or sibling. With an adult family member, figure out a
plan to make amends. Analyze the situation and what you can do about it in the space below. When you’re done,
practice your best option with that family member.
1. Analyze the situation.
What was the problem?
How did you feel?
How do you think your friend felt?
2. Brainstorm options
for making amends.
3. Consider each option.
What might happen if I do this?
Is it safe?
How might people feel about it?
Is it ethical?
4. Decide on the best option.
5. Do the best option.
Create a plan.
6. Practice your plan with an adult.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 381
Lesson 11
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
Two things I can ask myself to evaluate if my plan is working are:
1.
2.
Connecting to My Life
Briefly describe a situation in which you had to make amends or wish you had made amends.
Either describe what you did to make amends, or describe what you wish you had done.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 383
Lesson 11
Additional Practice: Applying the Action Steps
Grade
Preparation
1. Put students into pairs or groups.
2. Give each student another copy of Handout 11B.
3. Give each pair or group a situation they did not do in the lesson.
Instructions for Students
1. Work in pairs or groups.
2. Fill in Handout 11B using a situation that you have not done yet.
~OR~
Preparation
1. Put students into pairs or groups.
2. Give each student another copy of Handout 11B.
3. Have students write their own problem-solving situations.
Instructions for Students
1. Write one to three sentences describing a problem that you or someone needs to solve. Include why you or the
character in your situation feels conflicted.
2. Exchange your situation with another pair or group.
3. Fill in Handout 11B using the new situation.
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 385
Lesson 11
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
How would you handle the problem?
Have students use the Action Steps to examine a novel they are currently reading in
class or on their own, but have not yet finished. Students can work in groups or on their
own. Have students determine a problem in the novel, identify the perspectives of those
involved, and come up with a neutral problem statement the characters might use. Next,
have them generate multiple options for solving the problem or for why the problem exists.
Finally, have them consider each option and decide on the best one. After your students
have finished reading the novel, have them answer the following questions: Did the
characters in the novel use the same option you selected for solving their problem? If so,
how did it work for them? If not, how did their option work? Were you satisfied with the
novel’s ending? Explain why or why not.
Health and Science
Is designing an experiment using the Action Steps different from using the scientific
method?
Have students work in groups to design a simple experiment using the Action Steps. For
example: How does light affect plant growth? How does changing the location of the
fulcrum on a lever affect how much force is required to move an object? How is using the
Action Steps to solve a problem similar to using the scientific method to solve a problem?
Media Literacy
How do you rate their problem-solving skills?
Have student groups create a plan using the Action Steps for solving the problem from the
Lesson 10 media literacy integration activity. Review the clip that displays poor problem-
solving skills if necessary. Then have the group rewrite the scenario using their own plan
for solving the problem. Have each group read their revised scenario to the class.
Lesson 12
Substance Abuse Prevention: Tobacco and MarijuanaGrade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 12
Handout 12A: Facts About Tobacco
Grade
Tobacco and Addiction
• Tobacco is as addictive as heroin or cocaine.
30
• You can start feeling addicted after smoking only a few cigarettes or after smoking for only a few days.
14
• Most adult smokers want to cut back or quit, but they can’t because they’re addicted. Thirty-five million people
in the U.S. try to quit smoking every year.
38
• Tobacco is so addictive that hardly anyone succeeds in quitting. Only about one out of every twenty who tries
to quit is able to make it tobacco-free for a year.
32
• People who start smoking when they’re young have the hardest time quitting.
30
Tobacco and the Lungs
• There are four thousand toxic substances in cigarette smoke.
5
• The lungs of teenagers who smoke aren’t able to grow as well.
3
• Teens who smoke have many more colds, coughs, throat and nose problems, and more phlegm.
4
• Lung cancer kills more people than any other kind of cancer.
24
Tobacco and the Heart
• Smoking tobacco is bad for your heart and is a major cause of heart attacks.
6
• People who smoke are between two and six times more likely to have a heart attack.
19
• Smoking is the number-one cause of heart attacks in younger adults.
22
Tobacco and the Skin
• Smoking gives you wrinkles and makes your skin look older.
18
Tobacco and the Mouth
• Smoking causes bad breath, stains the teeth and tongue, and helps ugly tartar build up on teeth.
2
Tobacco and Depression
• Teens who smoke are more likely to have panic attacks, anxiety problems, and depression.
25
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 401
Lesson 12
Handout 12B: Facts About Marijuana
Grade
Marijuana and Addiction
• People can become addicted to marijuana.
10, 12, 9
• More than 120,000 people in the U.S. seek treatment for marijuana addiction every year.
9
Marijuana and the Lungs
• Marijuana has more cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco and four times as much cancer-causing tar.
33
• Marijuana smokers can develop the same kinds of breathing problems as cigarette smokers and are at greater
risk for lung infections, such as pneumonia.
33
Marijuana and the Brain
• Marijuana can harm memory and learning.
33
• Long-term marijuana users perform worse on memory and learning-ability tests.
23
• Marijuana can cause anxiety and panic attacks.
29
• Twelfth-grade marijuana smokers get lower scores on verbal and math tests than nonsmokers, even compared
to students who scored the same as they did in fourth grade.
33
• Marijuana’s damage to short-term memory seems to occur because it has negative effects on the hippocampus,
a brain area responsible for memory formation.
33
Marijuana and Accidents
• Marijuana affects self-control, sense of time, coordination, and ability to pay attention, making marijuana users
more likely to get hurt or have accidents.
17
• People who have smoked marijuana are almost twice as likely to get in a fatal car crash.
21
• One in five teens treated for injuries in an emergency room tested positive for marijuana.
16
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 403
Lesson 12
Handout 12C: Personal Reasons
Grade
Name:
Tobacco
Write down three consequences of using tobacco that are personal reasons for you not to use it. Write the best
reason first.
1.
2.
3.
Why I chose these consequences:
Marijuana
Write down three consequences of using marijuana that are personal reasons for you not to use it. Write the best
reason first.
1.
2.
3.
Why I chose these consequences:
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 405
Lesson 12
Teacher Information About the Medical Use of Marijuana
Grade
Teacher Information About the Medical Use of Marijuana
Not for Students
Students may raise the issue of the medical use of marijuana. Since this topic is complicated and controversial, it may
be difficult to discuss effectively with students. There is a great deal of information available that ranges from science
to myth. The basic facts are:
• Marijuana is not used to cure disease. There is evidence that marijuana may help with nausea and pain, and so
it can be used to relieve severe symptoms of nausea and pain.
• Since nausea and pain are commonly experienced during some forms of cancer treatment, some cancer patients
use marijuana. It is also used for other medical problems, such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis.
• Medical use of marijuana is against federal laws, but approved by some state laws.
• Typically, state laws that support marijuana’s medical use require a physician’s prescription. There are other
drugs available that can treat the problems for which people use marijuana.
• Smoking, including smoking marijuana, can have negative health consequences.
References
For references, see page 93 in the Teacher’s Guide.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 407
Lesson 12
Family Letter
Grade
Dear Family,
Middle school is often a time when students first hear about using alcohol and other drugs, see it happening, or begin
to experiment themselves. To keep your student safe and on track at school, we have started the final topic in the
Stepping Up program: substance abuse prevention. When young people use alcohol or other drugs, it gets in the way
of school success, and it is linked to increased involvement in violence and other risky behaviors.
New brain studies show that during their teenage years and into their twenties, young people’s brains are still
developing. These studies show that using alcohol or other drugs at this time has a far more damaging effect than it
does on an adult’s brain.
The good news is that studies also show that families can play a big role in preventing the use of alcohol and other
drugs by young people.
Here are five things you can do to make a difference:
1. Give your student a clear message that it is not okay to drink or use other drugs. Discuss personal, family,
social, or religious values that give your student reasons not to use.
2. Arrange for supervision for your student between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Research suggests that
these are the peak hours for teen drug and alcohol use.
3. Get to know your student’s friends and their families. You can help each other keep your students safe.
4. Help your student make a plan for how he or she might avoid or resist both internal and external pressure to
use.
5. Make sure an adult is supervising any party your student attends.
Please be aware that students often get alcohol and other drugs, especially inhalants, from their own homes. See our
Web site at www.cfchildren.org/resources for links to information about what household items are most toxic.
Your student will be bringing home fact sheets about the personal, health, and social consequences of using alcohol
and other drugs. Please read through these facts with your student. Together we can help keep your student safe and
healthy.
Sincerely,
P.S. Make sure to join
www.secondstep.org
with the activation key
SSP6 FAMI LY12
to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 409
This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
Grade
Name:
There are many reasons not to use tobacco and marijuana—just take a look at your fact sheets! These are important
facts. They’re so important that you need to show them to an adult family member.
After reading the tobacco and marijuana fact sheets together, find out what the adult’s reasons are for you not to use
tobacco and marijuana. Ask the adult the following questions. Write his or her answers in the spaces below. He or
she can use any of the facts from the fact sheets to answer.
1. What are three reasons why you don’t want me to use tobacco?
1.
2.
3.
2. Why are these your reasons?
3. What are three reasons why you don’t want me to use marijuana?
1.
2.
3.
4. Why are these your reasons?
Lesson 12
Homework: The Reason Why...
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 411
Lesson 12
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
Describe four effects of tobacco or marijuana on the brain and body.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Connecting to My Life
What is something you might say to someone who wanted you to try tobacco?
What is something you might say to someone who wanted you to try marijuana?
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 413
Lesson 12
Additional Practice: Tobacco and Marijuana
Grade
Instructions for Students
1. Choose one fact you selected as a best personal reason not to use either tobacco or marijuana.
2. Do more research on this fact using the links to recommended Web sites listed at
www.cfchildren.org/programs/hot-topics/resource-links.
3. Write one or two short paragraphs explaining what you found out.
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 415
Lesson 12
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
Which information might help your character?
Have students work in groups to write a short story about a character who is confronted
with a situation in which he or she decides not to use tobacco or marijuana. Have them
write how the character uses some of the information presented in this lesson to make his
or her decision. Have each group read their story to the class.
Health and Science
How does tobacco or marijuana affect the respiratory system?
Have students work in groups to research how tobacco or marijuana affects the respiratory
system using preselected Web sites or search engines. Which respiratory diseases are caused
by smoking? How does smoking cause these diseases? What are the effects of second-hand
smoke on the respiratory system? Have each group report their findings to the class.
Media Literacy
What are some good reasons not to smoke?
Have students work in groups to create a print advertisement against smoking tobacco or
marijuana. Your students can use some of the same techniques that tobacco advertisers
use: Make the reader believe that not smoking will make them relaxed, rich, glamorous,
desirable, etc. What copy and visuals will make the reader believe this? They can find
visuals in magazines and newspapers or create their own. Have each group present their ad
to the class.
Lesson 13
Substance Abuse Prevention: Alcohol and InhalantsGrade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 427
Lesson 13
Handout 13A: Facts About Alcohol
Grade
Alcohol, Addiction, and Depression
• People who begin drinking by age 15 are five times more likely to abuse or become dependent on alcohol than
those who begin drinking after age 20.
39
• Teens who drink are more likely to suffer from depression, suicidal thoughts, and violence.
7
Alcohol and the Brain
• Alcohol does more damage to the teens’ brains than to adults’ brains.
36
• Even drinking a small amount can harm learning and memory far more in youth than in adults.
35
• Teen drinkers can damage their hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
37, 13, 36
• Teen drinkers can permanently change their personality and behavior by damaging their prefrontal cortex, a
part of the brain needed for decision making and reasoning.
11, 36
• Drinking alcohol leads to a loss of coordination, poor judgment, slowed reflexes, distorted vision, memory
lapses, and even blackouts.
39
• Adolescent drinkers score worse than non-users on vocabulary, general information, attention, and memory
tests.
37, 18
• Alcohol use causes feelings of sickness, dizziness, and clumsiness; slows reaction times; causes bad breath; and
makes skin break out.
28
• Alcohol use can cause risky or dangerous behavior.
27
Alcohol and Death
• Drinking large amounts of alcohol at one time or very rapidly can kill through alcohol poisoning.
40
• The number-one cause of death for teens and young adults is car accidents related to alcohol.
34
• Half of all drowning deaths among teen males involve alcohol use.
15
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 429
Lesson 13
Handout 13B: Facts About Inhalants
Grade
Inhalants are poisonous chemicals that can kill you the very first time you use them.
26
Inhalants and the Heart
• Breathing in an inhalant can cause the heart to stop suddenly.
26
• Inhalants can seriously and permanently damage the heart.
26
Inhalants and the Lungs
• Repeated use of inhalants can cause lung damage.
26
Inhalants and the Brain
• Inhalants starve your brain and body of oxygen.
26
• Inhalants can cause brain damage.
26
• Inhalants can change your personality.
26
• Inhalants make it harder to think, and they hurt the memory.
26
• Inhalants kill cells in the cerebral cortex, causing memory loss and learning problems.
31
• Inhalants damage the cerebellum, resulting in loss of coordination and slurred speech.
31
• Inhalants can damage the senses of hearing, smell, and eyesight.
31
Inhalants and the Skin
• Inhalants can cause a severe rash around the nose and mouth.
20
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 431
Lesson 13
Handout 13C: Personal Reasons
Grade
Name:
Alcohol
Write down three consequences of using alcohol that are personal reasons for you not to use it. Write the best
reason first.
1.
2.
3.
Why I chose these consequences:
Inhalants
Write down three consequences of using inhalants that are personal reasons for you not to use them. Write the best
reason first.
1.
2.
3.
Why I chose these consequences:
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 433
This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
Lesson 13
Homework: Tell Me Why...
Grade
Name:
You know it’s a bad idea to use alcohol and inhalants, and you’ve got your reasons. But why does your family think
it’s a bad idea for you to use alcohol and inhalants? Find out!
Read the alcohol and inhalants fact sheets with an adult family member. Then ask the adult the following questions.
Write his or her answers in the spaces below. He or she can use any of the facts from the fact sheets to answer.
1. What are three reasons why you don’t want me to use alcohol?
1.
2.
3.
2. Why are these your reasons?
3. What are three reasons why you don’t want me to use inhalants?
1.
2.
3.
4. Why are these your reasons?
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 435
Lesson 13
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
Describe four effects of alcohol on the brain and body.
1.
2.
3.
4.
List one health or social consequence of using inhalants.
Connecting to My Life
Why is it important not to use alcohol or other drugs at your age?
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 437
Grade
Instructions for Students
1. Choose one fact you selected as a best personal reason not to use alcohol.
2. Do more research on this fact using the links to recommended Web sites listed at
www.cfchildren.org/programs/hot-topics/resource-links.
3. Write one or two short paragraphs explaining what you found out.
Lesson 13
Additional Practice: Alcohol
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 439
Lesson 13
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
What do you say?
Have student groups think about what they might say to a person who is encouraging
them to try alcohol or other drugs. Have each group write several statements they could
say in response. Now have each student use some of those statements in a letter they write
to their future selves, reminding them why they have chosen not to use. Encourage students
to save their letters to read to themselves if needed.
Health and Science
How does the liver process alcohol?
Have students work in groups to research how the liver processes alcohol using preselected
Web sites or search engines. What does the liver do? What are the two ways the liver
processes alcohol? How does the level of alcohol in your system affect the way the liver
processes it? How can alcohol harm the liver? Have each group report their findings to
the class.
Media Literacy
What are the dangers of using alcohol that the public should know about?
Record two or three alcohol-related public service announcements (PSAs) from TV or
radio, or find some on the Web (see the National Institute on Drug Abuse or the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug
Information sites for examples). Play the PSAs for your students. Explain that a PSA is an
announcement that serves the public interest and is run by the media at no charge. Then
have your students work in groups to create their own PSA scripts (and record them, if
possible) about what they believe are the dangers of using alcohol. Have the groups read or
show their final PSAs to the class.
Lesson 14
Substance Abuse Prevention: Identifying Hopes and PlansGrade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 451
Grade
Name:
Part 1
Instructions
Check off all of the items that are already or might be on your own personal list of hopes and plans.
Make good friends
Handle stress well
Get better at
(examples: dancing, music, sports, art, chess,
video games)
Be happy
Make mature decisions
Not do embarrassing things
Try something new
(examples: be in a band, try out for a play, take an
art class, try a new sport, join a sports team)
Earn money
Stay safe
Stay out of trouble with my family
Stay out of gangs
Do well in school
Stay out of trouble at school
Graduate from high school
Have a well-paid job
Have a good career
Get training to be a
Go to a technical school
Go to community college
Go to a four-year college
Get a college scholarship
Be a good role model to younger kids or younger
family members
Be a good role model to other kids like me
Be a good parent someday
Other hopes and plans I have are:
Lesson 14
Handout 14A: Hopes and Plans
Page 452
Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention
© 2008 Committee for Children
Lesson 14
Handout 14A: Hopes and Plans
Grade
Part 2
Instructions
1. Choose two of the hopes or plans you checked off on the previous page.
2. Write them on the numbered lines below.
3. In the space below that, write down how using any of the substances we have been learning about might
interfere with these hopes or plans.
1.
Using alcohol or other drugs could interfere with this hope or plan by:
2.
Using alcohol or other drugs could interfere with this hope or plan by:
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 453
This homework assignment was completed on .
(date) [adult] signature
Lesson 14
Homework: Dream Big!
Grade
Name:
You have lots of hopes and plans for the future. Some of your plans are short-term—like you want to get through the
day without getting angry. Other plans are long-term—like you want to graduate from high school and get a good
job. But whatever your plans are, you don’t want alcohol and other drugs to get in the way of accomplishing them.
And neither do the adults who care about your future.
In the space below, list some of your hopes and plans. Then describe what might happen to those hopes and plans if
you use alcohol or other drugs. Next, find out how an adult in your life might feel if alcohol or other drugs interfered
with your hopes and plans. Adults have hopes and plans for you, too!
The hope/plan:
Before the end of the year, I would like to .
If I use alcohol or other drugs, what might happen to this hope/plan?
Ask the adult:
How would you feel if my use of alcohol or other drugs interfered with this hope/plan?
The hope/plan:
I’m trying to improve .
If I use alcohol or other drugs, what might happen to this hope/plan?
Ask the adult:
How would you feel if my use of alcohol or other drugs interfered with this hope/plan?
The hope/plan:
By the end of middle school, I would like to .
If I use alcohol or other drugs, what might happen to this hope/plan?
Ask the adult:
How would you feel if my use of alcohol or other drugs interfered with this hope/plan?
Ask the adult:
What are your hopes and plans for me?
Ask the adult:
If I use alcohol or other drugs, how would it interfere with your hopes and plans for me?
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 455
Lesson 14
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
List three ways that using alcohol or other drugs could interfere with your hopes and plans for the future.
1.
2.
3.
Connecting to My Life
Identify an adult who cares about you and your future.
Describe how he or she would feel if he or she thought you were using alcohol or other drugs.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 457
Lesson 14
Additional Practice: Hopes and Plans
Grade
Preparation
Make additional copies for each student of Handout 14A, Part 2.
Instructions for Students
1. Choose two more of your hopes and plans.
2. On Handout 14A, Part 2, identify how alcohol or other drugs could interfere with these hopes and plans.
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 459
Lesson 14
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
Where will you be in 10 years?
Have students imagine that it is 10 years from now. Then have them write about a “day in
your life” as it will be in 10 years. Where will they be? What will they be doing? Now have
them describe 10 things they can do now to make that day 10 years from now possible.
Ask for volunteers to read their descriptions to the class.
Health and Science
How does alcohol affect your brain?
Have students work in groups to research how alcohol (or other drugs) affects the brain.
How does alcohol affect the brain immediately? How does it affect the brain with repeated
use? What difference do things such as age, gender, genetic background, and general health
make on how alcohol affects the brain? Have each group report their findings to the class.
Media Literacy
What makes a good role model?
Have your students work in groups to identify role models in the media. These role models
could be athletes, movie stars, singers, or even successful business people they hear about
or see in the media. Next have the groups discuss the following questions: What makes
a good role model? Do you think these role models had or have hopes and plans? How
might abusing alcohol and other drugs have gotten or get in the way of their hopes and
plans? Have each group report their thoughts to the class.
Lesson 15
Substance Abuse Prevention: Making a CommitmentGrade
© 2008 Committee for Children Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention
Handout 15A: Commitment Certificate
My signature Date Adult witness Date
My commitment to myself is that for the sake of my health, education,
and future, I will not use alcohol or other drugs, starting today, for the next year.
I make this commitment to myself because:
(write your three most important reasons)
1.
2.
3.
I have discussed this commitment with the following adult who cares about my future:
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 473
Lesson 15
Handout 15B: Skills Review Activity
Grade
Instructions
Read your situation and check off skills that would help the most in the situation. On the next page, write why you
chose the skills and what might happen if the character used them in the situation.
Skills Check here
Listening
Showing empathy
Respecting others’ ideas
Understanding someone else’s perspective
Disagreeing respectfully
Making friends
Being an ally
Being assertive
Using bystander power:
• Don’t take part in bullying.
• Offer support. Be an ally to someone being bullied.
• Take action against bullying.
Using the Steps for Staying in Control:
• Notice.
• Pause.
• Think twice.
• Calm down.
• Reflect.
Using positive self-talk
Using the Action Steps for solving problems:
• Analyze the situation.
• Brainstorm options.
• Consider each option.
• Decide on and Do the best option.
• Evaluate if it works. If necessary:
• Figure out another way.
Considering options:
• What might happen if I do this?
• Is it safe?
• How might people feel about it?
• Is it ethical?
Page 474
Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention
© 2008 Committee for Children
Lesson 15
Handout 15B: Skills Review Activity
Grade
Why we chose these skills:
What our character(s) can say or do:
What might happen if the character uses these skills in the situation:
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 475
Lesson 15
Situations for Skills Review Activity
Grade
The Binder
Chris gets angry very easily and tends to assume that other kids are trying to be mean. As a result, Chris got into a lot
of fights in fifth grade. She wants to make a fresh start in middle school. But on the third day of sixth grade, a girl in
math class knocks Chris’s binder off her desk. She starts to feel really mad. What skills can Chris use to stay out of
trouble? What can she say or do?
The Lunch Tray
At lunch, Rafael and Tony see a seventh-grade girl grab a sixth-grade boy’s lunch tray. The girl takes the lunch back
to her table of friends. They laugh and throw the food around. The boy is sitting alone and seems upset. What skills
can Rafael and Tony use? What can they say or do?
The Broken Vase
Keisha invites her friend Morgan over after school. They’re in the living room, goofing off and throwing pillows at
each other. Then Morgan accidentally breaks a vase. Morgan suggests they clean it up and not tell. Keisha is upset
and worried that she’ll get in trouble. She wants Morgan to pay for the vase. Morgan says that’s not fair because they
were both throwing pillows. What skills can Keisha and Morgan use to solve this problem? What can they say or do?
The Bottle of Beer
Daria finds an unopened bottle of beer in the park. She feels tempted to take it home. She doesn’t want to drink it but
is excited by the idea of having a bottle of beer. She is thinking she can tell some of the popular kids at school about it
and maybe get them to include her in their group. What skills can Daria use to deal with her impulse to take the beer?
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 477
Lesson 15
Reflective Writing Assessment
Grade
Name:
Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.
What I Learned
Identify three skills you’ve learned in the Stepping Up program that will help you stay free from alcohol and other drugs.
1.
2.
3.
Connecting to My Life
Write one or two paragraphs about some of the skills you learned in the program and how you’re using them.
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 479
Lesson 15
Additional Practice: Applying Stepping Up Skills
Grade
Preparation
1. Put students into groups.
2. Make additional copies of Handout 15B and the additional scenarios below for each student.
Instructions for Students
1. Work in groups.
2. Read and follow the instructions on Handout 15B using the additional scenarios.
Additional Scenarios
The Soccer Game
Greg was playing soccer at lunch. Another kid tackled him and took the ball from him. He passed it to another
player on his team who scored a goal. Greg is really mad that a goal was scored, and is convinced that he was
fouled. He feels like punching the kid who took the ball from him. What skills can Greg use to stay in control?
What can he say or do?
The Bus
When Ben rides the bus to school, there is a group of kids who sit in the back. They always make fun of a boy who
is shy and quite small. The boy tries to ignore them and stares out the window. Ben can tell that he is trying not to
show that he is upset. What skills can Ben use? What can he say or do?
The Backpack
Tasha borrows her brother’s backpack to take her shorts and sports shoes to the youth center. But she accidentally
leaves it there. She goes back to look for it, but she cannot find it. She does not know what happened and is scared
to tell him that she does not know where it is. What skills can she use to deal with this problem? What can she say
or do?
The Group Project
Kai’s teacher has assigned a group project for social studies. All of Kai’s friends are in other groups. Kai’s group
includes two kids he doesn’t get along with. His group has met once and can’t even agree on a topic. Kai needs a
good grade on the project. What skills can Kai use to work with the group to complete the project successfully?
What can he say or do?
Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
Page 481
Lesson 15
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
Who is your “commitment” ally?
Help students find a “commitment” ally. The ally should also be committed to not using
alcohol or other drugs. The ally could be a classmate, friend, cousin, grandparent, or even
an online friend. After students have identified their ally, have them report to their ally
their descriptions from the Lesson 14 integration activity of 10 things they can do now to
get where they want to be 10 years from now. They can also write letters back and forth
supporting each other’s commitment to stay substance-free.
Health and Science
Why are tobacco products so addictive?
Have students work in groups to research what makes tobacco products addictive using
preselected Web sites or search engines. What substances found in tobacco products are
addictive? Why are they addictive? How can tobacco products be more than just physically
addictive? Have each group report their findings to the class.
Media Literacy
Can you keep movies from getting in the way of keeping your commitment?
According to a study funded by the National Cancer Institute, teenagers who see actors
smoking in films are more likely to try smoking. For students trying to keep their
commitment to remain substance-free, watching smoking depicted in movies may challenge
that commitment. Have students work in groups to brainstorm three to five ideas about
how to help curb teen exposure to movie smoking. For example, boycott movies that show
characters smoking, write letters of protest to the movie studios and actors, or increase the
awareness of the dangers of exposure to movie smoking to teens through public service
announcements. Have each group report their ideas to the class.
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