Activity Title: Making Healthy Choices for Yourself | ||
Suggested Grade/Age Range: Grades 4-6 (ages 9-11) | ||
Activity Objective: The goal of this activity is to help children practice how to make choices in difficult peer social situations that are healthy and safe. | ||
Materials Required:
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Task Time: 45-60 minutes
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Activity Description: Opening Discussion: 1. Ask the class if they have ever been in a situation whereby a friend or someone they know has asked them to do something that they did not want to do. Ask individuals how they feel when this happens and if they think if it’s a good idea to listen to their friend. For example, this might include excluding someone from playing together, spreading rumours about someone, cheating on a test, getting involved in a fight, etc. 2. Together as a class, brainstorm different ways of getting out of situations like these in a respectful way. Write down the ideas discussed on chart paper. For example, these can include suggesting an alternative solution, making a strong statement, making an excuse for not participating, using humour, etc. Activity: 3. Tell the class that in small groups, they are going to work on creating skits illustrating situations where someone is being pressured to do something they do not want to do and how this could be handled effectively. Tell the children that while the small group is performing the skit, you will call out “freeze” from time to time during important moments where the small group would freeze in their actions and the whole class would participate in a discussion about what is going on (please see ‘Additional Comments’) 4. Divide the class into their small groups and give each individual a skit planning sheet and allow them to find a space in the classroom to plan and rehearse their skits. Tell the small groups that each individual has to fill out their own planning sheet to ensure they are participating. Give the children about 20 minutes to plan and practice their skits 5. Circulate among the small groups to monitor progress and to give feedback as needed. Have each small group show you their completed skit planning sheets. You may want to tell them beforehand around what parts you will be calling out “freeze” to help them prepare for this Wrap-up Discussion/Presentations: 6. Invite the whole class back together and have each small group present their skits. During 1-2 key moments in each skit, call out “freeze” and highlight some of the critical dynamics by asking the whole class:
7. After each small group presents, ask them which of the strategies they chose to address the situation and why 8. After all the small groups have presented, engage everyone in a whole class discussion. Write ‘Making Healthy Choices for Yourself’ on a piece of chart paper and ask children what they think this means in terms of friendships and/or relating to others | ||
Activity Extensions: Have children write an entry in their journal or Writer’s Notebooks on what kinds of strategies they will now use to deal with situations whereby they would have to make a healthy choice about what to do when they are asked to do something they do not want to. | ||
Additional Comments: The purpose of having children “freeze” in their skits, is to highlight for the whole class, what is happening in the scene and how it is an indicator that a healthy choice needs to made here. For example, “freeze” can be called after a character in the skit is asked to do something that they do not want to do and the class can be asked about how the character may be feeling in this moment. “Freeze” can also be called before and/or after the character makes a healthy choice about the request While circulating during the small group work, make sure the skits children created are appropriate and addressing the main purpose of this activity | ||
Additional Resources: You may choose to review over the Making Choices Literature Review before implementing this activity. It can be found here. |