Habitat

1. Introduction Activity

WHAT YOU SAY: Good morning everyone! So to start, we are going to go introduce ourselves. Tell me you name and what grade you are in at school.

Next we're going to play a game called: Would you rather?

Here we go...do as many as time allows. Get different kids to answer.

Would you rather:

1. Eat donuts or candy?

2. Be able to fly or be invisible?

3. Be the smartest person or the best athlete?

4. Eat a dead spider or live worm?

5. Go on a rollercoaster or go skydiving?

6. Have a puppy or a kitten?

7. Eat only hamburgers the rest of your life or only pizza?

8. Have many good friends or one best friend?

9. Go without junk food the rest of your life or go without tv?

10. Rather read a book or watch a movie?

That was so much fun!

It's time for our Theme Song! Let's stand up and sing!

LIFE SKILL

WHAT YOU SAY: Great Job Friends! Let's move on to what we discussed last time. Who remembers What a Life Skill is?

(let's kids answer)

Life skills is a term used to describe a set of basic skills acquired through learning and/or direct life experience that enable individuals and groups to effectively handle issues and problems commonly encountered in daily life.

Life skills help us succeed in life. Life skills help us set & achieve goals, solve problems, respect one another and more!

A life skill can be as simple as learning to do your own laundry or as big as learning to be respectful.

THIS MONTH'S LIFE SKILL IS...

2. THIS MONTH'S LIFE SKILL:

handling PEER PRESSURE

WHAT YOU SAY: WHAT IS PEER PRESSURE? Does anyone know?

(Let kids answer.) Encourage kids to answer.

People who are your age, like your classmates, are called peers. When they try to influence how you act, to get you to do something, it's called peer pressure. It's something everyone has to deal with.

Definition: PEER PRESSURE

A feeling that you must do the same things your friends are doing.

Peer pressure can be as simple as dressing, talking or behaving in like your friends do. At other times, peer pressure is more direct and can involve kids feeling pressured into doing things they don't want to do.

Now let's take a quick quiz to see what you already know about handling PEER PRESSURE.

3. OPENING ACTIVITY

PEER PRESSURE QUIZ

WHAT YOU SAY: Let's take a quick quiz to see what you already know about handling PEER PRESSURE.

WHAT YOU SAY:

Quiz 1. Peers are:

a) people about your own age

b) classmates

c) teammates

d) all of the above

2. In “peer pressure,” the word pressure means:

a) hurt

b) push

c) influence

d) ignore

3. True or false: Peer pressure is always bad.

4. Fill in the blanks:

When friends try to influence you to do things that are harmful or wrong, it’s called ______________peer pressure.

When friends try to influence you to do things that are helpful or kind, it’s called ____________peer pressure.

5. True or false: Only kids and teens have to deal with peer pressure.

6. List two things kids might do to try to get other kids to do what they want: .

7. List two reasons why kids might give in to peer pressure: .

8. List two ways friends can be a bad influence on each other: .

9. List two ways friends can be a good influence on each other: .

10. True or false: People can influence each other without even speaking.

(Transition) Now we're going to dive a little bit deeper.

Quiz Answer Key

1. Peers are: d) all of the above

2. In “peer pressure,” the word pressure means: c) influence

3. True or false: Peer pressure is always bad. FALSE

4. Fill in the blanks: When friends try to influence you to do things that are harmful or wrong, it’s called negative peer pressure. When friends try to influence you to do things that are helpful or kind, it’s called positive peer pressure.

5. True or false: Only kids and teens have to deal with peer pressure. FALSE

6. List two things kids might do to try to get other kids to do what they want:

Any two of the following: tease, call names, threaten, say they’re not cool, exclude from group, ignore, etc.

7. List two reasons why kids might give in to peer pressure:

Any two of the following: to seem cool, to seem brave, to get in with a group of friends, to impress others, etc.

8. List two ways friends can be a bad influence on each other:

Any two of the following: they can encourage each other to smoke, drink, cheat, lie, steal, bully others, act lazy, act disrespectful, not do their homework, etc.

9. List two ways friends can be a good influence on each other:

Any two of the following: they can encourage each other to work hard in school or sports, try a positive new activity, believe in themselves, exercise, read a new book, be kind, be honest, etc.

10. True or false: People can influence each other without even speaking.

4. This week's lesson

WHAT YOU SAY: We are going to watch a short video about

handling PEER PRESSURE.

WHAT YOU DO: Share your screen in the next text box

5. GROUP ACTIVITY

PEER PRESSURE

What you say:

Peer pressure can be classified into two groups: verbal and nonverbal peer pressure.

Tell kids that verbal peer pressure is pressure from friends that results from spoken words. It happens when someone says something to a person that directly puts pressure on them. Verbal pressure can include threats, making fun of you or insults.

Nonverbal peer pressure is pressure from friends that results from unspoken words. It happens indirectly. Nothing is said to a person, but when a person sees others doing it, the person feels the pressure to do it, too. Nonverbal pressure includes the stare down, fitting in with the crowd, and the ignoring you.

Ask students to provide examples of each.

Tell students that, while peer pressure is mostly viewed as negative, sometimes your friends’ influence can be a good thing; they may stop you from doing something that you may later regret, or they may encourage you to do something you were nervous about. Both verbal and nonverbal peer pressure can influence a person to make a choice or decision that can either be good or bad.

Next, ask kids to listen to the following scenarios about peer pressure and discuss using these question prompts:

1. Was this peer pressure? How do you know?

2. Was this pressure positive or negative?

3. Was the pressure verbal or nonverbal?

4. In the future, what can be done to resist this type of peer pressure?

Peer Pressure Scenarios list

1. You and a group of friends are playing soccer on a field near your house. You have been told to be home by dark. Just before dark, a popular kid in the neighborhood invites you and your group of friends to go to his house to play night tag in his backyard. All of your friends decide to go, but you know you are expected to be home at dark.

2. During computer class, one of your classmates went to a website that you know you are not allowed to be on at school. She wants you to go to the website as well so that she can show you a “cool” video. Your classmate says you are a teacher’s pet if you follow school rules all the time.

3. Geraldo really wants a pair of soccer cleats. His grandma drops him off at a local mall and gives him money to go inside and buy the shoes. As he is walking toward the shoe department, he notices a group of soccer players wearing the same pair of soccer shorts. Although he has been wanting the soccer cleats for a long time, Geraldo also feels pressured to be cool and fit in with the other soccer players.

4. On the bus ride to school, a classmate asks Naquan if he can copy his homework. Naquan wants to say no because he know that is cheating. But his classmate tells him, “Only nerds refuse to share answers. Do you want to be called a nerd?”

5. When DeAnna is at a school dance, the new girl at her school tries to come up and join her friends’ dance circle. All of DeAnna’s friends roll their eyes and move around so that they block the new girl out. DeAnna notices that the new girl looks really lonely, but doesn’t want to appear “uncool” to her friends.

6. Rachel was sitting quietly in class, reading a book like her teacher instructed her

to do. Suddenly, her best friend sitting beside her asks her to pass a note down to another student. Rachel is nervous about getting into trouble, but Leilani threatens to not be her best friend anymore if she doesn’t pass the note.

WHAT YOU SAY: WOW, you know a lot about handling peer pressure. I need friends like you!

Now it's time for ... a little dance party.

6. move it

WHAT YOU SAY: OK Kids, it's time to move it! We want you to get up and get active. Let's follow along with our Go Noodles friends...

Let's stand up and show your BEST dance moves!

WHAT YOU DO: Share video. Stand up, dance along with kids.

7. WRAP IT UP

(An opportunity to review this month's Life Skill and apply it to their lives.)

Tell kids that you want to give them a list of ways that will help them to not be influenced by negative peer pressure.

Review each strategy so that every student understands what it means and what it looks like in his/her life:

1. Say “no” in an assertive way and show others that you mean what you say. If you appear confident, people won’t be so eager to try to influence you.

2. Do not change your mind. Make how you feel clear by repeating yourself if you need to. Practice makes perfect. If you practice saying “no”
   when you feel comfortable and around people you trust, then you will feel more confident in saying it when you’re feeling peer pressure.
   

3. Walk away. If you can, walk away from the people or the situation that is making you feel pressured.
   

4. Turn to a trusted friend or friends for help. If you have friends who you know will stand by your side, share your values, and will stick up for you, allow them to help you stay firm and confident in how you feel.
   

5. Find help from a trusted adult. If the situation is serious and you don’t think you can handle the pressure alone, talk to a trusted adult, like a parent or teacher, about what you’re going through.
   

6. Make new friends. If you think your friends are not good people to keep around, then find people who respect you and share the same values and interests as you. You will be happier with these people as friends!
   

Questions? Comments?

It was a great day! You guys are the BEST! See you next month!