Subject(s): Other, P.E. & Health Grades(s): Junior High/High School

Title – Empowered Decision Making

By – Mark Bolen

Primary Subject – Health / Physical Education

Secondary Subjects – Other

Grade Level – 6-12

Unit: Mental and Emotional Health Lesson: Empowered Decision-Making
National Standard: 5
NJ Core Curriculum Standard: 2.2

I. Performance Objectives:

A. Cognitive: By the end of the lesson, students should know how to make
responsible decisions and use resistance skills, as evaluated by a worksheet
done in class.

B. Affective: By the end of the lesson, the students should be able to
demonstrate behaviors related to the Empowered Decision-Making lesson by
completing various activities in class, as determined by the teacher based on
student responses.

II. Materials or Equipment

A. Lesson Plan
B. 24 Instant Activity Vocabulary Worksheets
C. Decision-Making Situations Overhead
D. 5 Decision-Making Situations Worksheets

III. Diversity/Differing Abilities:

A. There are no students in the class with specials needs.

IV. Procedure:                14

A. Introduction "Good morning everyone! I will be teaching your health class
today on decision-making. Your instant activity is on the overhead and the
worksheet to complete the activity is already on your desk. Please read the
instructions carefully and get started on your activity while I take attendance.
We will be discussing the worksheet along with the lesson shortly. Is everyone
finished with their worksheet? Good. How many of you have ever had to make a
difficult decision? How many of you think that you may not have made the right
decision? Today we will be learning how to make responsible decisions. Making
responsible decisions is very important because in some situations a good or bad
decision can significantly affect your life. For example, if you were ever faced
with a situation in which you had to decide whether or not to break a law, you
could end up spending time in jail if you were to make the wrong decision. How
many of you have ever had someone or a group of people try to convince you to
make a wrong decision? Today we will also be learning about peer pressure, and
how to use resistance skills when you want to say no or leave a situation.

B. Content                12

1. Defining Empowered
a. Using your instant activity worksheet, can anyone tell me the definition of
empowered?
b. To be empowered means to be inspired because you feel some sense of control
over your behavior and decisions.
c. In order to gain the feeling of empowerment, it is crucial that you take
responsibility for your decisions. Whether or not you take responsibility for
your decisions is based on your type of decision-making style.

2. Decision-Making Styles

a. Inactive decision-making style
1. Can anyone tell me what an inactive decision-making style is?
2. Inactive decision-making is a decision-making style in which you fail to make
choices, and this failure determines what will happen.
3. Teens with this decision-making style do not know what they want to do, and
put off making difficult decisions. Therefore, they end up having to deal with
whatever happens, and they do not gain the self-confidence they would have if
they had made a decision and been accountable for it. In other words, they do
not become empowered.

b. Reactive decision-making style

1. Can anyone tell me what a reactive decision-making style is?
2. Reactive decision-making is when you allow others to make your decisions.
3. Being easily influenced by what others think, do, or suggest, lacking
self-confidence, and having a need to be liked by others are characteristics
that teens with this style of decision-making demonstrate. Like teens with
inactive decision-making styles, teens with this type of decision-making style
are not empowered either.

c. Proactive decision-making style

1. Can anyone tell me what a proactive decision-making style is?

2. A proactive decision-making style is one in which you examine the decision to
be made, identify and evaluate actions you might take, select an action, and
take responsibility for the consequences of this action.
3. Teens who use a proactive decision-making style do so by using The
Responsible Decision-Making Model.

3. The Responsible Decision-Making Model

a. Does anyone know what The Responsible Decision-Making Model is?
b. The Responsible Decision-Making Model is a series of steps that assure that
your decisions lead to actions that promote health, protect safety, follow laws,
show respect for self and others, follow guidelines set by responsible adults
such as your parents or guardian, and demonstrate good character.
c. The Responsible Decision-Making Model includes the following steps:
1. Describe the situation that requires a decision
2. List possible decisions you might make
3. Share the list of possible decisions with a trusted adult
4. Evaluate the consequences of each decision
5. Decide which decision is responsible and most appropriate
6. Act on your decision and evaluate the results

4. Resistance Skills

a. Peer Pressure
1. Does anyone know what the term peer-pressure means?
2. Peer pressure is influence that people of similar age or status place on
others to encourage them to make certain decisions or to behave in certain ways.
3. Peer pressure can be either negative or positive because peers may pressure
you to make the right or wrong decision.

b. Resistance Skills

1. Can anyone define the term resistance skills for me?
2. Resistance skills are skills that are used when you want to say no to an
action or to leave a situation.
3. Using The Model for Using Resistance Skills is a great way to say no to peers
and stick to your decisions in spite of peer pressure.

5. The Model for Using Resistance Skills

a. The Model for Using Resistance Skills is a list of suggested ways to resist
negative peer pressure.
b. The Model for Using Resistance Skills includes the following steps:
1. Say no in an assertive way.
2. Give reasons for saying no.
3. Use nonverbal behavior to match verbal behavior.
4. Avoid being in situations in which there will be pressure to make harmful
decisions.
5. Resist pressure to engage in illegal behavior.
6. Influence others to make responsible decisions.

C. Teaching Strategies              31

1. Group Decision-Making/Resistance Skills Activity
a. Divide the class into five groups.
b. Each group will get a worksheet with a decision-making and peer pressure
situation on it in which they have to use The Responsible Decision Making Model
and The Model for Using Resistance Skills respectively to complete the
worksheet.
c. Each group will then share their situation and the information on their
worksheet with the class.
d. Does everyone agree with this group's decision and use of resistance skills?

2. Partner Resistance Skills Activity

a. Find a partner that was not in your group.
b. Each partner must come up with their own negative peer pressure situation,
possibly from their own life, and their partner must practice using some of the
resistance skills learned to say no to the action or leave the situation.

D. Closure                 3

Alright class, we are just about out of time. Good job and keep up the good
work. Does anyone have any questions? Remember that making responsible decisions
is a crucial factor in establishing and enhancing your health. Please pass up
your instant activity worksheet. Thank you and have a good day.

E. References

Meeks and Heit. Totally Awesome Health. 1997.
Meeks, Heit, and Page. Comprehensive School Health Education. 2005.

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Vocabulary Instant-Activity

Name_______________________________

Date__ ______________

Instructions: First unscramble each bold-face vocabulary term from Unit 1,
Lesson 2 of your book, and then define each term. The lesson and vocabulary
terms can be found on pages 12-15 of your book.

1. hte sporenblesi iiscnoed niamgk dleom
Term:
Definition:

2. iaevinct iiscnoed niamgk ylest

Term:
Definition:

3. oeedprmew

Term:
Definition:

4. pere pueerssr
Term:
Definition:

5. ecivraet iiscnoed niamgk ylest

Term:
Definition:

6. eineacrsst klliss
Term:
Definition:

7. het eodlm ofr insgu eineacrsst klliss
Term:
Definition:

8. orteipacv iiscnoed niamgk ylest

Term:
Definition:

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Decision-Making Activity

Names:_________________________

Date:________________

Directions: First read the decision-making/peer pressure situation you have been
given. Then, using the responsible decision-making and resistance skills models
as guidelines, explain the decision your group would make and how you would
support your decision. Be prepared to share you situation and answers with the
class.

After school you are hanging out with a bunch of friends from the soccer team
when a few of them decide they want to skip practice because they would rather
drink alcohol all afternoon. They propose the idea to you, and invite you to
join them.

1. What are the possible decisions you can make? (Think creatively, not just yes
or no, what are some alternatives or other options?)

2. What are some of the possible consequences or results of each of these
decisions?

3. What did your group decide is the most responsible decision?

4. If you decided to say NO, what reasons did you give and how can you try to
use positive peer pressure to influence your friends to make the right decision
as well?

---

Decision-Making Activity

Names:_________________________

Date:________________

Directions: First read the decision-making/peer pressure situation you have been
given. Then, using the responsible decision-making and resistance skills models
as guidelines, explain the decision your group would make and how you would
support your decision. Be prepared to share you situation and answers with the
class.

During lunch you realize that you have forgotten to bring anything to eat and
that you don't have any money to buy food. Your friend insists that you "just
steal your lunch" because — it's better and healthier than being hungry all
day, plus he does it all the time and it's really easy." What do you do?

1. What are the possible decisions you can make? (Think creatively, not just yes
or no, what are some alternatives or other options?)

2. What are some of the possible consequences or results of each of these
decisions?

3. What did your group decide is the most responsible decision?

4. If you decided to say NO, what reasons did you give and how can you try to
use positive peer pressure to influence your friend to make the right decision
as well?

---

Decision-Making Activity

Names:_________________________

Date:________________

Directions: First read the decision-making/peer pressure situation you have been
given. Then, using the responsible decision-making and resistance skills models
as guidelines, explain the decision your group would make and how you would
support your decision. Be prepared to share you situation and answers with the
class.

Before a big test in math class your friend tells you that she studied for three
hours the night before, but isn't sure if she really understands the
information. She knows your good at math and asks you if it's alright if she can
check your answers to make sure they are the same as hers during the test.

1. What are the possible decisions you can make? (Think creatively, not just yes
or no, what are some alternatives or other options?)

2. What are some of the possible consequences or results of each of these
decisions?

3. What did your group decide is the most responsible decision?

4. If you decided to say NO, what reasons did you give and how can you try to
use positive peer pressure to influence your friend to make the right decision
as well?

---

Decision-Making Activity

Names:_________________________

Date:________________

Directions: First read the decision-making/peer pressure situation you have been
given. Then, using the responsible decision-making and resistance skills models
as guidelines, explain the decision your group would make and how you would
support your decision. Be prepared to share you situation and answers with the
class.

You and a friend are at the mall and notice a twenty-dollar bill fall out of an
older woman's pocket. Once the woman gets far enough away, your friend grabs the
twenty and says, "That's the easiest twenty bucks we've ever made." Should you
side with your friend and keep the money?

1. What are the possible decisions you can make? (Think creatively, not just yes
or no, what are some alternatives or other options?)

2. What are some of the possible consequences or results of each of these
decisions?

3. What did your group decide is the most responsible decision?

4. If you decided to say NO, what reasons did you give and how can you try to
use positive peer pressure to influence your friend to make the right decision
as well?

---

Decision-Making Activity

Names:_________________________

Date:________________

Directions: First read the decision-making/peer pressure situation you have been
given. Then, using the responsible decision-making and resistance skills models
as guidelines, explain the decision your group would make and how you would
support your decision. Be prepared to share you situation and answers with the
class.

You are with a bunch of friends at the movies on a Friday night. After the
movie, one of your friends suggests that you and him go out back and have a
cigarette. He insists that everyone has had a cigarette during their lifetime,
so there is no reason why you can't even try it once. What do you do?

1. What are the possible decisions you can make? (Think creatively, not just yes
or no, what are some alternatives or other options?)

2. What are some of the possible consequences or results of each of these
decisions?

3. What did your group decide is the most responsible decision?

4. If you decided to say NO, what reasons did you give and how can you try to
use positive peer pressure to influence your friend to make the right decision
as well?

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