Decisions
Year 5 / Year 6
Choices about drugs and alcohol can affect a person’s everyday life. In this module students explore the decision-making process. They develop their own decision-making skills by looking at their choices and the consequences of them, their responsibilities, and the influences on their decision-making.
Overview
This module explores the physical, social, financial and legal impacts of alcohol and other drugs. It equips students with the critical thinking skills and knowledge they need to make informed decisions, now and in the future. By recognising their responsibility for the health and safety of themselves and others, students identify strategies to make responsible decisions in unsafe situations and social dilemmas.
Life Ed programs are not just a visit, they’re a 4-step student pathway! So make use of the whole multimodal pathway… the pre visit lesson; the Life Ed Educator visit; the 2 post visit lessons, the booster sessions and the parent communication.
Learning outcomes include:
Life Ed programs are not just a visit, they’re a 4-step student pathway! So make use of the whole multimodal pathway… the pre visit lesson; the Life Ed Educator visit; the 2 post visit lessons, the booster sessions and the parent communication.
Learning outcomes include:
- Investigating myths, facts and social norms
- Strategies and skills to be safe
- Understanding what drugs are and how they are classified
- Influences on decision making (family, peers, media, culture, financial & legal)
Step 1: Pre-lesson
To be completed with your class before the Life Ed visit.
Decisions – Tuning In Lesson – Decisions We Make
Students are invited to share about the decisions they make now, and those they’ll make in the future. They reflect on the impact of their decisions about legal drugs on their own health & wellbeing, and that of others.
Activities include • brainstorming • true & false statements • moving debate • think, pair, share • class discussions • individual writing tasks
40 - 60 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
School Lesson
Step 2: Life Ed Visit
To be completed with your class after the Life Ed visit.This is the core part of the program. If you have booked a visit with Life Ed, this will be delivered in the Mobile Learning Centre or in your classroom by a specialist Life Ed Educator.
Step 3: Post Visit
To be completed with your class after the Life Ed visit.
Decisions – Extending Lesson 1 – Advertising
To further their learning about decisions, this lesson explores how advertising can influence us, even when we don’t realise it. Students consider the difference between fact and opinion, and explore the techniques used in ads to make products more appealing. Students are empowered to make logical decisions.
Activities include • think, pair, share • MEDIA analysis of ads • quiz • drag & drop choices • class discussions • at home follow up
40 - 60 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
School Lesson
Decisions – Extending Lesson 2 – What is a Drug?
Through this lesson, students have the opportunity to reflect on some of the facts and myths around alcohol and other drugs discussed in the Life Ed visit and then interact with a ‘choose your own adventure style’ set of storylines to explore decision making and consequences.
Activities include • think, pair, share • myth vs fact class display • choose your own adventure • tips for resisting pressure • role playing • class and at home discussions
40 - 60 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
School Lesson
Attention: Teachers
Use this Assessment Rubric (PDF) to assist with assessing the student comprehension of Decisions Booster Session content.
Step 4: Booster Sessions
The Booster sessions videos and discussion guides are the last part in the 4-Step program. A discussion guide with questions and suggested answers is attached with each booster session video below. To meet all of the outcomes for this module, teachers are encouraged to use the discussion guides to extend student learning and observe student understanding of the content covered.
Decisions – Session 1 – Making Decisions
Harold joins students in this video to investigate how big decisions can impact a person. The ‘how, why and what’ of decisions are discussed along with the consequences. The SEARCH tool is explained to help them with big decisions. The pressure and influence exerted by outside forces on our decisions is also considered.
20 - 30 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
Video Lesson
Assessment Task (PDF)
Discussion Guide (PDF)
Decisions – Session 2 – What is a Drug?
To inform their decision making, students gather information about alcohol and other drugs. What exactly are they? What laws surround them? What are the myths and facts? Different classes of drugs such as stimulants and depressants and are explained in detail.
20 - 30 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
Video Lesson
Assessment Task (PDF)
Discussion Guide (PDF)
Decisions – Session 3 – Strategies to Stay Safe
Students consider strategies to stay safe in situations where there may be alcohol and other drugs. Continuing a focus on decision making, students consider who they can trust and ask for help. They revisit strategies to resist pressure in these situations. Common confusions about drugs are examined.
20 - 30 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
Video Lesson
Assessment Task (PDF)
Discussion Guide (PDF)
