Take A Breath
Years 5-6
'Take a Breath' features children in Years 5 and 6 who have genuine questions about vaping, alongside real high school students who recorded and edited their responses.
Overview
Students investigate the issues around vaping and smoking. Students are encouraged to stop and "take a breath", ask questions, seek answers, and exercise critical thinking skills before making a decision.
- Impacts of smoking and vaping
- Drawing comparisons and connections between e-cigarettes/vaping and the history of tobacco smoking
- The effects of nicotine on the body and brain
- Strategies and responses that model assertiveness and resilience in challenging situations
Step 1: Pre-lesson
To be completed with your class before the Life Ed visit.
Take a Breath – Tuning In Lesson – The Real Truth
Students identify their pre knowledge about vaping and smoking and investigate how they can locate reliable sources of information to support them to figure out what the real truth is. They’re encouraged to stop, "take a breath", ask questions and find the answers to empower them to make responsible decisions. Activities include • voting • true or false statements • small group work • Google racing • reporting back • at home follow up
40 - 60 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
School Lesson
Pre lesson – An Overview for Parents
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.
Take a Breath – Extending Lesson 1 – e-cigarettes
In this lesson students delve further into issues around e-cigarettes and vaping and make connections between the two. They investigate social influences and the addictive nature of the drug nicotine. Students apply critical thinking to the laws surrounding smoking as well as examining the cost of cigarettes & e-cigarettes to people’s health and finances! Activities include • drag & drop timelines • think, pair, share • summarising • at home discussion
40 - 60 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
School Lesson
Take a Breath – Extending Lesson 2 – No thanks!
Why do most young people choose not to vape or smoke? The focus of this lesson is to "denormalise" smoking and vaping in Australia and to review some of the reasons that young people choose not to smoke. Strategies to encourage others not to smoke are considered and students consider their own future reasons not to vape or smoke. Activities include • think, pair, share • drag & drop categorising • videos • role modelling at home follow up
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 Take A Breath 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.
Take A Breath – Session 1 – Smoking To Vaping – Then To Now
This booster video lesson takes students through the history of smoking in Australia, changes to advertising, laws and the decreasing rates of smoking . Students are encouraged to make a link between smoking and the changing social norms around vaping.
30 - 40 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
Video Lesson
Assessment Task (PDF)
Discussion Guide (PDF)
Take A Breath – Session 2 – Science and Costs
In this video lesson, the infomraion students have learned about nictotine in the Take a Breath module are reinforced and students are encouraged to consider the broader spectrum of costs and impacts of vaping.
30 - 40 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
Video Lesson
Assessment Task (PDF)
Discussion Guide (PDF)
Take A Breath – Session 3 – Finding Answers: Your Voice, Your Choice
In the final video lesson, students are encouraged to consider how they can support others and be a positie influence on their decisions around vaping. They are reminded that most young people choose not to vape or smoke and challenged to think of their dreams for the future and how making healthy and safe choices will help them achieve their dreams.
30 - 40 minutes - Depending on duration of discussion
Video Lesson
Assessment Task (PDF)
Discussion Guide (PDF)
