Peer Pressure Resistance

Lesson Overview

This 75-minute lesson is designed for Year 10 Health classes in Australia. It focuses on understanding peer pressure, especially related to vaping, and developing skills to confidently say no. It aligns with the Australian Curriculum v9 for Health and Physical Education with specific reference to managing risks, protective behaviours, and strategies for resisting peer influences.

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Learning Objectives (WALT - We Are Learning To)

• WALT understand the impact of peer pressure on choices about vaping.
• WALT analyse strategies to say no assertively and maintain personal safety.
• WALT identify community resources and supports related to substance use.
• WALT develop skills to resist peer pressure and promote healthy decisions.

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Australian Curriculum Links

Content Descriptor:

• Year 10, Health and Physical Education
• AC9HP10P08: Plan, rehearse and evaluate strategies for managing situations where their own or others’ health, safety or wellbeing may be at risk (includes substance use scenarios).

Additional relevant content:

• AC9HP8P08: Refine protective behaviours and evaluate community resources to seek help for themselves and others (Years 7-8, foundational for Year 10 development).

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Explain what peer pressure is and how it influences decisions about vaping.
• Demonstrate at least two refusal strategies confidently in role-play.
• Identify key community resources for help with vaping or substance concerns.
• Reflect on personal values and make a stand against peer pressure.

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & Engagement (10 mins)

• Activity: Whole-class brainstorm — What is peer pressure?
• Strategy: Use a whiteboard or digital tool to list student ideas. Include examples relevant to vaping.
• Differentiation: Provide sentence starters or visual prompts for students needing support (e.g., "Peer pressure means...").

2. Understanding Vaping & Peer Pressure (15 mins)

• Mini-presentation: Quick facts about vaping — health risks and prevalence among youth in Australia.
• Discussion: Why might peers offer vapes? What feelings or pressures might lead someone to accept?
• Use real scenarios: Develop three short, relatable scenarios where a young person is offered a vape.
• Differentiation: Provide printed scenario cards for diverse learners.

3. Refusal Skills Workshop (25 mins)

• Group Work: In pairs, students select a scenario and practise refusal skills including:
  • Saying no firmly but politely.
  • Giving a reason ("No thanks, I want to stay healthy").
  • Suggesting an alternative activity.
  • Using body language (eye contact, stance).
• Advanced learners: Challenge them to develop their own creative refusal strategies or role-play “what if” escalations where pressure increases.
• Class share: Selected pairs demonstrate their refusals.

4. Resources and Support Information (10 mins)

• Teacher-led: Overview of community supports e.g. local health services, school counsellor, Kids Helpline.
• Activity: Students list where and how they could seek help or guidance.

5. Reflection and Personal Commitment (10 mins)

• Individual task: Students write a short pledge or statement on how they will handle future peer pressure about vaping.
• Extension: Students who finish early can create a poster or digital media message for younger peers about saying no to vaping.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Use visual aids and examples to support comprehension.
• Provide sentence starters and scaffolds for written work.
• Pair students strategically for peer support during role-plays.
• Offer extension tasks for advanced learners (creative refusal scripts, resource promotion posters).
• Provide extra time or one-on-one support for students with additional learning needs.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation of role-play skill use to assess communication and refusal skills.
• Review of individual reflection/plans to evaluate understanding and personal commitment.
• Informal class discussions to gauge conceptual understanding of peer pressure.

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard/markers or equivalent digital tool
• Scenario cards (printed or digital)
• Fact sheet about vaping harms (tailored for age-appropriate understanding)
• Access to information about community health supports
• Paper/pens or digital device for personal reflection/plans

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Teacher Tips to Impress

• Use real, age-appropriate language and current slang cautiously, to connect authentically with students.
• Incorporate multimedia elements where possible (videos or social media posts about vaping risks).
• Embed culturally sensitive approaches recognising diversity in your classroom.
• Connect lessons explicitly to students’ values to foster internal motivation for healthy choices.

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This lesson plan follows the Australian Curriculum (v9) for Year 10 Health and Physical Education by addressing substance use risk scenarios and protective behaviours specifically linked to vaping, equipping students with practical strategies to manage peer pressure confidently and safely.