Wise Choices Practice

Unit: Navigating Risks in Health

Lesson 3 of 8

Duration: 40 minutes

Year Level: 9

Class Size: 25 students

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Learning Objectives

Aligned with the Western Australian Curriculum for Health and Physical Education (Year 9), by the end of the lesson students will be able to:

• Plan, rehearse and evaluate strategies for managing situations where their own or others’ health, safety or wellbeing may be at risk (AC9HP10P08).
• Propose and practise realistic responses to peer pressure scenarios to minimise health and safety risks.
• Apply decision-making skills to make informed, wise choices in different health-related contexts.
• Reflect on the influence of personal and social factors on decision making and risk perception in health situations.

This lesson focuses specifically on developing practical skills in applying risk assessment and decision-making to everyday situations, consolidating prior learning from the "Navigating Risks in Health" unit.

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Curriculum Links

• Content Descriptions:
  • AC9HP10P08: Plan, rehearse and evaluate strategies for managing situations where health, safety or wellbeing may be at risk.
• Achievement Standard:
  • Year 9 students describe and apply strategies to manage challenging health situations and reduce risks to self and others.
• General Capabilities:
  • Critical & Creative Thinking: Risk analysis, problem solving.
  • Personal and Social Capability: Self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision making.

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Materials Needed

• Printed role-play scenario cards (5 different scenarios, 5 copies each)
• Reflection worksheets (1 per student)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Timer or stopwatch
• Optional: small prizes for participation to engage students

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Begin with a quick warm-up discussion: “What does making a wise choice mean to you?”
• Briefly recap the previous lessons in the unit on identifying risks and the importance of making informed decisions.
• Outline the lesson goal: practising making wise choices through role-playing real-world scenarios.

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2. Activity: Role-Playing Scenarios (25 minutes)

Objective: Practice decision-making strategies through experiential learning.

• Divide students into 5 groups of 5.
• Distribute one scenario card per group from this set. Scenarios include:
  1. Peer pressure to try vaping or smoking.
  2. Handling invitations to parties where alcohol may be present.
  3. Managing digital risks such as sharing personal information or cyberbullying.
  4. Deciding how to support a friend showing signs of mental distress.
  5. Choosing safe transport options when out with friends late.
• Each group takes 5 minutes to:
  • Read and discuss the scenario.
  • Plan and rehearse a role-play showing a wise choice to reduce risk.
• Groups present their role-play (2 minutes each).
• After each group’s presentation, allow 1 minute for class feedback:
  • What was the wise choice made?
  • How did it reduce risk?
  • What other choices could have been made?

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3. Reflection and Consolidation (8 minutes)

• Hand out a reflection worksheet with prompts:
  • What did you learn about making wise choices today?
  • Which scenario was the most challenging and why?
  • How will you apply these strategies in your own life?
• Students complete individually or in pairs.
• Invite 2-3 students to share their reflections briefly.

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4. Conclusion & Homework (2 minutes)

• Recap the importance of informed decision-making to reduce risks.
• Homework: Ask students to journal one situation during the week where they or someone they know made a wise choice to minimise health risks. Include: situation, choice made, outcome, and what might have happened otherwise.

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Differentiation & Extension

• Provide additional support with role explanations for students who may need it.
• For advanced students, include an added challenge to identify potential unintended consequences of different choices.
• Extend to specialist sports classes by discussing choices in risk management in sports settings (e.g., equipment safety, healthy training habits).

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Ideas for Supporting Sports Coordination & House Captains

• House captains can facilitate brief daily or weekly "Wise Choice Challenges" related to health and safety during sports training or recess periods.
• They can assist in organising and leading mini role-play activities or discussions about safe practice in sports and social situations.
• Create a shared digital roster with them for managing basketball, soccer, and social training sessions during recess and lunch.

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Teacher Notes on Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation during role-plays and class discussions.
• Collect and review reflection worksheets to assess understanding and application of risk management strategies.
• Use reflections and homework journals as evidence of personal connection to decision-making skills.

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This lesson plan actively engages Year 9 students using role-play to simulate real-life risk situations, aligning perfectly with the Western Australian Curriculum’s emphasis on practical health literacy and informed decision making in Year 9 Health Studies.

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References

• Western Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, Year 9
• Content description AC9HP10P08: Plan, rehearse and evaluate strategies for managing situations where their own or others’ health, safety or wellbeing may be at risk
• General guidance for Years 7-10 Health and Physical Education curriculum implementation【4】