Influence and Risk

Curriculum Area and Level:

PSHE Education - Key Stage 3

Lesson Duration:

45 minutes

Objectives:

1. Understand the concept of social groups.
2. Analyze how social groups can influence behaviour, specifically risky behaviours.
3. Discuss whether all risky behaviours are negative.
4. Develop strategies for accepting or rejecting influences from social groups.

Key Vocabulary:

• Social Groups
• Risky Behaviour
• Peer Pressure
• Influence
• Accept
• Reject

Materials Needed:

• Whiteboard and markers
• Post-it notes
• Printed scenarios for group activity
• Pens and paper

Lesson Plan:

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Welcome and Warm-up: Greet students and briefly introduce the topic. Explain that today’s session will involve exploring how social groups can influence behaviour.
• Objective Sharing: Write the lesson objectives on the whiteboard and read them aloud.

Activity 1: Discussion (10 minutes)

• Prompt Question: "Can the influence of social groups elicit risky behaviour? And are all risky behaviours negative?"
• Pair and Share: Students pair up and discuss the prompt for 3 minutes.
• Group Discussion: Share responses with the entire class. Encourage diverse perspectives and critical thinking.

Activity 2: Scenarios Exploration (15 minutes)

• Group Work: Divide students into 2-3 small groups and hand out printed scenarios depicting various social group influences and risky behaviours.
• Analysis: Each group analyses the scenario using the following guiding questions:
  1. What is the risky behaviour in the scenario?
  2. What role do social groups play in influencing this behaviour?
  3. Is the risky behaviour necessarily negative? Why or why not?
  4. How could the individual in the scenario accept or reject the influence from the social group?
• Share and Discuss: Each group presents their scenario and analysis to the class. Facilitate a discussion on the different viewpoints presented.

Activity 3: Role-Play (10 minutes)

• Preparation: Assign each group a new scenario or allow them to create one. Ask them to develop a short role-play demonstrating an instance of social group influence leading to risky behaviour.
• Role-Play Presentation: Groups perform their role-plays.
• Debrief: After each role-play, discuss:
  1. The sequence of events.
  2. The social group's influence.
  3. The choices made by the characters.
  4. Possible alternative outcomes.

Conclusion and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Summary: Recap key points discussed during the lesson, emphasizing the influence of social groups on risky behaviours and whether all risky behaviours are negative.
• Personal Reflection: Distribute post-it notes and ask students to write down one thing they learned and one question they still have. Collect these for future discussion or clarification in the next lesson.
• Closing Remarks: Highlight the importance of being critical about the influences around them and making informed decisions.

Differentiation:

• Support: Provide additional guidance and simplified scenarios to students who may need it.
• Extension: Challenge advanced students to consider more complex scenarios involving multiple influences or to research and present on real-life examples.

Assessment:

• Monitor group discussions and role-plays for understanding and engagement.
• Evaluate the written reflections for comprehension of the lesson’s objectives and concepts.

Follow-Up:

• Plan a continuation lesson focusing on strategies to deal with peer pressure and making positive choices.
• Encourage students to observe and reflect on social group influences in their daily lives and discuss these observations in future classes.

Teacher Notes:

• Encourage an inclusive and respectful environment to ensure all students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.
• Use varied examples to ensure the topic is relatable and comprehensible to all students.
• Be aware of any personal experiences students might have with risky behaviours and be prepared to handle sensitive topics with care.