- Begin the
session by telling the students that, for the next few
weeks, the focus of the Healthy Living class will be on
alcohol, cannabis, and other drugs. Explain that
statistics show that few students in grade 7 actually use
alcohol, cannabis, or any other drug. However, by the
time students reach grade 9, the percentage of students
who have tried alcohol, cannabis, or any other drug has
increased from the grade 7 percentage. Ask students if
they have any idea why the percentage goes up between
grade 7 and grade 9.
- While the
students are sharing their ideas about why they think the
percentage goes up between grades 7 and 9, listen for
examples of influencing factors. Explain that one of the
reasons that more students have tried alcohol, cannabis,
or other drugs by the time they reach grade 9 is because
they experience a range of things that influence their
thinking, behaviour, and decisions.
-
Share with the
students that the three main types of influences that
can affect decisions about alcohol, cannabis, and other
drugs are the individual, other people in an
individual's life, and the kinds of things an
individual sees and hears in their community or the
world around them. Using the Circles of
Influence slide (7.A), explain to the
students that, in the coming weeks, the class will
be looking at the following influences:
- how I
influence myself
- how
others influence me
- how I am influenced by the world around me
- how I
influence myself
- Explain
to the students
that one of the things the class will be looking at is a
model for making decisions that each student can use to
apply to their own day-to-day life. This will become one
of the ways that they can influence themselves.
- Indicate to
the students that the class will also be looking at the
ways friends have an influence on each of them. The
students will get the chance to use the decision-making
model and a few other tools in some possible situations
where friends are trying to have an influence on
individual decisions about alcohol, cannabis, and other
drugs.
- Tell the class that, towards the end of this unit, they will be looking at the potential influence of alcohol advertising on teenagers. To do this, though, everyone in the class will need to do some detective work in the next few weeks. Ask the students to start looking for alcohol advertisements when they go home today and keep on doing it until they are asked to bring what they have found to class.
Here are the guidelines for the advertising search to share with the class:
- Focus only on
alcohol advertising.
- Any type of
ad is okay. It can be a print ad from a magazine or
newspaper. They can also videotape an ad from television
or take a picture of a billboard ad or an ad in a store.
- If they do
not have a way of taping or photographing a particular
ad, they can write down a description of the ad. This
will allow students to include radio ads and ads at
sports or recreational events.
- Asking for
help from family and friends is okay.
- Be particularly watchful for ads that could appeal to teenagers because they include animals, show young-looking people having a good time, include a well-known sports or entertainment celebrity, look like a cartoon, or use a well-known song as part of the ad.
Note
Throughout the first two learning theme activities remind the students to keep collecting their ads throughout the first two learning theme activities. Watch for and collect ads yourself to avoid having no ads to work with for the third learning theme.