Responsible Decision-Making Lesson Plan and Activity

SEL Competencies

Self-Awareness

Responsible Decision-Making

Objective(s)

Students are able to identify the many decisions they make in their daily lives.

Students are able to define and identify consequences attached to decisions.

Students are able to apply the five-step process to make responsible decisions in their lives and explain the thought process reasoning.

Assessment

Observation during classroom discussions

Completed Responsible Decision-Making Worksheet

Student Presentation of Responsible Decision-Making Worksheet

Lesson Key Points

Identifying and assessing personal decisions increase ownership of one's behavior.

Increasing awareness of the connection between consequences and decisions empowers students to choose ethical solutions that support their success.

Opening

Begin a class discussion by asking student to guess how many decisions are made before arriving to school. Describe a typical morning for a student, and ask them to count the decisions as you speak.

Ex. Your alarm went off. You hit snooze or you got up. You brushed your teeth, or you didn't brush your teeth. You grabbed your backpack with the homework that you completed, or you did not complete it.

Instruction

Introduce the word CONSEQUENCE and define it for students (ex. the result of an action).

Discuss how some decisions have bigger consequences than others, and provide examples of consequences for decisions (Ex. choosing to not do your homework has bigger consequences than choosing to wear blue socks instead of green).

Introduce Responsible Decision-Making Worksheet and go through the steps with the students. Practice Step 2 with students (Researching the Problem).

Pair students up to practice asking questions and gaining more information to make informed decisions.

Example: There are two movies playing. How would you decide which one to go to? What information do you need? Possible answers include title, genre, actors, movie times, cost, etc.

Work Period

Students choose their own problem and complete the Responsible Decision-Making Worksheet. If students are struggling to think of problems, brainstorm problems as a group and allow each pair to complete the worksheet.

Closing

Students present their completed worksheets and explain their research, consequences, solution options, and reasoning behind their final decision.

Access the downloadable Responsible Decision-Making Lesson Plan and Activity here.

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