Lesson 1

Grade Empathy and Communication: Working in Groups

 Lesson 1
Grade Handout 1A: Group Skills

Section 1

Order of pictures:

Title of story:

Section 2

List two things to do that show you are actively listening to someone.
1.

2.

List two ways you feel when someone is actively listening to you.
1.

2.

Active listening is one way of showing respect. List two other ways to show respect for other people and their ideas.
1.

2.

List two ways to make sure everyone is included in a group activity or discussion.
1.

2.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 111

 Lesson 1
Grade Create-a-Story Challenge Photos

C D

G H
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 113
 Lesson 1
Grade Family Letter

Dear Family,

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way to protect your middle school student from risky behaviors, such as bullying,
aggression, and substance abuse, while improving his or her school success? Fortunately, research shows there is a
way to do just that.

This week we begin the Stepping In program. Building on and practicing social skills throughout the middle school
years helps students become better able to use them. As in the Stepping Up program taught last year, the Stepping In
program focuses on skills that will help your student succeed in school and in life. These skills include:
• Empathy
• Communication
• Perspective taking
• Respectful disagreement
• Negotiation and compromise
• Emotion management
• Coping with stress
• Decision making

You play a vital role in helping your student develop strong social skills. During the next few weeks, the focus of the
lessons will be on empathy and communication. Ask questions about the skills your student is learning, such as:
• “What does it mean to have empathy, and how does it help you in school?”
• “Who are some people you can count on if you need an ally?”
• “What are the steps you use to negotiate and compromise?”

If you have any questions about the program, please do not hesitate to contact me for more information. Thank you
for supporting your student in learning the skills that lead to success in school and in life.

Sincerely,

P.S. Make sure to join with the activation key

to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 115

 Lesson 1
Grade Homework: I Spy...

What kind of activity?

Name: Household activities could be
vacuuming, washing dishes, doing
You are a private investigator. You have been hired by an unnamed source to laundry, cooking, sweeping, fixing
“spy” on your family. This source wants to find out all the various feelings appliances, or anything that needs
that one or more of your family members have while doing activities at home. to be done where you live.
You won’t be able to talk to your family (you don’t want to blow your cover!)
so you’ll have to use your keen skills of observation. Start with one person. Write down what you observe about his
or her facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and what he or she says. Then guess based on these clues
what he or she might be feeling. Then try the same activity with another family member. When you’ve completed the
sheet, show it to an adult in your family and see if he or she can guess who you were spying on.

Activity: Activity:

Clues What you observe Clues What you observe

Facial Facial
expression expression

Body Body
language language

Tone of Tone of
voice voice

What was What was

said said

Possible Possible
feelings feelings

Who is this person? Who is this person?

This homework assignment was completed on .

(date) [adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 117

 Lesson 1
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

Empathy is: .

Identify at least two skills that are important to group work.

Connecting to My Life

Name a situation in which you interact with others (such as playing on a team, rehearsing a play, working on a
project, or participating in a youth group). Describe how active listening, respecting others’ ideas, and including
everyone will be helpful in that situation.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 119

 Lesson 1
Grade Additional Practice: Target Challenge

The Challenge

Try to hit a target with a sheet of paper.

Materials/Preparation
• One sheet of scrap paper per group (all scrap paper should be the same size)
• Masking tape (make an “X” target and a designated tossing line on the floor with masking tape, eight feet apart)
• String or twine cut to five to six feet long (or use a broom handle or yardstick)

Instructions for Students

1. Work in groups of four.
2. Each group makes an object out of
a single piece of paper.
3. Two students from each group hold
a string up at approximately waist height,
parallel to the tossing line, between the
tossing line and target.
4. One student from your group tosses the
paper object from a distance of eight feet
over the string held up by two students
to try to hit the target. 8 feet

Group Exchange Post-Activity Questions Target

1. What contributed to your group’s success?

2. What stood in the way of successful collaboration?

If necessary, have students repeat the activity, focusing on the behaviors that contribute to successful group work.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 121

 Lesson 1
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

How would that character respond?

Have students imagine that they are a character in a book that they are currently reading
or have just read (either in class or on their own). Have students describe in writing how
that character might react to a conflict or problem in the student’s life. The problem could
be about school, friends, family, chores, homework, or anything else. Have your students
respond in writing. Be sure they include the name and description of the character, a brief
description of the problem, what the character might have been thinking or feeling at the
time, what the character would say or do in response, and why the character would react
in that way.

Health and Science

Why do wolves live in packs?

Humans are social creatures, and so are a lot of animals. Preselect appropriate animal-
science Web sites or search engines for your students. (Your school librarian can help.)
Then have students work in groups to research animals that live in groups or packs, such
as wolves or other wild dogs. What benefits do wolves get from living in packs? How do
they communicate with one another? Compare how wolves work in groups with how
humans work in groups. What are the similarities and differences? Have groups present
their findings to the class.

Media Literacy
What’s your interpretation?

Record a clip from a Disney movie, such as The Lion King. Have small groups watch the
clip. Afterward, have each member of the group write down what they thought of it on
their own. (Expect varied responses such as babyish, stupid, nice animation, good music,
etc.) Then have each member report their thoughts to the group. Have each group discuss
the following questions: Did you agree with what your other group members thought of
the clip? Why or why not? If you disagreed, how did you handle the disagreement? Did
you actively listen to the other group members when they discussed their thoughts? Where
you respectful of other group members’ thoughts, even if they were not the same as yours?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 123

 Lesson 2
Grade Empathy and Communication: Disagreeing Respectfully
 Lesson 2
Grade Handout 2A: Respectful Disagreement Skill-Practice Instructions

Instructions
1. Decide who will be the characters and who will be the coaches.
2. Characters read the scenario and their characters’ perspectives out loud.
3. Characters talk back and forth at least three times.
4. Coaches watch and check off skills the characters use on their checklists.
5. Coaches say what the characters did well and give suggestions for what could be improved.
6. Characters try again, using the suggestions.
7. Then switch parts and do the other scenario.

Respectful Disagreement Checklist

Respectful disagreement skill Character A Character B

Keep calm.

Use active listening.

Consider the other person’s perspective.

Explain your perspective clearly.

Act nonjudgmentally.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 137

 Lesson 2
Grade Respectful Disagreement Skill-Practice Scenarios, Set 1

Set 1

The Friend
A friend of Character A and Character B has started drinking. Both A and B know it’s a bad thing to do, and they are
worried about their friend, but they disagree about what they should do about it.

Character A: You think the best way to help your friend stop drinking is to tell an adult.

Character B: You don’t want to tell an adult about your friend’s drinking. You don’t want your friend to get in
trouble. You would rather tell your friend directly that you think it’s not smart to drink.

The Closet
Character A finds his or her sister or brother (Character B) going through Character A’s closet to borrow clothes.
They disagree about whether closets are private or not.

Character A: You think that your closet should be completely private. You have a job to earn money to buy clothes,
and you don’t see why you should share clothes you have worked hard to buy.

Character B (the sister or brother): You think families should share things like clothes. You need a red sweater for
school spirit day. You know your sister or brother has one, and you think he or she should lend it to you
for one day. You go to different schools, so your sister or brother doesn’t need the sweater for school
spirit day.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 139

 Lesson 2
Grade Respectful Disagreement Skill-Practice Scenarios, Set 2

Set 2

The Group
Character A and Character B are in the same group of friends. There is a friend in their group who is saying mean
things and spreading rumors about the others in their group.

Character A: You don’t want to be around people who bully. You want to take a break from this group of friends.

Character B: You don’t like to be around people who bully. You want to say something to the friend who is being
mean and spreading rumors.

The Lunch Table

Character A is an eighth-grader. Character B is a sixth-grader. The two characters want to sit at the same lunch table
with their own friends. There is only room for one of them. They disagree about who has the right to sit there.

Character A: You think that as an eighth-grader you automatically have the right to use the table. The eighth-graders
always sit there at lunch time. You also think that being the older student gives you more privileges.
Since there are other tables, you think the sixth-graders should sit somewhere else.

Character B: You think that since you got there first, you have the right to sit there with your friends. You think
things should be fair and equal between sixth-graders and eighth-graders. Just because eighth-graders
have always sat there, it does not mean they automatically have the right to sit there, especially if they
don’t get there first. You think you should get the chance to sit at the table.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 141

 Lesson 2
Grade Homework: Life Experiences Timeline

Name:

Think back to when you’ve had a disagreement with an adult family member. Maybe he or she wants you to have
an earlier curfew, and you don’t. Why do you disagree? You each have your own perspective, or point of view. Your
different perspectives come from your different experiences. If you can understand each others’ experiences, it will
help you to be more empathic, and maybe you can even come to an agreement!

Now it’s time to learn more about your adult family member’s experiences. Work together to create a timeline of his
or her life. Write short sentences or draw simple pictures that describe different experiences in each stage of his or her
life in the timeline below. After you’ve completed the timeline, answer the questions below.
Example: Baby brother born

(Born) (Early childhood) (Middle childhood) (Teenage years) (Young adulthood) (Adult years)

What new things have you learned about this person?

What are some similarities between this person’s history and yours?

What are some differences?

How has learning about this person’s experiences changed your view of him or her?

This homework assignment was completed on .

(date) [adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 143

 Lesson 2
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

Identify three skills you can use when you need to disagree with someone respectfully.

1.

2.

3.

Connecting to My Life

Identify one of the respectful disagreement skills you’d like to work on, and explain why.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 145

 Lesson 2
Grade Additional Practice: Respectful Disagreement

Instructions for Students

1. Work with another student.
2. Come up with a situation in which there are at least two points of view.
3. Write at least six lines of dialogue (three lines each) showing two characters communicating the different
points of view to each another.
4. Make sure the characters demonstrate respectful disagreement skills:
• Keep calm.
• Use active listening.
• Consider the other person’s perspective.
• Explain their own perspective clearly.
• Act nonjudgmentally.

Situation:

Dialogue

Character A:

Character B:

Character A:

Character B:

Character A:

Character B:

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 147

 Lesson 2
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

Can countries respectfully disagree?

Just as two people can disagree, so can two countries. Select any two countries, such as the
United States and Mexico. Have students work in groups to brainstorm ideas about what
these two countries might disagree about, such as immigration, sharing resources, civil
rights, or borders. Now have half the groups pretend they are ambassadors or delegates
from one of the countries, and the other half of the groups pretend they are ambassadors
or delegates from the other country. Have each group come up with some ways the two
countries could respectfully disagree, using the respectful disagreement skills as a guide.
Then have groups representing different countries role-play respectful disagreement with
each other.

Health and Science

Are you considering the other side’s perspective?

Choose a controversial topic in science, such as protecting endangered species or drilling

for oil in sensitive environments. Have your students work in pairs to research both sides
of the topic using preselected Web sites or search engines. Then have the pairs create a
script between two fictional characters that captures the different points of view on the
topic, while practicing the respectful disagreement skills learned in this lesson. Have the
students read the scripts aloud.

Media Literacy
Are they responding respectfully?

Preselect several screens of appropriate blogs from the Web on topics such as music or
books. The blogs should include a variety of responses. Have students work in groups
to read the blogs, and then determine if the responses to the blogs were respectful to the
writer. Then have the groups identify which respectful disagreement skills the responders
used or did not use. Have the groups discuss their thoughts with the class.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 149

 Lesson 3
Grade Empathy and Communication: Negotiating and Compromising
 Lesson 3
Grade Handout 3A: Analyze the Situation

Section 1

Describe the problem from each girl’s perspective:

(Lexie)

(Hannah)

Describe how each girl feels:

(Lexie)

(Hannah)

Describe what each girl needs or wants:

(Lexie)

(Hannah)

Does either character need more information? If so, what?

Section 2

Write a neutral problem statement:

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 163

 Lesson 3
Grade Handout 3B: Negotiation and Compromise Skill-Practice Instructions

Instructions
1. Decide who will be the characters and who will be the coaches.
2. Characters read the first scenario and their characters’ perspectives out loud.
3. Characters negotiate and compromise to reach a win-win solution.
4. Coaches watch, check off skills the characters use on their checklists, and give suggestions.
5. Then switch parts and do the other scenario.

Negotiation and compromise skills Character A Character B

Make a neutral problem statement.

Brainstorm options.

Consider consequences.

Negotiate.

Reach a compromise.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 165

 Lesson 3
Grade Negotiation and Compromise Skill-Practice Scenarios, Set 1

Set 1

The Friend
A friend of Character A and Character B has started drinking. Both A and B know it’s a bad thing to do, and they are
worried about their friend, but they disagree about what they should do about it.

Character A: You think the best way to help your friend stop drinking is to tell an adult.

Character B: You don’t want to tell an adult about your friend’s drinking. You don’t want your friend to get in
trouble. You would rather tell your friend directly that you think it’s not smart to drink.

The Closet
Character A finds his or her sister or brother (Character B) going through Character A’s closet to borrow clothes.
They disagree about whether closets are private or not.

Character A: You think that your closet should be completely private. You have a job to earn money to buy clothes,
and you don’t see why you should share clothes you have worked hard to buy.

Character B (the sister or brother): You think families should share things like clothes. You need a red sweater for
school spirit day. You know your sister or brother has one, and you think he or she should lend it to
you for one day. You go to different schools, so your sister or brother doesn’t need the sweater for
school spirit day.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 167

 Lesson 3
Grade Negotiation and Compromise Skill-Practice Scenarios, Set 2

Set 2

The Group
Character A and Character B are in the same group of friends. There is a friend in their group that is saying mean
things and spreading rumors about the others in their group.

Character A: You don’t want to be around people who bully. You want to take a break from this group of friends.

Character B: You don’t like to be around people who bully. You want to say something to the friend who is being
mean and spreading rumors.

The Lunch Table

Character A is an eighth-grader. Character B is a sixth-grader. The two characters want to sit at the same lunch table
with their own friends. There is only room for one of them. They disagree about who has the right to sit there.

Character A: You think that as an eighth-grader you automatically have the right to use the table. The eighth-graders
always sit there at lunch time. You also think that being the older student gives you more privileges.
Since there are other tables, you think six graders should sit somewhere else.

Character B: You think that since you got there first, you have the right to sit there with your friends. You think
things should be fair and equal between sixth-graders and eighth-graders. Just because eighth-graders
have always sat there, it does not mean they automatically have the right to sit there, especially if they
don’t get there first. You think you should get the chance to sit at the table.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 169

 Lesson 3
Grade Homework: Winning the Battle

Name:

Imagine you go to an after-school program. You get there, and all you want to do is hang out. But nooo! The adult
director wants everyone to do their homework right when they arrive. This feels like a constant battle, and everyone’s
tired of it! It’s time to find a win-win solution. In a win-win solution, there are no losers in the disagreement. You find
a solution that makes both people feel like they’ve “won.” Sound good? It is! Go through the following steps with an
adult to see if you come up with your own “win-win” solution to the homework battle.

Analyze the situation Student’s perspective Adult’s perspective

What’s the problem?

How do you feel?

What do you need?

Do you need more

information? If so, what?

Neutral problem statement:

Brainstorm options: We considered each option, then decided on

this compromise:
1.
2.
3.

This is how we felt when we reached a win-win solution:

This homework assignment was completed on
.
(date)

[adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 171

 Lesson 3
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

When solving a problem, why is it important to analyze the situation?

Why is it important to find a win-win solution?

Connecting to My Life

Think about a problem you are having with someone and develop a neutral problem statement about it.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 173

 Lesson 3
Grade Additional Practice: Negotiating and Compromising

Preparation
1. Make copies of the additional handout on the next page for each student.
2. If doing the skill practice, make copies of Handout 3B for each student.

Instructions for Students

1. On the additional handout, describe in one to two sentences a situation in which Character A and Character B
have a conflict. (For example, Character A and Character B disagree about whose turn it is to do a classroom
chore.)
2. Write a sentence or phrase that describes each character’s different perspective. (For example, Character A’s
perspective might be, “It’s not my day.” Character B’s perspective might be, “I did it for you when you were
absent yesterday.”)
3. Work through the situation with a partner.

~ OR ~

Follow the instructions above, then read and follow the skill-practice instructions on Handout 3B using the conflict
situations you’ve just created with a partner.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 175

 Lesson 3
Grade Additional Practice: Negotiating and Compromising

Additional Handout

Situation Character A’s perspective Character B’s perspective

Character A
How does he or she feel?

What does he or she need or want?

Character B
How does he or she feel?

What does he or she need or want?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 177

Lesson 3
Additional Practice: Negotiating and Compromising Grade

Does either person need more information? If so, what?

Neutral problem statement:

Brainstorm options:
1.
2.
3.

Consider each option. Explain your answers in the spaces provided.

What might How might people feel

Possible option Is it safe? Is it ethical?
happen if I do this? about it?

Negative

Positive

Negative

Positive

Negative

Positive

We decided on this compromise:

Page 178 Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention © 2008 Committee for Children
 Lesson 3
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

Can you find a “united” solution?

The United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945 after World War II. Its job is to maintain
peace and stability through international cooperation. It is composed of more than 190
countries from around the world. Briefly discuss the role of the UN with your class.
Then divide your class into small groups. Each student in the group represents a different
country, creating a “mini UN.” Present the groups with an international, national, local,
or schoolwide problem (for example, global warming, emission laws, or lack of recycling).
Give groups time to research the problem, if necessary. Each mini UN needs to come up
with a “united” plan using the Action Steps to solve the problem. Each individual in a
group must ensure that his or her country’s perspective is being heard and included in the
final plan. Students will need to use negotiating and compromising skills as they try to
come up with a “united” plan for solving the problem. Have each group present their plan
to the class.

Health and Science

Can you solve this problem?

Have students work in groups to solve a simple science problem using the Action Steps.
For example, you could ask your students: Which is best simple machine (or combination
of simple machines) to use to move a heavy box of books into the back of a truck? Have
each group present their solutions to the class.

Media Literacy
Which one is the better solution?

Record a clip from an age-appropriate TV sitcom (such as an episode of I Love Lucy)

where a problem is presented. Include in the clip the presentation of the problem and
the resolution of the problem. Put your students in groups. Show the clip through the
presentation of the problem, but stop it before the problem is resolved. Have the groups
use the Action Steps to create a plan for solving the characters’ problem. Have each group
explain their plan to the class. Then show the rest of the clip. How closely did their plans
match the characters’ solution? Ask which solution students think is better, their group’s,
or the characters’? Why?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 179

 Lesson 4
Grade Empathy and Communication: Giving and Getting Support
 Lesson 4
Grade Handout 4A: Skills Allies Use

An effective ally uses the following skills:

1.

2.

3.

4.

An effective ally uses the following skills:

1.

2.

3.

4.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 193

 Lesson 4
Grade Handout 4B: Assertive Communication Skill-Practice Instructions

Instructions

First student:
1. Read the scenario to yourself.
2. Explain the problem clearly to your partner.
3. Ask for help or advice.
4. Write three things to say to an adult in the spaces below.

Second student:
1. Listen carefully to the problem.
2. Offer help or advice.
3. Help the first student write three things to say to an adult in the spaces below.

1. Write one or two sentences describing the problem.

2. Write one sentence describing how you feel about the problem.

3. Write one or two sentences describing what you need or want to happen.

Then both students go to an adult and ask for help assertively. Remember to use assertive communication and the
skills good allies use.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 195

 Lesson 4
Grade Assertive Communication Skill-Practice Scenarios

Set 1

Math Grade
Your grade in math has dropped drastically in the last month. You know you’re missing some assignments, but you’re
not sure which ones. You need to do something soon to bring up your grade, but you’re afraid to talk to your teacher.
Explain your situation to a classmate and ask for help or advice.

Stolen Backpack
On your way to lunch, you see a sixth-grade student’s backpack stolen by an eighth-grader you recognize. You feel
sorry for the kid, but you’re not sure what to do. Explain the situation to a friend at your lunch table and ask for help
or advice.

Or create your own scenarios!

Set 2

The Threat
Someone has threatened to beat you up. He says he’ll be waiting for you after school. You know he’s likely to follow
through with this threat, and you’re really scared. Explain the situation to a friend and ask for help or advice.

The Test
You’re completely stressed out about a standardized test that’s coming up in a few days. You feel like your school,
your parents, and your teachers are putting a lot of pressure on you to do well. You’re really afraid you’ll panic on
the day of the test and your mind will go blank. Explain how you’re feeling to a friend and ask for help or advice.

Or create your own scenarios!

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 197

 Lesson 4
Grade Homework: Thank You!

Name:

When was the last time you said “thank you” to an adult in your life? Even if it was recently, it doesn’t hurt to say it
again! Think about a time in your life when you received help or support from an adult such as a teacher, relative, or
coach. This support could be anything from helping you with your homework or driving you to a friend’s house to
supporting your decision not to use alcohol and other drugs. Now write a letter to the adult thanking him or her
for helping you in some way. You can use the form here or write your own. When you finish, make sure to give
him or her your letter.

This homework assignment Dear ,

was completed on
I am writing this letter to thank you for a time
.
(date) you gave me help when I needed it. The time
I am thinking about when I really needed your
[adult] signature help was when:

You helped me by:

As a result of your help, I now:

The things I appreciate most about you are:

Thank you again for giving me help when I really needed it.

Sincerely,

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 199

 Lesson 4
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

What is an ally?

I can be an ally to a ,a , and a .

Connecting to My Life

List and describe three skills you have that would make you a good ally.

1.

2.

3.

Write the names of one friend and one adult who would be supportive allies in the left column. In the right column,
write down the skills you know this person has that would help him or her be an effective ally to you.

Names Skills

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 201

 Lesson 4
Grade Additional Practice: Giving and Getting Support

Preparation
1. Put students into groups.
2. Give each student another copy of Handout 4B.
3. Give each group the set of additional scenarios below.

Instructions for Students

1. Work in groups.
2. Read and follow the skill-practice instructions on Handout 4B using the additional scenarios.
~ OR ~
Preparation
1. Put students into groups.
2. Give each student another copy of Handout 4B.
3. Have students create their own scenarios for situations where they need to give and/or get support.

Instructions for Students

1. In one to three sentences, describe a situation in which a character needs to go to an adult for support. Do not
use real names.

2. Read and follow the skill-practice instructions on Handout 4B using the scenarios you created.

Additional Scenarios
Cleaning Up
Behind Your Back
Your older sister is supposed to be helping you clean
You find out that a classmate has been saying mean
up after dinner, but she is talking on the phone instead.
things about you and your family behind your back.
This has happened more than once, and you are feeling
You feel hurt and angry, and you want him or her
like she is taking advantage of you. You think your
to stop. You don’t feel comfortable confronting the
parents should make her do her part, but you don’t
classmate yourself. Pretend your partner is your sister or
want to sound like a whiner. Pretend your partner is
brother and ask for help or advice.
your cousin and ask for help or advice.
Stained Shirt
Copying
You bought a new shirt with your own money. When
A classmate who sits next to you in science class keeps
you got it home, you noticed a stain that you hadn’t
looking over and copying your work. You don’t mind
seen when you tried it on. You want to take the shirt
helping her out when you’re doing group work, but you
back to the store to exchange it for another. You feel
don’t want her to copy your individual work. You think
nervous about talking to the sales clerk by yourself.
the teacher saw her copying today. You’re worried he’ll
Pretend your partner is a friend and ask for help
think you were cheating. Pretend your partner is another
or advice.
friend from science class and ask for help or advice.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 203

 Lesson 4
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

How can you help?

Many people affected by natural disasters such as floods, fires, and earthquakes need
support. Have students think of a natural disaster that has occurred recently either locally,
nationally, or internationally. Then have students brainstorm together in small groups ways
that their group might be able to support those people in need (for example, groups could
collect donations of money, clothes, food, and other needed supplies). Have each group
share their ideas with the class. Then you can have each group follow through on their
ideas for helping natural disaster victims as a service-learning activity.

Health and Science

How can you support the environment?

Find a local environmental conservation volunteer opportunity for your students. For
possibilities, check with your local parks and public lands departments. Have students join
an ongoing community effort to clean up a park, stream, or other natural habitat. They
could even do a school-grounds cleanup. The volunteer time could be done as a class or in
small groups during school hours, or it could be done as homework or extra credit outside
of school time. After your students have experienced working with a group to support a
conservation effort, discuss in small groups or as a class the following questions: How did
your group support each other during the cleanup effort? In what way were you being an
“ally” to the environment? Why is it important that groups work together to support our
natural environment?

Media Literacy
How can you make electronic communication more personal?

Because they lack voice inflections and body language, simple electronic communications
can be easily misinterpreted or seem impersonal. Ask students to brainstorm ways they
can make electronic communication more friendly and personal (such as using emoticons,
abbreviations, etc.). Then have students send a friendly, personal email, text message, or
other form of electronic communication to a friend, classmate, or acquaintance who needs
support, encouragement, or just a friendly gesture. Remind students to show empathy in
their messages, using the skills taught in this lesson (for example, let the person know that
you know how he or she feels, you remember what it was like to be in his or her situation,
you’ll give them support if he or she ever needs it, or you like being his or her friend).

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 205

 Lesson 5
Grade Bullying Prevention: Responding to Bullying
 Lesson 5
Grade Handout 5A: Recognizing Bullying

With your partner, think of a situation that happens around school that you would consider bullying.
Write one sentence that describes the situation. Please do not use real names.

With your partner, think of a situation that happens around school that you would consider bullying.
Write one sentence that describes the situation. Please do not use real names.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 221

 Lesson 5
Grade Handout 5B: Dealing with Bullying

Tips for Dealing with Bullying

Tip 1
Tell yourself that it is not your fault.

Tip 2
Stay in control. Don’t retaliate by fighting or bullying back. This usually makes things worse.

Tip 3
Tell the person or people who are bullying to stop, if you feel safe and confident doing this.

Tip 4
Avoid places or situations where bullying happens. If you can’t, keep someone you know or an adult nearby.

Tip 5
Get support from a trusted adult.

Tip 6
Add a class tip.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 223

 Lesson 5
Grade Handout 5C: Bystander Power

Be part of the solution:

Don’t take part in bullying.

• Don’t laugh.
• Don’t stay to watch.
• Don’t encourage.
• Don’t spread rumors.

Offer support.
Be an ally to someone being bullied.
• Label the bullying.
• Talk to the person.
• Offer help.
• Keep the person company.

Take action against bullying.

• Distract the person doing the bullying.
• Walk away with the person been bullied.
• Tell the person doing the bullying to stop.
• Talk to a trusted adult about the bullying.

You can make a difference!

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 225

 Lesson 5
Grade Family Letter

Dear Family,

Middle school is a time when bullying among peers peaks. This week we started a new topic of the Stepping In
program: bullying. Your student is learning to recognize bullying, whether it is happening to the student or to
someone else. We are also taking a closer look at sexual harassment and cyber bullying. We are focusing on what
students can do about bullying so they can be safe and happy at school.
Here at school, we are creating a safe learning environment. We would like to work with you to make this happen.
There are several warning signs that could indicate that your child is experiencing bullying at school. Please be on the
alert for:
• Damaged or missing clothing, books, or other belongings
• Unexpected bruises, cuts, or scratches
• Few or no friends to spend time with
• Fear of going to school
• Fear of riding the bus or walking to school
• Taking an illogical or long route home
• An unexpected drop in grades and/or interest
• Unusual moodiness, depression, anxiety, or crying
• Frequent headaches or stomachaches
• Loss of appetite
• Trouble sleeping

If you suspect your student is being bullied, contact at our school

for help. If you suspect your student is participating in bullying, please visit www.cfchildren.org/resources to find
online resources that can help guide you in talking to your student about bullying.

Ask your student to talk to you about the Bystander Power suggestions and how to identify and deal with sexual
harassment and cyber bullying. Tell your student about your experiences with bullying and/or sexual harassment,
either what you remember from your youth or what you have experienced in the workplace. Ask your student about
what kinds of bullying he or she sees happening at school.

Together we can help our youth stay safe and develop confidence and empathy during the middle school years.

Sincerely,

P.S. Make sure to join www.secondstep.org with the activation key SSP7 FAMI LY23
to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 227

 Lesson 5
Grade Homework: Are You Safe?

Bystander Power
Name: • Don’t take part in bullying.

• Offer support. Be an ally

You are a safety inspector who investigates bullying incidents. Just as safety to someone being bullied.
inspectors respond to reports of unsafe equipment, working conditions, and
public places, you respond to reports of bullying. To make the conditions safe • Take action against bullying.
again and ensure that no one gets hurt either emotionally or physically, you
interview bystanders, then write up safety reports with recommendations.

Interview an adult family member about his or her experience with being a bystander to bullying. Write up his or her
responses and your recommendations in the Safety Report below.

Safety Report
Description of incident:
What was unsafe?

How was the person

hurt (emotionally
or physically)?

Did any of the

other bystanders do
anything about it? If
so, what?

How did you feel

about the incident
when it occurred?

If you could go back in

time, what would you
do differently?

This homework assignment was completed on .

(date) [adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 229

 Lesson 5
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

How can a bystander be part of the problem in bullying?

How can a bystander be part of the solution to bullying?

Connecting to My Life

If you see bullying happening, what might you do differently now that you know how bystanders can be part of
the solution?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 231

 Lesson 5
Grade Additional Practice: Responding to Bullying

Teacher Instructions

Have your class create a bystander “code of conduct.”

1. Explain to your class that a bystander code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the responsibilities of
bystanders during bullying incidents.
2. Have the class brainstorm ideas to include on the bystander code of conduct.
3. With students, select the top five responsibilities for the final code of conduct.
4. Have student groups create several copies of the code of conduct on posterboard or butcher paper.
5. Post the final code of conduct in highly visible locations around the school.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 233

 Lesson 5
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

Were they part of the problem?

Have students read Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery” (you can find this public
domain story on the Web). Put students into groups to discuss or write about the following
questions: What events led to the final cruelty? How were the townspeople “part of the
problem?” What could the people have done differently to be “part of the solution?”
Could something like this happen now? Why or why not?

Health and Science

How does bullying affect your health?

Have students work in groups to research the physical and mental health effects of
bullying. Have half of the groups focus on those who are bullied, and the other half on
those who bully. Direct the groups to www.cfchildren.org/resources to find links to Web
sites that provide appropriate information about bullying. Have groups present their
findings to the class, and then discuss: How do the health effects between those who are
bullied and those who are bullying compare?

Media Literacy
Do violent video games lead to violence and aggression?

Research shows that exposure to violent video games is significantly linked to aggressive
behavior.1 Have your students work in small groups to discuss whether they agree or
disagree with the following statement: Violent video games lead to violence or aggression.
Have groups come up with possible reasons for both sides of the argument, while
thinking about the following questions: How are violent acts represented? What kind of
participation in violent acts do video games require? How might violent video games be a
rehearsal for violent behavior? Do these games desensitize the user to violence? Then have
groups present and discuss their conclusions with the class.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 235

 Lesson 6
Grade Bullying Prevention: Cyber Bullying
 Lesson 6
Grade Handout 6A: Pros and Cons

Name:

Make a list of pros and cons of electronic socializing. Be very specific when you list your ideas. To get started, think
of the following themes: fun, convenience, safety, privacy, friendships, and communication.

Pros Cons

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 249

 Lesson 6
Grade Handout 6B: Be Part of the Solution, Part 1

Avoiding Cyber Bullying

Don’t give out personal information.

• This includes your name, phone number, address, email address, the name of your school, names of family
members, pictures of yourself, and so on.
• Never tell anyone your passwords or personal identification numbers (PINs).

Pause and think twice before you send messages.

• Think about how you can’t get the message back once you’ve sent it.
• Ask yourself these questions:
• Could the message make you vulnerable to bullying because it is very personal, potentially embarrassing,
or revealing?
• Could the message get you in trouble if an adult saw it?
• How might other people feel when they read this message?
• Realize that anything you send out electronically could potentially be sent to everyone you know and many
more people you don’t know.

Avoid saying anything in an electronic message that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face.

Do not forward gossip or hurtful or threatening messages.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 251

Lesson 6
Handout 6B: Be Part of the Solution, Part 2 Grade

Responding to Cyber Bullying

If it’s happening to you:

Document cyber bullying.

Save any harassing, threatening, bullying, or sexually inappropriate messages and show them to an adult. Make
sure the adult saves the messages.

Report cyber bullying.

• Tell a trusted adult right away.
• Inform your Internet service provider or cellphone service provider of the problem, if necessary.
• Inform your school administration if you know that the problem involves schoolmates.
• Inform the police if the problem involves harassment, threats, or sexually inappropriate content.

Do not write back aggressively to someone who is cyber bullying.

• Even if someone else “started it,” you could become “part of the problem” by responding in an aggressive
way to cyber bullying messages.
• Check your computer/phone for the ability to block messages from the person doing the bullying.

Never arrange to meet someone who is bullying online.

Remember, do not blame yourself if you receive bullying or inappropriate messages! Other people’s cruel or
illegal behavior is not your fault.

If you’re a bystander:

Offer support to someone who is being cyber bullied.

• Acknowledge that the bullying is unfair.
• Encourage the person being bullied to report it.

Do not forward gossip or hurtful or threatening messages.

Page 252 Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention © 2008 Committee for Children
 Lesson 6
Grade Handout 6C: Dealing with Cyber Bullying

Instructions
1. Read the situation with your group members.
2. Write three suggestions for how your character can handle the situation. Use Handout 6B as a guide.
3. Write something that one of the characters could have done differently.

Name of character:

Suggestions for what your character can do:

1.

2.

3.

What could one of the characters in the scenario have done differently?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 253

 Lesson 6
Grade Cyber Bullying Situations

Top 10 Web Site

Tara could only invite eight friends to her birthday party. When two of her friends, Rachel and Lena, found out they
weren’t invited, they felt hurt and insulted. They decided to “get back” at Tara by setting up a Web site they called
“The Top 10 Reasons Tara is a B----.” They sent an email around to dozens of their classmates asking them to go to
the Web site and add reasons to the list. Then Rachel and Lena sent Tara an email telling her to look at the site.
What could Tara do?

Mean Emails
Marcus has given his email address out to Tim, a boy in his science class. Tim says he wants to send Marcus some
links to funny Web sites. At first Tim just sends mass emails with the funny Web site links. But after a few weeks he
also starts sending mass emails that say mean things about other kids at school. These are sent to several of Marcus’s
classmates. Marcus doesn’t want to receive the emails, but he is afraid to say anything to Tim because he might start
sending out mean emails about him. What could Marcus do?

Mean Photo
Terrence is hanging out at Ray’s house with some other friends of Ray’s. They are talking about Ray’s ex-girlfriend,
Kendra, who recently broke up with him and is now going out with another of Ray’s friends. Ray is angry and upset
with Kendra. He has an idea to take a photo of Kendra and change it in a way that would really embarrass her. He
plans on sending this picture out to everyone he knows. Terrence knows this is a terrible idea. What could he do?

Personal Information
Daria is excited about instant messaging with Siri, an older girl from school she hopes to get to know better. At first,
Siri is just making small talk, but soon she starts asking Daria some personal questions about her relationship with
Alex. Daria wants Siri to like her, and she thinks telling Siri secrets will build a bond between them. So Daria tells
Siri some very personal information about her relationship with Alex. The next day Daria finds out that her instant
messages were saved and forwarded to all of Siri’s friends. When she passes them in the hall, they laugh and call
Daria names. What can Daria do?

Cell Phone Threats

Every day Eric is bullied by a boy named Jeremy. Jeremy is older and bigger than Eric and has an intimidating group
of friends. Eric decides the only way to get back at Jeremy is anonymously, through cell phone text messages. Eric
sends messages to Jeremy threatening to hurt him and his younger brother. Eric feels this is the only way he can
tolerate the bullying that is happening to him. Jeremy is frightened by the text messages. He doesn’t know who is
sending them. What could Jeremy do? What could Eric do?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 255

 Lesson 6
Grade Homework: Top Five

Name:

You may already use technology at home to communicate with others. Or maybe an adult family member at home
won’t let you. In either case, come up with your top five things to be careful about while communicating using
technology. Show your list to an adult family member. Is he or she convinced that you use or will use technology at
home safely?

The Top Five

things to be careful about when communicating using technology

1.

Adult: Definitely something to be careful about! Undecided. Don’t worry about this.

2.

Adult: Definitely something to be careful about! Undecided. Don’t worry about this.

3.

Adult: Definitely something to be careful about! Undecided. Don’t worry about this.

4.

Adult: Definitely something to be careful about! Undecided. Don’t worry about this.

5.

Adult: Definitely something to be careful about! Undecided. Don’t worry about this.

This homework assignment was completed on .

(date) [adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 257

 Lesson 6
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

List three types of cyber bullying:

1.

2.

3.

Connecting to My Life

Now that I know more about cyber bullying, this is what I’m going to do to be part of the solution:

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 259

 Lesson 6
Grade Additional Practice: Responding to Cyber Bullying

Teacher Instructions

Have your students respond to one or both of the following questions about the way they talk to their friends online:
1. How is talking to friends online different from how you speak to them face-to-face or on the phone? Describe.
2. Have you ever had a misunderstanding with friend about an electronic message? Describe.

~ OR ~

Create a fake cyber-bullying message without using the names of students in your class/school. Then have your
students:
1. Read the message.
2. Respond assertively to the “sender” of the message. Remind them to use respectful language.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 261

 Lesson 6
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

How would you symbolize cyber-bullying prevention?

Have student groups create their own steps/advice and artwork for a cyber bullying
prevention poster. Encourage them to come up with drawings that symbolize what the
concepts in the lesson mean to them. After completing the poster, have each group write a
brief description about what their drawings mean. Have each group present their posters
to the class. Have the other groups try to interpret the meaning of the drawings. Display
posters around the classroom or school with their descriptions attached.

Health and Science

Why do people act differently online than they do in person?

Sometimes people will say things online that they would never dream of saying to someone
face to face—both good and bad things. Why is that? Psychologists call it the “online
disinhibition effect.”4 The online disinhibition effect can be caused by one or more of the
following factors:
• You don’t know me (anonymity)
• You can’t see me (invisibility)
• See you later (asynchronicity—not interacting in real time)
• It’s all in my head (solipsistic introjection—they begin to think their online companion is
a creation of their own mind)
• It’s just a game (dissociation—it’s not real)
• We’re equals (neutralizing of status—no fear of retribution by authority)

Have your students work in groups to describe what they think each of the factors mean
and how they may contribute to online disinhibition effect. Or you can assign each group
one factor and have them report back and discuss with the class.

Media Literacy
What does the law say?

Have student groups research “cyber bullying” and “law” online. Direct the groups
to www.cfchildren.org/resources to find links to Web sites that provide appropriate
information on cyber bullying. Have each group write up a list of the laws about cyber
bullying. Then have groups discuss their lists with the other groups. As a class, consolidate
the lists to create one list of all the cyber-bullying laws that they found.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 263

 Lesson 7
Grade Bullying Prevention: Sexual Harassment
 Lesson 7
Grade Handout 7A: Sexual Harassment

Section 1: Definition of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment happens when a student is bothered with words, actions, or pictures of a sexual nature or about
being male or female, so that the student has difficulty learning or feeling safe in school.

Words
• Written or verbal remarks or jokes about someone’s body
• Written or verbal comments about someone’s sexual activity
• Tone of voice

Actions
• Suggestive or rude sounds or gestures
• Unwanted touching, grabbing, or pinching
• Staring

Pictures
• Showing photos, drawings, or symbols of a sexual nature
• Graffiti

Being male or female

• Harassed because of gender
• Harassed because of (perceived or otherwise) sexual orientation

Write how sexual harassment might interfere with learning or feeling safe at school.

Section 2: Telling the Difference Between Flirting and Harassing

Flirting Harassing

Welcome attention Not welcome

Goes both ways One-sided
You feel good, flattered, or neutral You feel uncomfortable
You feel in control You feel powerless
Legal in school Not legal, violates school rules

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 279

 Lesson 7
Grade Handout 7B: Clear, Assertive Messages Skill-Practice Instructions

Instructions
1. Decide who will practice first.
2. The other person reads the scenario.
3. The practicing student talks to the scenario reader as if he or she is addressing the person who is harassing.
4. Do not act out the harassing behavior.
5. The scenario reader checks the checklist and gives feedback on the practice.
6. Switch parts and repeat the skill practice with a different scenario.

Assertive Communication Checklist

Check the
Assertive communication skills you
observed

Look at the other person.

Keep your head up and shoulders back.

Use a calm voice.

Use clear, respectful language.

Bonus: Use words that sound natural.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 281

 Lesson 7
Grade Clear, Assertive Messages Skill-Practice Scenarios

Set for Girls

Leave Me Alone
There’s a new boy in your math class. At first you think he’s really cute and you make an effort to get to know him.
After a while, you realize you don’t have much in common. Now, however, he keeps asking you out. You’ve said no,
but he keeps asking, and sometimes he gets angry with you. You feel kind of guilty because you made the first attempt
at getting to know him better, but now his attitude and behavior are making you uncomfortable. What could you say
to get him to leave you alone?

The Rumor
You’re hanging out with some friends after school. One of your friends says she’s heard some really juicy gossip. She
tells you about something sexual that another friend has done with an older boy. You don’t believe this gossip is true,
and you feel uncomfortable talking about another friend behind her back. What could you say to your friends to stop
the rumor?

Set for Boys

Rude Gestures
You play trumpet in the school band. Lately, when the band director is not looking, some of the boys in your section
have been making rude sexual gestures with their instruments to make each other laugh. You can see that some of the
girls in the band are uncomfortable with this behavior, but they are outnumbered by the boys and seem too shy to say
anything. What could you say to get the boys to stop?

Unwanted Email
Someone you know has emailed you inappropriate pictures that make you feel uncomfortable. To make things worse,
you do not have a private email account and your younger sister saw the pictures when she was checking messages.
What could you say to the person who sent the pictures so it doesn’t happen again?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 283

 Lesson 7
Grade Homework: Crossing the Line

Name: What’s the Difference?

Flirting Harassing
Welcome attention Not welcome
Are they kidding? Or are they sexually harassing? Sometimes it’s hard to
Goes both ways One-sided
know when they’ve crossed the line—even in TV sitcoms. Watch a sitcom
You feel good You feel uncomfortable
with an adult family member. Be on the lookout for incidences of flirting
You feel in control You feel powerless
and when they’ve crossed the line to harassing. Each time you see an
incidence of flirting or potential harassing, indicate on the graphs below
how close to the line they are, or whether they’ve crossed it. Before you get started, answer the following questions.
Keep your answers in mind as you determine whether a character is “just kidding” or they’ve crossed the line to
sexually harassing another person.

Name of sitcom:

What is flirting?

What is harassing?

How can you tell the difference between flirting and harassing?

Incident 1

(flirting) (harassing)

Incident 2

(flirting) (harassing)

Incident 3

(flirting) (harassing)

Incident 4

(flirting) (harassing)

This homework assignment was completed on .

(date) [adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 285

 Lesson 7
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

List three types of sexual harassment.

1.

2.

3.

Connecting to My Life

Now that I know what sexual harassment is, I will (describe what you will do about it):

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 287

 Lesson 7
Grade Additional Practice: Responding to Sexual Harassment

Preparation
1. Put students into same-sex groups.
2. Give each student another copy of Handout 7B.
3. Give each group the set of additional scenarios below. Explain that the members of the group should use the
appropriate scenario for their gender.

Instructions for Students

1. Work in groups.
2. Read and follow the skill-practice instructions on Handout 7B using the appropriate additional scenario for
your gender.

Additional Scenarios

For Girls
A boy in your gym class slapped your backside when the teacher wasn’t looking. You complained to a friend who
said, “He just likes you. So what?” You feel very uncomfortable about the situation, and you don’t want to be on the
boy’s team again. What could you say to your friend? What could you say to the boy? What else could you do?

For Boys
Your friends like to joke around a lot. Sometimes, though, you think they go too far. They insult you and each other
using inappropriate terms like “retarded” and “gay.” You know this is wrong, and you don’t like it. You’ve told them
to stop, but they keep doing it, saying, “It’s just a joke. What’s the big deal?” What could you say or do?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 289

 Lesson 7
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

What’s your “legal” advice?

Have students work in groups to research and report on the sexual harassment laws
in schools. Preselect appropriate sexual harassment Web sites using keywords “sexual
harassment,” “school,” and “law.” Then ask the groups to give their “legal” advice about
the following situation (or make up one of your own) and discuss it with the class.

There’s a group of girls that follow Alex around. They are constantly making sexually
explicit gestures at him and sending him suggestive notes. Some of the girls even
“accidentally” rub up against him. At first he kind of liked the attention, but now he feels
embarrassed and harassed. He has started to avoid walking down the hall if he thinks the
girls will be around. Sometimes he even pretends he’s sick so he doesn’t have to face them
at school.

Health and Science

What do hormones have to do with it?

The following activity is designed to be used within a sex-education curriculum.

Otherwise, it may not be appropriate.

Many middle school students are going through the transition from childhood to
adulthood, not only emotionally but physically. This period of physical growth, called
“puberty,” is caused by hormonal changes in the adolescents’ bodies. Have students work
in same-gender groups to research the different hormones released during puberty and
how they cause the physical and emotional changes they may be experiencing. Preselect
appropriate Web sites about puberty. Discuss the question: How do these hormones affect
the way you feel (such as sad, confused, excited, etc.)?

Media Literacy
How would you respond?

Preselect a print article on sexual harassment in the news. Have students work in groups.
Distribute copies of the article to each group. Have each group write how they would
respond if they were the ones being harassed. Remind students to apply the assertiveness
skills when writing their responses. Have groups read their responses to the class.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 291

 Lesson 8
Grade Emotion Management: Understanding Anger
 Lesson 8
Grade Handout 8A: Staying in Control

Name:

Section 1

Describe a situation that makes you really angry each time it happens.

Notice your physical and mental signs.

The host in the video described several physical and mental signs of anger. Check off any signs of anger that you’ve
noticed you have, especially in the situation you described above.

Feeling hot Feeling hot in the face Sweating palms Sick to stomach
Heart racing Feeling flustered Feeling like you can’t get your words out
Hard to breathe Tight muscles Breathing heavily, hyperventilating

Add other signs here:

Section 2

Pause. Use your signal.

Write a one- or two-word signal to use.

Think twice. Use your brain.

Write one question to help you think more clearly.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 305

 Lesson 8
Grade Handout 8B: Changing Negative Self-Talk to Positive Self-Talk

History Grade
Milla received her midquarter grade in history. She found out she was earning a C-. She became very upset, thinking:
“History class is stupid! Ms. Bates is so mean! I’m getting a bad grade because she hates me!”

Change her negative self-talk to positive self-talk. Write at least two positive statements:

Left Behind
Darius is walking home from school alone when he sees the group of his friends he usually walks with up ahead. He
is angry that they didn’t wait for him after school. He thinks, “Those guys are such jerks. They’re always trying to
ditch me. I don’t want to be friends with them anyway.”

Change his negative self-talk to positive self-talk. Write at least two positive statements:

The Basketball Game

Elena is riding home on the bus after her basketball team just lost the first game of the season. She had an
opportunity to tie up the score in the last seconds of the game, but missed the free throw. She is thinking angrily,
“I stink at basketball. My teammates probably think I shouldn’t even be on the team. I always mess things up.
I blew it for the whole team.”

Change her negative self-talk to positive self-talk. Write at least two positive statements:

The Game
Charlie sees that his younger brother, Kevin, has borrowed one of his games and is playing it without asking. He gets
very angry and thinks, “That little brat took something of mine without asking! I’ve told him a thousand times that
he has to ask first. I’ll bet Mom will take his side because he’s younger. No one ever listens to my side of the story.”

Change his negative self-talk to positive self-talk. Write at least two positive statements:

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 307

 Lesson 8
Grade Family Letter

Dear Family,

Does living with a teenager ever leave you feeling short-tempered? Does the stress of managing work, family, and
other commitments leave you worn out? You’re not alone. Adults and teens are strongly affected by the demands of
modern life. We all need strategies for managing strong emotions and dealing with stress.

This week we started our Stepping In lessons about managing emotions and coping with stress. When emotions
are intense, it is hard to think straight, and students can make bad decisions. Strong feelings of anger can lead to
aggression and violence. Students can also struggle to make good choices when they experience strong feelings of
sadness, jealousy, anxiety, or even happiness.

Your student is learning the Steps for Staying in Control of strong emotions. Students are learning that emotions
come from an automatic part of their brain, but that they also have a thinking part of their brain that helps them stay
in control.

The Steps for Staying in Control are:

Notice. Recognize your physical and mental signs.
Pause. Use your signal.
Think twice. Use your brain.
Calm down if necessary. Use your calming-down strategies.
Reflect. How did you do?

Ask your student about the steps. Help your student remember to pause and think twice before doing something he
or she might regret.

The strategies for calming down are useful for anyone, adult or teen. They are:
Doing something physically active
Doing something relaxing
Thinking about something else (like counting to ten)
Using centered breathing
Using positive self-talk

Ask your student to show you how these work! Staying in control helps students get along with others, cope with
stressful situations, and focus on their schoolwork. These things help them be more successful in school. Thank you
for your support in creating a successful learning environment for your student.

Sincerely,

P.S. Make sure to join www.secondstep.org with the activation key SSP7 FAMI LY23
to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 309

 Lesson 8
Grade Homework: Tracking Your Anger

Name:

You feel hot. Your palms are sweating. It’s hard to breathe. Your heart is racing.
You’re having a hard time talking. What’s happening? It might sound like you’re Are you feeling angry?
getting the flu—but these “symptoms” are also the physical and mental signs of Remember!
anger. Just noticing these as signs of anger is your first step to staying in control. To stay in control:
• Notice.
Discuss all the Steps for Staying in Control with an adult family member.
• Pause.
Together, think of a time when you were angry with each other. What was the
• Think twice.
situation? Is it a situation that happens again and again? Work together to
• Calm down.
identify which of the Steps for Staying in Control you want to try out next time
• Reflect.
tempers flare. Write a plan in the space provided.

Describe the situation that made you angry.

Does this situation happen over and over? If so, when does it usually happen?

Which of the Steps for Staying in Control might help you in the future?

Write a brief plan for how you will use the Steps for Staying in Control the next time you are angry with each other.

This homework assignment was completed on .

(date) [adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 311

 Lesson 8
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

Why is it important to pause and use your signal when you experience a strong emotion?

What effect does negative self-talk have on your emotions?

Connecting to My Life

I usually handle strong emotions by:

Now I’m going to try:

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 313

 Lesson 8
Grade Additional Practice: Positive Self-Talk

Name:

Instructions for Students

1. Work in pairs.

2. In one to three sentences, describe an emotional situation in which someone might use negative self-talk.

3. Write one negative self-talk sentence in response to the emotional situation.

4. Exchange your situation with your partner.

5. Turn your partner’s negative self-talk statement to a positive self-talk statement.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 315

 Lesson 8
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

What does this artwork mean to you?

Have student groups look closely at the artwork on the Staying in Control poster. What
do they think the artwork means? Encourage students to interpret the symbols and decide
which lesson concepts they represent. Have the groups come up with words that represent
elements of the program or elements suggested by the posters. Then have the groups report
their words and what they mean to the class.

Health and Science

What are the physical effects of uncontrolled anger?

Have students work in groups to research the physiological response of the body to
uncontrolled anger using preselected Web sites or search engines. Have groups report back
their findings, then discuss the following questions: How might this response help us in
some situations? How does this response hinder us? Have each group report their findings
to the class.

Media Literacy
What makes you angry?

Preselect several print, TV, or Web-based advertisements that may make some people
angry, such as fast-food chains targeting children, partisan political ads, tobacco and
alcohol ads that appeal to teens, unrealistically thin models selling products, or sexually
explicit ads. Have students work in groups. Have each group choose one of the ads, then
discuss the following questions: Who might this ad make angry? What about the ad might
anger someone? What are some possible negative responses to this ad by an angry viewer?
How can an angry viewer control his or her anger? What are some possible responses to
this ad by an angry viewer that could cause positive change? Have each group report their
responses to the class.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 317

 Lesson 9
Grade Emotion Management: Staying in Control
 Lesson 9
Grade Handout 9A: Calming-Down Strategies

Name:

Calming-down strategies:
• Doing something physically active
• Doing something relaxing
• Thinking about something else
• Using centered breathing
• Using positive self-talk

For each of the following, write three examples that will work for you.

Doing something physically active. (Remember, it has to be a real workout to make a difference.)

1.

2.

3.

Doing something relaxing.

1.

2.

3.

Thinking about something else.

1.

2.

3.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 331

 Lesson 9
Grade Handout 9B: Dealing with Difficult Situations

Instructions
1. Read the situation strip.
2. Write answers to the questions.

What pause signal could you use?

What think twice question could you ask yourself to make sure you check your assumptions?

What calming-down strategy could you use so you don’t do something that will make the situation worse?
Look at Handout 9A for suggestions.

Once you’re calm, what could you do or say to deal positively with the situation?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 333

 Lesson 9
Grade Dealing with Difficult Situations Strips

Basketball Trouble
You’re playing basketball in the gym at lunch when suddenly a ball hits you hard in the head. You turn around,
and a girl you know is laughing with a group of friends. You think she might have thrown the ball at you to make
her friends laugh. You recognize that you are starting to feel really angry. Your first thought is to throw something
back at her.

Bad Hair Day

You got a bad haircut yesterday. You wore a hat to school, but your homeroom teacher made you take it off. Some
kids in the back of the room start to snicker. You feel like they are laughing at you. You get angrier and angrier,
thinking that they have no right to make fun of you. Your first thought is to go right up to them and say
something insulting.

Shoplifting Rumor
On your way to first period, someone tells you that a boy in your first-period class is spreading a rumor that you
shoplifted at a nearby grocery store yesterday. You are furious that someone would spread such a lie about you.
Your first thought is to walk right up to him and yell at him as soon as you see him.

False Accusation
Some kids you know were reported for smoking behind the gym. You hear a rumor that when they were called in
to talk to the principal, they said you were the person who gave them the cigarettes. This is not true, and you are
furious. You feel like shouting and getting hysterical. Your first thought is to deny the accusation by making a
big scene.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 335

 Lesson 9
Grade Homework: An Emotion Workout

Name:

You are an emotion trainer. You design complete workouts for managing personal emotions. An important part
of this is learning and using calming-down strategies. Select an adult to be your first client. Just as a good physical
workout contains exertion, relaxation, and mental components, so does a good emotion workout. You want your
client to be in the best emotional shape possible, so together come up with as many possibilities as you can think of.
Complete the emotion workout plan below with these possibilities for your client. Have your client select his or her
top three choices from each category by checking them.

Emotion Workout Plan

Ways to be physically active Ways to relax Other things to think about

This homework assignment was completed on .

(date) [adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 337

 Lesson 9
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

List three ways to calm down.

1.

2.

3.

When experiencing strong emotions, it’s important to think twice and check assumptions because:

Connecting to My Life

Next time I’m in a situation when I need to calm down, I’m going to try:

I’m going to try this because:

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 339

 Lesson 9
Grade Additional Practice: Staying in Control

Instructions for Students

1. Work with a partner.

2. Write one to three sentences that describe an anger-provoking situation.

3. Write how the main character feels.

4. Write the main character’s first (not good) thought.

5. Trade situations with another pair of partners and answer the following questions, or use a blank copy of
Handout 9B.

What pause signal could you use?

What think twice question could you ask yourself to make sure you check your assumptions?

What calming-down strategy could you use so you don’t do something that will make the situation worse?

Once you’re calm, what could you do or say to deal positively with the situation?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 341

 Lesson 9
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

Can you say that in a poem?

Have your students write a haiku poem they can recite to themselves at times they need to
stay in control. Haiku poems have three lines. The first line has five syllables, the second
line has seven syllables, and the final line has five syllables (for more information on how
to write haiku poetry, do a Web search on “haiku”). Have your students think about
something that makes them happy or calm (such as nature, a pet, family, or a friend).
Then have them write a poem based on that topic. Ask for volunteers to read their poems
to the class.

Health and Science

How can the brain help keep you in control?

Have students work in groups to identify the different parts of the brain and their
functions. They can use preselected Web sites as references. Have each group draw
a diagram of the brain, labeling and briefly describing at least the following regions:
thalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and cortex. Then have groups discuss the following
questions: In which region of the brain do emotions originate? Which region of the brain
controls higher-level thinking? How does the thinking region of the brain help control the
emotional region? What are some examples of when you need your thinking region of the
brain to help you stay in the control? Which region of the brain makes humans different
from other animals?

Media Literacy
Can you resist the urge to buy?

Preselect several print, TV, or Web-based advertisements (you can use the same ads used
in the media-literacy integration activity for Lesson 8). Have students look critically at all
the advertisements. Then have students discuss in groups the following questions: How
do these ads appeal to our emotions? Why do advertisers want to appeal to our emotions?
Then have each group select one ad and describe how they can resist the “urge” to buy
something by staying in control and engaging the thinking part of their brains. Have each
group report their responses to the class.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 343

 Lesson 10
Grade Emotion Management: Coping with Stress
 Lesson 10
Grade Handout 10A: My Personal Signs of Stress

Instructions

On your own:
1. Think of a recent stressful situation.
2. Think about how the stress affected you emotionally and physically.

Together:
3. Write at least two emotional and two physical ways that stress affects people.

Emotional Effects

1.

2.

Physical Effects

1.

2.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 359

 Lesson 10
Grade Handout 10B: Shifting Attitudes

Name:

Instructions
1. Choose two of the already filled-in negative attitude boxes.
2. Read the negative self-talk.
3. Brainstorm positive self-talk for the same situations.
4. Write your best ideas in the positive attitude boxes.
5. Fill in the blank negative attitude box with a situation of your own, and write positive self-talk for the same
situation.
Negative Attitude
There’s a test on Monday. I’ll probably fail it, so there’s no point in studying.

Positive Attitude

Negative Attitude
The school play auditions are tomorrow. The popular kids always get picked. I don’t stand a chance.

Positive Attitude

Negative Attitude
No one who matters likes me. I’m probably the most boring person in school. Maybe I should just stay out of
everyone’s way.

Positive Attitude

Negative Attitude

Positive Attitude

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 361

 Lesson 10
Grade Homework: Don’t Stress!

Name:
Remember to Cope!
• Coping: doing something
Too much homework. A fight with a friend. Trying to get good grades.
positive to feel better, or
These are all demands that can cause stress in teenagers’ lives. But what
situation changed.
causes stress in adults’ lives? Find out by asking an adult in your life about a
situation that causes him or her stress. Now see if you can help! Let an adult
• Avoiding: situation unchanged
answer the following questions. He or she may need some help thinking of
and makes you feel worse.
the answers. Just thinking about these questions is doing something positive,
so you’re well on your way to helping him or her cope with stress!

What’s the stressful situation?

What positive self-talk can you say to yourself to change the way you think about the situation?
(Note to student: You may need to explain positive self-talk to the adult.)

What are some things you can do to calm down? List all the things you can think of.

Where can you get support?

What action can you take to change this stressful situation?

This homework assignment was completed on .

(date) [adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 363

 Lesson 10
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

What does coping mean?

How can positive self-talk help in a stressful situation?

Connecting to My Life

Think about something that often causes you stress. What coping strategies that you learned in the lesson can you use
to deal with the stress?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 365

 Lesson 10
Grade Additional Practice: Apply the Action Steps

Instructions
1. Write one to three sentences that describe a stressful situation, including how the situation makes you feel.

2. Work with a partner to address your stressful situation using the Action Steps.

Analyze the situation.

What is the problem? 

How does it make you feel? 

What do you need or want? 

Do you need more information? 

Brainstorm options.

1. 

2. 

3. 

Consider each option.

Decide on the best option.

The best option is 

Do the best option.

Create a plan. (Write down steps to complete your plan.)

1. 

2. 

3. 

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 367

 Lesson 10
Grade Academic Integration Activities

What does this artwork mean to you?

Have student groups really look at the artwork on the Coping with Stress poster. What
do they think the artwork means? Encourage students to identify the lesson concepts that
they think are represented by the symbols. Have small groups come up with words that
represent main elements of the program or elements suggested by the poster. Then have the
groups read their words and what they mean to the class.

What response does stress trigger in your body?

Humans have developed the ability respond to stressful situations instantly. This response
is called the “fight or flight” response. It is our bodies’ primitive, physiological response
that prepares us to “fight” or “flee” from a threat to our physical survival (for Stone-Age
humans, it might have been an attack by a large predator). Have students work in groups
to research what happens to the body during this response, using preselected Web sites or
search engines. Then have the groups discuss the following questions: What happens to
the body when you experience stress? Why might this be an appropriate response if you
are being chased by a large predator? Why might this not be an appropriate response to
daily stresses, such as homework or an argument with a friend? Have students select one
daily stress and describe how they can manage that stress better using some of the coping
strategies discussed in this lesson. Have students read their descriptions to the class.

Is using media a good way to deal with stress?

Some of your students might think watching television and using other media is a good
way to deal with stress. However, some researchers have found a very high connection
between the increased television watching and a rise in depression among America’s
youth.3 Have students get in groups to discuss the different ways they might use media
such as video games, TV, and Internet surfing to deal with stress. Is using media a short-
term or long-term solution for daily stress management? How might using media daily
create more stress? What are some coping strategies that you could use instead of media?
Have groups explain their viewpoints to the class.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 369

 Lesson 11
Grade Substance Abuse Prevention: Myths and Facts
 Lesson 11
Grade Handout 11A: Myth or Fact?

Instructions

Read each statement. Decide as a group if the statement is a “Myth” (false) or a “Fact” (true). Check one choice.

1. Anyone who uses alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs risks becoming addicted. Myth Fact

2. You have to smoke for a long time before you become addicted. Myth Fact

3. Smoking cigarettes makes you look older. Myth Fact

4. Marijuana is not harmful because it’s natural. Myth Fact

5. Drinking alcohol is more harmful to a teenager than it is to an adult. Myth Fact

6. Drinking alcohol doesn’t do as much harm to people as doing drugs. Myth Fact

7. Inhaling chemicals to get high is safe because the chemicals are legal. Myth Fact

8. You have to use drugs and alcohol for a long time before they really hurt you. Myth Fact

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 387

 Lesson 11
Grade Handout 11B: Facts About Alcohol and Other Drugs

Tobacco

Tobacco and Addiction

• Tobacco is as addictive as heroin or cocaine.30
• You can start feeling addicted after smoking only a few cigarettes or after smoking for only a few days.14
• Most adult smokers want to cut back or quit, but they can’t because they’re addicted. Thirty-five million people
in the U.S. try to quit smoking every year.38
• Tobacco is so addictive that hardly anyone succeeds in quitting. Only about one out of every twenty who tries
to quit is able to make it tobacco-free for a year.32
• People who start smoking when they’re young have the hardest time quitting.30

Tobacco and the Lungs

• There are four thousand toxic substances in cigarette smoke.5
• The lungs of teenagers who smoke aren’t able to grow as well.3
• Teens who smoke have many more colds, coughs, throat and nose problems, and more phlegm.4
• Lung cancer kills more people than any other kind of cancer.24

Tobacco and the Heart

• Smoking tobacco is bad for your heart and is a major cause of heart attacks.6
• People who smoke are between two and six times more likely to have a heart attack.19
• Smoking is the number one cause of heart attacks in younger adults.22

Tobacco and the Skin

• Smoking gives you wrinkles and makes your skin look older.18

Tobacco and the Mouth

• Smoking causes bad breath, stains the teeth and tongue, and helps ugly tartar build up on teeth.2

Tobacco and Depression

• Teens who smoke are more likely to have panic attacks, anxiety problems, and depression.25

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 389

Lesson 11
Handout 11B: Facts About Alcohol and Other Drugs Grade

Marijuana

Marijuana and Addiction

• People can become addicted to marijuana.10, 12, 9
• More than 120,000 people in the U.S. seek treatment for marijuana addiction every year.9

Marijuana and the Lungs

• Marijuana has more cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco and four times as much cancer-causing tar.33
• Marijuana smokers can develop the same kinds of breathing problems as cigarette smokers and are at greater
risk for lung infections, such as pneumonia.33

Marijuana and the Brain

• Marijuana can harm memory and learning.33
• Long-term marijuana users perform worse on memory and learning-ability tests.23
• Marijuana can cause anxiety and panic attacks.29
• Twelfth-grade marijuana smokers get lower scores on verbal and math tests than nonsmokers, even compared
to students who scored the same as they did in fourth grade.33
• Marijuana’s damage to short-term memory seems to occur because it has negative effects on the hippocampus,
a brain area responsible for memory formation.33

Marijuana and Accidents

• Marijuana affects self-control, sense of time, coordination, and ability to pay attention, making marijuana users
more likely to get hurt or have accidents.17
• People who have smoked marijuana are almost twice as likely to get in a fatal car crash.21
• One in five teens treated for injuries in an emergency room tested positive for marijuana.16

Page 390 Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention © 2008 Committee for Children
 Lesson 11
Grade Handout 11B: Facts About Alcohol and Other Drugs

Alcohol

Alcohol, Addiction, and Depression

• People who begin drinking by age 15 are five times more likely to abuse or become dependent on alcohol than
those who begin drinking after age 20.39
• Teens who drink are more likely to suffer from depression, suicidal thoughts, and violence.7

Alcohol and the Brain

• Alcohol does more damage to teens’ brains than to adults’ brains.36
• Even drinking a small amount can harm learning and memory far more in youth than in adults.35
• Teen drinkers can damage their hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.37, 13, 36
• Teen drinkers can permanently change their personality and behavior by damaging their prefrontal cortex, a
part of the brain needed for decision making and reasoning.11, 36
• Drinking alcohol leads to a loss of coordination, poor judgment, slowed reflexes, distorted vision, memory
lapses, and even blackouts.39
• Adolescent drinkers score worse than non-users on vocabulary, general information, attention, and memory
tests.37, 18
• Alcohol use causes feelings of sickness, dizziness, and clumsiness; slows reaction times; causes bad breath; and
makes skin break out.28
• Alcohol use can cause risky or dangerous behavior.27

Alcohol and Death

• Drinking large amounts of alcohol at one time or very rapidly can kill through alcohol poisoning.40
• The number-one cause of death for teens and young adults is car accidents related to alcohol.34
• Half of all drowning deaths among teen males involve alcohol use.15

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 391

Lesson 11
Handout 11B: Facts About Alcohol and Other Drugs Grade

Inhalants

Inhalants are poisonous chemicals that can kill you the very first time you use them.26

Inhalants and the Heart

• Breathing in an inhalant can cause the heart to stop suddenly.26
• Inhalants can seriously and permanently damage the heart.26

Inhalants and the Lungs

• Repeated use of inhalants can cause lung damage.26

Inhalants and the Brain

• Inhalants starve your brain and body of oxygen.26
• Inhalants can cause brain damage.26
• Inhalants can change your personality.26
• Inhalants make it harder to think, and they hurt the memory.26
• Inhalants kill cells in the cerebral cortex, causing memory loss and learning problems.31
• Inhalants damage the cerebellum, resulting in loss of coordination and slurred speech.31
• Inhalants can damage the senses of hearing, smell, and eyesight.31

Inhalants and the Skin

• Inhalants can cause a severe rash around the nose and mouth. 20

Page 392 Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention © 2008 Committee for Children
 Lesson 11
Grade Handout 11C: Personal Reasons

Instructions

Name three facts that we’ve talked about today, or that are listed on your fact sheets, that stand out as the best
reasons not to use alcohol or other drugs.

1.

2.

3.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 393

 Lesson 11
Grade Teacher Information About the Medical Use of Marijuana

Teacher Information About the Medical Use of Marijuana

Not for Students

Students may raise the issue of the medical use of marijuana. Since this topic is complicated and controversial, it may
be difficult to discuss effectively with students. There is a great deal of information available that ranges from science
to myth. The basic facts are:

• Marijuana is not used to cure disease. There is evidence that marijuana may help with nausea and pain, and so
it can be used to relieve severe symptoms of nausea and pain.

• Since nausea and pain are commonly experienced during some forms of cancer treatment, some cancer patients
use marijuana. It is also used for other medical problems, such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis.

• Medical use of marijuana is against federal laws, but approved by some state laws.

• Typically, state laws that support marijuana’s medical use require a physician’s prescription. There are other
drugs available that can treat the problems for which people use marijuana.

• Smoking, including smoking marijuana, can have negative health consequences.

References

For references, see page 93 in the Teacher’s Guide.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 395

 Lesson 11
Grade Family Letter

Dear Family,

Middle school is often a time when students first hear about using alcohol and other drugs, see it happening, or begin
to experiment themselves. To keep your student safe and on track at school, we have started the final topic in the
Stepping In program: substance abuse prevention. When young people use alcohol or other drugs, it gets in the way
of school success, and it is linked to increased involvement in violence and other risky behaviors.

New brain studies also show that during their teenage years and into their twenties, young people’s brains are still
developing. These studies show that using alcohol or other drugs at this time has a far more damaging effect than it
does on an adult’s brain.

The good news is that studies also show that families can play a big role in preventing the use of alcohol and other
drugs by young people.

Here are five things you can do to make a difference:

1. Give your student a clear message that it is not okay to drink or use other drugs. Discuss personal, family,
social, or religious values that give your student reasons to not use.
2. Arrange for supervision for your student between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Research suggests that these are
peak hours for teen drug and alcohol use.
3. Get to know your student’s friends and their families. You can help each other keep your students safe.
4. Help your student make a plan for how he or she might avoid or resist both internal and external pressure to
use.
5. Make sure an adult is supervising any party your student attends.

Please be aware that students often get alcohol and other drugs, especially inhalants, from their own homes. See our
Web site at www.cfchildren.org/resources for links to information about what household items are most toxic.

Your student will be bringing home fact sheets about the personal, health, and social consequences of using alcohol
and other drugs. Please read through these facts with your student. Together we can help keep your student safe
and healthy.

Sincerely,

P.S. Make sure to join www.secondstep.org with the activation key SSP7 FAMI LY23
to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 397

 Lesson 11
Grade Homework: Myth or Fact?

Name:
You now know that anyone who uses alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs risks becoming addicted. But does an adult
family member know that? Put him or her to the test! Take the fact sheets home with you for an adult family member
to read. Then see how well he or she does on this version of the “Myth or Fact” game. Fold the paper in half along
the dotted line to hide the answers until he or she is finished with all the questions.
1. Teens who smoke are just as healthy as teens who don’t. Myth Fact
2. Smoking makes you look hip and youthful. Myth Fact
3. Some people become addicted after smoking only a few cigarettes. Myth Fact
4. Smoking marijuana has no effect on learning ability. Myth Fact
5. It is okay to drive after smoking marijuana. Myth Fact
6. If you start drinking in your teens, you are more likely to abuse
or become dependent on alcohol than if you wait until you are older. Myth Fact
7. Teens who drink are happier and have more fun than teens who don’t. Myth Fact
8. Inhaling chemicals can kill you. Myth Fact
fold fold
1. Answer: Myth
Teens who smoke have many more colds, coughs, throat and nose problems, and more phlegm.1
2. Answer: Myth
Smoking causes skin to age prematurely, wrinkle, and turn gray even after smoking for a short time, so you’ll
actually look older.6
3. Answer: Fact
According to research, about one in ten youths who start smoking become addicted within a few days of
taking their first puff. Some are even addicted after their first cigarette.4
4. Answer: Myth
Twelfth-grade marijuana smokers get lower scores on verbal and math tests than nonsmokers, even compared
to students who scored the same as they did in fourth grade.2
5. Answer: Myth
People who have smoked marijuana are almost twice as likely to get in a fatal car crash.7 Marijuana affects
self-control, sense of time, coordination, and the ability to pay attention, making marijuana users more likely
to get hurt and have accidents.5
6. Answer: Fact
You are five times more likely to abuse or become dependent on alcohol if you begin drinking by age 15
than if you wait until after age 20.9
7. Answer: Myth
Teens who drink are more likely to suffer from depression, suicidal thoughts, and violence.3
8. Answer: Fact
Breathing in an inhalant can cause the heart to stop suddenly.8

This homework assignment was completed on .

(date) [adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 399

 Lesson 11
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

Identify one fact about each of the following substances that stands out as a reason not to use.

Tobacco:

Marijuana:

Alcohol:

Inhalants:

Connecting to My Life

Think about the Myth or Fact activity you did in the lesson. How did learning the facts change your thinking about
alcohol and other drugs?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 401

 Lesson 11
Grade Additional Practice: Information About Alcohol and Other Drugs

Instructions
1. Have students anonymously write down any questions or facts they think they know about tobacco, alcohol,
and other drugs on 3 x 5 cards.
2. Collect the cards and give them to a prevention specialist or counselor.
3. Invite the specialist or counselor to your class to address the questions or “facts.”

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 403

 Lesson 11
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

What are the facts?

Have students work in groups to write an informative news article using at least one of
the myths and facts about alcohol and other drugs from the lesson. Remind students that
news articles are objective and based on facts. Final articles can be printed in the school
newspaper or Web site.

Health and Science

How does smoking affect the cardiovascular system?

Have students work in groups to research how tobacco smoke affects the cardiovascular
system using preselected Web sites or search engines. What is the connection between
smoking and heart disease? What does tobacco smoke contain that stresses the
cardiovascular system? How does it stress the cardiovascular system? How does smoking
increase the risk of dying from heart disease? Have each group report their findings to
the class.

Media Literacy
What are the images trying to suggest?

Preselect several print tobacco advertisements that use misleading images (you can find
examples of misleading cigarette ads on Web sites by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
or Tar Wars, or do an image search on “tobacco ads”). Have students work in groups to
analyze one or more of the ads. Have each group try to identify misleading images in the
ads. What are the images trying to suggest? Is this an accurate suggestion for the product?
What would be a more accurate image? Have each group draw an image they think
represents the product more accurately. Have groups show their drawings to the class.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 405

 Lesson 12
Grade Substance Abuse Prevention: Norms and Attitudes
 Lesson 12
Grade Handout 12A: Where Do I Stand?

Where Do I Stand?

Agree Disagree

1. It’s okay for a middle-schooler to drink alcohol at a party.

2. Smoking makes you look cool.

3. It’s especially harmful to try alcohol and other drugs when your brain
and body are still growing.

4. You can only have fun at parties with alcohol and other drugs.

5. It’s easy to say no if a friend wants you to try drugs, alcohol, or tobacco.

Check one answer for each question.

6. Estimate what percentage of eighth-graders have had alcohol in the last 30 days.
a. 5% b. 16% c. 29% d. 46%

7. Estimate what percentage of eighth-graders have smoked marijuana in the last 30 days.
a. 6% b. 15% c. 31% d. 50%

Statistics from http://monitoringthefuture.org

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 417

 Lesson 12
Grade Teacher Version: Where Do I Stand?

Where Do I Stand? Activity

The goal of this activity is to show students that their peers have a more negative attitude toward drugs and alcohol
than they might have thought. This suggests that we should try to choose questions that we think most students, if
not all, will answer the way we want them to, but many, if not most, students will have expected otherwise.
If a student responds to a statement in a challenging or negative manner, acknowledge his or her opinion, but try not to
engage in a drawn-out discussion. You may wish to redirect the student with a question. For example, if students say
that it is okay to have an alcoholic drink at a party, you may ask if they remember the discussion about the effects of
alcohol on the brains of teens. If they say they can only have fun at parties with drugs and alcohol, ask them about
the social consequences of using substances, such as doing something embarrassing in front of their friends.
Below are suggested follow-up questions to enrich the discussion of each statement.

Agree Disagree

1. It’s okay for a middle-schooler to drink alcohol at a party.

Why is it not okay to have even one drink?
2. Smoking makes you look cool.
Why not? How have you seen it presented in ads, movies, or other media?
3. It’s especially harmful to try alcohol and other drugs when
your brain and body are still growing.
How do drugs and alcohol affect your brain when you’re still growing?
4. You can only have fun at parties with alcohol and other drugs.
How can using alcohol and other drugs get in the way of friendships?
What do you see in the media that makes it seem like you can’t have
fun unless you’re using alcohol or other drugs?
5. It’s easy to say no if a friend wants you to try drugs,
alcohol, or tobacco.
[If people disagree] For those people who disagree, do you think it’s
impossible, or just hard? What would make it easier to say no?

6. Estimate what percentage of eighth-graders have had alcohol in the last 30 days.
a. 5% b. 16% c. 29% d. 46%

7. Estimate what percentage of eighth-graders have smoked marijuana in the last 30 days.
a. 6% b. 15% c. 31% d. 50%

If students dispute the facts that about 16 percent of eighth-graders have had alcohol and 6 percent have had marijuana in the
last 30 days, reiterate that these facts come from a study of about 50,000 teens from all over the country. The truth is that the
vast majority of eighth-graders don’t drink or smoke. Statistics from http://monitoringthefuture.org

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 419

 My commitment to myself is that for the sake of my health, education,
and future, I will not use alcohol or other drugs, starting today, for the next year.
I make this commitment to myself because:
(write your three most important reasons)

1.

2.

3.

I have discussed this commitment with the following adult who cares about my future:

My signature Date Adult witness Date

© 2008 Committee for Children Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention Handout 12B: Commitment Certificate
 Lesson 12
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

It’s important to understand that most students have a negative attitude toward alcohol and other drugs because:

Why is it especially harmful to use alcohol and other drugs at your age?

Connecting to My Life

Reflect on the commitment you made. What would you say if someone were to offer you alcohol or other drugs?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 423

 Lesson 12
Grade Additional Practice: Information About Alcohol and Other Drugs

Instructions for Students

Explore Web sites that promote non-use messages. Some examples can be found on the Committee for Children
Web site at www.cfchildren.org/resources.

After exploring the Web sites, answer the following questions:

Why is it a bad idea to try alcohol and other drugs when your brain and body are still growing?

What are some consequences of using alcohol and other drugs?

Which story on the Web sites you explored made the biggest impression on you? Why?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 425

 Lesson 12
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

What would that character say to himself?

Have students read a novel or section of a novel where there are intense peer influences
(for example, Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, Chapter 16, in which Tom considers smoking
a pipe). Students can read the section out loud in groups or silently on their own. After
reading, put students in groups to discuss how the peer influences in the novel affect the
character. Then have groups discuss the following questions: How might peer pressure
make you try things you might not otherwise? Then have each group come up with
assertive statements or self-talk that the character could use to the resist peer pressure.
Have each group read their character’s statements to the class.

Health and Science

How does marijuana affect the brain?

Have students work in groups to research how marijuana affects the brain, using
preselected Web sites or search engines. What is the main active chemical in marijuana?
How does the body process that chemical? What are the short-term effects of marijuana
use? What are the long-term effects? How does marijuana use affect memory and learning?
Have each group report their findings to the class.

Media Literacy
What’s the message?

Research clearly indicates that youths’ decision to drink is significantly influenced by

alcohol advertising and marketing.2 Preselect several alcohol advertisements (you can find
examples on The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth’s Web site). Have students work
in groups to analyze the ads. Each group should analyze a different ad. Have the groups
take a careful look at both the text and the visuals. Who is the audience for these ads, and
how can you tell? What message are these advertisers sending? How do they use the visuals
to convey this message? How realistic do you think their message is? Do they encourage or
discourage underage drinking? Have each group report their thoughts about the ad they
analyzed to the class.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 427

 Lesson 13
Grade Substance Abuse Prevention: Making Good Decisions
 Lesson 13
Grade Handout 13A: Using the Action Steps

Imagine that you are Daniel as you write responses in the spaces below.

A: Analyze the situation.

What is the problem? (Clearly state the external C: Consider each option.
pressures influencing the decision.) What might happen?

How do I feel? (Clearly state the internal pressures

influencing the decision.) Is it safe?

What do I need or want? (What might Daniel

want for himself now and in the future?) How might people feel?

Do I need more information? Is it ethical?

B: Brainstorm options. D: Decide on and Do the best option.

Decide on the best option. The best option is:

Do the best option. Create a plan.

(Write three steps from your plan.)
1.
2.
3.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 439

 Lesson 13
Grade Handout 13B: Daniel’s Decision

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 441

 Lesson 13
Grade Homework: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

Name:
What should you wear? Should you ride the bus or walk to school? Should you do your homework right when you
get home or wait until after dinner? Sometimes it feels like your entire day is filled with decisions! Although some
decisions are easy to make, others require more thought—especially decisions regarding your friends. For example,
you and a friend know that another friend in your group is drinking alcohol. You are both worried about your
friend’s drinking. You want your friend to be healthy, so you feel like you should say something to someone. But you
don’t want your friend to get in trouble. What should you do?
Imagine that an adult family member is your friend and that he or she is also worried about the friend who’s
drinking. Together with the adult, use the Action Steps to help you make a good decision as to what to do about your
friend’s drinking.

Analyze the situation.

What is the problem?
How do I feel?

What do I need or want?

Do I need more information?

Brainstorm options.

1.

2.
3.

Consider each option.

What might happen if I do this?
Is it safe?

How might people feel about it?

Is it ethical?

Decide on and Do the best option.

This homework assignment was completed on .

(date) [adult] signature

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 443

 Lesson 13
Grade Reflective Writing Assessment

Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects
to your life.

What I Learned

Describe how you can use the Action Steps to help you make decisions about avoiding alcohol and other drugs.
A: Analyze the situation.
B: Brainstorm options.
C: Consider each option.
D: Decide on and Do the best option.
E: Evaluate if it works. If necessary:
F: Figure out another way.

Connecting to My Life

Think about the friend(s) you hang out with most often. If they started using alcohol or other drugs, what would you
do to avoid going along with them?

What are some of the skills you learned in this program that would help you with your plan?

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 445

 Lesson 13
Grade Additional Practice: Reviewing Program Skills

Instructions for Students

1. Read the Stepping In program skills listed in the chart below.
2. Think about and then write specific examples of when you could use these skills in your own life.

Skills When to use the skills

Listening

Showing empathy

Respecting others’ ideas

Disagreeing respectfully

Being an ally

Getting support

Being assertive

Using the Steps for Staying in Control:

• Notice.
• Pause.
• Think twice.
• Calm down.
• Reflect.

Using the Action Steps:

• Analyze the situation.
• Brainstorm options.
• Consider each option.
• Decide on and Do the best option.
• Evaluate if it works. If necessary:
• Figure out another way.

Using positive self-talk

Using coping skills:

• Say, “I can cope.”
• Ask, “What can I do?”

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 447

 Lesson 13
Grade Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social Studies

Can you say it in a song?

Have students work in groups to come up with a rap, song, or poem with a strong
“resistance” message. Ideas for themes include how to say no to peer pressure, not letting
substance use get in the way of their goals, why substance use is bad for you, or you’ve
got better things to do. Groups can set these to music and sing or rap them, or they can be
read out loud. Have each group perform their rap, song, or poem for the class. If possible,
record the performances so they can be shown to other classes.

Health and Science

How does alcohol affect your decision-making?

Have students work in groups to research how alcohol affects their decision-making, using
preselected Web sites or search engines. How does alcohol affect the prefrontal cortex, the
part of the brain known as the “judgment center”? Why would someone make decisions
while using alcohol that he or she would not make otherwise? Why does alcohol’s effect on
decision-making make it so dangerous to combine drinking with driving? What are other
important decisions that using alcohol can affect? Have groups report their findings to
the class.

Media Literacy
What can you “show and tell” me about that substance?

Have students work in groups to create visual “fact books” on two different substances
covered in these lessons. The fact books could be handmade or computer-generated print
books, or an electronic presentation using tools such has PowerPoint or a Web authoring
program. Have groups do research to find more information on the substances to include
in their fact books, using preselected Web sites or search engines. The final fact books can
be shown to other classrooms or younger students.

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 449