Peer Pressure

Peer Pressure

Goals/Standards:

            1.  Standard 1

                 Students will:

a.       interpret and analyze information from textbooks and nonfiction books

      for young adults, as well as reference materials, audio and media 

      presentations, oral interviews, graphs, charts, diagrams, and electronic

      data bases intended for a general audience

b.      use a wide variety of strategies for selecting, organizing, and categorizing information

c.       relate new information to prior knowledge and experience

2.      Standard 2

Students will:

a.         read and view texts and performances from a wide range of authors, subjects, and genres

3.      Standard 3

Students will:

a.         analyze, interpret, and evaluate information, ideas, organization, and language from academic

       and nonacademic texts, such as textbooks, public documents, book and movie reviews, and editorials

4.      Standard 4

Students will:

a.         listen attentively to others and build on others’ ideas in conversations with peers and adults

b.        express ideas and concerns clearly and respectfully in conversations and group discussions

c.         use verbal and nonverbal skills to improve communication with others

Materials:

            1.  Peer Pressure Reading from the Internet and Discussion Questions

            2.  K-W-L Worksheet

            3.  “Above the Influence” Commercials

Understandings:

1.  Peer pressure is the influence people of the same age or rank have on others.

            2.  Peer pressure has the potential to be either good or bad.

            3.  Regardless of age or rank, many people find it difficult to resist peer pressure

     because of the desire to fit in.

4.  Though Stargirl manages to resist peer pressure for several months while at Mica

     High, she eventually succumbs to its grasp.

5.  The K-W-L worksheet is an effective way to organize information and pose questions

     when reading an informational text.

Essential Questions:

            1.  What is peer pressure?

            2.  Where does peer pressure come from?

3.  What can I do when confronted with peer pressure?

4.  Why is it important to choose your friends carefully?

5.  How do Stargirl and Leo respond to the peer pressure at Mica High?

6.  What is the nature of the friendships and relationships amongst the students at Mica

     High?

7.  How does the K-W-L worksheet work to organize and focus reading?

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

            1.  Define peer pressure.

            2.  Read an article about peer pressure for information and suggestions on how to

     recognize it and combat it.

            3.  Record their knowledge of peer pressure and pose questions as to what more

                 they would like to learn on the subject.

            4.  Apply what they have learned about peer pressure to Stargirl.

            5.  Engage in a small group discussion with their peers, sharing their opinions and

reactions to the article while establishing connections between the text and their own 

lives.

            6.  Further develop their critical thinking skills by exploring the social dynamics of Mica

                 High and drawing conclusions based upon the author’s descriptions.

Instructional Plan:

Learning Activities:

            1.  Distribute K-W-L worksheet.  Casaccio’s Question:  What do you know about peer pressure? 

                 What do you wish you knew?  Record your answers in the column marked “K” and “W.”  Students will

                 share their responses aloud with the class. (3 min)   

2.  Distribute informational handout on peer pressure to each student. 

3.  Call on students to read the article on peer pressure aloud. (5 min)

4.  Break students up into four groups to discuss the questions immediately

     following the essay.  Remind students of proper behavior when participating in a

     discussion group.  (Circulate around the room to ensure all groups are on task and

     listen in for responses). (8 min)

5.  The class will reconvene and the members of each group will share the nature of their

     discussions with the other students.

            6.  To conclude the lesson, show commercials from the “Above the Influence” website. 

                 Remind students to keep all that we have discussed today in class in mind while watching the clips.

            7.  Encourage students to further explore this website at home.

7.  Completion of the “L” column will serve as the Casaccio Question for Thursday.

Assessment:

1.  The teacher will assess students’ ability to relate to the novel and apply it to their own

     lives through their responses to the letter posed by Leo in the advice column assignment.

2.  The K-W-L strategy will assess students’ prior knowledge and critical thinking

                 skills.

            3.  Students’ recording of what they learned from the reading will serve as an

                 indicator of their ability to gain information from a non-fiction text.

            4.  The small group discussions that follow will evaluate students’ ability to apply

                 outside information to a text and draw conclusions based upon it, as well as their

                 capacity to work well with others and respect the ideas and contributions of their

                 peers.

Websites

Dealing with Peer Pressure

Peer Pressure:  The Good and the Bad

“Above the Influence” Commercials

Handouts

Peer Pressure