Standard of Learning

6.1The student will apply critical thinking skills and personal management strategies to address issues and concerns related to personal health and wellness. Key concepts/skills include:

1. the importance of significant friends or adult mentors;
2. the relationship between self-image and gang-related behaviors;
3. the effects of environmental influences on personal health;
4. refusal strategies related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs;
5. prevention of communicable and noncommunicable diseases.

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Understanding the Standard

The student will understand the connection between self-image and the behaviors associated with gangs.

Essential Knowledge and Skills

The student will:

• define self-image. (how you see yourself)
• identify who influences your self image. (feedback you receive from your parents, siblings, other relatives, friends, teachers, and anyone else you have contact with will influence your self-image)
• define gangs. (groups of young people who participate in violent or criminal activity)
• identify the connection between self-image and gangs. (gang members target people with poor self-images because they are viewed as being weak and easy targets)

Sample Lessons

"Building Self-Esteem"
Grade(s) 6-8
Students will explore the concept of self-esteem while analyzing their personal strengths and weaknesses.
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/selfesteem/
Free

"Cycle of Addiction"
Grade(s) 6-8
Students will examine the cycle of addiction to drugs and what can be done to prevent it. At the same time they will learn how families and peers influence their decision making.
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/addiction/
Free

Discovery Education: "Reality Matters, Big Decisions"
Grade(s) 6-8
As the lesson goes on students will learn about influences of health, choices, and risk taking.  The middle-schoolers will be able to gain this knowledge by role-playing and answering questions amongst one another.
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/bigDecisions/
Free

Do the Right Thing: Finding Solutions for the Causes of Gang Violence
Grade(s) 6-12
In this lesson, students will consider the relationship between gang violence and the factors that can contribute to its increase. After researching the issues behind one such factor, students will make recommendations for implementing changes in local government, law enforcement, and other local agencies, that may help reduce gang violence.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20021025
Free

Healthy B.A.S.I.C.S. Lesson Plan: "What to do when I’m Angry"
Grade(s) 6-8
Students will define anger as a normal emotion, then will list three behaviors that show when anger is out of control.  After finishing both of these activities the students will describe three positive ways to deal with anger.
http://www.childrenshealthfund.org/publications/HBLPanger.pdf
Free

It's My Life: "The Dangers of Drug Abuse"
Grade(s) 4-7
This lesson teaches students that they will be faced with a variety of decisions regarding their health, and that some of them might involve substances of abuse. Experimentation with drugs often begins in early adolescence.
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/parents/dangers_of_drug_abuse.html
Free

LifeSkills Training
Grades: 6-8
Model substance abuse prevention and competency enhancement program focusing on the major social and psychological factors causing substance use and abuse. Teaches drug resistance skills, personal management skills, and general social skills. Includes self-image, self-improvement, decision-making, anger management, assertiveness, communication, media, and conflict resolution issues.
Contact: http://www.lifeskillstraining.com
Cost

Project Towards No Tobacco Use (TNT)
Grades 5-10
Model program to prevent or reduce tobacco use in youth. Ten core and 2 booster lessons. Includes effective refusal and coping skills; effects of media and advertisers; methods to build self-esteem; and strategies for advocating no tobacco use.
Sponsor: Department of Preventive Medicine, USC
Contact: http://www.etr.org
Cost

Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways (RIPP)
Grades 6-8
Model 3-year violence prevention program. Includes importance of significant friends or adult mentors; relationship between self-image and gang-related behaviors; conflict resolution; and effects of environmental influences on personal health.
Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University
Contact: ameyer@saturn.vcu.edu
Cost

Tough Truces: A Lesson on the Causes and Prevention of Gang Violence
Grade(s) 6-12
In this lesson, students will learn about the factors contributing to the growth of gangs and gang violence. Groups will discuss causes for gang violence and suggest measures that can be taken by various community groups to reduce such activity.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020412
Free

Additional Instructional Resources

• Blueprints for Violence Prevention, the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence - http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/
• Bullying Resources compiled by the California Department of Education - http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/se/bullyres.asp
• Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence - http://www.colorado.edu/cspv
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control - http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc
• Children's Safety Network - National Injury and Violence Prevention Resource - http://www.childrensafetynetwork.org
• Drug and Violence Prevention - http://dave.esc4.net
• Gangs or Us - http://www.gangsorus.com
• Guidance Staff
• Kansas Bullying Prevention Program, Statewide Bullying Campaign - http://www.kbpp.org/
• Life Skills Training Programs
• National Bullying Prevention Campaign Webcast - http://www.mchcom.com/archivedWebcastDetail.asp?aeid=250
• National Crime Prevention Council - http://www.ncpc.org
• National Youth Gang Center - http://www.iir.com/nygc/maininfo.htm
• National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center (NYVPRC) - http://www.safeyouth.org
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention -http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org
• Olweus Bullying Prevention Program - nationally recognized model program to reduce opportunities and rewards for bullying - http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/
• Parent's Guide for Preventing Gangs - http://www.segag.org/pargde.html
• Partnership Against Violence Network - http://www.pavnet.org
• Prevention Pathways Online Courses, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention -http://pathwayscourses.samhsa.gov/bully/bully_intro_pg1.htm
• PREVENT, Preventing Violence Through Education Network and Technical Assistance, University of North Carolina - http://www.prevent.unc.edu/
• School Resource Officers
• Stop Bullying Now! Campaign, Human Resources And Services Administration - http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov
• Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) - http://www.saddonline.com
• U.S. Department of Education, Safe & Drug-Free Schools Program - http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS/
• U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Criminal Justice Reference Service - http://www.ncjrs.org
• U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention - http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org
• Violence Prevention - http://www.evergreenhouse.org/ecommc.htm
• Virginia Best Practices in School-Based Violence Prevention, Virginia Department of Health - http://www.preventviolenceva.org
• Virginia Center for School Safety - http://www.virginiaschoolsafety.com
• Virginia Department of Education, Safe & Drug-Free Schools Program - http://www.safeanddrugfreeva.org
• Virginia Youth Violence Project, University of Virginia - http://youthviolence.edschool.virginia.edu/
• What New Zealand Police are doing about bullying - http://www.police.govt.nz/service/yes/nobully/whats_bullying.html
• Youth Violence Fact Sheet, Center for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/yvfacts.htm

Assessment Ideas

The student will:

• identify what influences the development of self-image.
• write a short story about the connection between self-image and gang-related behaviors.

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