High School – Interpersonal Communication to Reduce Sexual Risk

Grade 9Time allotted - 1 hour

Lesson 2

Essential Question - How can effective communication enhance self-esteem and confidence?

1. What do I want the students to know and be able to do?

  • Standard 1 – Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
  • Performance indicator 1.12.1 – Predict how healthy behaviors can affect health status.
  • Performance indicator 1.12.1 with infused content - Predict how healthy behaviors, such as using assertive communication, can affect health status.
  • Increases self-esteem
  • Increases confidence
  • Standard 4 – Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
  • Performance indicator 4.12.1 – Use skills for communicating effectively with family, peers, and others to enhance health.
  • Performance indicator 4.12.1 with infused content– Use assertive communication skills for communicating effectively with family, peers, and others to enhance health.
  • Refusal skills
  • Say something caring
  • Refuse. Say, “No”
  • State your decision or suggest an alternative

2. How will I know if my students have reached the goal?

Students demonstrate refusal skills

  • Students demonstrate positive self-esteem and confidence

3. What procedures will I use to reach my goal?

  • Welcome students and reviewthe agenda for the day written on the board.
  • Review skills learned and practiced in Lesson 1
  • Re-read the Story of Logan from Lesson 1
  • Saying “No” Reference Sheet- the three steps of assertive refusal
  • Summarize the steps with Communication Transparency 2: Saying “No.”
  • Play the Refusal Game
  • Assign homework
  • Review
  • Review lesson 1
  • Ask students to give examples of the benefits of, barriers to, and consequence of using different forms of communication.
  • Ask students give examples of how they would use “I” statements to communicate effectively.
  • Show Communication Transparency 2: Saying “NO”
  • Distribute the Saying “No” Reference Sheet
  • Read it aloud.
  • Explain the refusal steps
  • Model the refusal steps
  • In pairs, ask the students to practice the steps to address the following scenarios fromThe Story of Logan.
  • How could Jesse use the refusal skills to say “No” to Jesse’s advances in the cafeteria?
  • How could Sophea use the refusal skills to say “No” to Jesse’s advances at bus stop?
  • How could Sally use the refusal skills to say “No” to Jesse’s advances at her locker?
  • How could Pam use the refusal skills to say “No” to Jesse’s advances that evening when he called her?
  • How does using refusal skills effect self-esteem and confidence.
  • Increases self-esteem
  • Increases confidence
  • Play the Refusal Game.
  • Note to the teacher
  • Make 32 refusal game cards, two copies of each of four pages.
  • Cut each page into four parts, making 32 slips of paper with 16 different situations.
  • Explain to the students that assertiveness in general, and especially these behaviors, may be considered rude in some cultures. Averting one’s eyes may be a sign of respect. Be sensitive to cultural differences.
  • Group students in pairs
  • Give each person a refusal game card.
  • Students use their Saying “No” Reference Sheets for ideas
  • Write a refusal response in the blank space.
  • Students practice refusing based on each scenario. Students exchange roles so each practices the refusal skill.
  • During the role play, encourage three assertive behaviors:
  • Eye contact
  • A loud enough voice to be heard clearly
  • Hands raised in refusal
  • Play the advanced refusal game
  • Note to the teacher
  • Make 32 advanced refusal game cards, eight copies of the

page, cut into fourths.

  • There should be 32 identical slips containing three blanks for

the entire refusal model.

  • Regroup students so each student has a different partner.
  • Give each person one advanced refusal game card.
  • Students write an entire response to their situation
  • Students practice refusing based on each scenario. Students exchange roles so each practices the refusal skill.
  • While students practice, ask them to place a check on the bull’s eye formative assessment tool to assess student progress
  • Result indicates student learning
  • Determine if instruction should continue or if re-instruction is necessary.
  • Use the Random Response formative assessment to select a pair to role-play refusal and advanced refusal scenarios and refusal skills.
  • Use
  • Eye contact
  • A loud enough voice to be heard clearly
  • Hands raised in refusal
  • Assign Homework
  • Reflect
  • Performance indicator 1.12.1 with infused content - Predict how healthy behaviors, such as using assertive communication, can affect health status.
  • Increases self-esteem
  • Increases confidence
  • Performance indicator 4.12.1 with infused content– Use assertive communication skills for communicating effectively with family, peers, and others to enhance health.
  • Refusal skills
  • Say something caring
  • Refuse. Say, “No”
  • State your decision or suggest an alternative

4. How can I improve this lesson?

Lesson Connections

  • Homework
  • Communication Worksheet 5
  • Family Homework Exercise: Communication 4 (optional)
  • Interdisciplinary connections: English Language Arts

Opportunities for parent participation: Family Homework Exercise

Opportunities for parent/community involvement:N/A

Teacher resources needed:

  • Board/ flipchart to write agenda
  • Refusal Game Cards
  • Advanced Refusal Game Cards
  • Bull’s eye formative assessment tool
  • Random response tongue depressors
  • Communication transparency 2: Saying “NO”

Student resources needed:

  • The Story of Logan (from Lesson 1, “should” already be in students’ notebooks)
  • Saying No Reference Sheet
  • Family Homework Exercise: Communication 4
  • Communication Worksheet 5 (2 copies)

High School – Interpersonal Communication – Lesson 2

Original lesson courtesy of Julie WhitsonPage 1