Rights, Respect, Responsibility�(Grade 8)

Making SMART Choices

​

Lesson 9

Reminders

• Let’s review our group agreements and procedures as a class.
• Remember to use the Anonymous Question Box!

​

Introduction

• Let’s say you were in the lunch area here at school and you saw two students who clearly didn’t like each other.
• They start out giving each other mean looks as they get their food and go to sit down.
• Then one student makes a rude comment a little too loudly about the other. That student gets up, walks over to the first student and asks loudly, “Are you talking to me?”
• The first student stands up and says, “Sure am. What are you going to do about it?”

​

​

Discussion

What can YOU do?

​

​

Making Choices

• We are going to talk about a model that can guide us in making difficult decisions.
• We are also going to talk about how we can use this model to decide about whether to be in a sexual relationship with another person.

​

SMART Choices Model

Slow down: You have the right to take as much time as you need to make a good decision that’s right for you.

Make a list of your options: Looking at every possible choice you can make will help you know that you’ve thought everything through.

Analyze your choices: Be honest with yourself and think about the pros and cons of each option. Make sure to weigh your options because not all will have equal value.

Reach a decision: Pick the best choice and make sure it’s a healthy, smart choice for YOU. Think about what you’ll need to do to stick with it.

Think and Evaluate: Depending on the choice you make, you may need to check in from time to time to see how things are going and if you need to change anything in order to stick with it.

Practice

Let’s practice using the scenario from earlier:

Slow down

Make a list of your options

Analyze your choices

Reach a decision

Think and evaluate

Class Activity: �“SMART Choices Scenario”

• You are now going to practice using the model yourselves, but this time you’re going to look at a situation that has something to do with sex.
• In small groups, read the scenario you are given, each of which includes a person who wishes to wait to have sex and is faced with a decision to either wait or to have sex now.
• Use your “The Making SMART Choices Model” worksheet to go through the steps as if you were the character in the scenario. Make a decision based on the SMART process.

​

Class Discussion: �“SMART Choices Scenario”

• Now we will have some groups volunteer to share responses.
• Do you think anything was particularly effective?
• What, if anything, would you change?

Homework

• Refer to the “Everything’s Different, Nothing’s Changed” homework sheet.
• Do you think it’s any easier for people your age to make decisions about sex and sexuality than it was for your parents or caregivers?
• Your homework is going to be to ask a parent or caregiver about their experiences growing up.

Steps

• You complete the “Student Questionnaire” on your own.
• Your parent/guardian completes the “Parent/Caregiver Questionnaire” on their own.
• When you are both done, you share and discuss your answers, and then fill out the “Student Reflection” page together.

​