Peer pressure is something that every student faces. Use these peer pressure activities to teach your students to react to peer pressure in a positive way. These activities use a favorite book by Tomie dePaola, The Knight and the Dragon, to teach students to make their own choices.
Peer pressure activities are wonderful to use any time of the year. Red ribbon week is always a great to talk about peer pressure and how to deal with it.
Materials
The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie dePaola
Notebook paper
Pencils
Scenarios (explanation to follow)
Before you teach this lesson, create peer pressure scenarios for your students to discuss in groups. Some great ones include, a friend has taken a candy bar and wants you to do the same. What do you do? A friend is smoking a cigarette and asks if you want to try one. What do you say? Create scenarios that are age appropriate.
Prior Knowledge
Ask students if they know what peer pressure means.
Teach
Show students the cover of the book. Have them make predictions based on the cover. Read the story to your students stopping to discuss what is going on in the story. Be sure to discuss what was expected of the dragon and the knight and the choices they made. Then, emphasize that the dragon and the knight finally made their own choices and didn’t give into the peer pressure. Then, discuss the definition of peer pressure.
Procedure
Place students into groups. A group of about three or four is a good size for this activity. Pass out the scenarios. Have students discuss each one and come up with reasonable solutions to the problems presented. Assign each student a different scenario to answer for the class.
When students have had enough time to discuss the peer pressure scenarios, have each group give the solution to the problem they have been assigned. Take the time to discuss each one thoroughly, and let other groups weigh in with their opinions.
Assess
Have students stay in their groups and create a skit dealing with how to handle peer pressure in a positive way. When students are finished writing their skits, have them perform the skits for the class.
Extend
Have students keep a peer pressure activity journal. Have them record situations where they have to make a choice and say no to peer pressure.
You can also use this book to teach about fighting. You can use it to teach that violence is never the answer.