junior high
Junior High School Lesson
The Girl in You
HEALTH AND LIFE SKILLS OUTCOMES
This lesson can be used for
both grades 8 and 9.
W-8.1 Examine the relationship between choices and resulting
consequences; e.g., how choosing to smoke affects how one
looks, feels and performs.
W-8.6 Analyze possible negative consequences of substance use
and abuse; e.g. fetal alcohol syndrome, drinking and driving.
R-8.11 Identify and develop personal resiliency skills; e.g. planning
skills, social competence.
R-8.8 Describe and explain the positive and negative aspects
of conformity and dissent as they relate to individuals in a group
or on a team.
W-9.11 Use personal resiliency skills.
R-9.1 Identify appropriate strategies to foster positive
feelings/attitudes.
R-9.8 Analyze skills required to maintain individuality within
a group.
OTHER OBJECTIVES
• explore how girls relate to the world around them
• examine how a girl’s way of relating to the world can
have an impact on day-to-day decisions and behaviour
• consider how day-to-day decisions and behaviour affect
gambling and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
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AHS© 2009
ISBN 978-0-7785-6229-0
775C
junior high
CONTENT AND TIME (45-minute lesson)
1. Introduction to a girls-only lesson (5 minutes)
2. RICA: The prototypical girl (10 minutes)
3. Decision-making bank account (20 minutes)
4. Closure: Filling your personal account (10 minutes)
REQUIRED MATERIALS
handout: The Story of RICA Gabriella Constantine
handout: Keeping My Account Full
imitation coins or pennies
jar or piggy bank
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1. Introduction to a
girls-only lesson
(5 minutes)
Note: see Appendix: Why a Lesson on Girls’ Issues?
for helpful background information for this session.
Explain to the class that they are going to participate
in a girls-only lesson. They will explore four specific
characteristics that many girls share, and how these
characteristics can affect decisions that they make.
Note that sometimes it can be confusing to understand
why girls choose to do the things they do. For example,
it can be puzzling to figure out why a girl has chosen
to quit soccer when deep down inside, she really liked
playing soccer.
Ask the class to provide other examples of confusing
behaviour among girls.
Explain that understanding these four common
characteristics will help us understand some of the
reasons why girls sometimes make the decisions they
do—perhaps even uncover why the soccer team can
become unattractive to an athletic girl. Students will
also learn how they can improve their decision-making
skills, and as a result, increase their ability to make
healthy choices.
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2. RICA: The prototypical
girl (10 minutes)
Based on the RICA concept as outlined in Friedman
(2003).
Tell the class that you are going to talk about RICA,
the prototypical girl. Ask them what they think
prototypical means. They may use words such as
classic, perfect, typical, representative or model to
define prototypical. Explain that prototypical means
a standard or typical example, which in this case
refers to an example of the typical girl.
Write the following on the board:
R
I
C
A
Write the corresponding word for each letter as
you explain what RICA stands for. It is important to
emphasize that while girls often share the following
four characteristics, each girl also has unique traits
that make up her individual personality. It is also
important to ensure that students have a good
understanding of what each word means. Asking
for additional examples for each word will help
to clarify that the meaning is understood.
R – Relational
RICA’s identity is strongly influenced by her
experiences in relationships. RICA’s relationships
with friends, family and other people she cares
about are very important to her. She sees herself
as part of a group, and what she does is often
influenced by what her friends in the group think
is the right thing to do. (Relational means being
characterized or formed by relations.)
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For example, RICA is in soccer but decides to stop
playing because her friends don’t play. Or, RICA
decides to hang out more with her soccer friends
and less with the friends who think soccer is only
for jocks.
I – Interdependent
RICA needs to be connected to others and to have
close relationships. She relies on her friends and
family to feel secure and confident in the world.
(Interdependent means relying on, depending and
supporting one another.) For example, even when
RICA knows that she needs to do something (like
talk to her mom about something that’s been bothering
her) she will talk it through with a friend first to
help her feel more confident in her decision
and what she will say.
RICA prefers not to travel alone and always likes
to have a friend with her. Think about how many
girls it takes to go to the bathroom at a public event.
C – Contextual
In order to gain an understanding of a situation,
RICA looks at it as a whole, not just from her
perspective. RICA considers how a decision
affects her friends, and she takes into account
past experiences. RICA considers the whole picture
rather than just her angle; she needs to understand
how others view the situation. (Contextual refers
to what is related and relative—the background
of a situation.)
For example, RICA is excited about attending a
birthday party, but she remembers a past experience
when she went to a party that her friends had not
been invited to. As a result, RICA was ignored
for a couple of weeks. RICA considers the impact
on her relationships before she decides to attend
the party.
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A – Accommodating
RICA is sensitive to the needs of others and focuses
on including others, taking turns and negotiating
situations. She bases decisions on the needs of
others, not just her own. Sometimes RICA sets
aside her own feelings and doesn’t say what she
really thinks or feels. (Accommodating means
being helpful, obliging or accepting.)
For example, RICA has a big test coming up at
school and needs to study for it, but her mom’s
friend needs someone to babysit. RICA decides
to take the job in order to help the friend out,
even though she knows it will get in the way of
her chance to study.
After explaining the four words, you may wish to tie
together the entire RICA concept by asking the class
how they think these four characteristics relate to one
another. For example, how do our past relationships
affect our present context?
Ask the class what else affects girls’ decisions. How
do self-esteem and self-worth influence decisions that
girls make? After you have students define self-esteem,
clarify that it is the value we place on ourselves, how
happy we feel about ourselves and the confidence we
have in ourselves. How a girl feels about herself relates
to many of the health-related choices she makes. If a
girl is feeling good about herself, there is an increased
chance that she will make healthy and positive choices
in her life.
It’s important to highlight that self-esteem comes
from the inside, rather than from external feedback.
Girls often judge themselves based on what others
tell them or how others respond to them. Although
it feels good to receive compliments, girls need to be
their own cheerleaders. One way girls can achieve
this is by doing things that make them feel good
about themselves.
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Source:
Friedman, S. (2003). Nurturing girlpower: Integrating eating
disorder prevention/intervention skills into your practice. Vancouver: SALAL Books.
3: D
ecision-making
bank account
(20–30 minutes)
This activity focuses on self-esteem and making
healthy decisions. Ask students to picture a bank
account that has funds in it. Suggest that when a girl
is feeling good about herself, her account is full.
Ask what might happen to the account if a girl is not
feeling good about herself.
During the course of a day or a lifetime, things can
happen that can fill or drain a girl’s account. Using the
piggy bank and penny props, provide a visual example
of the bank analogy. A full bank account is like having
full self-esteem and full self-confidence. It enables a
girl to be better equipped to make healthy decisions.
However, when a girl is low on funds, it is more likely
that others will easily influence her because she lacks
a strong sense of self.
Ask the class to generate answers to the two questions
below. Record responses on the board and have each
student who makes a suggestion either add or take
away from the account (depending on the response).
Start out the exercise with the piggy bank being full.
1. What are some things that can happen to a girl
that might drain her account? (For example,
getting put down, failing a test, putting herself
down, feeling bloated, seeing beautiful skinny
models, having zits, being bullied.)
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2. What are some things a girl can do to fill her
account? (For example, study hard, tell the
truth, be helpful, listen to her conscience,
do things she likes to do, get lots of sleep,
stay drug-free, avoid smoking, get into an
extracurricular activity.)
Once the girls have provided several examples,
explain that you are going to have them participate in
reading a story about RICA. Ask for five volunteers to
take the following roles:
narrator
RICA
mom
friend
Ms. Taggart
Have another volunteer at the piggy bank. She can
begin by filling the bank with three-quarters of the
money, keeping some back to add to the account during
the story. As the story is read, she will either add to or
take away from the account (depending on the storyline).
Read the story out loud and encourage the readers
to get into their roles by using acting skills. Use the
breaks in the story as an opportunity to discuss the
story and to draw from the class examples of how
RICA has added to or taken away from her account.
Debrief the story by discussing what RICA might
have done differently to deal with a bad day. Discuss
what she could plan for the future.
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4. C losure: Filling your
personal account
(10 minutes)
To reinforce how students can keep their accounts
full, distribute the handout Keeping My Account Full.
Give them five minutes to complete the handout,
which involves identifying what they intend to do to
build their self-esteem and confidence.
Ask volunteers to present two ideas each.
Encourage students to remember the RICA in them,
and how they can better understand some of the
things that might influence their behaviour and
decisions on a daily basis.
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Appendix
Why a lesson on girls’ issues?
The journey through adolescence for girls is characterized
by change. This change provokes uncertainty in girls
who previously appeared confident and self-assured. This
can sometimes result in actions that have implications
on such issues as use of alcohol, tobacco and other
drugs; body image; value and goal confusion; sexually
transmitted diseases; and pregnancy.
In reviewing the issues that adolescent girls face, it is
important to understand that the context for girls has
changed significantly over time. LeCroy and Daley
(2001) suggest that “contemporary adolescence is a
period of far greater risk to young people’s current
and future health” (p. 2). Pipher (1994) states that
girls “are coming of age in a more dangerous, sexualized
and media-saturated culture. They face incredible
pressures to be beautiful and sophisticated, which in
junior high means using chemicals and being sexual.
As they navigate a more dangerous world, girls are
less protected” (p. 12).
One of the critical issues for adolescent girls is the
perception that they need to be someone they are
not. Pipher (1994) states, “Adolescence is when girls
experience social pressure to put aside their authentic
selves and to display only a small portion of their gifts”
(p. 22). Because of the importance of relationships
and friendships, girls entering adolescence sacrifice
their own individuality in order to conform to what
they believe others want. Girls find themselves in a
constant internal tug-of-war between expressing what
they honestly feel or think and saying and doing what
they believe others want them to. The consequences are
the loss of authentic relationships and of self-integrity.
The current cultural socialization of girls reinforces
a betrayal of a girl’s sense of self. According to Pipher,
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“Many girls lose contact with their true selves and
when they do, they become extraordinarily vulnerable
to a culture that is all too happy to use them for its
purposes” (p. 44).
The stress associated with adolescence can leave girls
at risk to develop self-destructive behaviour. Friedman
(1999) suggests that girls who internalize their stress
may experience physical illness, depression, suicidal
ideation, self-injury or eating disorders, whereas girls
who externalize their stress may participate in substance
use, sexual activity, bullying or violence.
There are several issues relevant to young girls in
terms of their use of substances (The National Center
on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia
University, 2003, pp. 3–4):
• Girls are more vulnerable than boys to the
health effects of substance use.
• Despite greater vulnerability, younger girls are
smoking and drinking like boys.
• More girls are using substances at earlier ages,
raising their chances for later problems.
• Life transitions influence girls’ substance use
differently from boys’.
Girls need to learn positive coping skills to assist them
through the turmoil that adolescence causes. Learning
how to centre themselves, how to relax, how to be
assertive and how to solve problems are valuable tools
for adolescent girls.
Because of the complexity of the issues that girls face
as they enter adolescence, there is a need to develop
prevention programs that empower girls. Programs
need to focus on skill development to assist girls in
maneuvering through their adolescence with greater
success. Pipher (1994) states, “It’s important for girls
to explore the impact the culture has on their growth
and development” (p. 44). There is a need to focus
on enhancing adolescent girls’ understanding of the
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world around them and increasing their ability to
make choices. This works towards the development
of a healthy sense of self.
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References
Friedman, S. (1999). Just for girls. Vancouver,
BC: SALAL Books.
Friedman, S. (2003). Nurturing girlpower:
Integrating eating disorder prevention/
intervention skills into your practice. Vancouver,
BC: SALAL Books.
LeCroy, W., & Daley, J. (2001). Empowering
adolescent girls. New York: W.W. Norton
& Company.
National Center on Addiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia University. (2003). The
formative years: Pathways to substance abuse
among girls and young women ages 8–22.
Retrieved January 9, 2007, from
http://www.casacolumbia.org/absolutenm/
templates/Publications.aspx?articleid=
320&zoneid=52
Pipher, M. (1994). Reviving Ophelia: Saving the
selves of adolescent girls. New York: Ballantine
Books.
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1. _______________________________________________________
10. _____________________________________________________________________
9. ________________________________________________________________________________
8. _____________________________________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________________________________
6. _______________________________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
I will keep my self-esteem and
decision-making piggy bank
full by:
Keeping my account FULL
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The Story of RICA
Gabriella Constantine
Narrator: RICA Gabriella Constantine flexed her toes, rolled over, opened
one eye and peered at the clock. She thought ...
RICA: AH rats—it’s morning already— why DID I stay up so late last night?
I’m gonna miss the bus, be late for school, and now I’m not going to have time
to study for that test this afternoon.
Narrator: RICA Gabriella Constantine’s thoughts were shattered by her mother’s
voice yelling up the stairs.
Mom: RICA Gabriella Constantine, GET out of bed, you’re gonna be late again!
Narrator: RICA sighed and dragged herself out of bed. Twenty minutes later
she sat beside her mother as they peeled into town. RICA’s mom stopped the car
and RICA jumped out.
RICA: Thanks mom. I’ll see you tonight.
Narrator: She ran quickly to her friends who were gathered across the road.
As she approached her friends, RICA moaned.
RICA: What a crappy start to the day!
Friend: Why what happened?
RICA: I slept in, didn’t study for my test, and now I’m probably in trouble
with my mom cause she had to drive me to school.
Friend: Ah RICA, relax. You know all the stuff that will be on the test. You’ll
be fine. You always ace these tests!
RICA: Yeah, but I should have cracked my books for a few minutes. Anyway,
you’re right, I’ll probably do OK.
Narrator: The school bell rings and everyone heads into school.
Break
Did RICA get off to a good start? Did she have any withdrawals from her account?
Did she have any deposits? What could RICA have done differently to make her
morning go more smoothly?
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Narrator: The lunch bell rang and RICA followed her buddy Marla as she rushed
through the school hallways. Before she knew it, they were across the street in
the smoking area. RICA started to moan again.
RICA: Can you believe that we had to have a bio pop quiz today of all days?
Friend: Yeah really. How did you do? I think I bombed!!
RICA: Me too.
Narrator: RICA felt a tap on her shoulder. The girl next to her was holding out
a cigarette for RICA, nudging her to have a drag. RICA sighed, took the smoke,
had a drag and passed it on to Marla. It was only then that she realized what she
had done. Marla was looking at RICA with surprise.
Friend: Since when did you start smoking?
RICA: I don’t know. It’s just been such an awful day—I thought it might help.
Narrator: With that, RICA walked back to school feeling worse than ever. Her
Mom would kill her if she found out that RICA tried a cigarette. That’s when she
spotted Ms. Taggart, the principal, walking towards her.
Ms Taggart: RICA, I’m really surprised. Did I just see you with a cigarette?
I didn’t think that you smoked.
Narrator: Stunned, RICA could only respond with...
RICA: I know Ms. Taggart. I have had such a crappy day. I slept in, missed the
bus, didn’t study for a test, flunked a pop quiz and now this!
Ms Taggart: RICA, give yourself a break. You know that you are a good student
with a good average. One test isn’t going to sink you—we all have a bad day
occasionally. Maybe you need to get back into school and get ready for class.
Break
How did RICA drain her self-esteem and decision-making accounts? What happened
for RICA to make a deposit into her account? Is there anything she could have
done differently?
Narrator: Gazing out the school bus window on her way home, RICA reflected
on her day. Her friend was right—the test wasn’t that bad after all. But that
didn’t stop her from worrying about the smoking incident at lunch. As the bus
dropped her off, RICA made a decision. She walked into the living room where
her mother was sat, reading.
RICA: Mom, there’s something I have to tell you.
Narrator: RICA’s mom put aside her reading and looked expectantly at RICA.
RICA shared the events of the day, including the smoking episode, which she
knew would upset her Mom.
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Mom: I am very disappointed with the choices you made today. What could
you have done differently, instead of losing your cool and ending up smoking?
It seems to me that you were smoking to try to be cool and to deal with a bad
day. What will you do next time?
Narrator: THE END
Debrief the story by discussing what RICA might have done differently to deal
with a bad day. Discuss what she could plan for the future.
Source:
True To Myself Girls Group. Athabasca, Alberta
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