Grade 3, Unit 4
Following Through
Lesson 21: Dealing with Negative Peer Pressure
Lesson Concepts
Home Link Reminder
• Calming down helps you think so you can solve
problems.
• Following steps can help you solve problems.
• Being assertive can help you resist negative peer
pressure.
Email or send home copies of the
Lesson 21 Home Link. Have students
take home their collection of Weekly
Skill Checks to show their families.
Students can take home this week’s
Skill Check on Day 5.
Key Words
Peer, pulse, negative peer pressure
Why This Lesson Matters
It can be difficult to say no to people we like. Students
should learn that it is okay to say no and that when
someone says no to them, they needn’t be upset.
Accepting an assertive refusal is also a skill. Learning
how to resist going along with peers can help students
avoid a variety of problem behaviors. This lesson
strengthens students’ grasp of both assertiveness and
problem-solving skills.
Using Skills Every Day
Have students ANTICIPATE when they might need to
handle negative peer pressure.
Notice when students respond assertively to negative
peer pressure, and REINFORCE the behavior with
specific feedback: Darcy challenged you to race
up high on the play structure. You said “No!”
assertively and told her it wasn’t safe.
• Model being assertive to handle negative peer
pressure; give examples from your own life.
• Remind students that it’s okay to say no when
others want you to do something that isn’t safe
and respectful.
Have students REFLECT on when and how they
handled negative peer pressure.
Daily Practice
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Play Peer Pulse with challenges.
Have students practice saying no to their Second Step partners’ far-fetched questions. (“Want to jump
off that bridge into the lake?”)
Play the “Step Up” song before recess. Say the steps together with students.
L21
Day 5
Teach the lesson.
Have students complete the Weekly Skill Check. Sample check-in statements:
• It’s okay to say no when someone wants me to do something that isn’t safe and respectful.
• I can resist negative peer pressure by being assertive and saying no.
© 2011 Committee for Children
Second Step: Skills for Social and Academic Success
Page 83
Grade 3, Unit 4
Following Through
Lesson 21: Dealing with Negative Peer Pressure
Peer Pulse
Preparation
Have students sit in a circle, holding hands.
Steps
1. Choose a student to start the game. Say: Go, and start the stopwatch.
2. The student squeezes a neighbor’s hand, the neighbor passes the pulse to the next, and so on.
3. The first student says, “Stop!” when the pulse returns.
4. Record students’ time and set a new goal.
5. Choose a new student to start the next round.
6. Play two or three rounds. Increase the challenge as desired.
Tip
Discuss ways students can work together to decrease their time. (Focus. Track movements. Be very quiet.)
Increasing the Challenge
Attention (A), Working Memory (WM), and Inhibitory Control (IC)
• Have students name the last person who started and stopped the pulse before they play again. (A, WM, IC)
• Have students weaken their pulse strength. (A)
• Have students wait for a count of five before passing the pulse. (IC)
• Have students play with their eyes closed. (A)
Page 84
Second Step: Skills for Social and Academic Success
© 2011 Committee for Children