Life Skills Curriculum

1. Life Skills Curriculum This unit is designed to give Middle School students positive techniques to avoid using tobacco, alcohol or drugs to cope with the everyday challenges you face.

2. Advertising • The purpose of advertising is to sell products. • Advertising techniques Celebrity endorsement Voice of authority Scientific Evidence Comparison Test and Opinion Polls Demonstrations Bandwagon Romance and Sex Appeal Maturity and Sophistication Appeal Fun and Relaxation Appeal Popularity appeal The Deal Appeal • Advertisers try to make us believe alcohol and tobacco will improve our lives.

3. Violence and the Media Media are movies, TV shows, music, radio and other types of public communication. Media Role Models are popular characters that are usually shown powerful, respected, and attractive to others. Media and role models often include violence in games, music, movies and TV shows as a way to get a viewer’s attention. But this violence is not as common as many people think.

4. Coping with Anxiety Anxiety is feeling nervous, uptight, uneasy or apprehensive. • Physical Body Signs of Anxiety: ‘Butterflies’ in the stomach Sweaty Hands Rapid Heartbeat Dry Mouth Shaky Voice Shaky Hand Muscle Tension Difficulty concentrating • Situations that can cause anxiety for people. Taking a test Public speaking Meeting new people Competing/performing Boy – Girl situations Important decision • Positive ways to reduce anxiety Deep breathing Meditation Muscle relaxation Listening to music Exercising Sleeping Talk to someone Hobbies and interests

5. Coping with Anger Anger- strong feeling of displeasure mixed with the urge to fight back • Expressing anger can be healthy, but losing control is not. • Anger is a normal emotion. • Anger does not help resolve conflicts. Control-the power to hold-back or manage your anger Techniques of control: Reframing Warning Light Self-Statements Count to Ten Physical Symptoms of anger- Rapid Heartbeat Increase in blood pressure Muscle Tension Headache

6. Assertiveness • Assertive and aggressive are not the same thing. • Loudness of voice: Be firm but don’t shout • Eye Contact: don’t look away • Facial Expression: Make them match your words • Distance: keep the right distance form the person you are talking with • Peer pressure is the main reason teens start smoking.

7. Resolving Conflicts • Conflicts could be resolved by allowing each person to explain their point of view. *Compromise- Each side gives up something to gain something * Negotiation- solved by working together so that both sides get what is most important to them * Win-Win Situation- Conflict resolution in which both sides get what they want

8. Social Skills • Life Skills lessons say practicing conversations is the best way to overcome shyness. * Self-Confident- assurance of one’s ability * Specific- Precise * Initiating- beginning * Sustain- To keep going * Compliment- expression of praise

9. Communication • Communication- The act of expressing oneself in such way that one is readily and clearly understood • Verbal- Spoken • Nonverbal- Body language and facial expression • Misunderstanding- A failure to interpret a message correctly • Paraphrase- Restatement of a message to clarify it meaning

10. Decision Making • Decision – The act of making up one’s mind. • Influences- A power indirectly affecting a person or action. • Pressure- To force by overpowering influences or persuasion. • Persuasive Tactics- A strategy by which someone convinces someone else to do, think, or say something.

11. Peer Pressure- Decision Making

12. Self Image and Self-Improvement • Self Image- Conception of one’s own personality or character. • Beliefs- things accepted as true or valid. • Attitude- A state of mind or feeling with regard to some matter. • Achieving your goals- * Have a positive attitude. * Don’t be afraid to make mistakes * If you don’t reach a particular goal or sub-goal, don’t think of it as a failure. * Praise yourself for any progress that you make toward achieving your goal. * Identify any areas that need further improvement. * Use your imagination.

13. Myths & Reality –Tobacco • Smoking has become socially unacceptable over the past years. • It is NOT easy to quit smoking. • Smoking and smoking related diseases are a serious cause of deaths in our country. • Snuff and chew are not safe to use, and cause health risks. Side-stream smoke or second hand smoke- Smoke from the lighted tip of a cigarette which is not directly inhaled by the smoker

14. Myths & Reality – Alcohol • Alcohol is a depressant, it slows your ability to think clearly or make good decisions. • Alcohol does not help you perform better in sports. • Alcohol makes some people get loud, angry, silly or foolish. • Beer does count as alcohol. • If a person drinks, the alcohol affects their blood, brain, and internal organs.

15. Myths & Reality - Marijuana Usage • Marijuana is composed of dried leaves, vines, seeds and stems of the hemp plant. • Marijuana has over 400 dangerous chemicals in it before it is smoked. • The main chemical in marijuana is THC. • Marijuana is not a legal drug. • Marijuana is also called ‘pot’.

16. Resources • Click on the link below to visit the LifeSkills site for more information. • http://www.lifeskillstraining.com/index.php