Lesson for 11 to 14 year olds Choices

Topic:

Life & Living (Friendship, Trust, Choices)

Theme:

Aim: to explore the different choices young people are faced with, in preparation to make decisions that will result in positive life outcomes.

Plan:

Outcomes: Students should be able to…

• Identify different choices that they are faced with
• Explore and evaluate the consequences of these choices
• Explore and hypothesise on the connection between values and choices
• Explain a Christian perspective: that God has got a plan and a purpose for them


Introduction to choices (10 minutes)

Resources: 8 x A4 sheets containing concepts 1-8

[GAME] Play a round of Family Fortunes with the whole class. We asked a hundred young people what choices they faced. They answered…

1. Who their friends are.
2. Whether or not to follow parents’ expectations for their life.
3. What to study for A levels.
4. Whether to start smoking / use drugs / drink.
5. Whether or not to go to university.
6. Who to go out with (boyfriend / girlfriend).
7. How they spend their spare time.
8. How they spend money.

Take some time to reflect:

• Are there any other choices that young people face that aren’t on the list?
• Which are the most / least important decisions and why?

Explain that choices are a fact of life – and some of those decisions have far-reaching implications. We do not ‘opt out’ of them by not making a decision. This lesson is about exploring some of these choices and reflecting on the possible consequences of these choices.


Choices, motives and consequences (25 minutes)

Resources: Scenarios (on worksheet - attached)

[DRAMA] Break the class into smaller groups and give out the scenarios. All provide choices that students are likely to face. Students need to create a short drama in three scenes:

1. The background – what happened that might influence the decision they will make?
2. The decision itself
3. The possible consequences of making that decision in the future. (That could mean later that day, or that week, or in a few years’ time – it’s up to the students to decide!

Watch the performances and then reflect:

• What are the motives that people act upon?
• Which influences crept in?
• What were the possible consequences following from the decisions made?

Explain that the choices that we make in one area of our lives are not easily separated from the rest of our life. What we do in our spare time impacts how well we may achieve at school. And our personal choices are all part of forming character. Often, people don’t think about what kind of person they are becoming by choosing one path over another, but it is certainly a by-product!

For schoolswork teams:

Testimony time: Invite a member of the team shares how a choice they made impacted their life – for good or for bad.


3. The values connection (15 minutes)

Resources: Values connection sort cards. Create sets using differently coloured card for values, influences and choices.

[ACTIVITY] Using the values connection cards (attached), encourage students to link up values, influences and choices people might make.

For example, one person believes that ‘Life should be a party, have fun!’. Which of the ‘influences’ list might most impact them in their decision-making? Which lifestyle choices might they make, based on these values and influences?

Note: a couple of cards are blank for students to supply their own.

Take some feedback, inviting students to reflect:

 Which kind of person appeals to them most?
 Who would they want as their friend / in their family / as their classmate or colleague?

For schoolswork teams:

Testimony time: Share John 10:10 / Jeremiah 29:11: Christians believe that life to the full is found in Jesus and living his way. Their decisions are influenced by his teaching and example. This may mean being prepared to sacrifice and to go against the culture – but ultimately it benefits us and others.


4. Personal Reflection (10 minutes)

[REFLECT] Invite students to think through their own values and influences, and the choices they are facing.

In books, students draw a target and write down two targets in the middle:

1. What they would like to do with their lives
2. Who they would like to be.

Underneath, students write down what choices they need to make in order to become that person, using some of the ideas in the lesson.

Attachments:

Attachment	Size
Choices values matrix UK.doc	67 KB
Choices - Scenario Sheets.doc	35 KB

Download this resource as a PDF

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