Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs--prevention. The student demonstrates refusal skills to avoid substance use and misuse

Standards Alignment

• TEKS.HEALTH.2.17 primary
  identify ways to avoid unsafe situations related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and demonstrate refusal skills.

Lesson Overview

This Grade 2 health education lesson focuses on helping students identify unsafe situations related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and practice refusal skills to avoid substance use and misuse. Students will learn how to recognize risky situations and confidently say no using respectful and clear communication. The lesson aligns with TEKS.HEALTH.2.17 and includes interactive activities such as role-playing and discussions to build students' social and emotional health.

Learning Objectives

• Identify situations that may involve alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs that could be unsafe.
• Demonstrate refusal skills to say no to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in a respectful and confident way.
• Explain why it is important to avoid unsafe situations involving these substances.

Success Criteria

• Students can name at least two ways to avoid unsafe situations involving alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
• Students can role-play saying no firmly and politely when offered these substances.
• Students can explain how refusal skills help keep themselves and others safe and healthy.

Prerequisite Knowledge

Students should understand basic concepts of safety and know that some substances like alcohol, tobacco, and drugs can be harmful to health. They should have experience identifying feelings and perspectives of others and basic communication skills.

Key Vocabulary

• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Drugs
• Refusal skills
• Unsafe situation
• Peer pressure
• Say no
• Respectful communication

Materials and Resources

• Scenario cards describing different situations involving alcohol, tobacco, or drugs
• Role-play props (optional) such as hats or badges to represent different characters
• Chart paper or whiteboard and markers
• Visual posters showing refusal phrases

Teacher Preparation

• Prepare scenario cards with age-appropriate situations involving alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
• Review refusal skill phrases and practice modeling them.
• Set up a safe and supportive classroom environment for role-playing activities.
• Prepare visual aids to support vocabulary and concepts.

Detailed Lesson Notes

Understanding Unsafe Situations Related to Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

Unsafe situations are those where a person might be offered or pressured to use substances like alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs that can harm their health. These situations can happen at school, home, or social gatherings. Recognizing these situations helps students stay safe by avoiding or leaving them. Examples include being offered a cigarette by a peer or seeing someone vaping at a party.

What Are Refusal Skills?

Refusal skills are ways to say no to something that is unsafe or unwanted in a clear, confident, and respectful manner. These skills help students protect their health and make good choices. Refusal can include saying no firmly, giving a reason, changing the subject, or walking away. Practicing these skills helps students feel prepared and confident.

The Role of Peer Influence and Respectful Communication

Peers can influence decisions, sometimes encouraging unsafe behaviors. Understanding peer pressure helps students recognize when they need to use refusal skills. Using respectful communication means saying no without being rude or hurtful, which helps maintain friendships and self-respect. For example, saying, "No thanks, I want to stay healthy," is both clear and polite.

Modeling and Practicing Refusal Skills

Teachers should model refusal skills by demonstrating how to say no in different scenarios. Students then practice through role-play, taking turns being the person offering and the person refusing. This hands-on practice builds confidence and helps students apply skills in real life. Feedback should focus on tone, body language, and clarity of refusal.

Connecting Refusal Skills to Health and Safety

Avoiding unsafe situations and using refusal skills protects physical health by preventing exposure to harmful substances. It also supports emotional health by empowering students to make their own choices and resist negative influences. Discussing the benefits of refusal skills helps students understand why these behaviors matter for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Worked Examples

Classroom Activity

In pairs or small groups, students discuss how they would respond to each scenario and share ideas with the class.

Guided Practice

Independent Practice

1. Foundational: What is one thing you can say if someone offers you tobacco?
2. Developing: Name two ways to avoid unsafe situations involving alcohol or drugs.
3. Application: If a friend pressures you to try vaping, how can you use refusal skills to stay safe?
4. Analysis: Why is it important to use respectful communication when refusing substances?
5. Challenge: Describe a situation where you might need to use refusal skills and explain how you would handle it.

Independent Practice Teacher Answer Key

1. 1. You can say, "No, thank you. I don't want to use tobacco."
2. 2. You can say no firmly and walk away, or tell a trusted adult about the situation.
3. 3. You can say, "No, I want to stay healthy," and then change the subject or leave the situation.
4. 4. Respectful communication helps keep friendships and shows you care about others' feelings while still protecting your own health.
5. 5. If someone at a party offers me alcohol, I would say no firmly and politely, explain that I want to stay healthy, and if they keep asking, I would walk away and tell a trusted adult.

Guiding Questions

• What are some unsafe situations involving alcohol, tobacco, or drugs?
• How can you say no in a way that is clear and respectful?
• Why is it important to avoid these substances?
• What can you do if you feel pressured by friends?
• Who can you talk to if you need help?

Common Misconceptions

• Saying no is rude or will always hurt friendships.
• Only adults need to worry about alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
• Refusal skills mean just saying no without explanation or respect.
• Peer pressure is always easy to recognize and avoid.
• Avoiding unsafe situations means avoiding all social interactions.

Differentiation

Assessment

• Observe students during role-play to check use of refusal skills.
• Ask students to explain why refusal skills are important.
• Use questioning during discussions to assess understanding.
• Write or say one way you can say no to something unsafe.
• Explain why it is important to avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
• Demonstrate a refusal phrase with a partner.
• Create a poster showing refusal skills and ways to avoid unsafe situations.
• Write a short story about a character who uses refusal skills to stay safe.

Answer Guide

• What is one way to say no to tobacco?
  Answer: Say, "No thank you, I don't want to use tobacco."
• Name two ways to avoid unsafe situations involving alcohol or drugs.
  Answer: Say no firmly and walk away; tell a trusted adult.
• How can you use refusal skills if a friend pressures you to try vaping?
  Answer: Say no politely and confidently, change the subject, or leave.
• Why use respectful communication when refusing substances?
  Answer: It helps keep friendships and shows care while protecting health.
• Describe a situation where you use refusal skills and how.
  Answer: At a party, say no firmly and politely to alcohol, explain why, and walk away or tell an adult if pressured.

Real-Life Application

Encourage students to talk with their family about what they learned regarding refusal skills and unsafe situations. Ask families to practice refusal phrases together and discuss ways to stay safe.

Homework or Home Connection

• Encourage students to talk with their family about what they learned regarding refusal skills and unsafe situations. Ask families to practice refusal phrases together and discuss ways to stay safe.

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students learned to identify unsafe situations involving alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and practiced refusal skills to say no confidently and respectfully. They explored how peer influence can affect decisions and why respectful communication is important. Through role-play and discussion, students gained tools to protect their health and make safe choices in real life.

Teacher Notes

Use the exact standards alignment and retrieved-source provenance stored with this enrichment.

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