FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM

Hardin Elementary uses the Too Good for Drugs program for classroom guidance. This program contains five interwoven components which appear throughout the curriculum: Goal Setting, Decision Making, Bonding With Others, Identifying and Managing Emotions, and Communicating Effectively.

TGFD Fifth Grade

Classroom Guidance Objectives

Lesson 1: Setting Reachable Goals

Objective: The student will be able to:

Define goal setting.

Demonstrate setting reachable goals.

Differentiate between reachable and unreachable goals.

Rationale: Studies show that the ability to set and achieve goals is a critical developmental asset.

Lesson 2: Communication

Oobjective: The student will be able to:

Define communication.

Distinguish between effective and ineffective communication techniques.

Discuss why good communication skills are important.

Demonstrate effective communication skills.

Rationale: Studies show that bonding with others helps young people to be resilient to problem behaviors such as drug use, violence, early sexual behavior and delinquency. The ability to communicate effectively is critical for bonding.

Lesson 3: Time to Make a Good Decision

Objective: The student will be able to:

Demonstrate an effective decision making model.

Discuss the consequences of making certain choices.

Rationale: Research indicates that in order to transfer decision making skills into their own lives, young people need to practice applying these skills in a variety of situations.

Lesson 4: Peer Pressure Refusal Strategies

Objective: The student will be able to:

Define peer pressure.

Describe nine effective peer pressure refusal strategies.

Demonstrate the use of effective peer pressure refusal strategies.

Rationale: Peer pressure refusal strategies empower to stand by their decisions to remain drug free. These skills are also critical for helping children to avoid other problem behaviors, such as violence, delinquency and early sexual experience.

Lesson 5: Better Ideas

Objective: The student will be able to:

Discuss the way other people influence our choices, beliefs attitudes and behaviors.

Distinguish between positive and negative influences.

Demonstrate use of the peer pressure strategy, A Better Idea.

List a variety of safe and healthy activities friends can do together.

Rationale: As children approach the middle school years when the influence of peers increases significantly, the ability to handle peer pressure becomes critical. Studies show that the ability to generate a number of alternatives is a key to good decision making and successful peer pressure refusal.

Lesson 6: The Team Game

Objective: The student will be able to:

List the dangers of tobacco use.

Differentiate between advertisements’ implied message and the truth.

Compare actual percentages of people who smoke with perceived prevalence of smokers.

Rationale: This lesson helps students to resist two types of social influences: advertising and negative role modeling. It also provides accurate information about the effects and prevalence of tobacco use, in order to correct misperceptions.

Lesson 7: Alcoholism

Objective: The student will be able to:

Define alcoholism.

Describe some characteristics of alcoholics.

List sources of help for alcoholics and their families.

Discuss the importance of effective communication within the family.

Rationale: Alcoholism affects not only the alcoholic, but the alcoholic's family as well. A child who lives with an alcoholic family member may be more likely to drink alcohol or take drugs in order to cope with the alcoholism. This lesson provides information, resources and skills for coping with alcoholism in a healthy way.

Lesson 8: Gateway Bingo

Objective: The student will be able to:

Define “Gateway Drugs”

Discuss how drug use can interfere with the ability to accomplish a goal.

Recite facts about the gateway drugs.

Demonstrate refusing peer pressure.

Rationale: Studies show that students need opportunities to practice decision making and peer pressure refusal skills in situations involving a variety of drugs. This lesson provides the opportunity to practice their skills in situations involving the gateway drugs: tobacco, alcohol and marijuana.

Lesson 9: Making the Most of Mistakes

Objective: The student will be able to:

Discuss ways to overcome and learn from mistakes.

Differentiate between positive and negative self-talk.

Discuss how negative self-talk leads to negative feelings and often to negative actions.

Rationale: Studies show that using positive self talk helps students to deal positively with the difficult feelings they may experience when they make a mistake.

Lesson 10: Celebrity Squares

Objective: The student will be able to:

Review concepts learned in TGFD, Grade 5

Recite a pledge not to use drugs.

Discuss why good communication skills are important.

Demonstrate effective communication skills.

Rationale: Studies show that effective drug prevention programs teach information and skills, provide oppotunities to practice the skills, reinforce the skills and recognize students' participation.