Anti-smoking lesson for middle school

[nicki77]

Hi everyone, I'm very new to this, but I really enjoy using Waygook for help sometimes. In my middle school, as I'm sure in most middle schools, teenage smoking has become an issue. After getting frustrated with my co-teacher kicking students out of my classes week after week (his rule, not mine) I decided to do my own little lesson. This took just 20 minutes to go though, the facts are taken from the truth.com and the WHO website, but words have been modified so my students understand. I hope maybe this helps someone out there because after doing all this research I'm quite alarmed by the findings.

[creeper1]

Quite a nice slideshow. How did you explain that last slide??

[nicki77]

That was actually one of my more awkward teaching moments in Korea. My co-teacher doesn't speak a lot of English, so after looking at the slide for a moment, he looked back at me and said "male sickness"? Yes.

[thomas]

 Nice job , but wayy too controversial for my middle school and I'd seriously have to delete the last slide. I broached this subject with my main co-teacher about doing a lesson on the negative effects of smoking about 4-5 months into my contract. She shot it down with a quickness.. I hope some folks use this. I may use it for my Winter Camp...we'll see.

[Kaypea]

I understand why "male sickness" may not be acceptable for a classroom PPT in middle school, but why is the issue of smoking verbotten?  A lot of our kids are getting into smoking, so I don't see why we shouldn't show them some facts to help them decide whether or not to smoke, instead of just hitting them with sticks when we catch them at it.  I'm just wondering what a school's rationale would be against our teaching an anti-smoking lesson.

(I do understand, of course, that students don't *not* smoke because of teachers' health warnings, but it may help some of the more rational kids understand why smoking is such a bad idea... and maybe, maybe, maybe think twice before starting?  who knows...)

[thomas]

 Well, all I can say is that I've heard that I have a particularly uptight and strange school from other NET's . This experience has been agony and ecstasy. I'm very happy to be moving on to greener pastures next March. You are so right- I'm from a mental health background, worked for 15 years as a child and family therapist, this country needs anti-smoking education in the schools.

[Smaug]

Some nice scary pictures horror movie kids might enjoy but it seems more for highschool level unless you are at a foreign language school with great students.

"When American cigarettes were allowed  in Korea, smoking among Korean teenagers rose from 18% to 30%." The connection of a cause and effect is not as simple as that nor can you accurately measure illegal teen smoking. sounds like you (or someone else) are trying to beat up on the USA but you fail to mention all the almost legal teen drug smokers in Canada who destroy their lungs, lymphatic systems, and brains with dope. also in some schools the imagery of impotence or even the smoke suicide gun will anger an old conservative korean teacher.

[jglide]

@Smaug - I think this is an anti-smoking lesson not anti-America.


Great lesson plan!  Fantastic!  Terrific! 


I think you should recontract and stay in Korea for two years.  Maybe get a jindo....

[LemonWater]

Just be careful not to judge. Smoking is a bigger part of culture here than in other parts of the world. At least in my school, I know the kids do learn about the dangers of smoking in other classes. I'm not sure if the English class is the best place to be teaching this topic. Some people might be offended that a foreigner is condemning them for smoking - not students, but parents and other teachers.

[Kaypea]

I think I'm going to use this for a small conversation class.  I like the comparasons between Korean smoking stats and Canadian smoking stats, to show that both countries have problems.  (I was actually a little bit surprised)...

Yes, you have to be careful not to say stuff like, everybody who smokes is bad.  Focus more on the health benefits and why young people shouldn't start smoking.  I think most of the male teachers at my school, even the gym teachers, smoke, but I want the kids to focus on why they shouldn't start, and what they can say to friends to discourage the habit. 

[creeper1]

A good point to note is that although there is a lot of smoking and drinking in Korean culture, western countries are riddled with heroin, pot, LSD, ecstasy, speed and cocaine. Many defend taking these substances though as "recreation."

[creeper1]

Here is a good video to go with the lesson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD3UFCTNPTg

[Cranberryopah]

I hope maybe this helps someone out there because after doing all this research I'm quite alarmed by the findings.

Thank you for the submission. I paired this with the telephone game. The kids dictated the sentences while I typed them, fixing a few. Having the kids repeat the stats and admonitions as they recited their cellphone numbers seemed to make an impact. Here are the numbers we used if anyone's interested.
0 = I want to smoke
1 = Smoking is smelly.
2 = Please don't smoke.
3 = I want you to LIVE!
4 = Smoking is addictive (습관성).
5 = Every cig. takes 5 min. from your life.
6 = 1 out of 10 people die.
7 = Do you want to DIE?
8 = Smoking can make you short.
9 = 1 person dies every 8 seconds.

[kaymac]

yikes! that video is intense. definitely reaffirmed my anti-smoking views!

[raka_dier]

I'd really like to do this with my afterschool class, but the file won't open. My school uses PP2003. Can anyone help me with an update to run this file?

[#basedcowboyshirt]

I had a terrible day at school a few weeks ago and was having a smoke as I went to the grocery store, and the next day I had about ten students come up to me going, "TEACHER! YOU SMOKE? MY FRIEND SEE SMOKING!!" Usually I never smoke on the streets any time close to when school gets out.

Then I blatantly lied and told them they hadn't seen me. Almost all the teachers know I smoke, but I've tried my best to not let the kids know.

[lion11]

The same thing happens to me Cole.  I just don't smoke on the street anymore.

Great lesson nicki77.  I'm gonna throw this in with my summer camp.

[nicki77]

Thanks for the positive responses. For the detractors: it's definitely not a lesson for every school. Yes, I'm lucky to have a school that encourages anti-smoking lessons. They definitely recognize the problem and encourage transparency when delivering the facts. I was in no way attempting to promote anti-American sentiment. Koreans are so proud of their culture and their economy and I wanted them to know that a lot of money is leaving Korea because of smoking. I don't promote Korean cigarettes either, I was just trying to help. As for the comment about Canadians and their pot smoking...

sounds like you (or someone else) are trying to beat up on the USA but you fail to mention all the almost legal teen drug smokers in Canada who destroy their lungs, lymphatic systems, and brains with dope.

No, I'm not trying to beat up on the USA. I'm Canadian and I resent your comment. Dope isn't an issue here, cigarettes are. Lets fight one battle at a time.

[bdan82]

I like this idea a lot.  I have found cigarettes in the boys' bathroom of my middle school repeatedly, and co-teachers seem alarmingly blase about it.

I have been considering bringing it up in class for a while now.  But I'm having trouble thinking of a way to make it student-centered, rather than just me lecturing them about the evils of smoking.  Were you able to use this to stimulate discussion or make the students somehow use/produce the language?  Did you add any activities or a game at the end?

On the lesson's "anti-american" statistical page - American tobacco companies are exceptionally guilty here anyway, so it's not exactly Ahmadinejad-style rabidly anti-American lies we're talking about here....and, sound statistical methods aside, I know my students.  They aren't into statistics, but they're really into what's cool.  Every pack of cigs I've found in the school are Marlboro.  Suggesting the idea, however simplistic, that their little Korean bodies are being tainted by dirty American cigarettes might go a lot farther with them than pictures of black lung disease.  If I can indulge the fantasy of the first thanksgiving and teach them about pilgrim-indian harvest feasts without going into the complexities of America's colonial genocide, I can indulge the idea that smoking isn't really "Korean" too. 

On the "don't judge Koreans you rude foreigner" claims - smoking kills. That's just...true.  Honestly, if I thought something as morally insignificant as my passport were reason enough to keep me from caring about my students' health, I wouldn't be a teacher.  (Yes, even in Korea.) 

[Jessica G]

I revised the powerpoint to make it more of a lesson on smoking in general (I got rid of that last slide..i'm not touching that). I'm doing this in my winter camp tomorrow, definitely going to show the video posted above along with the infamous Debbie smoking out of her throat, and also a few of those "tobacco smokes you" commercials. After the powerpoint I'm going to go over the concept of slogans and then have each group design two posters: one anti-smoking poster and then also a poster from the point of view of the tobacco company encouraging smoking. After that, presentations. Thanks for this! I was totally scrambling for tomorrow (they changed everything up on me last minute, turned my 45 minute lessons into hour and a half then changed the order of classes) Gotta love that stuff.