Analyzing Influences: Johnny Mahoe Lesson Plan
Loke Wakinekona

Unit:     Health and Guidance

Grade level:      6

Lesson Title:     Peer Pressure: Johnny Mahoe

Standard:          Analyzing Influences

Objectives:       SWBAT analyze how peer pressure affects people’s decisions.

                        SWBAT identify risky behavior through listening to a song.

                        SWBAT realize that they have the power of their own decisions

                        And they must take responsibility for them.

“I Can” Statements:     

v     I can understand how listening to my peers can cause me to make certain decisions.

v     I can name the risky behaviors in the song Johnny Mahoe and apply them to my life.

v     I can make my own decisions and can be responsible for my actions.

Materials:        
CD player                               
Song sheets
Johnny Mahoe CD
Markers

Motivation/Preteach:

Introductory discussion:

·        How many of you have made a poor decision just because your friend told you to?

·        How many of you had to pay the price for your actions?

·        Do you think we should all be accountable for the decisions we make no matter what?

·        Introduce the song Johnny Mahoe to them

·        Ask why they think the writer used a Hawaiian name for the main character

Directions/Events:

·        Play the song and let students follow along with the song sheets for familiarity

·        Play song again and have them listen for risky behaviors (gun use, gangs, colors, wrong crowd, etc.)

·        After song is done:

·        Have students identify risky behaviors and write on board

·        Discuss each behavior and its consequence(s)

·        What was Johnny like before the gangs? After the gangs?

·        What made him join the gang?

·        Do you think he really wanted to be a gang member?

·        Was it a good decision?  Is he still responsible for it?

·        How did he pay the consequence?

·        What does this song say about peer pressure and making your own decisions?

·        Can we “just turn and walk away?”

Closure:

·        After discussion, have students come up with an idea about how Johnny (and themselves) could have turned and walked away? (What could he have done? Just say no concepts)

·        Each student will write a short paragraph and share with their table cluster

·        Have volunteers share some ideas with the rest of the class following the small group sharing

Assessment:      I will listen to the students’ responses and pay special attention to the objectives.  I want to know if students can identify the risky behaviors, peer influences, and the power they have over their own decisions.  I will also look for ideas they write in their summaries that show they understand this power of decision making.