Role-Playing Lesson Plan
Refusal Skills Workshop
Building Confidence to Make Healthy Choices
Audience: 5th Grade
Duration: 60 Minutes
Goal: Practice Saying "No"
Why This Matters
Empowering students to handle real-life situations involving peer pressure is critical. This lesson builds confidence and communication skills, providing them with a "script" for making safe and healthy choices in high-pressure moments.
Materials Needed
- Role-Play Scenario Cards
- Discussion Guide
- Pens and Blank Paper
- Optional: "Stage" props (hats, sunglasses)
Instructional Steps
10
Minutes
Introduction: The Spotlight on Pressure
- Begin with a brief discussion on peer pressure and its impact on decision-making.
- Explain why being able to say "no" to drugs is a life skill, not just a rule.
- Introduce the workshop objectives: practicing our "scripts" before the real performance of life.
30
Minutes
Role-Playing Activity: Rehearsing Refusals
- Divide students into small groups of 3–4.
- Distribute Role-Play Scenario Cards to each group.
- Groups assign roles: The "Pressurer," The "Refuser," and "Observers/Audience."
- Task: Act out the scenario twice—once showing a difficult struggle, and once showing a confident refusal.
- Encourage students to experiment with tone of voice and body language.
15
Minutes
Group Discussion: Post-Show Debrief
- Reconvene as a class to share experiences from the groups.
- Use the Discussion Guide to explore which strategies (e.g., humor, firm "no," walking away) felt most natural.
- Highlight that the more we "rehearse," the more natural it feels in reality.
5
Minutes
Closure: Final Bow
- Summarize key takeaways: You are the director of your own health choices.
- Encourage students to reflect on one specific refusal strategy they feel confident using.
- Thank students for their courage and participation in today's workshop.
Success Tip
Watch for groups that are struggling to get started. Remind them that they don't need to be perfect actors—the goal is the communication, not the performance! Offer a specific "line" if they get stuck, such as "No thanks, I'm trying to stay healthy for soccer."
Role-Play Scenario Cards Worksheet
Scenario Cards
Refusal Skills Workshop
Cut out these cards and distribute them to small groups. Each group should "rehearse" their refusal strategy using the prompt provided.
SCENE 01
The Party Offer
A close friend pulls you aside at a birthday party and offers you a cigarette. They say, "Come on, everyone's doing it, just one won't hurt."
Focus: Firm Refusal
SCENE 02
After-School Cloud
A group of classmates invites you to a spot behind the gym after school to try vaping. They tell you it's "just flavored water" and not dangerous.
Focus: Fact-Based No
SCENE 03
The "Relaxing" Pill
An older student you know from the neighborhood tries to give you a pill, saying it will help you relax and "feel better" about your upcoming test.
Focus: Safe Exit Strategy
SCENE 04
Sleepover Pressure
At a sleepover, your friend sneaks some alcohol from their parents' cabinet. They pressure you to try it, saying "Your parents will never find out."
Focus: Social Pressure
SCENE 05
The Cool Crowd
Someone you really admire and want to be friends with offers you marijuana, saying it's the "cool" thing to do and makes you part of the group.
Focus: Staying True
Take Action • Make Healthy Choices
Discussion Guide Reflection Sheet
Director's Debrief
Refusal Skills Workshop Discussion Guide
"The stage is set, the actors are ready, but the real magic happens in the reflection. Use these questions to dive deeper into the experience of saying 'no' and build a stronger script for real life."
1
What was the most challenging part of saying "no" in your scenario?
Think about the pressure from the other person, the setting, or even your own internal feelings. Was it the fear of being "uncool"? The persistence of the friend?
2
How did it feel to say no, and what strategies worked best for you?
Did you use humor? A firm statement? Did you walk away? Discuss which method felt the most powerful and why.
3
Why is it important to practice saying no to peer pressure before it happens?
How does practicing in a "safe" place like the classroom help prepare you for the real world?
The Bottom Line
Being prepared isn't about being perfect; it's about being confident in your own values. Your health and your future are worth more than one moment of pressure.
