Influence Carousel Lesson Plan Influence Carousel
Lesson Plan
Audience: 10th Grade
Time: 80 Minutes
Subject: Health & Wellness
Why This Matters
In this lesson, students will engage in a carousel activity to explore various influences on mental health, sexual risk, substance use, alcohol use, relationships, and social media. By identifying and categorizing these influences as positive or negative, students will develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of how external factors impact their lives. This lesson is important as it encourages students to reflect on their environment and make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
Materials Needed
Topic Posters (Mental Health, Sexual Risk, etc.)
Markers & Sticky notes
Influence Categorization Cards
Discussion Guide & Worksheet
Lesson Slide Deck
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
Identify common external influences on various health behaviors.
Categorize influences as positive or negative based on their impact on wellness.
Reflect on personal decision-making in the context of environmental influences.
Lesson Outline
Time Phase Activity Details 10m Introduction Briefly discuss why understanding health influences matters.
Explain lesson objectives and the carousel format.
|
| 10m | Setup |
Set up 6 stations: Mental Health, Sexual Risk, Substance Use, Alcohol Use, Relationships, Social Media.
Place markers and sticky notes at each station.
|
| 30m | Carousel Activity |
Groups rotate every 5 minutes. At each station, students write down influences on sticky notes and place them on the poster.
Encourage students to think about media, family, peers, and self-perception.
|
| 15m | Categorizing |
Groups return to their starting station. They must use the **Positive/Negative Influence Cards** to categorize the sticky notes on their poster.
Justify categorizations within the group.
|
| 10m | Discussion |
Use the **Discussion Guide** to debrief. Look for patterns, recurring themes, and surprises across stations.
|
| 5m | Closure |
Summarize key takeaways. Distribute the **Influence Analysis Worksheet** as a final reflection/homework.
|
Teacher Note
Some influences might be both positive and negative (e.g., social media). Encourage students to place these in the middle or explain their reasoning for choosing one side.
Differentiation
Provide sentence starters for the reflection worksheet. For the carousel, pair students who may need more peer support for brainstorming.
Influence Carousel Slides Health & Wellness Series
Influence Carousel:
Analyzing Impacts
How do external factors shape our health choices and mental well-being?
? Why are we here?
Every day, we are bombarded with signals telling us how to act, what to consume, and how to feel.
"We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with."
— Jim Rohn
Peers
Social Media
Family
Pop Culture
Carousel Activity: The Rules
01
Rotate
Start at your assigned station. Every 5 minutes, we will rotate clockwise.
02
Brainstorm
On sticky notes, write down what influences this topic (people, media, settings).
03
Post
Place your notes on the poster. Look at what others wrote, but keep adding new ideas!
Categorizing the Impacts
Go back to your original station. It's time to analyze the brainstorm.
"Some influences aren't always black and white. Be prepared to explain why you chose a category."
Let's Discuss
What recurring themes did we see across different stations?
Were there influences that could be both positive and negative?
Which influences do you have the most control over?
Influence Carousel Station Posters Influence Carousel Station 1
Mental Health
What influences this?
Brainstorm people, social media, family, environmental factors, or internal beliefs that impact mental well-being.
Place Sticky Notes Here
Influence Carousel Station 2
Sexual Risk
What influences this?
Brainstorm media portrayals, peer expectations, personal values, and access to information/protection.
Place Sticky Notes Here
Influence Carousel Station 3
Substance Use
What influences this?
Consider curiosity, stress levels, availability, peer pressure, and how substances are shown in movies or music.
Place Sticky Notes Here
Influence Carousel Station 4
Alcohol Use
What influences this?
Think about family traditions, social gatherings, advertising, sports sponsorships, and "party culture".
Place Sticky Notes Here
Influence Carousel Station 5
Relationships
What influences this?
Brainstorm models of healthy/unhealthy relationships, digital communication, trust, and peer social circles.
Place Sticky Notes Here
Influence Carousel Station 6
Social Media
What influences this?
Consider algorithms, trends, comparison, cyberbullying, positive connections, and screen time habits.
Place Sticky Notes Here
Influence Categorization Cards Categorization Cards
Print and cut these labels to categorize brainstormed influences at each station.
Positive Influence
Promotes health and well-being
Negative Influence
Increases risk or harm
Positive Influence
Promotes health and well-being
Negative Influence
Increases risk or harm
Positive Influence
Promotes health and well-being
Negative Influence
Increases risk or harm
Print multiple copies to ensure every station has at least 2 sets of labels.
Influence Carousel Discussion Guide Discussion Guide
Teacher Resource • Influence Carousel
Facilitator Copy
Purpose
Use this guide to facilitate the final 10 minutes of the lesson. The goal is to move beyond identification to evaluation and personal reflection.
1. What are some common influences identified across different topics?
Look For / Facilitator Prompts:
Do "Peers" or "Social Media" show up on every poster? Why?
Are there influences that appeared as "Positive" on one poster but "Negative" on another? (e.g., Family support vs. Family pressure)
2. Were there any surprising influences that you hadn't considered before?
Look For / Facilitator Prompts:
Did anyone mention "Algorithms" or "Corporate Advertising"?
What about "Internal influences" (e.g., self-esteem, personal goals)?
How does environment (where you live) act as an influence?
3. How do these influences impact your personal decisions and behaviors?
Look For / Facilitator Prompts:
Which influences are the hardest to resist? Why?
Can we consciously choose to surround ourselves with more "Positive" influences?
How does recognizing an influence change your power over it?
Tip: If the class is quiet, ask them to look at the 'Social Media' station specifically, as it usually sparks the most debate.
Influence Analysis Worksheet Influence Analysis
Reflecting on the factors that shape our choices.
Name:
Date:
In class, we explored how various topics are impacted by outside forces. Use those insights to complete this personal analysis.
1. Positive Mental Health Factors
List three positive influences on mental health and explain why they are positive.
2. Substance Use Impacts
Identify two negative influences on substance use and describe their impact on a person's life.
3. Personal Reflection
Reflect on a personal experience where an influence (a person, a piece of media, a trend, etc.) affected your decision-making.
Consider: Was the influence positive or negative? How did it change your final choice?
End of Worksheet • Influence Analysis