A Lesson Plan from Life Planning Education: A Youth Development Program

Purpose: To learn facts, dispel myths, and explore feelings about violence

Materials: Newsprint and markers or board and chalk; masking tape; container; Leader's Resources, "Statements: The Truth about Violence"(pdf) and Answer Key: The Truth About Violence (pdf); pens/pencils; paper   

Time: 35-45 minutes

Planning Notes:

• On a sheet of newsprint, write the following questions:
• Where does violence generally happen?
• When does violence generally happen?
• Why does violence generally happen?
• Duplicate the Leader's Resource, “Statements: The Truth about Violence” and cut the statements into strips. Fold and place them in the container.
• Be aware of recent media attention to local or national violence. Such events and their trials may be of special concern to your participants. If there has been such a recent event, be prepared to hear it discussed. Then focus teens' attention back on the activity, emphasizing that you are looking for a profile of violent crime in general, not just one highly publicized crime. If teens are very upset by the event, you may need to allow an entire session for discussion and/or debate before moving on.

Procedure:

1. Ask teens to form groups of three.
2. Display the questions written on the newsprint and ask teens to write down their answers.
3. When they have finished, tell them that the next part of the activity is based on research that will show them how their beliefs about violence in the U.S. compare with the facts. It is appropriate to note here that many people, including adults, are misinformed about violence. Go over the instructions:
• Each group will pick a violence statement and read it.
• Discuss the statement with your group members, to decide if it is true or false. Members of the group should argue for or against each position.
• After debating, vote on whether the statement is true or false.
• After each vote, I will give you the correct information.
4. Begin the activity. Invite arguments from members of the first group to pick a statement, and ask for its vote. Then read the information that supports or refutes the group's position. Either congratulate the group for voting correctly or minimize the members' error by noting again that our society as a whole is often misinformed about violence. In addition, it might be useful to discuss what encourages these misperceptions.
5. Repeat the procedure until all the group's have read and voted on all statements. Be sure to note the statements the group assessed correctly.
6. Conclude the activity using the Discussion Points.

Discussion Points:

1. How did your group's picture of typical violence compare with the facts?
2. Which facts support what you already knew about violence in the U.S.?
3. Does violence in your school, neighborhood or community affect you? Are you ever afraid? Does it make you angry or sad?
4. How can you avoid violence and crime?

Adapted with permission from Community Participation - Corpsmember Learning Activities: Short Circuiting Violence, Public/Private Ventures, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 1992.