Lesson 24: Choices, the Six Step Process

AIM: How will the six step process help us make the right choices for ourselves?

Do Now, in Journal:
Write your own definition of these Healthy Living vocabulary terms.

• decision
• action
• reaction
• consequences
• risk
• values

Background information:
Do you have choices all the time? Do you make choices or does it seem like you are on automatic? Feelings may cause us to react to a situation before we think about it, rather than thinking things through and taking the action that really represents us and our values.

Choices are a little like math problems. They should be broken down into smaller steps in order to be decided. Using the following Six Step process, apply it to one of the example situations. Choose one of the example dilemmas(problems). Use the six step process to describe how you would make a decision for this dilemma.

Example Situations:

1. You were planning to go to a birthday sleep over at a friends house Saturday night. You're parents had to change your family plans for Saturday. Now, you are going to New Jersey to visit your Grandparents, who really want to see you and take you shopping and out to dinner. You want to please your parents and Grandparents. You don't want to miss out on the fun with your friends. What should you do?
2. You get better grades in Math than your best friend. You have a math test tomorrow and she is afraid that she will fail it. She says "All you have to do is move your hand so I can see your paper ". You were taught to always help a friend. You were taught that cheating is wrong. What should you do?

Six step process:

1. State the situation(What are the facts, Who else is involved)
2. List the possible choices of actions that you might take
3. List the possible consequences and risks of each action (consider health, ethics-right and wrong, legalities, parent approval)
4. Consider your values (what is important to you?)
5. Make a decision and act on it (choose the action that best supports your values)
6. Evaluate the decision (Imagine the outcome of your choice, is it positive or negative)