Core Curriculum Lesson Plan

School Counselor: Laura Tucker Goemaat Date: 2-14-18

Activity: Recognizing Unhealthy Relationship Patterns

Grade(s): 7

ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors (Domain/Standard):

2 - Social and cultural foundations

Demonstrate sensitivity to the nature and the functioning of the student within the family, school and
community contexts.

3 - Fostering of relationships
Implement developmentally appropriate counseling interventions with children and adolescents.

8 - School counseling skills

Promote use of counseling and guidance activities and programs involving the total school community
to provide a positive school climate.

Learning Objective(s) (aligns with competency):

1. Students will be able to recognize characteristics of an unhealthy relationship.
2. Students will understand that society and culture influence relationships.
3. Students will believe that they can change the culture in their school.

Materials:
1. Envelopes with healthy and unhealthy descriptors
2. Scenario sheet (3 scenarios)

Procedure:
1. Share what a school counselor is/does video.
2. Have class brainstorm social issues they notice in their school.
3. Tell large group they will be focusing on the relationship/drama topic.
4. Have students categorize descriptors into healthy and unhealthy groups.
Descriptors found here: (http://depts.washington.edu/hhpccweb/health-resource/healthy-vs-
unhealthy-relationships/)
5. Pose the question “If it is so easy to sort these descriptors on paper, then why is it difficult for people
to behave in healthy ways when in relationships?”
6. Facilitate classroom discussion. Include culture’s influence on how we behave in relationships.
7. Have students attach descriptors to scenario worksheet.
8. Student work time.

Plan for Evaluation: How will each of the following be collected?

Process Data: 95% of the students in this class felt competent in recognizing a characteristic of an unhealthy
relationship. These students also rated recognizing this as a 1 on a scale of 1 being the easiest, and 100 being
the most difficult.
Outcome Data: One lesson is just that, a small seed planted in these students’ minds. However, these students
are between the ages of 12 and 13 years old. Me being their counselor and having that exposure and influence
from me will aid in them coming to me when they have issues with dating relationships as they get older.

Follow-Up: Since I am not in this classroom on a regular basis, I will follow up with students in the hallway to
see what they are thinking about the lesson. This teacher spent an entire week focusing on teenage dating
violence. I have already heard from other teachers on how this was upsetting to some students. In a culture
where dating violence is so prevalent, we need to be talking about it. If it is upsetting to students, then that
means they are learning something. It is never too early to be learning about culture. These young students
are already becoming their adult selves and we need to be influencing who they will become as people, not
just students.