Social-Emotional Learning Classroom Activity: Making Choices

This activity will focus on responsible decision-making. Students will begin by brainstorming their own recent decisions, which they will sort into splitsecond decisions & thoughtful decisions. They will then be introduced to the idea that thoughtful and responsible decision-making considers how the decision will affect others and themselves now and in the future.

To help them make responsible choices, students will be introduced to a decision support tool called a decision tree, which they will use to analyze some of their personal decisions. The activity will then wrap up with a mini goal-setting session in which students consider how they could apply the decision support tool to help them make responsible choices in the future.

Students will:

• Understand the definition of responsible decision-making
• Analyze decisions using a decision tree support tool
• Explain how they will apply this support tool to help them make responsible decisions in the future

Time required:

• 45-60 minutes

Student Materials

• Device with the ability for the teacher to project video
• Today’s Decisions handout (one per student)
• White board or chart paper (one for the teacher )
• Responsible Decisions handout (two copies per student)