Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Optional Preparation – Ground Rules For Classroom Discussion
15 minutes – Part A: Thinking From Others' Perspectives
35 minutes – Part B: Factors Affecting Drug And Alcohol Use
20 minutes – Part C: Identifying Strengths
10 minutes – Reflection

Part A: Thinking From Others' Perspectives

Step 1.

Begin this lesson by explaining to students that a part of being able to maintain relationships and manage conflict involves developing and using skills in empathy, or being able to imagine, consider or understand another person’s perspective. When we are confronted with challenging situations involving other people, it can often involve strong emotional reactions. Often the people involved have different needs, so being able to communicate these and negotiate effectively can help to manage conflict and maintain healthy relationships. This next activity will ask students to consider the perspectives that different people may have about drugs and alcohol, and consider the emotional impact of each situation.

Step 2.

Distribute a copy of the Student Worksheet to each student. Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 and provide them with an Emotions Scenario and a list of common emotions (available in the Student Worksheet).

Invite students to identify and discuss the range of emotions that each person involved in the scenario may experience. Allow students a few minutes to explore their scenario and think about the impact of decisions using the prompt questions below (also available in the Student Worksheet):

Who has been affected in this situation?
Identify a range of emotions that each person involved is likely to experience.
What beliefs may the people involved have about drugs and alcohol?

Depending on time, you may get students to explore multiple scenarios in their groups and identify trends in behaviours and emotions.

Once complete, invite students to report back to the class with their analysis of the emotional experience that may be involved in each scenario. You may choose to write responses on the board while encouraging the whole class to share additional feedback about each scenario.

As part of the discussion, remind students that it is important to think about the impact of their choices not only to themselves, but to others.

Part B: Factors Affecting Drug And Alcohol Use

Step 1.

Explain to students that they will soon watch a clip from Life After The Oasis documentary to help understand the various factors that may contribute to drug use, and the impact that drugs and alcohol can have on individuals. The clip features the story of Haley, who was being supported by The Oasis Youth Support Network when The Oasis documentary was filmed 10 years ago, and shows how opportunities and experiences have shaped her life since then.

Explain to students that they will watch the clip through once as a class. Before you begin watching, remind students that the clip they are about to see features real people courageously sharing their stories.

This is a long clip with confronting content. You may want to stop the clip every 5 minutes to debrief with your class, discussing the content covered so far and checking in to make sure students feel comfortable to proceed.

Haley's story (https://vimeo.com/347230350/89c438565d)

Step 2.

Once students are comfortable with the content and themes in Haley's story, invite them to work in pairs or independently to respond to the following reflection question and complete the table on the Student Worksheet:

Outline the factors and situations that may have led to Haley using drugs and alcohol initially. For example, what challenges was Haley dealing with? What structural or institutional failings or disadvantages was she coping with? Use evidence from the video to support your response.
Explain the connections between drug and alcohol use, and the factors below. You should think about and describe how each factor below may be affected by an individual's use of drugs and alcohol as well as how these factors may influence why someone is using drugs and alcohol:

Factor	How this factor may be affected by drug and alcohol use	How this factor might influence drug and alcohol use
Relationships
Health and wellbeing
Goals and aspirations
Living conditions
Personal hygiene
Legal implications
Employment opportunities
Children

Once complete, consider inviting students to share some of their ideas with the class, using this as an opportunity to clarify any concepts or issues raised in the clip.

Step 3.

Explain to students that being confronted with challenging situations involving other people can prompt strong emotional reactions.

Using the emotions list on the Student Worksheet, invite students to identify the range of emotions that Haley was likely to experience in the lead up to, during and after her child/children was/were taken from her care.

Encourage students to fill in the table on the Student Worksheet with their responses and then discuss these with a pair or small group.

It may be beneficial to facilitate a class discussion and write the different emotions at each stage on the board. Encourage students to add any new ideas to their responses in a different colour.

Step 4.

Invite students to reflect on the clip they just watched and in particular to focus on the Salvation Army workers Paul and Robbin. Explain to students that Paul and Robbin and other staff at The Oasis provided support and worked closely with Haley from her youth into adulthood. Explain to students that the role of support workers is to help people experiencing disadvantage by supporting them to make positive change; their role is not to 'save' them.

Now invite students to consider how the choices of Haley may have impacted on the people who were supporting her, including Paul and Robbin. Engage students in a class discussion around this point, and consider using the following questions to guide a class discussion:

What life-changing choices did Haley make?
What factors contributed to the choices Haley made? What things happened in her life that may have influenced her choices?
Who was affected by these choices?
How did Paul and/or Robbin react to these choices?
Can you identify any positive choices?
How do you feel after watching Haley's story?

Part C: Identifying Strengths

Step 1.

Explain to students that character strengths are the qualities that come most naturally to us, which can have a positive impact on our lives. We each have a unique set of skills and strengths that can be used to help us manage and overcome challenges, improve relationships and enhance our health and wellbeing.

Note: This part of the activity is based on the Seligman 24 Character Strengths. Click here to find out more.

Divide the class into small groups, and distribute a copy of the Character Strengths Cards to each group.

Print, laminate and cut the Character Strength Cards to make a class set. They are valuable tools that can often be referred to, where students identify their strengths to help overcome a learning or other challenge.

Working in their groups, invite students to sort through the Character Strengths Cards to identify the strengths that Haley, Paul and Robbin have used at different times. Encourage students to justify their choices on the Student Worksheet using examples from the character clip.

For example, Robbin demonstrates the character strength of hope as she works to ensure the people around her think positively about the future. Haley also demonstrated hope as she wanted to change and be a part of her daughter's life:

Robbin Moulds speaking of Haley: “She was a bright intelligent girl then years ago and had massive hope to do something in her life…she has so much potential somehow it’s lost but it’s never too late, never never too late.”

Step 2.

Invite the groups to share with the class their examples of character strengths identified for each of the characters in the clip. Encourage students to think about the impact that these characteristics have on the people around them and character strengths that they feel they have.

Students can then continue sorting through the Character Strengths Cards to identify and explain which strengths can be used to manage challenges they may face as they transition through adolescence and into adulthood. These prompts can be read out as part of a class discussion or provided to students to work through individually, or small groups (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Which strength can you use when you feel pressured by too much homework?
Which strength can you use when you notice someone is being left out?
Which strength can you use when you have been let down by a friend?
Which strength can you use when being interviewed for a part-time job?
Which strength can you use when feeling pressured to drink at a party?
Which strength can you use to get help for someone you care about who appears to be having difficulty with drugs and alcohol?
Which strength can you use if you notice someone you care about starting to withdraw and isolate themselves?
Which strength can you use if you need to speak up and get help about your own health and wellbeing?

Reflection

Step 1.

Inform students that research shows that wellbeing, positive behaviour and academic achievement are more likely when students are aware of their character strengths, and have opportunities to demonstrate and develop them at school.

Hand out a copy of the Character Strengths Factsheet (source) or project for the class to see. Invite students to work independently to select three strengths they believe they have within themselves and list them in the space provided on the Student Worksheet.

Once those strengths are selected, encourage students to think of situations where they could be useful, such as when students are faced with specific challenges. Record these situations on the Student Worksheet.

Step 2.

Finally, ask students to think about and respond to the following prompt (also available on the Student Worksheet):

How will you call upon one of your strengths today?

Take It Further

Invite students to discover their own unique character strengths by registering with the Authentic Happiness website. Explain to students that this website has been created by a well-known American psychologist, Martin Seligman. Students will need to register as a new user, and use the VIA Strengths Survey for Children.

Differentiated Learning

Extension – Students can identify the character strengths that are relevant to their parents/guardians, teachers, peers and siblings. Students can write a short story, in which a character is faced with a challenge and needs to use some of their character strengths to overcome it.

Provisions for Learning Support – In Part A and C, ensure that student groups are of mixed ability so that those requiring encouragement and clarification around the content covered can do so with their peers. When explaining instructions or information verbally, provide a written copy for students to refer back to.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Life After The Oasis - The Impact Of Addiction

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