Grades 1-5
A Sample Unit on
The Decision-making Process
Introduction
Each school year of health education begins with the Decision-making Process unit which outlines the three sub-processes that teacher and students will follow as they address any topic for the remainder of the year:
As students progress from one grade level to the next, increasingly complex skills are incorporated into these sub-processes. Teachers are advised to refer to the Instructional and Administrative Guidelines section of this document for details pertaining to the gradual introduction of the Decision-making Process at the elementary level. The purpose of this sample unit is to provide practical suggestions for presenting the Decision-making Process to students in simple terms and in a way that is appropriate to their developmental level.
Each section of this sample unit includes the identification, in simple terms, of the levels (and steps) of the Decision-making Process that are introduced in the lessons.
This introductory unit is not meant to present the Decision-making Process in great detail. Students will become more familiar with the details of the Decision-making Process as they use it throughout the year in the context of various topics.
Adapting This Unit
There are a number of ways of presenting the Decision-making Process to the students. This sample unit provides suggestions for several scenarios, based on the assumption that the Decision-making Process is introduced in grade 1, and that starting in grade 2, teachers will build on their students' prior knowledge and introduce the steps corresponding to the grade level perspective. The following scenarios are offered:
The topics used for the various scenarios in this sample unit have been chosen arbitrarily. A number of topics might be used instead. The students might make decisions related to topics such as:
Various resources might provide different contexts within which to introduce the Decision-making Process to the students. Titles are suggested in Health Education: An Initial List of Implementation Materials for the Elementary Level. The Index of Suggested Uses at the end of that document groups all those titles under the heading "Decision-making Process".
Teachers are encouraged to adapt the unit to their needs, those of their students and of their community:
The grades 2 to 5 scenarios deal with choosing an animal for a pet. These scenarios may be adapted in various ways to emphasize any of the four strands of the curriculum. Teachers might want to explore possibilities such as:
Availability of resources, student needs, and local needs are some of the factors which might influence adaptations to this sample unit and determine areas of emphasis.
Decision-making Process Poster
A visual representation in poster form of the Decision-making Process should be introduced to the students at the beginning of the year, and should remain displayed in the classroom throughout the year for easy reference. In this sample unit, the teacher develops such a poster as the levels and steps of the Decision-making Process are introduced. Teachers might prefer to involve the students in designing a poster as a culminating activity for this unit. Another option is to prepare one ahead of time, cover it with paper and uncover the levels and steps of the Decision-making Process as they are introduced to the students.
In this document, the Decision-making Process is represented as a traffic light. While this image provides an efficient mnemonic device for many students at the elementary level, other visual representations might work better for some students. Teachers should feel free to use an alternate graphic representation, keeping in mind that the image used should be simple, and should convey the idea that the Decision-making Process is cyclical in nature rather than linear.
Gathering Resources
Specific titles are suggested in the activities of this sample unit only as examples. These and other appropriate titles are listed in Health Education: An Initial List of Implementation Materials for the Elementary Level, 1998. Additional instructional materials to support this curriculum will be listed in Health Education: A Bibliography for the Elementary Level, scheduled to be published in the spring of 1999.
Teachers are encouraged to investigate possibilities for using resources suggested in other lists of materials, such as the bibliographies accompanying the curriculum guides for all other areas of study.
Decision-making Process Worksheet
A Decision-making Process worksheet is provided at the end of this unit. Teachers might use sections of this worksheet as needed within all units of the program.
Student Assessment
A sample observation checklist is included at the end of the unit. It may be used throughout this unit and in the context of other topics during the year. Further information on assessment and evaluation is provided in the Assessment and Evaluation section of this document.
Grade 1 - 5 Lessons
Grade 1 - 5 Worksheets
Information Sheet — Sample Action Plan
