1.

Before Reading:

1a.Look at the picture and in pairs discuss what you think is going on. How do
you think the girl in the middle feels?

1b.Have you ever been in a similar situation?

1c.What would you do if you were in this position?

1d.Our friends can be a big part of our lives and can influence most of the things we
do.

Sometimes, though, a mate's influence isn't the best thing for us.Do you agree?
Discuss.
1e.

Answer the quesstions in the questionnaire that follows and compare your answers
with your partner’s. Add a question of your own for you and the rest of the class to
answer.

10……………………………………………............................................

2.While Reading

You are going to read two true stories of teenagers who've experienced peer pressure.

2a.The headings of the paragraphs are missing.While reading try to match the
headings 1-5 with the paragraphs a-e in Chloe’s story and 6-10 with paragraphs f-j in
Joe’s story.Work in pairs or small groups .

Tip: You don’t need to know every single word in the text.Use the context around the
words you don’t know to guess their meaning.Then compare your answers with your
partner’s.For example: What do you think the highlighted word nicking means in
paragraph c? Read the context that follows (I ‘d never stolen anything before…)to
guess.Check you answer on the dictionary ask your partner or your teacher.
Missing Headings

Story A: Story B:

1.Caught in the act 6. Skipping school

2.Forever friends 7. I blamed myself for the split

3.Do you dare? 8. Problem solved

4.Not my style 9. Cover up

5.She’s in control 10 . Never gave up

A. Chloe, 16, tells us about hanging out with one controlling girl who tried to
persuade her to do stuff she wouldn't normally do.

a.

I have been friends with Jade and Shannon since we were at primary school. When we
moved schools, we stayed together and made friends with some other girls.

One of them, Mel, seemed really cool. She was allowed to stay out until whatever
time she wanted and had this really brilliant bedroom all of her own with loads of
stuff in it that I didn't have at home because I shared it with my sister. She had like a
massive TV and CD player and even a computer.

b.

Cos Mel had the biggest room out of all of us she'd have loads of parties and sleep-
overs at her place. Her mum and dad were out a lot anyway and they just left her to it.

Mel used to like to dare us to do stuff. If we said we didn't wanna do it she'd say
things like we had to get out of her house or that nobody would speak to us any more.
At first they were silly things like taking a swig out of a vodka bottle in her mum's
house.

c.

When it was the summer we used to hang around at Mel's house during the day as
well and we'd all go round together. Mel started doing dares again but this time they
were things like nicking a bar of chocolate from a shop.

I'd never stolen anything before and didn't wanna do it but she said I was a chicken
and that everyone else was doing it so why wasn't I? The others went along with her-
even Jade and Shannon- so I didn't feel like I had any choice.
Some days we'd hang around in the train station and Mel would bring markers that I
think she'd robbed from school and we'd write on the walls. At first it was just our
names and then Mel started to write horrible things about some other girls we knew.

d.

After a while, I didn't want to be around Mel any more. She started doing other stuff
like breaking windows or just being really nasty to people for no reason.

I talked to Jade and Shannon but they couldn't see what my problem was. I took a lot
of stick for it but I didn't hang around with them much after that.

e.

Some of them were caught writing and smashing a phone box and reported to the
police and Mel was caught writing with marker on the toilet walls at school and got
into trouble. I miss my mates but I didn't want to get into trouble cos it just isn't worth
it.

B. Joe, 17, started to slack off at school when things got tough at home. It looked
for a while as if he was going to fail his exams until his very own team of
guardian angels stepped in. Here, Joe tells us about the positive side to peer
pressure.

f.

"I never used to mind school that much until my parents split up and my dad left
home. Mum was really upset and I felt as if it was my fault. I had got into trouble with
the police a couple of times and it had made my mum and dad argue.

g.

When dad first left, my mum was really depressed. At school, things started to get on
top of me a bit. Everyone knew what had happened and so I felt as if everyone was
looking at me or talking about me.

I started to skip school one day a week while mum was out at work. After a while, I
missed two or three days a week at school, or I'd go in for registration and then miss
lessons I didn't really like.

h.

My two best mates didn't say anything at first because they knew I was upset about
my mum and dad. For a while, they covered for me with the teachers but they told me
it was getting harder. They said I should just come back to school but I didn't want to
and thought I'd never be able to catch up.
i.

Then, on the days I usually skipped, they started phoning me at seven to get up out of
bed saying that they were going to call for me. They came with me to school to make
sure that I got there OK.

They'd walk me to my lessons and if they weren't in the same class as me they'd wait
for me outside to make sure I'd gone. At first I told them to get out of my face and to
keep their noses out but no matter how much I shouted and moaned, they never gave
up on me.

j.

A couple of times I skipped anyway and they came and found me and told me that if I
was skipping school so would they, and did I want them to get in trouble too? Of
course I didn't want them to get done so I agreed to go back to school. They helped
me with homework so that I'd catch up, too.

They even talked to my mum and told her I felt as if the break-up was my fault, so
mum talked to me and we both said how we feel and now I know it wasn't my fault.

If it hadn't have been my friends sticking by me and wanting what's best for me, I'd
never have been able to pass my exams. I owe them everything!"

2b.Now read again to complete the chart that follows: Work in pairs.

What they had to do because of peer pressure

Chloe

Joe

2c.Reading Comprehension Questions/Discussion .

-Both stories are about peer pressure.What makes them different?

-Which of the things that Chloe did or did not would you do in order to fit in?
-Why do you think Mel acts the way she does? What may be her problem(s)?
- ( Add a question of your own)
Discuss with your partner and report to class.

3. After Reading/Homework

Click on the link that follows to watch Kevin’s video on <peer pressure and bleached
hair>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esHMQBqZTag
Answer Kevin’s questions by writing an email to him.Add any comments you have
to make on the topic of peer pressure and send this e-mail to your teacher too at the
address that follows: rox_evripidou @yahoo.com
References:
1. Peer pressure to drink PICTURE :you tube
2. peer pressure questionnaire:www.esolcourses.com
3. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk

(Answers for activity 2a: a2,b3,c5,d4,e1,f7,g6,h9,i10,j8)

Peer Pressure lesson plan at a glance:

Time: 45 min.
Target Group: 14-16 yr olds class.

1a.Discuss picture(s).Pair/groupwork (SCAFFOLDING)

1b.What about you? Questionnaire,Discuss.Work individually then in pairs or groups.

2a. Read the texts to choose headings for paragraphs.

2b.Discuss questions.Pair/groupwork

2c. Complete the chart with info from the texts. Discuss.Pair/groupwork

3. Watch the video.Work alone to respond to questions in writing. (Z.P.D.)

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