The
Presentations
A hundred years from now it will not matter what my
bank account was,
the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...
but the world will be a better place because I was important in the life of a child.
Lesson plans for the various D.A.R.E. presentations are filled with areas for the officers to add their own experiences or analogies to help the students understand the concepts better. If you have developed a unique idea for grammar, middle, high school, or parent program, and have had success in getting the point across, e-mail your ideas to me and we'll add it to the list.
Areas of Interest
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
MIDDLE SCHOOL
HIGH SCHOOL
PARENT PROGRAM
Grammar School
In lesson #1
the DARE Box is assigned for the students to create. With the assistance of a local
business, I have expanded the creativity of the finished product. I have anywhere from two
to four core classes at each school. During the assignment of the DARE Box in each class,
I advise the students that I will pick up their finished product, giving them one week to
complete the project, take their entry into the teachers lounge, and allow the school
staff to vote on their favorite box. A local trophy business has donated some trophies,
one for each of my schools. The vote takes place and the winning class is announced at the
culmination. This perpetual trophy is awarded to the teacher and is kept in their
classroom for the rest of the year. The following year the same trophy is used with a new
name added under the first winner, and so on. The kids and teachers love the competition.
(MDofMR)
I just wanted to pass
some information on a idea for L#2 that's excellent! What I did was start the lesson by a
short quiz to hand out erasers (Fun way to pass out erasers) then when all erasers are
passed out, I had the student take out a piece of paper and write the word
"MISTAKE" on the paper. Then I have them erase the word "MISTAKE" and
tell them you can make a mistake in your homework and erase the mistake, but in life you
can't erase the mistake...That's when I lead into lesson #3 (Consequences). The kids
really enjoyed the lesson and had fun with the erasers!!
Good luck!! SSgt Greg Fowlkes
I had a hearing
impaired student in my class last semester. I needed to wear a small microphone
when I taught his class. I used the microphone pretending to be a reporter
interviewing the students about Considering Consequences listed in Lesson 3. I had
one student act as cameraman and one act as director. The cameraman followed me all
over the classroom and the director had to 'cut to commercial' when the class or DARE
officer started laughing too much. I interviewed all the students using the examples
listed on the first page of Lesson 3-ie: Not doing your chores at home. Studying hard for
a test....etc. The hearing impaired student was thrilled to hear everybody's
conversations and comments first hand.
The best result was that I discovered this was a wonderful way to get to meet each new
DARE student and talk with them one on one. I have used it in all of my classes and
it is one of the quickest and best ways to break down barriers. I started the lesson
as soon as the cameraman and director were in place and cued me to start. I was a
reporter broadcasting,"Live from Station DARE in (school name). The final
interviews were with the director and cameraman....they always had the best insight to
what the class had to say.
Deputy Leslie Willingham - DARE - Denton County Sheriff's Department, Denton,TX.
In L#8, I have had great success in using a roller coaster ride to describe
stress. After the definition and the test, I start with telling the students we are all
going to pretend and take a bus to Magic Mountain but everyone on the bus has to ride one
ride...the Viper. As I tell the story I move around the classroom in slow steps like your
in a line. I point out all the danger signs while were waiting to get on the ride. I
zig-zag back and forth in the classroom till we are the next ones to get on the ride. I
mention the metal bars that come down on you to hold you in the ride "and once that
happens, you can't leave." The cars take off slowly and then start in an upward climb
and you sink back into the seat. You can see the tops of the heads of the people in the
line you just left, as you go higher; now you can see other rides in the park, as you go
higher; now you can see the end of the line for the Viper, where you were at an hour
ago,as you go higher;and now you can see the parking lot where the bus is parked,but your
still going higher; and now you can see the whole valley, with all the stores, hotels and
subdivisions for miles around the theme park: just as you get to the top it's like you
have stopped, and as you roll off the top and start coming down at what seems like a
thousand miles an hour, the wind blowing on your face, the ride thrashing you body around
in the car, doing loops and turns, and then it takes a turn and slows down, but then it
speeds up again and turns you up-side down and again thrashes you from left to right; and
all of a sudden it slows back down and takes a final turn and comes to a stop, the metal
bars lift and someone asks you to step out...you get out and stand for a minute...What do
you feel? At this point I get all kinds of answers, from getting sick to getting back in
line and riding it again. The students get so into the story they feel the body changes
from stress and give all kinds of input. The story takes about 5 minutes to tell. (MDofMR)
I have an idea that I use for elementary lesson 8 on stress. When I begin the
class I have the students take out a blank sheet of paper and have them number the page 1
through 6 like the lesson calls for only I tell them it is a surprise quiz. I become very
stern and explain that this quiz will be on their Dare Words and they must know the
definitions word for word. I also tell them that they are allowed to miss only one anymore
than that and they fail. They all become very tense and extremely stressed!! Then I spring
it on them that this is not really a quiz and our lesson today is on stress. The reaction
is incredible. During the lesson I then describe all the physical feelings they felt
during my announcement of the "Quiz" It works really well. Regards, Marc Miller - Monroe Police Department, Orange Co., N.Y.
An idea I
received at National's for lesson#10, "media" lesson: Assign your students to go
to a local stop-n-rob convenience store and look at the open/closed sign, the clock, the
coolers, the mat by the register, etc. etc. etc. etc. and count how many times cigarettes
are pushed in their faces. Same with alcohol (especially neon signs in windows). It's an
eye opener. Makes them much more aware of the pressure they are put under without
realizing it. (Author Unknown)
I just
discovered you're web site and really enjoyed the information available relating to
many DARE topics. I though I'd pass along an idea that I use in lesson 11 to
introduce the "risk taking" concept. I bought a large "rat
trap" and altered it by simply slipping the spring arms off of the "snap
bar" which disables the mechanics to snap shut when triggered.
I then fold up any denomination of paper money and set it aside until I'm ready
to "set the trap" in front of the students. I slide the folded
bill (you don't want them to see how much it is) under the bait
hook, "carefully and dramatically" pretending to set the trap (with
much effort) by folding the trigger arm and gingerly positioning the retaining
bar to hold the trigger arm in place. I then walk around the room,
very "cautiously" inviting the kids to take the money.....if they
dare. They are not allowed to use anything but their hands. They inevitably ask
"how much is it?" and I say, I'm not going to tell you. It could be a
$1.00 or maybe more. Do you want to take the risk for $1.00, $10.00 or
even $100.00? I make sure that no one makes an unexpected grab, but
most kids won't and many are pretty nervous around it. After I'm done, I
explain the concept of risk taking and ask what the consequences would be if
they took the "bait". Once I get my point across, I remove the money
and show them that the trap was disabled because I would never do anything that
would injure them. The kids remember this lesson and I often refer to it in
the later lessons when we discuss decision making and other related topics.
Sally Beghin
"The Snake Story" Great for
a culmination!
I used this one in speaking to a graduating D.A.R.E. Class:
A man was walking along a dusty path. He came upon an injured snake which asked for his
help. The man replied, "I'd love to help you but you are a snake and everyone knows
that a snake cannot be trusted. If I help you I fear that once you are better you will
bring great harm upon me." The snake assured him that he would not do so and would be
forever grateful.The man against his better judgment decided he would help the snake. He
cared for him and nourished him back to health. Each day he would bring food to the snake
and they would share time together. One day the man came to the snake who was now fully
recovered and upon approaching him to provide food, the snake attacked him with a deadly
and death assured bite. The man looked upon the snake and asked "But why? I helped
you, I nourished you, I trusted you. Why did you do this terrible thing to me?" The
snake replied "But my foolish man, you knew I was a snake when you picked me
up!" There was total silence when I read this to the entire school and graduating
class. I then read to them the words to a song by James Brown entitled "King
Heroin." The words are most powerful. Our police department has a D.A.R.E. Band. We
Broke the silence with our own version of "Stand By Me" and the "Theme From
Robinhood." Just thought I'd offer this information. I am the C.O.P. for my
department and I fully support my D.A.R.E. officers. They even conned me into being their
drummer!
Best Regards, S. Parks
Middle School
High School
An Anology:
During the High School Program I use the analogy of a police officer to a sports referee.
We both work out of rule books that we didn't write. We try to interpret the rules the
best we can. Both have checks and balances - the courts & instant replay, to make sure
we are doing it right. Sometimes they are both booed ; sometimes they are both cheered. We
both have penilties to rules that are violated, sometimes we both "throw a player out
of the game".