ceciliafelsenstein As the school year winds down, it’s the perfect time to shift focus from academics to essential life skills. High school students face countless choices every day, from navigating friendships and time management to planning their futures. But how often do we pause to actually teach them how to make good decisions?
Below are five student-approved, classroom-tested activities that make decision-making engaging, relevant, and fun. These resources are available on my Teachers Pay Teachers store and are perfect for advisory periods, life skills lessons, health classes, or end-of-year enrichment.
✅ 1. Evaluating Consequences: A Deep Dive into Smart Choices
In this activity, students do more than just talk about choices—they actively analyze the ripple effects of their decisions. Perfect for sparking critical thinking and discussion.
💭 2. Problem Solving: Real-World Practice in Conflict Resolution
Let’s face it—conflict happens. This activity uses storytelling and collaborative thinking to help students approach problems with a calm, solution-focused mindset.
🎯 3. Making Responsible Choices: A Fun, Interactive SEL Game
Decision-making doesn’t have to be boring—this interactive set gets students up, thinking, and collaborating as they explore the types of decisions they make every day.
🖼️ 4. Media Messages & Lifestyle Choices: Group Poster Challenge
Students work in groups to cut out real advertisements for tobacco, alcohol, and vaping products. Then, they create posters under different themes:
Afterward, students reflect on the influence of advertising, peer pressure, and what truly defines a healthy lifestyle.
⚖️ 5. Truth or Myth? A “This or That” Activity on Substance Use
This interactive game presents students with common statements about cigarettes, vaping, alcohol, and drugs—and challenges them to identify whether they’re truths or myths.
These activities don’t just fill time—they empower students to make thoughtful, responsible choices in and out of the classroom. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your SEL curriculum, support your advisory program, or provide meaningful end-of-year lessons, these resources are ready to use and impactful.
👉 Looking to build out your entire SEL program?
Check out my full series of blog posts—each one focuses on a different SEL skill with ready-to-use classroom activities:
- Teaching Self-Awareness: Engaging Activities for High School Students
- Building Self-Management Skills in the Classroom
- Social Awareness Activities That Actually Resonate with Teens
- Relationship Skills Lessons for Real-Life Teen Challenges
- Responsible Decision-Making in Action: 3 Powerful Activities for Teens
