Impulse control
An impulse is an immediate action in response to a situation. This lesson explores the concept of ‘impulse control’ using the stop-think-respond strategy. This encourages students to think about the situation and control their response. Developing impulse control helps students to understand how and when to apply judgement when reacting to situations.
Year level
7-10
Duration
60 minutes
Type
In class activity
SEL Competencies
Self-awareness
Social awareness
Relationship skills
Learning intention
Students can recognise that being resilient doesn’t mean that we don’t feel impulsive; rather, it means that we learn to control our impulses.
Key outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
identify many kinds of impulses
use a strategy for managing their impulses.
Materials needed
Post-it Notes
Butcher's paper
Coloured pens/textas
Mapped to
Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education
Evaluate emotional responses in different situations to refine strategies for managing emotions (AC9HP10P06)
Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities
Personal and Social Capability:
Social awareness
Social management
Self-awareness
Self-management
NSW PDHPE Syllabus
Examines and evaluates strategies to manage current and future challenges (PD4-1)
Demonstrates self-management skills to effectively manage complex situations (PD4-9)
Assesses their own and others’ capacity to reflect on and respond positively to challenges (PD5-1)
Assesses and applies self-management skills to effectively manage complex situations (PD5-9)
Victorian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Analyse factors that influence emotions, and develop strategies to demonstrate empathy and sensitivity (VCHPEP128)
Evaluate situations and propose appropriate emotional responses and then reflect on possible outcomes of different responses to health and wellbeing (VCHPEP147)
Activity 1
Activity: What are impulses?
10 minutes
In small groups, students brainstorm on Post-it Notes words they associate with impulse.
Students work together to group their responses into categories, for example causes, feelings and behaviours.
Activity 2
Class discussion: Impulse reactions
15 minutes
What are the consequences if we don’t control our impulses?
Who do our reactions and responses impact on others?
What are some reasons why people react differently in different situations?
Activity 3
Activity: Think–impulse strategy
15 minutes
Ask students to write down the think–impulse strategy:
Stop. Think. (Delay your response.)
Breathe.
Think of three responses. (Don’t say anything until you have thought of them.)
Respond.
Activity 4
Group work: Scenarios
15 minutes
Students draw a table with the following headings:
Scenario
Response 1
Response 2
Response 3
Chosen response
Why?
Using the following scenarios, they fill in the table:
At lunch when you line up in the canteen, someone pushes in front of you.
The person next to you in an exam keeps tapping their desk.
The person you are talking to about something has a different opinion than you.
You are online and notice that a friend on Instagram has unfriended you.
You have saved $80 towards the cost of a new tablet/iPad/laptop, but a pair of shoes you love costs exactly that.
Activity 5
Discussion: Debrief
5 minutes
Did everyone in your group agree on the best response?
How did your group work together?
