Hands-on Activity Smoke and Mirrors

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Learn how secondhand smoke from cigarettes is a major cause of indoor air pollution.
• Learn how e-cigarettes expose others to secondhand emissions.
• Incorporate source materials into their speaking and writing (for example, interviews, news articles, or encyclopedic information).
• Write and speak in the content areas using the technical vocabulary of the subject accurately.
• Read, respond to and discuss literature that represents points-of-view from places, people, and events that are familiar and unfamiliar.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards - Science

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology

State Standards

Materials List

Each group needs:

• paper and pencils
• device to access the internet

Pre-Req Knowledge

A general familiarity with the concepts and issues of indoor air pollution and air quality.

Introduction/Motivation

You and your team are the owners of Peer-2-Peer, an anti-vaping consulting practice that uses creative methods to spread the word to your generation about the dangers of vaping e-cigarettes. Unfortunately, lately, you've been really busy.

Persuading Ziggie

Ziggie Burns is a sixth-grade student. His parents suspect he is already vaping or about to start. They have tried to warn Ziggie, but nothing they say seems to have an effect. They figure someone his own age stands a better chance of making an impression. So, they hired you.

The Case of Wanda B. Cool

All of Wanda's favorite celebrities vape, so she figures it can't be all bad. She has also heard that vaping helps people stay thin. She'd like to become a model when she turns 12 and figures she'll give vaping a try. Wanda's friends are worried about her. You decide to take on the case pro bono.

Your Assignment

Your approach at Peer-2-Peer is to make your case by giving presentations (direct factual approach) or by performing skits (indirect dramatic approach) to groups of students. Creativity is your trademark. One team works with Ziggie and the other teams works with Wanda. Decide which approach will work best, the direct factual approach or the indirect dramatic approach. Or, maybe get really creative and ask Wanda or Ziggie to join your group so that they can learn by role-playing.

Procedure

Background

This activity is based on the award-winning and widely used WebQuest, The Real Scoop on Tobacco (originally found at http://nides.bc.ca/Assignments/Fanclub/tobacco.html). For this literacy activity, that lesson plan was modified to be gender-inclusive and addresses vaping over smoking.

Follow the online lesson plan step-by-step if time permits, or use the abbreviated approach outlined below. The subject warrants full treatment as time permits, especially for students who are about to graduate to middle school, where peer pressure to vape increases.

Observing

Continue on from the activity begun in the Introduction/Motivation section...

1. Earn Ziggie's and Wanda's respect by showing them you are sincere and know what you are talking about. Capture and hold their attention. Anticipate their objections and be ready to answer their questions. Learn as much as you can about the dangers of vaping so Ziggie and Wanda believe you are not just handing them a line. Conduct background research on the Internet (see the References section) or by interviewing adults.
2. In a sense, Wanda and Ziggie are your real "clients" or "customers." You want them to "buy" your message rather than the tobacco company's product. Tobacco companies understand the youth market. To compete successfully against them, learn as much as you can about the techniques they use to target young customers (even though they are not supposed do this.) Creative examples include paying for product placement in television shows and general smoking and vaping imagery in films. Optional: See kids' parodies of tobacco ads at If Tobacco Ads Really Told the Truth (see http://www.olivija.com/visual-1/), listed in the References section.
3. Young people generally think they will live forever and cannot be hurt by vaping; they do not respond to anti-vaping scare tactics. From your experience do you think this is true? If so, how will you get the message across to Wanda and Ziggie that vaping can hurt their health?
4. Remember that each of your "clients" is an individual. Prepare a profile for each client that describes his or her interests, attitudes and likely objections. Create your skit or presentation with those characteristics in mind.

Thinking

One of the biggest obstacles to overcome in making a case to Ziggie and Wanda is that they believe the message that "vaping is cool." Think of ways vaping is made to appear cool. (Examples: Advertisements that associate vaping with doing cool things; peer pressure [cool kids do it]; celebrities who vape, especially young celebrities who appeal to a young audience; product placements and general smoking and vaping imagery in movies and other media.) It is a game of "smoke and mirrors" which means the truth of a situation is masked or embellished with misleading or irrelevant information. 

How will you counter those images? How will you hold up a mirror that reflects an accurate image of vaping?

Writing

If you decide to prepare a factual presentation, use the following three-part, case-study presentation format:

1. Background of the Problem

Include historical background and definitions, primary causes of the problem, areas or people most affected:

2. Development of the Case

Include documentation of the problem or damage (statistics, maps, before/after photographs), impact on human beings, environment, plants, animals; and a human-interest story:

3. Call to Action – What Can You Do?

Develop your argument with the use of background information, supporting evidence, storytelling and a call to action.

If you decide to do a skit, work as a team to prepare your script. Don't just wing it. Include enough factual information to make your case.

Vocabulary/Definitions

anticipate: To feel or realize beforehand; to foresee.

consultant: One who gives expert or professional advice.

mirror: Something that faithfully reflects or gives a true picture of something else.

objection: A statement against a course of action.

peer: A person who has equal standing with another or others, as in rank, class or age: children who are easily influenced by their peers.

persuade: To influence someone to take a course of action or embrace a point-of-view by means of argument, reasoning or appeal.

pro bono: Done without payment, for the public good: a lawyer's "pro bono" work.

profile: A biographical essay presenting the subject's most noteworthy characteristics and achievements.

smoke and mirrors: Something that deceives or distorts the truth: Your explanation is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

Assessment

Pre-Activity Assessment

Use call-out questions or a quiz to check students' comprehension of background research.

Activity Embedded Assessment

Use call-out questions during the Thinking discussion to reinforce understanding.

Post-Activity Assessment

Assess student teams on the persuasiveness of their presentation or skit.

Troubleshooting Tips

Plan on one 50-minute class session to introduce concepts, and another 50-minute class session to coach students on their presentations or skits.

Activity Extensions

Write a letter to tobacco companies objecting to the tactics they use to target the youth market. Support your argument with facts from your research and ad analysis.

Write an editorial or letter to the editor of your local newspaper making a statement about an issue related to youth using tobacco. Read some editorials published in newspapers or magazines to get a feel for their style.

Find out about vaping laws in your state and city, such as bans on vaping in restaurants and other public places. Why do you think these laws were enacted? What impact do they have on you and your community? Write to your council members supporting or urging action.

Activity Scaling

• As a team activity with groups of 2-4 students each, this can easily be scaled to the talents and abilities of the individuals on the team.

References

Copyright

Contributors

Supporting Program

Acknowledgements

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. 0338326. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.