Objectives
Students will:
- Understand why it's important not to accept rides from strangers
- Understand that there's no excuse for hitchhiking or accepting rides from strangers under any circumstances
- Identify different transportation options in the community
- Identify the negative consequences of accepting rides from strangers
- Identify personal benefits of rejecting rides from strangers
- Identify behaviors that accompany rejecting a ride from a stranger
- Model successfully rejecting a ride from a stranger
Step 1: Lesson Introduction
Last time, we found out why it's important to recognize that a stranger's "niceness" is not "goodness." We learned that if you mistake a stranger's "niceness" for "goodness, you could get in trouble. There are other ways to get in trouble with strangers. One of these ways is by accepting rides from them.
- Ask students if they or anyone they know ever hitchhikes. Why do they do it? Why can hitchhiking be dangerous?
- Ask students to discuss instances when they or someone they knew got in trouble by accepting a ride from a stranger.
- Tell students that in today's video, we're going to see why it's important to reject rides from strangers.
▶️ Show the video.
⏸️ Stop the video when the "Pause for Discussion" title appears on the screen.
Step 2: Guided Discussion, Part 1
What did Johnny do that was NotSmart?
He not only accepts a ride from a stranger, he actively pursues a ride from a stranger by hitchhiking.
- Maybe he would have turned down a ride from someone suspicious-looking, but even that's doubtful. Johnny thinks he's such a tough guy that he doesn't have to worry about any stranger who offers him a ride.
- He certainly doesn't think he has to worry about getting in trouble with a gorgeous girl in an expensive car. Even though she doesn't drive in his direction, he doesn't care. He's hoping maybe this will be one of the more pleasurable detours of his life.
What happened because Johnny was NotSmart?
He gets in trouble. The stranger drives him down a lonely dead-end road, pulls a gun on him, and robs him.
How could Johnny have been PeopleSmart?
Have students discuss how Johnny could have been PeopleSmart in the same situation. Then tell students to watch the next part of the video to see one way Johnny could have been PeopleSmart.
▶️ Start the video again.
⏸️ Stop the video when the "Pause for Discussion" title appears on the screen.
Step 3: Guided Discussion, Part 2
How was Johnny PeopleSmart this time?
He finds another way to get around town besides accepting rides from strangers. He's pretty unsteady on the bike, but he's safe in the bike lane, and certainly much safer than he would be hitchhiking.
What happened because Johnny was PeopleSmart?
He has stayed out of trouble. He's in control of his life. Plus, he's getting some great exercise in the fresh air. And he's in control of his schedule by not being dependent on whether or nor someone will offer him a ride. This will make him a better student and a more dependable employee. More important, by being independent, he has more self-respect than when he had to rely on rides from others.
What can we learn from this?
- There's no excuse for hitchhiking or accepting rides from strangers under any circumstances. There's always another way, a better way to get where you need to go - taking the bus, getting a ride from a friend, riding a bike, or even walking. Like it or not, the world is full of dangerous strangers, and many of the most dangerous strangers are the ones who prey on hitchhikers. So don't accept rides from strangers!
- Again, "niceness" is not "goodness." You may think that someone is nice to offer you a ride. But this doesn't mean they're a good person - that is, someone who won't try to get you in trouble. Only by knowing someone for a long time can you know whether they're a good person.
- Even tough guys like Johnny have to remember: A stranger is a stranger! As we've seen in previous lessons, some of the nicest, most harmless-looking strangers can turn out to be the most dangerous. And as Johnny learned the hard way, no matter how tough you think you are, you can even get in serious trouble by trusting a beautiful girl you don't know. This is why it's better to be safe - by saying no to strangers - than to say yes and end up very sorry.
Step 4: Activities
Invite a law enforcement representative to "Scare Students Straight" by relating horror stories about young people who have gotten in trouble by accepting rides from strangers.
Have students create a "Transportation Board."
- This will contain complete information about all transportation options in your community.
- It will also include ride-sharing information in which students without cars can arrange rides with those who do.
- Other information will include bus schedules, used bikes or cars for sale, good mechanics and bike repair shops, etc.
Remind students of the earlier discussion of instances when they or someone they knew got in trouble by accepting a ride from a stranger. Have students roleplay
- NotSmart behavior, and
- PeopleSmart behavior in these situations.
Have students roleplay saying no to a stranger who offers them an unsolicited ride.
Have them practice the same assertive behaviors in saying no that they've learned and practiced in earlier lessons.
Have students form small groups and create and perform rap songs about the dangers of hitchhiking. Award prizes for each song's performance.
Have students discuss TV or movie scenes where a character got in trouble by accepting a ride from a stranger.
Have students cut out news stories about people who got in trouble by accepting rides from strangers. Have them post these stories on a bulletin board.
Have students identify the negative consequences of accepting rides from strangers and the personal benefits of rejecting rides from strangers. Then have them create separate wall charts listing these consequences.