Passive, Aggressive or Assertive? Sort the Responses and Rewrite

SubstitutePlans.com
Health and Physical Education · Health
SP-HLTH-008 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 2
Passive, Aggressive or Assertive? Sort the
Responses and Rewrite
Health and Physical Education · Health · Grades 7-9 · 45 minutes
Time needed
45 minutes (one class period)
Prep
Copy the 2-page worksheet (one per student). Write the three style names and one-line
definitions on the board (below).
Technology
None.
Student
independence
Medium. Students work alone, then compare answers with a partner.
Copies to make
One 2-page worksheet per student
Materials
Pencils, Worksheet, Whiteboard or chalkboard
Goal for today: Students will distinguish passive, aggressive and assertive responses and write assertive statements
for three peer-pressure situations.
Before the bell
☐ Copy the worksheet, one per student (2 pages).
☐ Write on the board: PASSIVE = giving in and hiding what you want. AGGRESSIVE = pushing or insulting to get
your way. ASSERTIVE = clear, calm and respectful of yourself and the other person.
☐ Write on the board the four assertive moves: 1) Say no clearly. 2) Give a short reason. 3) Offer an alternative.
4) Walk away if you need to.
☐ Keep the answer key on your desk.
Say this to start
Good morning! Today in health class you are working on a skill called being assertive. That means saying what you
think or need in a clear, calm way without being mean and without giving in. You will sort some examples and then
write your own. The definitions are on the board. Everything you need is on the worksheet.

SubstitutePlans.com
Health and Physical Education · Health
SP-HLTH-008 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 3
Run of show
Minutes
What you do
What students do
0–5
Take attendance the way the school requires. Hand out the
worksheet.
Settle in and write their names on the
worksheet.
5–12
Read the three definitions on the board aloud. Then say: “A
friend asks you to copy your homework.” Ask the class for
one passive, one aggressive and one assertive reply.
Accept any reasonable ideas.
Offer ideas aloud or silently, and follow
along.
12–22
Tell students to complete the Style Sort table. They write P,
A or S in the right column. Walk around and glance at the
lines.
Label each of the six responses P, A or S.
22–35
Tell students to answer questions 1–3 (the rewrites).
Remind them to use the four assertive moves on the
board. Allow quiet partner talk.
Write an assertive reply for each situation.
35–41
Tell students to do questions 4–9, the multiple-choice and
true/false items.
Circle or mark answers.
41–45
Collect all worksheets. Optional: ask one student to read an
assertive reply aloud.
Hand in the worksheet.
If things go wrong
• If students start acting out aggressive lines for laughs, remind them the goal is to practice calm, respectful
replies, and keep reading quiet.
• If students say a rewrite sounds “fake,” tell them it should sound like them. Let them change the words as
long as it is clear and respectful.
• If a student shares a personal story, remind the class to use made-up examples only, and move on.
• If a student shares something that worries you, follow your school’s reporting procedure and tell the office
right away.
Early finishers
• Write two more assertive replies for a situation that is not on the worksheet.
• Write down three body-language tips (such as eye contact and a steady voice) that support an assertive
message.
Support and challenge
• Support: Let students complete the Style Sort and questions 1 and 2 only, using the sentence starters on the
board.
• Challenge: Ask students to write a short back-and-forth dialogue (4 lines) in which the speaker stays assertive
when the friend keeps pushing.

SubstitutePlans.com
Health and Physical Education · Health
SP-HLTH-008 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 4
Notes for the teacher (you fill this in)
Jot a few lines before you leave. A full Daily Sub Report is in the free Sub Survival Kit at SubstitutePlans.com.
How far the class got / what to pick up next:
Students who were especially helpful:
Anything the teacher should know: