• Activity: Pre Survey [7 minutes]
  Have all participating students fill out the short pre survey and submit it from their computer. (There is also a printable pre survey available for schools without Internet access. These must be printed out and mailed to our postal address.) The pre survey is available from the list of links on their student page. After the survey is completed and submitted, each student should put his/her computer to sleep so there will be less opportunity for distraction during the following discussion.
• Discussion: Not Everyone Makes the Team [20 minutes]
  Engage the students in a discussion about why the high school years are so critical in determining whether an individual becomes a smoker or not. Note: It helps students feel better about their contribution if they see it written down on the board as they speak. If you keep jotting student's comments down (in shorthand) on the board during the discussion, you will have a more interested and involved audience.
  
  Begin by stating the following: Most of the smokers in the world began smoking between 12 and 17 years of age. Ask the students why they think most people won't ever smoke if they haven't started before they turn 18. "What is it about 12 - 17 year olds that makes them more likely to start smoking than their older (or younger) peers?" Select other supporting statistics from here and contribute these to the discussion as it develops.
  
  Then discuss why, in general, some individuals are more susceptible to influence than others and how we all are more susceptible to negative influence during the teen years. Ask: "Why are teens more easily influenced to make bad decisions than adults?"
  
  Introduce the topic of 'character weaknesses' and suggest that being influenced by others to do something that you know is not good for you is a sign of a character weakness. (Share about how you showed signs of character weakness when you were a teen: A bad decision you made as a result of succumbing to peer pressure, etc. This will make the students more interested in the discussion and comfortable with you.) Ask: "Why in moments of weakness do we do things that we know are not good for us?"
  
  Make a 'character chart' on the board: Create one column, titled, "Weak" and another titled, "Strong." Under these two headings list the students' responses to the following questions: "How do you know someone is likely to be negatively influenced by others?", "What are the signs of this type of character weakness?" "How do you know someone is less likely to be negatively influenced by others?", "What are the signs of this type of 'strong' character?" Save the contents of this chart for next session.
  
  Discuss advertisers and companies that sell products and ask if the students think that advertisers know about character weaknesses and about the teen years when people are most susceptible to influence. (Suggest that most teens are more impressionable, self conscious and concerned about being popular than adults. They are, therefore, easy targets for advertisers.) "What about tobacco companies who are marketing a product that people know is very dangerous? Do you think they might want to take advantage of how easily influenced most teenagers are?" (Tell the students that you will talk more about this later and you will present facts about tobacco companies and their successful marketing tactics.)
  
  Discuss this statement: "No one can influence you without your permission." Ask : How can someone prevent bad influence? What kinds of things would you do to stop being negatively influenced? Ask for concrete examples or create a scenario that will prompt the students to suggest specific actions to take to avoid being negatively influenced. (It is best, for this part of the discussion, that you use activities other than smoking as examples of a negative activity: For example, create a scenario about a group of kids challenging each other to dive from a bridge into a shallow river.)
  
  Tell the students that the teen years are like an obstacle course. Many young people give in to negative influence and fall by the way side. Tell them that not all of their peers will make it through the teen years successfully. Not all of their friends will either. Some will get into trouble, some will drop out of school, some will pick up dangerous habits like smoking. "It's too bad, but not everyone will make the cut." Ask students to consider what makes them think that they won't give in to negative influences. (Write down any of their comments and tell them that you will talk about this issue later.)
  
  
• Game preparation (if necessary)
  If the game has not already been loaded onto the students' computers, have each student follow the game prep instructions on the CD ROM's ReadMe file. (The ReadMe file is available from the list of links on their student page.) Students should copy the game from the CD ROM to their computers' desktops. They should NOT play the game off the CD ROM.
  
  
• Presentation: Game Introduction [3 minutes]
  Tell your students that the idea for The Cut™ came from high school students who wish to share the benefits of a smoke-free lifestyle with middle school students. Some of the game's content and all of the voices are created by high school students. Non smoking teens are also featured in the portal videos and as Poseurs (teen smoker opponents). Many of the teens involved in the this project have watched friends and family members become addicted to tobacco during the middle and high school years. They hope this program helps remind young people that they deserve a better life.
  
  You can either let the students read the game play instructions by clicking on the "?" button on the lower left of the console during the game or you can relay those instructions to the class before they play. (Read them here. Game play instructions are also available from the list of links on their student page as well.) Note: It is important that students know the parts of their game console so you should encourage them to click on the click here for a description of the parts of your console line on the instructions panel of the game. (They will see this panel after clicking on the "?" button on the lower left of their game console.)
  
  
• Activity: Play The Cut™ CD ROM Game [20 minutes]
  Remember to have students turn up the volume and use their headphones when playing the game. (If headphones are not worn, volume should be low.) Tell the students that they can open and play the CD ROM game now. Remind them to only double click ONCE on the game icon. (If they double click multiple times they will open multiple copies of the game and slow down their machines dramatically.)
  
  
• Discussion: Get Inside the Smoker's Head [10 minutes]
  After the game session, give recognition to any student who was able to reach the ship at the center of the labyrinth. Tell others that they will be given a chance to play the game again the next time you meet.
  
  Ask the students: "What kinds of excuses do you think kids use to smoke? What type of kids will most likely try a cigarette?" Now take an imaginary 12 year old as an example: "Why might he try smoking? What thoughts would go through his head as he is offered his first smoke?" Now have them project into the future: That 12 year old is now addicted to smoking and he is 21 years old. "What does he think about smoking now? What kinds of thoughts are going through his head as he purchases his next pack of cigarettes?"
  
  Ask the students if they know any adults who smoke. Ask those who raised their hands to get their parents' or guardians' permission to interview the adult smoker before the next session. If they get permission, they should ask the adult smoker these questions. Ask the students to write the answers down or tape record them and share them with the class during the next session. (The list of questions is available from the list of links on the student page.)

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