Activities for Middle School-Aged Students
Kick Butts Day Health Fair
A Kick Butts Day Health Fair is a fun way to give people important information about tobacco use and how to quit. It's also a great way for youth advocates to lead the fight for policies, programs and practices that protect people from tobacco use and secondhand smoke.
Time: 2-3 months.
Resources: Tables and chairs, posters, markers, banners, food – whatever it takes to build a fun health fair.
Cost: $50-$100 or more. The cost depends on your budget and what kind of booths you decide to include.
Kicking Butts on Film (…AND RADIO!)
Are you an aspiring filmmaker? Do you or the youth you work with love acting? Here's a chance to share your anti-tobacco message with the world. Find out more about how you can reach hundreds of thousands of people by making a video public service announcement (PSA) and posting it on YouTube. This is a great opportunity for youth to stand out, speak up, and seize control against Big Tobacco.
Time: 1 week to 2 months.
Resources: Camcorder, digital camera, microphone, computer or cell phone with audio/video recording.
Cost: $0 - $200.
They put what in a Cigarette?!
There's a lot more than tobacco in cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and secondhand smoke. There are plenty of chemicals that can also be found in everyday household products. For this activity, you will create a display that tells others about these ingredients and exposes the truth.
Time: 3-4 weeks.
Resources: As many household items as you can find (5 to 15 items). See the activity sheet for details.
Cost: Under $20.
Numbers Campaign
How do you get people to realize just how deadly tobacco is? The answer: by creating a way to show the "fatal figures" for your state or your community. There are a lot of easy ways to make numbers into something that people will understand. Turn the numbers into what they represent: LIVES.
Time: 2 months.
Resources: Whatever combination of props works for your event - markers, posters, stickers, flyers, t-shirts, lunch boxes, etc.
Cost: $20 or more.
Pledge/Graffiti/Memorial Wall
Choose from one of the three or combine them all together. Create a wall as a memorial to lost loved ones from tobacco, create "graffiti" expressing your thoughts towards Big Tobacco, or create a pledge wall for people to pledge to not smoke or quit tobacco, and support those who are trying to quit. Read more to learn more about each possibility.
Time: 2-3 weeks.
Resources: Long paper roll, poster board or banner paper, markers, paper and photocopier, duct table, candles, and a bell/gong.
Cost: $10-$60.
Cigarette Butt Clean-Up
Do you constantly see cigarette butts thrown on sidewalks, parks, beaches and other public property? Are you sick of this unnecessary litter? Well, this activity is just for you! You can organize a cigarette butt clean-up to raise awareness of the effects of discarded cigarette butts.
Time: 4 weeks for media and planning, 1 hour to 1 day for actual event.
Resources: Gloves and garbage bags.
Cost: Approximately $30.
Airing Out Big Tobacco's Dirty Laundry
How do you expose Big Tobacco's manipulative practices to your community? By "airing out Big Tobacco's dirty laundry!" Tobacco use killed one hundred million people in the 20th century and, if current trends continue, will kill one billion people in the 21st century. It's time to spread the word!
Time: 2 months.
Resources: T-shirts, string, sweaters, clothes pins or fabric pins, markers or paint, and a cloth banner.
Cost: $25-$100.
Kick Butts Day Anti-Tobacco Rally
It's Kick Butts Day and you're ready to speak out! What better way than a rally? Gather as many youth advocates as you can and speak out in support of strong tobacco control policies.
Time: 6 months.
Resources: Varies - paper, markers, sound equipment (microphone, loudspeakers, megaphone), podium (for your speakers), and transportation.
Cost: Varies, depending on the supplies you need.
Send a Message to (___________)!
Positive tobacco messages are everywhere - including on the screen, in magazines, at concerts and on the Internet. This event provides youth with a great opportunity to speak up and take action to stop the promotion of tobacco use.
Time: 2 weeks.
Resources: A camcorder or digital camera that can capture video and video editing software (for example, Windows Media Maker or iMovie).
Cost: Varies.
Tobacco Puts Your Health in Jeopardy
This game was created to be a fun way to present tobacco facts to students. It is based on the game show Jeopardy. Have older students organize the event and present it to 5th and 6th graders.
Time: 2-3 weeks to prepare.
Resources: Computer, printer, and a prize.
Cost: $0-$20.
Guerilla Polling
Polling is a great way to assess the prevailing attitudes in a community. Unfortunately, large-scale scientific polls can cost thousands of dollars. But this doesn't mean you can't conduct an inexpensive poll of your own and still obtain interesting and useful results. Follow these steps to create your own Guerilla Poll.
Time: 1 week.
Resources: Paper, writing utensils, a computer.
Cost: $10-$30.
Contact Your State Legislators
Let your state legislators know how you feel about important issues, such as enacting a policy requiring 100% smoke-free workplaces and public places. You can take action!
Time: 1 month.
Resources: Paper, pens, phone.
Cost: $0-$20.
Tobacco Control Compliance Campaign
Many states have enacted tobacco control laws, such as youth access laws, restrictions on tobacco products in vending machines, smoke-free air laws, and restrictions on advertising and promotion. But how well are these laws enforced? If you live in a state that does not have an online form and hotline available for residents to report tobacco control or state tobacco tax law violations, you can do something about that!
Time: 3 months.
Resources: Paper, computer, pens, telephone.
Cost: $30.
Kick Butts Day Proclamation
A great way to spread the word about Kick Butts Day is to have your mayor or governor issue a Kick Butts Day proclamation. In some areas, this might require legislative action, while in others it might only require the mayor or governor's approval. To be safe, it is best to start the process a couple months in advance.
Time: 1 week to 2 months.
Resources: Paper, pens, computer.
Cost: $0.
Log into your account
Get the New 2012 Guide
Download your copy of the 2012 Kick Butts Day Guide.
Log in to download it now.
Create your free account to participate in Kick Butts Day 2012 and…
- Register your events
- Download the Kick Butts Day activity guide
