Clear the smoke about cigarette use with an engaging application. Comic strip animation and games teach learners why they should never try smoking in the first place, and how to quit this lethal habit if they have already been lured in.
Concepts
App Overview
The home page has four word balloons. Learners choose the balloon that most applies to them.
I want to quit. What are the Steps?:
- Meet Your Mentors - Bios for four successful quitters
- Stepping Up - Five steps for quitting
- What If I Slip? - Tips on how to get back on track if you slip up
- Temptation Aggravation - Typical examples of smoking temptations
I like smoking and I don't want to quit:
- Meet Your Mentors - Bios for four successful quitters
- What's In It For You? - An appeal to quit
- What's Smokin'? - A game about what chemicals in cigarettes are also used for
- Truth & Consequences - A matching game about how smoking damages health
I'm having problems quitting:
- Meet Your Mentors - Bios for four successful quitters
- You're Not Alone - Reasons that people keep smoking
- Talk to the Hand - Responses to use for refusing a cigarette
- Trigger Happy - A matching game about the powerful triggers to smoke
I've never smoked before:
- Meet Your Mentors - Bios for four successful quitters
- The Big Deal - Congratulations for never starting
- Talk to the Hand - Responses to use for refusing a cigarette
- Smoking Is Big Business - A tobacco company CEO explaining how they stay in business
Also from the home screen is a speaker icon where you can turn background music on or off and a star icon where you can read information about the developer.
Curator Rating
-
Adherence to task
-
Worth the money
-
Fun factor
-
Scaffolding of learning
-
User safety
-
Control and feedback
-
How techie do I need to be?
Novice
Instructional Ideas
As part of your health curriculum, have your students go through all of the activities for all four word balloon choices. In this way, they can reflect on how hard it is for smokers to quit once they are hooked.
Classroom Considerations
Since only one player can use Tobacco Free Teens at a time, you may want to have it loaded onto several tablets. During a quiet period, such as independent reading, assign a few learners to spend time exploring the app. Have them take notes to turn in to you about what they glean from it.
Pros
- Addresses an urgent topic
- Prepares youth to stay away from cigarettes
- Colorful comic strip style is appealing to preteens and teens
Cons
- None