Abbey N. et al,
Family Life Education in Multicultural Classrooms
. Santa Cruz: Network Publications/ETR Associates, 1990. A short and very good book discussing the issues to be alert for and giving a few sample lessons.
Advocates for Youth,
A Youth Leader’s Guide to Building Cultural Competence.
Washington, DC: CDC and Advocates for Youth, 1994. This resource is designed to prepare teachers to work with teens and families who come from widely varied backgrounds. Its purpose is to enable culturally competent sexuality and HIV/AIDS prevention education.
Bok M and Morales J, Editors,
Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention & Education for Adolescents & Children
. The Haworth Press, 1997. This journal has just begun to be published. It contains many pertinent articles about the topic.
Carrerra, Dr. Michael A,
Lessons For Lifeguards: Working With Teens When The Topic Is Hope.
New York: Donkey Press, 1996. An inspirational book by a well-known sex educator who has dedicated his life to helping meet the comprehensive needs of poverty ridden adolescents.
Collins, C.,
Dangerous Inhibitions: How America Is Letting AIDS Become An Epidemic Of The Young
. San Francisco: Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS), 1997. This is a pointed monograph which urgently encourages educators to “get real” about AIDS prevention and sexuality education for young people. CAPS offers other excellent data about recent research in AIDS prevention.
Committee For Children,
Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum
, Grades 4-5. Seattle, WA: 1992. This is the basic Social Development Curriculum for these grades. The skills it teaches (empathy, impulse control and anger management) are appropriate to apply to situations concerning puberty and relationships. The May 28, 1997 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reports on the effectiveness of this curriculum at reducing violence by improving children’s interpersonal skills.
Crozier, Louis M, Editor,
Losing It: The Virginity Myth
. Washington, DC: Avocus Publishing, 1993. This is a compilation of 22 first-person stories of how young people lost their virginity and their thoughts on how they’d do things differently if they could. It has stories which may be instructive if adapted to be read to young people who are eager to start having sex.
Dreyer, Sharon Spredemann,
The Bookfinder #5—When Kids Need Books: A Guide to Children’s Literature About Interests and Concerns of Youth Aged 2—18.
Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service, Inc. 1994. This is a very useful resource where you can find a book about any subject.
Edwards, Mac, Editor,
SIECUS Report
. New York: Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. Published every other month, this newsletter frequently has interesting articles related to young people and their developing sexuality. SIECUS also has a wide variety of bibliographies, a library, and is a very rich source of information. 130 W. 42nd St., Suite 350, NY, NY 10036. Phone: 212-819-9770; E-mail: SIECUSsiecus.org
Family Life Council of Greater Greensboro, Inc.
Wise Guys: Male Responsibility Curriculum,
Greensboro, NC: 1995. This curriculum is targeted at 10-15 year old males and proposes to help them delay the onset of intercourse and to use protection when they do have sex and to understand the meaning of responsibility.
Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay, General Editors,
The Norton Anthology of African American Literature
. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1997. A wonderful collection of stories and historical writings.
Harris, Robie H., illustrated by Michael Emberley,
It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health.
Cambridge, Ma: Candlewick Press, 1994. This is a comprehensive and humorous book for young people about all aspects of developing humans. It is on the teachers’ list rather than the classroom list because it is so comprehensive. It may offend some people and should not be used in the classroom without prior notice to parents and administrators. With such notice, it can be a very useful way of covering the factual part of puberty and human sexuality. I recommend it for the small group sessions with the “precocious” students.
Hill, Paul, Jr.
Coming of Age: African-American Male Rites of Passage.
Chicago: African-American Images, 1992. Good source of stories to read about growing up and becoming a man.
Petrich-Kelly, Barbara and Rohm, Kristen,
Growing Up and Learning to Feel
Good about Yourself: An Educator’s Bilingual Guide to Teaching Puberty. Santa Cruz, CA: ETR Associates, 1996. This curriculum has the great advantage of being in both Spanish and English. There are lesson plans about your body, human sexuality, relationships, changes and choices. These are preceded with a section on teacher preparation which covers information, attitudes and the importance of feeling good about teaching this subject.