First Lesson Plan: Compare and Analyze Teen Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy in the United States and other Developed Nations.
Objectives: To introduce the concept of overpopulation and link it to individual behavior by focusing on the personal costs of teenage pregnancy. To compare and analyze the differences and similarities of statistics on sexual activity and teen pregnancy in several countries, and to discuss what contributes to the statistics.
Materials Needed: Videotape, "World Population" by Zero Population Growth, TV/VCR, handouts for each student of statistics table, newsprint, markers and tape
Procedure: I. Show the video, "World Population." Have each student respond in writing to it, stating his/her reaction to the video and what they see as the point of it. After discussing their reactions, make the transition to the situation in the US, where teenagers' getting pregnant unintentionally contributes to this population explosion.
II. In small groups, have students brainstorm lists of problems associated with teenage pregnancy and parenting. Remind them to think of the present, the near future and later. Each group will take a different person to focus on: the teen mother, teen father, child born to teen parents, grandparents. Post and discuss the importance of avoiding these problems by avoiding pregnancy as a teenager.
III. Introduce this part with a statement: "In the USA more teens get pregnant than in other, similar countries. Let's try to figure out why this happens."
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Prepare and distribute a handout with the statistics and follow up questions below. Explain that they represent sexual activity and teen pregnancy in five countries which have much in common. They are all highly developed nations. They all share the benefits and problems of urban, industrialized societies. They are generally similar to the US in cultural heritage and stage of economic growth. They are consumer societies. Their populations are widely exposed to the influence of the media.
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Sweden
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France
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USA
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Wales/England
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Netherlands
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% of teenagers who have had intercourse by age 19
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Rate of teen pregnancies (number of pregnancies per 1000 females aged 13-19)
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39%
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43%
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98%
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45%
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14%
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Follow-up Questions:
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1. What is the difference between per cent and per 1000?
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2. Convert the teen pregnancy rate (which is per 1000) to per cent
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e.g., 39 per 1000 = 3.9%
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3. Round all per cents to the next whole number
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e.g., 3.9% = 4%
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4. Redo the table so that both categories are in whole number percentages.
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5. What fraction of those having intercourse are getting pregnant in each country?
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e.g., 3.9% rounded to 4% over 88% = 1/22nd
Discuss what the students notice about the statistics, both what's similar among all countries (e.g., many adolescents are sexually active in all these countries), and what the differences are (e.g., the US teen pregnancy rate is much higher than all the others). Ask what some of the possible causes might be for this high incidence of pregnancy among US teens when there is not much difference in the percentage of teens who are having sex? Solicit suggestions from students and list them on the board under the following categories: approaches to sex education, access to contraceptive services, access to information (about pregnancy prevention, how the reproductive system works), skill at obtaining and using birth control, attitudes and beliefs about adolescent sexuality.
Provide information from the text here and from the Jones book on how other countries provide easier access to health care, including contraception. Families, schools and the media have freer and more pragmatic discussions about sex and contraception in a less moralistic way. Survey students to find out their ethnic and religious backgrounds. Ask them to describe the attitudes towards sex which they have been taught. Show how attitudes are reflected in government policies: in the Netherlands, for example, the government supports public information campaigns, school sex education, more open and realistic media coverage, and accessible family planning services. In the US, the Congress recently approved funding for sex education only if it teaches that abstinence is the only good option for adolescents until marriage. The media in the US is not permitted to advertise or portray the use of contraception, and government-funded health insurance for the poor (Medicaid) does not pay for contraception.
IV. As a final activity, students will read selections from three books about teenagers' decisions to have sex and/or get pregnant. Each will present a summary of what influenced the choices made by the young people in the stories. The three books are, "Going All The Way: Teenage Girls' Tales of Sex, Romance and Pregnancy" by Sharon Thompson, "When Children want Children" by Leon Dash, and "Young, Poor and Pregnant, The Psychology of Teenage Motherhood" by Judith Musick. (See Resources) In summarizing the lesson, point out the need for conscious decision-making on the part of teenagers regarding their sexual activity.
Concepts to Strengthen: Population explosion is happening because too many people are born while too few die. One solution on the individual, personal level, is to ensure that every pregnancy is the result of conscious choice.
Second Lesson Plan: Exploring Conflicting Messages about Sex
Objectives: To raise student awareness of the "schizophrenic" attitudes of our society toward sexuality and to increase their critical and analytical skills when watching television, movies, music videos, etc.
Materials Needed: Log book for each student, lots of magazines, video "The Glitter-Sex, Drugs and the Media" and TV/VCR.
Procedure: I. Briefly introduce the lesson with a discussion about how men, women and sex are portrayed in the movies, on television, on talk shows, in commercials, in popular music, and in print advertising. Ask students for specific programs they've seen and their reaction to the portrayals of men, women, and sexual relationships. Display examples of advertising in magazines and ask for reactions to what is portrayed as beautiful. Ask how many of the students feel they match this standard of beauty.
II. Explain that students will be monitoring the media and exploring its influence on sexual attitudes. They will need to keep a logbook of everything they watch on TV or see at the movies. Hand out to each student a blank logbook on which they write their name. Discuss how they are to complete it, how long they'll be keeping their log, how much to write for each entry, what kinds of things to write about, how often they will be turned in. Once a week for the course of this unit, students will report on what they've seen and the class as a whole group will analyze the messages about sex which are in the media. Solicit from students how these media messages differ from what they have been taught and what they believe.
III. Watch the video, "The Glitter - Sex, Drugs and the Media" (see resources). After discussion, explain that it is possible to advertise positive and health-promoting messages about sex. Divide students into working groups to create their own commercials for abstinence, for safer sex and for respectful relationships between the sexes. The commercials or public service announcements (PSA's) will be videotaped and played back to the class. The class will vote on which of these commercials should be shown on the "in school" television news.
Concepts to Strengthen: One needs to be consciously aware of, and critical of the constant stimulation about sex in the media and not blindly accept that definition of what's normal, healthy, pleasurable or satisfying. Positive and realistic messages are important.
Third Lesson Plan: What message do you want to give?
Objectives: To understand the confusing messages our society sends about sexuality, and to focus on the messages students want to give.
Materials Needed: Video, "Raising Healthy Children" and letter writing paper.
Procedure: I. Begin with an introduction of how cultures determine people's attitudes and behaviors, especially in the area of sexuality. Our attitudes and values about sexuality influence and direct our sexual behaviors. Many of these attitudes and values derive from the cultures we live in. It is not always in the best interests of the people to continue to follow the cultural rules, such as in Uganda where HIV prevention education confronted cultural mores that had led to behaviors which were high risk for HIV transmission, and in some poverty-stricken, overpopulated parts of the world where women have many children despite not wanting any more because of cultural pressures. People live in cultures which determine a large part of what is acceptable in terms of sexual behavior and reproduction. In the US, there is often confusion and conflict surrounding communication about sexuality. Young people may have to confront received attitudes about sexuality in order to develop healthier ones.
II. Ask the class for examples of confusing messages they've received, such as, "Sex is dirty...save it for the one you love." (See text above for more examples.) In small groups, students will discuss how they learned about sex and what messages they received about puberty, adolescence, relationships and sex when they were children and since.
III. As a whole group dissect several of these messages, analyzing them for the underlying values and attitudes they convey.
IV. Students will read a selection from "Teenage Sexuality: Opposing Viewpoints" (see resources) and explain, if not debate, the issues presented in their selections.
V. Have the class watch the video called, "Raising Healthy Children" and then each student will write a letter to their future child(ren) about their own values concerning sex, both for themselves and for their children.
Concepts to Strengthen: Positive messages about sexuality will encourage healthy choices.
Fourth Lesson Plan: Sexuality throughout our lives
Objectives: To understand sexuality as more than intercourse, as a healthy part of being human from birth until death. To discuss sexual attraction and the unacceptability of discrimination and harassment.
Materials Needed: Several cards with sexual events over the course of a lifetime written on them, a 25 foot long piece of string or rope with various ages marked on it from birth to 90 years, masking tape, a copy for each student of Connecticut's new legislation prohibiting discrimination against a public school student based on sexual orientation, a copy for each student of the Advocate article, "They're Here, They're Queer: the Struggle to make Connecticut Schools Safe for Gay Teens."
Procedure: I. Hang the string up across a long wall. (Or draw a line across an entire blackboard). Mark spots along it with ages: birth, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 years. Hand out large index cards with an event in the sexual life of a human written on it. Have students get up and attach their card to the lifeline with tape at the age where it usually fits, in their opinion. When all events are placed, go over the placement and ask for explanations, disagreements, and discussion. Point out that many of the "events" happen at many different times. Debrief the activity by asking students what was the purpose of this activity and what they learned. Point out that sexuality is an ongoing quality of being human for all humans and they needn't feel it is something they have to act on right now. They will be sexual and making decisions about sex for the rest of their lives.
The cards should include but not be limited to these events: first erection, first vaginal lubrication, first time touching own genitals for pleasure, first menstrual period, first ejaculation, first date, first crush, falling in love, first kiss, first intercourse, long-term relationship, marriage, children, menopause, sexually intimate relationship, divorce, remarriage, first grandchild, feel sexual attraction for another (same or different gender), know own sexual orientation, know gender identity, massage partner, decide to be celibate, and so on.
II. Expand on the events related to sexual attraction with the following discussion points. Sexual attraction comes with the increase of hormones at puberty. Some are attracted to the same sex, some to the opposite sex, some to both. The feelings are natural, they arise on their own. What an individual does with the feelings is under his or her control. Introduce the topic of homophobia and acts of discrimination against individuals because of their perceived sexual orientation. Read the new Connecticut legislation and the Advocate article. Elicit experiences students have had, what they've witnessed or heard about and conclude with a strong statement that discrimination is not okay.
Concepts to Strengthen: Sexuality is a natural attribute of the human species. It is instinctual but does not control us. We can derive pleasure and intimate human contact through our sexuality throughout our lives.
Fifth Lesson Plan: Conception and Contraception
Objectives: To reinforce the accuracy of student knowledge about how conception happens and how contraception works.
Materials Needed: Big charts of male and female reproductive anatomy, cards with one word on each . The words include the parts of male and female anatomy. Masking tape. "Birth Control Bag" from Planned Parenthood Library (865-5158) which contains a sample of each method of contraception.
Procedure: Put the anatomy charts up at the front of the room. Distribute the cards. Each student will locate and identify the part on his card and tape the card on the board. He will then say at least two things about that body part and its function. He can ask for help from the other students. Teacher ensures that basic and complete information is delivered about how the reproductive system works, and exactly when conception can happen. Playing on the words, conception and contraception, solicit form the students all the methods of birth control they have ever heard about. List them on the board. Divide them into categories: hormonal, barrier, permanent, and don't work. Briefly discuss how each works, show the sample and point out pertinent facts like expense, whether a doctor needs to be involved, how easy it is to use, etc.
Concepts to Strengthen: This is called the "reproductive system." If you use it, it will work unless you take action to prevent conception. It is crucial for your own and the world's best interests to consciously choose pregnancy and not to let it happen to you by accident.