Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.4B Grade 8 CPI 2

 

Standard: 2.4 - Human Relationships & Sexuality

 

Strand: B - Sexuality

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator:  2 -  The student will analyze internal and external pressures to become sexually active.

 

Grade: 8

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE SEX? - Provide students with a list of reasons why individuals have sexual intercourse (see sample below). Students indicate if the reason is a mature, responsible reason or an immature, irresponsible one and defend their answers.

 

 

·        BEING ASSERTIVE - Pose the following question: “How many times has someone tried to persuade you to do something and you almost did it?” Give students examples of persuasive techniques used to sell products. Explain that these same kinds of “lines” can be used to persuade you to participate in sexual activity when you are not ready. Students must be prepared to resist the sell. Divide the class into groups of four, and give each group a situation. Two students respond to the situation via role-play while the other two students observe the interaction and record their observations on a checklist. The observers provide feedback and then switch roles for a second situation. Sample situations and a checklist appear below.

SAMPLE SITUATIONS: BE ASSERTIVE
-        Going back to an empty house with a date.
-        Being pressured to drink a few beers to loosen up for sex.
-        Stopping along a lonely road for some “peace and quiet”.
-        Being told you’re not a man until you’ve had sex.
-        Being pressured to have sex since “you can’t get pregnant the first time”.
-        Feeling pressured to have sexual intercourse because your date paid for dinner and a movie.
-        Going to a party of older teenagers and feeling like you have to have sex to fit in.

 

 

      Variation: Ask students: “How do you respond to a line? How can you tell if a person is just being nice because he/she wants to have sexual intercourse? How can you distinguish between myths and facts? (e.g., you can’t get pregnant the first time you have intercourse, you won’t get an STD if you have sex in the shower).” Students interview a parent or trusted adult about lines they may have heard when they were a teenager. Students discuss ways to how to handle such situations and contribute one suggestion to a class list that is developed into a poster or pamphlet.

 

·        LOOKING AT ADS - Students collect magazine and newspaper ads (or record television or radio ads) focusing on messages about abstinence and contraceptive use. Students share the ads and discuss the following questions:
-        What is the message?
-        Who is the target audience?
-        Is the information accurate? Why or why not?