Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.4B Grade 12 CPI 1

 

Standard: 2.4 - Human Relationships & Sexuality

 

Strand: B - Sexuality

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator:  1 -  The student will appraise internal and external influences and pressures to become sexually active and demonstrate strategies to resist those pressures.

 

Grade: 12

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        CHOICES AND REASONS - This lesson is a carousel brainstorming activity that encourages students to examine how males and females view sexual intercourse. On sheets of newsprint write “Why Females Have Intercourse,” “Why Males Have Intercourse,” “Why Females Don’t Have Intercourse,” and “Why Males Don’t Have Intercourse.” Post the sheets in the four corners of the room, and divide the class into four groups. Each group reports to a corner and brainstorms as many items as they can for the heading. On signal, the groups move to the next corner and do the same. Students should not repeat a response already on the chart paper. After each group has addressed all four questions, reconvene the large group and share results. Compare the responses noted on the male and female charts. Discuss how the responses are the same and how they are different. Have students explain what contributes to the similarities and differences. Students complete the activity by completing a journal entry entitled “Factors to be Considered Before Choosing to Engage in Sexual Intercourse.”

Variation: Use carousel brainstorming to examine a number of issues such as the use of contraception by males and females, responsibility for contraception, or reasons to be or become abstinent.

Variation: Ask students: “How does a relationship change when sexual intercourse enters the picture? Can a sexually intimate couple decide to abstain in order to examine other aspects of their relationship without sex getting in the way? Are there various levels of intimacy? If so, how do you know the right level for you in a relationship?” Divide students into small groups to discuss these issues. Create some mixed groups and some same gender groups. One representative from each group presents the ideas to the class. Students compare the groups’ responses and discuss.

 

·        PLAYING THE GAME - This activity examines pressures to participate in sexual activity based on the names people are called or the “categories” individuals are placed in—by ourselves as well as by our peers. On the chalkboard, draw a large box and divide it into four boxes (see sample below). Write “male” and “female” across the top and write “sex” and “no sex” down the left side.

 

 

      Ask the following questions and enter the student responses in the appropriate box:

Box A: What are the names a male gets called if he is sexually active? (e.g., stud, player, the man, macho)

Box B: What are the names that a man gets called if he is not sexually active? (e.g., wimp, fag, geek, wuss)

Box C: What are the names that a female gets called if she is not sexually active? (e.g., prude, virgin, tease, good girl)

Box D: What are the names that a female gets called if she is sexually active? (e.g., slut, dirty, whore)

After completing all the boxes, pose the following question: “Does the person who is called these names hear them as compliments or put-downs?” Draw the students’ attention to the terms in the boxes and ask for comments. Ask: “How do these names impact an individual’s self-image? Can these
names impact an individual’s ability to make healthy decisions about sexual behavior? How might these names impact one’s gender development and identity?”

Variation: In small groups, students discuss how name-calling and stereotyping pressures individuals to make unhealthy sexual decisions. Students address how stereotypical roles and name-calling promote sexual risk-taking (e.g., a girl dates an older guy just to gain sexual experience; a guy has
unprotected sexual intercourse with many partners as part of a gang initiation; a closeted gay student has anonymous sex with many partners). Students examine how this type of behavior perpetuates the stereotypes and contributes to oppression, discrimination, harassment, and even violent behavior.

 

·        SO WHAT'S AN ABSTINENCE ANYWAY? - This activity, created by Fran Basche and Anne Terrell, first appeared in the Winter 1994/1995 edition of Family Life Educator. Ask the students: “What is the best method to use to make sure you don’t get pregnant, cause a pregnancy, or get an STD?” Lead students to abstinence. Explain that abstinence is the only 100% effective means of preventing unwanted pregnancy and contracting an STD or HIV/AIDS. Discuss what abstinence is and include the following points:

 

      -        Abstinence is a conscious decision to avoid certain activities or behaviors.
-        People can abstain from many things (e.g., foods, TV, exercise).
-        People abstain for many reasons (e.g., to make a point, to protect their health, to support personal or religious values, to avoid negative consequences, or because they are not interested in the activity).
-        Different people may have different definitions of abstinence. For some it may mean no sexual contact. For others, it might mean no vaginal penetration or only “lower-risk” behaviors.
-        For the purpose of this activity, abstinence means not having intercourse—vaginal, anal, or oral.

Review contraceptive effectiveness rates, discussing typical and perfect user rates. Tell participants abstinence is 100% effective if used perfectly every time. Ask students: “What if that doesn’t happen?” Explain that all methods of contraception and risk reduction have failure rates, mostly based
on human error. People sometimes forget to take pills, don’t use a spermicide with a condom, or use a condom incorrectly causing it to break. Explain that vows of abstinence can also “break” if not used consistently. Tell participants that to learn how to use any contraceptive or risk reduction method, they must know what it is and how it works. Ask students: “Many people have seen a condom or a pack of pills. Has anyone every seen an abstinence? What does it look like? How does it work?” Using a clear, hard plastic ball or heart that can be opened, tell the class “I happen to have an abstinence here” or, “It’s hard to talk about something that you can’t see, so I brought one. As you can see, the abstinence is empty. An empty abstinence is like an empty promise, it doesn’t work very well.” Move into a discussion of what makes sexual abstinence work. Students write their ideas on small slips of colored paper and put them into the ball. Ask volunteers to share their ideas and note them on the board. Be sure students include some of the following concepts:

 

 

      Ask: “What makes abstinence break or fail to work?” Remove one item, such as assertiveness, from the list. “What effect might this have?” Do the same for a few of the other items. What if you and your partner have a different definition of abstinence?” Discuss other factors that might cause abstinence to fail, such as alcohol/drug use, peer pressure, threat, or force. Explain that deciding to use abstinence is similar to deciding to use any contraceptive or risk reduction method. Conclude the activity by having students write a brief response to one of the following statements:

 

      SAMPLE STATEMENTS: ABSTINENCE
-        If you have chosen abstinence as your method of prevention and risk reduction, how can you make sure it works? Don’t leave your abstinence at home, or in your health class, or in your church, synagogue, or mosque. Keep it with you at all times.
-        Take out your “abstinence” every once in a while and think about it to reaffirm your commitment.
-        Decide when and under what circumstance you will cease to abstain.
-        If you decide abstinence is no longer the right choice for you, you need to choose another method to protect yourself from unwanted pregnancy, STDs and HIV.
-       If you are already sexually active, you can still choose to become abstinent.

 

·        ENCOURAGING ABSTINENCE - Provide students with sample pamphlets on abstinence, such as Sex and Abstinence or The Abstinence Contract from ETR Associates. Each student develops a pamphlet stressing abstinence for a particular audience (e.g., young teens, male teens, female teens), defining the term and providing convincing arguments for abstinence. The pamphlet should emphasize the important skills needed to remain abstinent and list places students can go for help and support.

Variation: Each student writes a letter to a friend who is considering “losing his/her virginity.” The letter should address what virginity means. Students should consider if the term means different things to males and females and discuss why male and female responses might differ. Ask students: “Once an individual has had sexual intercourse, is it possible to once again become abstinent?”