Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.4C Grade 8 CPI 8

 

Standard: 2.4 - Human Relationships & Sexuality

 

Strand: C - Pregnancy and Parenting

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 8 - The student will analyze the challenges and responsibilities of being a teen mother and/or teen father.

 

Grade: 8

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        TEEN PREGNANCY - Parenthood requires physical and emotional maturity as well as some financial stability. Pose the following discussion questions:
-        Are teens ready to be parents? Why or why not?
-        What solutions do you suggest to reduce the number of teen pregnancies?

Students research local, state, and national data and other information regarding teen pregnancy. While conducting the research, students should think critically, carefully weighing the pros and cons, biases, opinions, and facts found in the resources. Discuss the previously posed questions.

 

·        FATHERS ARE PARENTS TOO - Pose the following question: “Are the options different for teen fathers as compared to the options available for teen mothers?” After students have discussed the options, explain that there are a number of legal, moral, and ethical issues regarding teen parenthood that need to be explored. Students investigate these issues and in addition, address the following questions as part of their research: “What does the law say about the responsibility of teen fathers? Are the legal responsibilities different for men over 21 who father children with young or teenage girls?” Students develop a summary of their findings and share with classmates.

Variation: Invite a social worker or healthcare provider to discuss teen parenting issues from the male viewpoint.

 

·        WHAT IF... - Each student responds to the following “what if” questions as if he/she were a teenage parent. After students have written their responses, divide the class into small groups to discuss each situation. Students complete the activity by writing an essay or short story about being a teen parent using the “what if” situations as triggers.

TEEN PARENTING: WHAT IF...
-        You had a baby of your own to care for now?
-        Your baby was sick a lot?
-        You had to find someone to baby-sit every time you left the house?
-        You had to quit all sports and after-school activities to take care of your baby?
-        Your baby cried all night four nights in a row?
-        You were trying to go to school and take care of the baby at the same time?
-        Your baby needed medicine and you couldn’t afford a doctor?
-        You had to share your room with the baby?
-        You couldn’t get a job because you have no one to take care of the baby?
-        You couldn’t go on the school trip because you couldn’t take the baby?
-        You had to spend your allowance on baby food and diapers?

 

·        SIGNS OF PREGNANCY - Brainstorm the signs and symptoms of pregnancy. Explain that companies spend a lot of money advertising home pregnancy tests. Ask students: “Are the tests accurate? How might you determine if the tests are accurate?” Bring in the package inserts from several home pregnancy tests and allow students to read the directions and warnings. After a brief discussion, ask students: “What other tests are available to determine if a woman is pregnant? Why is it important for a woman to know as soon as possible? What decisions might a woman need to make after learning she is pregnant? Are those decisions different for teenagers?”

 

·        HOW LIFE HAS CHANGED - In small groups, students write a skit that illustrates how a young person’s life has changed as a result of teen pregnancy. Be sure one group focuses on teen fathering issues and another on the grandparent perspective. Students stage and perform their skits for the entire class.