Real Life Teens

Gr 8 Up—Teens from Nordoff High School in Ojai, CA, openly discuss the life-changing obligations resulting from teen pregnancy. Critical topic points—responsibility, adoption, protection, drug influence, and financial obligations—are introduced and supported with a teen's testimony, thus creating classroom discussion opportunities. Interviews highlight the constant peer pressure, especially for guys, to "seal the deal," and encouragement is given to commit to abstinence or always use protection, and never do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. A consistent theme among the teen parents is loss of personal priorities and free time. Interspersed among the interviews are pictures of beautiful babies, but the realities of being a teen parent are never sugarcoated. Statistics scroll across the screen: every 26 seconds a teen becomes pregnant; 66 percent of pregnant adolescents dropout of school. It is stressed that a pregnancy has a trickle-down effect, touching everyone from younger siblings to grandparents. The teacher's guide provides learning objectives, discussion topics and questions, and a lesson plan outline. This film, which features teenagers only, is jam-packed with enough information and facts to jumpstart classroom discussions and is a must-have resource.—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH