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Transitions
Volume 14, No. 1,
October 2001
This Transitions is
also available in [PDF] format.
Lesson Plan—The River
Purpose: To remind adults of the pressures that teens
may be facing
Materials: A blindfold, masking tape,
several pieces of newspaper, index cards, newsprint and
markers
Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Planning Notes: Prepare index cards with
suggested character roles (as provided immediately below).
Depending on the size of your group, use as many or few
of the characters as appropriate. Be sure that one person
gets the "Young Person" role.
- Young Person—Listen to all those
who are trying to guide you down the river.
- Parent/Foster Parent—You know
best. Tell the Young Person what to do, keeping his/her
best interests in mind. Use phrases like, "When I
was your age …" Feel free to be creative in
your role!
- Grandparent—You know best. Tell
the Young Person what to do, keeping his/her best interests
in mind. Use phrases like, "When I was your age …" Feel
free to be creative in your role!
- Minister—You are the moral guide
for the Young Person. Feel free to be creative in your
role!
- Friend—You are the "good" friend.
You truly care about the Young Person. Feel free to be
creative in your role!
- Teacher—Stress the importance
of school. Give guidance where you see fit. Feel free to
be creative in your role!
- Social Worker—Give advice to the
Young Person around issues such as drug use, sex, family,
school, etc. Feel free to be creative in your role!
- Media—Think of all the influences
in the media (TV, movies, magazines, etc.) Some examples
of media messages may include sex, violence, money, etc.
Feel free to be creative in your role!
- Friend—You are the "bad" friend.
You are a bad influence on the Young Person. Feel free
to be creative in your role!
- Health Care Provider—Give advice
to the Young Person regarding his/her health and general
well-being. Some examples: talking about smoking, sex,
nutrition, weight. Feel free to be creative in your role!
Procedure:
- Explain that too often, as adults, we forget what it
is like to be a teenager with competing pressures and influences
in our lives. This exercise is an effective way to understand
some of the pressures that teens face.
- Set up "the river," laying out two long pieces
of masking tape to form it.
- Ball up several pieces of newspaper and scatter them
throughout "the river" to form barriers. Be creative,
calling them alligators, lava, white water, etc.
- Ask for volunteers for the roleplay. Select up to 10
volunteers and distribute an index card with a character
role to each participant.
- Give volunteers about two minutes to think about their
roles.
- Explain that there are many conflicting influences in
the lives of youth, today more than ever. These influences
may affect the decisions that young people make, including
decisions about sexuality.
- Ask all of the volunteers to come up to the front of
the room and stand on either side of "the river."
- Ask the Young Person to come forward and blindfold him/her.
- Explain that the various characters must guide the Young
Person down "the river," helping her/him to avoid
the danger spots (alligators, lava, white water, etc.).
Give the other characters about 10 minutes to guide the
Young Person down "the river."
- Conclude the activity using the discussion points.
Discussion Points:
- What did you think of this exercise? Was it realistic?
Why? Why not?
- How did it feel to be the Young Person?
- Were you faced with similar pressures and influences
when you were a teen?
- How do these influences affect a teen's ability to make
decisions?
Transitions (ISSN
1097-1254) © 2001, is a quarterly publication of Advocates for Youth—Helping
young people make safe and responsible decisions about
sex. For permission
to reprint, contact Transitions' editor at 202.419.3420.
Editor: Sue Alford
Click here to view the Publications Catalog and/or
to order this publication.
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