The+challenges+of+young+parenthood

Teacher to introduce lesson objective and:
 * - the choices available to a teenage girl who finds herself pregnant
 * - the range of emotions that a teenage girls feels during pregnancy and after giving birth
 * - the support of family and friends during pregnancy and parenthood
 * - the impact parenthood can have on a mother's career ambitions.

Lesson starter: Odd one out
Write the following words on the board and ask students to identify the odd one out. There is no wrong answer but the reasons are valid in thinking skills.
 * Parent
 * Teenager
 * Baby

Choices - introduction


Teacher to outline the choices facing a teenage girl who finds herself pregnant - abortion, adoption, raise the child herself.

Choices - advantages and disadvantages


In pairs, students to list advantages and disadvantages of each decision using Handout 1 - Teenage mum choices provided. [|Handout 1 - Teenage mum choices]

Feedback


Teacher to facilitate feedback and list responses on whiteboard.

Choosing a statement


Following discussion, pairs to agree on a statement on the choices facing a teenage girl who finds herself pregnant.

Video clip


Students to watch the video [|My experience of being a young mum]

Values continuum


Arrange students to work in groups of 4/5. Using Handout 2 - Values continuum, students to agree or disagree with the statements relating to the video on an A3 sheet of paper. Statements can be cut out and arranged in importance by each group. Alternatively, this could be done actively by students standing at different ends of the classroom left wall - agree / right wall - disagree and teacher reading statements. [|Handout 2 - Values continuum]

Class discussion


Teacher to facilitate a class discussion on the statements continuum exercise and the students' thoughts on teenage parenthood.

The effect on relationships


Students to use Handout 3 - The effect of teenage pregnancy on relationships - to record how relationships change when a teenage girl becomes pregnant. They may use Charlotte's case study as an example. [|Handout 3 - The effect of teenage pregnancy on relationships]

Feedback


Teacher to facilitate class discussion on the results of the exercise.

Thinking quilt - Demands of parenthood


A thinking quilt is a strategy that encourages students to discover connections between ideas that have been placed next to each other on a 'thinking quilt'. Using Handout 4 - Thinking quilt, students are to link adjacent patches of the quilt, discussing their reasons for the links. Only two links are needed for the corners of the quilt; edges require 3 and central squares 4. [|Handout 4 - Thinking quilt]

Alternative activity


This could also be developed into a class game with students working in pairs/small groups to make as many links as possible - the highest number wins but with an acceptable reason for each link.

Feedback


Teacher to facilitate feedback of links and reasons for links.

Ending: The review


Students to read comments posted on the website and to write a comment on the ps video. [|My experience of being a young mum]

Written Comments


If students are unable to post comments directly on the site, Handout 5 - Comment sheet can be used to collect written comments from the students and inputted later by the teacher. Having their comments published will enable students to see what impact their opinions / advice can have on individuals' stories. //Please note - all comments will be moderated by the PS team, and any unsuitable comments will not be published.// [|Handout 5 - Comment sheet]