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���� �� As the workbook points out, “If you are sexually active, there is no way to know in advance which of the above consequences might happen to you.” It further tells students that despite the use of contraceptives, “about one-third of girls become pregnant at least once before reaching age 20.” And about one-third of sexually active girls are infected with an STD before reaching age 20. The way to avoid these consequences is to practice abstinence by making a plan for self-control and making rules for oneself. For the student, that means proactive decision-making that limits what he or she sees and hears; avoiding pressure situations; using the buddy system; and choosing friends who support their personal lifestyle choices. Avoiding the Penalties Chapter Four of Game Plan details the sexually transmitted diseases teens get from sex, the symptoms, and possible long-term health consequences. Every day, 54,000 cases of STDs occur in the U.S. and half of those are among people under age 24. The severity of these diseases can be worse in the young body. Symptoms are sometimes missed, causing the disease to worsen or to be spread to others. The workbook also informs students that condom use doesn’t provide protection from STDs. In other words, “safe sex” isn’t safe. Sex outside of marriage means running the risk of contracting diseases, and the workbook teaches students about chlamydia, syphilis, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, genital herpes, genital warts, human papillomavirus (HPV), Hepatitis B, and AIDS. Half-Time Chapter Five is about choosing to change behaviors and is directed at teens who may have already engaged in sex or other risky behaviors. Students examine how they can respond to situations in a healthy or unhealthy manner, whether it involves drugs, alcohol, violence, or sex. The lesson is that it’s not too late to start over. Real-life examples help students move forward by relaying situations that actual young people have faced. Jeff’s story is one of depression and disappointment after he and his family moved away from a girl with whom he’d had sex. The workbook stresses that boys also are hurt and angry when teens engage in sexual relationships outside of marriage, which oftentimes end badly and result in serious emotional damage. Building Your Team Chapter Six teaches students to choose relationships wisely. They examine how to establish healthy and safe relationships, as well as how to avoid those that are dangerous. They learn the positive characteristics to look for in friends and in those with whom they spend time, including respectfulness, responsibility, sincerity, commitment, and courage. In this section, students learn that “love is a verb” and that healthy love strives to give, while unhealthy love strives to take. Every section of the workbook has a “parent link” that involves the family at home. In this section the questions for teens to ask their parents are: 1. What qualities or characteristics do you think are important for choosing a team of friends? 2. What was it like to date when you were a teen? What do you think has changed since then? Winning the Prize Chapter Seven is all about happy marriages and addresses shared values, commitment, respect, responsibility, and honesty. Several couple interviews provide examples for teens of how to be happy in a committed relationship. It is an encouraging look at the benefits of marriage, what it takes to have a successful marriage, and the important role maintaining abstinence until marriage has in starting and keeping a good marriage. A powerful activity in this section has students write a letter to their future spouse. Game Time Chapter Eight is about making a plan. Students review goals they listed in the first chapter. They learn to set boundaries in dating relationships and create defensive strategies to resist temptations or pressure to behave in ways that would decrease their chances of achieving their goals. These include speak up, stand up, and walk away. Activities in each section of Game Plan visually demonstrate the chapter theme. In the final chapter activity, students pass around two soda cans, one full and one empty. They compare how easy it is to crush the empty can as opposed to how difficult it is to crush the full can. The full can represents students full of goals and fully informed about how to reach them. On the final page of this chapter is My Game Plan where students write down their purpose, goals, attitudes, and actions, and then they sign their name. There is also a place for signatures of “fans,” people the student chooses to help accomplish their goals. The appendix of the teacher edition of Game Plan offers additional interactive learning activities students and teachers can do together, because people best remember what they see in concrete demonstrations.


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