Educational activities by
Janet Salmons.
Salmons and Associates

Photographs by
Joanna B. Pinneo

Leader’s Guide: Shantel

Shantel’s story easily lends itself to a rich exploration of several important topics relevant to girls’ lives.

Topics to Explore:

1. Risky Behaviors (e.g., drug use, gangs, teen pregnancy);

2. Birth Control, Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood;

3. Maintaining a Positive Attitude in a tough situation (Making lemonade out of lemons); and

4. Finding help when you need it.

Whether you’re a parent, classroom teacher, or youth leader, you know the importance of engaging young people in a variety of in-depth learning experiences and activities that help them to "process" and to better understand the material being taught. While simply reading each story may be sufficient for some girls to prompt self-reflection and learning, others may need additional support.

Grrlstories.org offers this support through a variety of structured activities related to each Exploration Topic. Parents who wish to organize meaningful learning experiences for (and with) their daughters can use these activities at home. Teachers and/or youth leaders who wish to engage groups of young women in active learning and discussion can use them in the classroom.

1. Risky Behaviors

A. Risky Business in our Town

Suggested Use: This exercise provides a safe way to discuss difficult issues.

Goals and Learning Objectives

To raise girls’ awareness about "risk" behaviors in their own lives, in their town, and nationally;

To help girls identify strategies to help themselves and to help other girls avoid risky behaviors.

To practice research and presentation skills

Materials Needed

Access to the internet and/or a public library.

Directions

1. Have the group define "risky behaviors." What does it mean to them?

2. Offer an "official" definition, based on your own knowledge or from research.

3. Have the girls identify the prevalence of "risky behaviors" in their own lives and with others that they know.

4. Select 4-5 different behaviors on which to focus.

5. Have the girls conduct in-depth research around those behaviors. Find out what the national statistics are for them. Find out what the local (state or city) statistics are for these behaviors. Then, discuss the prevalence of these behaviors among people the girls know.

6. Based on the results, have the girls identify strategies to help reduce their numbers, locally.

7. Identify on area on which the girls can focus and begin taking action to make a difference.

8. Assist the girls with implementing their plans.

Variations

The girls could continue (or add to) their project by making brochures to distribute within their community. They could also identify local resources available to help others with these issues.

The girls could conduct a local study to determine the extent to which their peers are aware of and make use of these local resources.

Resources

For an eclectic list of questions and answers about drug use, visit "go ask alice" at http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/Cat2.html

Smoke Free Kids http://www.smokefree.gov is an innovative collaboration between the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the U.S. Women's National Team, and US Soccer, to get girls to stop smoking.

Healthteacher.com provides teacher guides for K-12 on a variety of health and

safety issues. http://www.healthteacher.com/lessonguides/default.asp#alcohol

Visit http://www.iir.com/nygc/ The National Youth Gang Center (NYGC)

Teacher Talk: Feeling Peer Pressure http://education.indiana.edu/cas/tt/v3i3/peerpress.html

2. Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood

A. Better Safe than Sorry

Suggested Use: Shantel said that she and Chino used a condom during sex. Nevertheless, all it took was the "one time" for Shantel to become pregnant. This points to the fact that no method of birth control – short of abstinence – is foolproof. It is important for girls to realize the many options available.

Goals and Learning Objectives

To become aware of the many different birth control and "safe sex" options available to them

To evaluate the best method for themselves

To practice research skills

Materials Needed

Access to the internet, library, and local health center

Directions

1. Have the girls each identify a particular approach to safe sex and birth control (Note: you could identify the possibilities on cards and have each girl "draw" one from a hat)

2. Have each girl conduct in-depth research on that method, write a report, and present it to the class.

3. Then, lead a discussion about which method would be most appropriate for each girl. (optional). Girls could also write private reflection papers on this topic.

Variations

The girls could present their information in a panel format.

B. Profiles of Young Women

Suggested Use: This activity is aimed at older girls

Goals and Learning Objectives

To develop awareness of what it’s like to raise a child

To provide a sense of perspective and comparison with young women who’ve made other choices in their lives.

To practice interviewing skills and writing skills

Materials Needed

A set of interview questions (have the girls develop)

Paper, materials, etc.

Permission to interview local young women (see below).

Directions

1. Have the girls develop a list of all the things that different girls (ages 15-19) do with their lives. For example, some are involved in sports, some going to college, some are young mothers, etc.

2. Narrow the list down to 4-5 topics, including motherhood as one of them. Identify local young women who are living these different situations.

3. Have the girls conduct an interview with these women to identify what their lives are like, given the choices they’ve made.

4. Compile the results into a "profile" of each of the young women and compile these together in a booklet.

5. Discuss the results with the group.

6. Distribute the booklet to others in the school or community. (optional)

Variations

Develop a video documentary (or photo documentary) for these profiles.

More Girls’ Stories about Pregnancy and Motherhood

If you’re looking for a place that "tells it like it is" from a girls perspective, check out http://www.agirllikeu.com/mind_pregnancy.asp. Editors from www.agirllikeu.com synthesize the latest statistics on teen pregnancy, provide helpful tips and information, additional stories from teen moms, and resources from Planned Parenthood.

In Carol Cassidy's first film about teenage girls BABY LOVE, young mothers (ages 13 - 17) from various social, racial, and economic backgrounds, tell their own stories of what it means to be a teenage mom. To purchase the video, contact Direct Cinema, 310-636-8200, FAX: 310-636-8228, directcinema@attmail.com.

Additional Resources on Teen Pregnancy

Teenwire: http://www.teenwire.com
This site from Planned Parenthood gives great information on young men's and women's bodies, how not to have sex if you don't want it, safer sex, and dealing with breaking up. It also gives referrals to local clinics.

Planned Parenthood National Hotline: 1-800-230-PLAN http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
This hotline will automatically connect you to the Planned Parenthood Provider nearest you. Planned Parenthood is a source for contraception, testing for sexually transmitted infections including HIV, pre-natal and post-natal care, pregnancy options counseling, and adoption referrals.

National Abortion Federation Hotline: 1-800-772-9100
Sponsored by the National Abortion Federation, this hotline provides referrals to clinics that perform abortions. They will also answer questions about the procedure and about the laws surrounding the procedure.

Emergency Contraception Hotline: 1-888-NOT2LATE http://ec.princeton.edu 
Run by the Reproductive Health Technologies Project, this hotline provides pre-recorded information about emergency contraception, and gives the names and phone numbers of places where you can get emergency contraception.

National Council for Adoption: 202-328-1200 http://www.ncfa-usa.org/
You can call them collect for information about adoption options.

Go Ask Alice: http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/
Produced by Columbia University's Health Education Program, this site has loads of questions and answers on all kinds of relationship, sexuality, and sexual health issues.

Teen Pregnancy: http://www.teenpregnancy.org/
Sponsored by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (NCPTP), this website has information for young people and adults who want to prevent teen pregnancy.

America’s Crisis Pregnancy Helpline: 1-888-4-OPTIONS http://www.thehelpline.org 
ACPH’s trained staff now provides counseling, pregnancy-related information, and referrals for community resources.

Comprehensive Services for the Teenage Mother: A Program Guide ($ 5.00)(1982) 38 pages From www.girlsinc.org Using a successful program from Girls Incorporated of Pittsfield, MA as a model, this guide outlines how to put together workable, interesting programs to educate and assist teen mothers. To order, call the National Resource Center at Please call the National Resource Center to order: 1-800-374-4475

About Teen Pregnancy All of the information needed to aid pregnant teens and mothers. http://www.bu.edu/cohis/teenpreg/teenpreg.htm

3. Maintaining a Positive Attitude

A. Positive Attitudes: Making Lemonade out of Lemons

Suggested Use: This activity can be adapted to celebrate either local or famous women who have overcome obstacles to make important contributions.

Goals and Learning Objectives

To develop awareness about women role models and the choices they’ve made in life.

Materials Needed

Optional: online or library research.

Directions

Young people often feel that mistakes will prevent them from following their dreams. Yet women from Maya Angelou to Oprah Winfrey have emerged from their childhood tragedies to build successful lives.

While mistakes made in youth can sometimes have long-term implications, they may also provide the incentive to re-focus efforts and move forward. In this exercise, girls will explore the lives of women who have faced difficult circumstances and triumphed. The exercise can be done two ways:

In either case: discuss the personal characteristics that allowed each woman to succeed. Do you have these characteristics? If not, how can you develop them? What do they have in common? What can you learn from them?

4. Finding Help When You Need It

Dealing with a Crisis: Finding Accurate Information and Caring Helpers

Suggested Use: This activity is suitable for teens with a high school reading level.

Goals and Learning Objectives

To understand how and where someone in trouble can find help.

To learn how to research issues and find credible information online or in the library.

To use written or verbal communication skills.

Materials Needed

Either a computer with online access OR a library.

Directions

Shantel had many different problems and challenges to face. Sooner or later, everyone has a crisis. In addition, our friends may face difficult situations, and turn to us for help. In this activity, girls will research information and local agencies that provide assistance in areas where youth may have problems. They will document what they find, and share it with the group, and if possible, with others.

1. Select an issue.

Brainstorm with the girls to develop a list of issues they think teens face in their school/community. OR

Select from the following list:

Sexual issues: decisions, unwanted sex/date rape, unprotected sex

Drug use

Alcohol use

Homophobia

Domestic Violence, Child Abuse

Parental divorce or conflict

Depression or emotional problems

Suicidal thoughts

Health problems: cancer, diabetes

Peer pressure

2. Research the issue

Information: Using the web or library, locate information on the issue. Look at it critically:

Is it current?

Is it from a credible source?

Is it applicable to someone your age?

Summarize the key points.

3. Agencies

Using the phone book or local human services directories, locate agencies that provide services on the issue.

Call or contact them and find out what educational or crisis help they offer for teens. Ask them to send brochures, or find out whether they have a website.

Summarize what you find.

4. Present findings and discuss them.

Did you find good information and services? If not, what is missing in the community?

Did you feel that the services addressed confidentiality and other issues that might keep a teen from accessing them in a crisis?

How can you make this information available to your peers?

Variations

Girls locate representatives from local agencies, who are invited to a class or group meeting. If girls determine that critical services are missing, they may decide to follow-up with an advocacy effort such as writing a letter to the editor or contacting elected representatives.

Girls can assemble information located in this exercise and create a booklet to distribute in the school or community, or create a website.

Girls can organize a presentation to a younger group at school or local youth group, or for parents (PTA, etc).

Resources

HealthTeacher.com provides information, Lesson Guides and Teacher Supports on many health topics. http://www.healthteacher.com/

JagNet Teen Crisis Centre - TCC volunteer-based organization made by teens, for teens. It's a haven where teens can take refuge or seek advice. http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/2427/

Venus in Blue Jeans : Why Mothers and Daughters Need to Talk About Sex by Susan Lieberman (Contributor), Nathalie A. Bartle (1999) Dell Books (Paperbacks); ISBN: 0440508800