Just how far should you go?

What is the most effective way of teaching teenagers about sex in the classroom?

When a photograph of a breastfeeding baby appeared on the cover of an American parenting magazine in 2008 there were complaints from readers.

This point is interesting and indeed relevant to the whole issue of sex education as it raises one specific element in debating sex and sexuality: the issue of context. In this case most of the readers of the magazine were mothers of young babies, and yet many of them were shocked to the point of complaining upon seeing this picture.

Which raises a multiplicity of questions. Is context everything? Are nudity and sex the same thing? What determines the appropriateness or otherwise of any picture or behaviour? What makes some contexts more or less appropriate than others?

Considering this topic helps to lead us towards the most effective ways of dealing with sex education – for it reveals that by focussing on a very specific topic or issue, it is possible to lead into much more productive and insightful discussion and reflection, than through the use of less focussed activity.

In fact the issue of the cover of a parenting magazine, accompanied as it is by a range of activities and discussion points, comes in the chapter “Nudity and the Media” within the copiable volume “Sex and Sensibility”, the sex and relationships course for secondary schools.

It is one of 60 such topics gathered together in 12 modules, ranging from the opening section on “Being human” through to modules on “The Right Pace”, “Peer Pressure”, “Sexual Orientation”, “Sex and Language” and “Sex in the Media”.

Each topic contains a whole series of activities for the students to participate in, which can be used as either whole class or small group discussion topics, as research topics and for written assignments.

Each area within the volume is itself used to explore wider connotations – and thus includes such areas as following fashion, one’s own look, influences, being oneself, how we see ourselves and so forth.

There are around 100 pages of activities and materials for the students, as well as over 20 pages of teaching notes and further information.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/pshe/T1760.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1760EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 754 8

Prices

  • Photocopiable report: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Both the Ring Binder and the CD £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1760emn