Film still from Girls Like Us

TEACHING MODULE: Adolescence / Coming of Age The films and videos in this module tackle critical issues facing young women at the end of their adolescence. They honestly present the challenges faced by teenage girls from varying cultural and class backgrounds (such as, peer pressure, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, self-esteem, and aggression) and provide helpful models for overcoming difficult situations. Collectively and individually, these titles are excellent for facilitating dialogue on a myriad of teen-related matters and provide useful insight for parents, educators and counselors on young women's transition into adulthood. MODULE STUDY GUIDE: For Grades 6-8 and 9-12 Pre-viewing questions: Do you have the same friends now in junior high that you had in elementary school? Have your interests changed? If so, how? Are there any cliques in your school? Do you have to be part of a clique to be popular in your school? How do you fit in? What do you wish adults knew about young women today that they don't usually know? If you had to pick one, what is the most important issue facing girls today? Post-viewing questions: After seeing these films, what aspirations do you have for your future? Discuss the challenges faced by the young women in the films? If so, list a few. How do they overcome them? What is their relationship like with their family? Is it similar or different to yours at home? Activities: Form a book club with some of your classmates or other group members. Select a book by an author who writes about young women, like Judy Blume or Sandra Cisneros. Compare your perspectives with each other in a relaxed, respectful manner. Identify the protagonists in the book and talk about the challenges they face as girls. (Remember, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, whether you agree with them or not.) Research how girls from different cultures celebrate their "coming of age", like a "sweet sixteen" in the South or a Mexican-American "quinceñera" in Texas. Plan your own party. Explain what would be the most important things to include in your family/culture and why. QUESTIONS & ACTIVITIES: GRADES 9-12 Pre-viewing questions: What are some misconceptions or preconceived notions about girls and young women? How do girls express confusion, anger and aggression? Do you feel there is an adequate support system in place to deal with these kinds of issues? Are issues of sexuality and safe sex difficult to talk about with teachers and other adults? Whom else do you talk to? Post-viewing questions: Do the films raise issues and experiences common to most young women? If so, what are they? What are the specific obstacles or challenges faced by the girls in these films? (Like teen pregnancy; peer pressure; parental conflict) How do they deal with them? How might you have dealt with them differently? What was their relationship with their family like? Is it similar or different to yours? Activities: Document the lives of girls from your own high school and community. Choose girls from different backgrounds and ethnicities and interview them on camera or tape. Think of yourself as a filmmaker or journalist, ask them what issues are important in their lives, how they identify themselves (ethnicity, sexuality, etc.) and what their goals for the future are. Present your piece in class and use the discussion questions above to present your work. Create your own physical challenge. Form teams or pick partners and train for an endurance sport of your choice. Keep a journal, set goals and track your feelings and experiences for one month. Put your training to the test either by entering a local competition or creating an event in your school or group. Summarize and report your findings as a group to a local or school newspaper article.

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