Decision-Making and Teen Parenthood

Upper Middle Level Health

Dual Focus Lesson

Dual Focus:

1. To give the class a model for thinking about decisions.

2. To use that model to look at teen parenthood.

Decison-Making

In many animals, feeling equals acting. They don’t think, they just act.

A dog is hungry so he eats.

A lion is angry so he fights.

A duck is cold, so she fluffs her feathers up.

Decision-Making

However, in human beings “feeling” does not necessarily equal “acting”. People do not always act on their feelings.

You may feel like seriously hurting your little brother or sister, but you don’t.

You may feel like eating a whole chocolate cake, but you stop yourself.

In humans there is a step between feeling and acting.......DECIDING

Decision-Making

There are two ways people go about deciding:

Actively

Passively

Active Decisions

Active Decisions

Involves conscious thought and a choice between at least two alternatives.

YOU CHOOSE. YOU MAKE THE DECISION.

Passive Decisions

Passive Decisions

Letting things happen to you.

You have a choice but allow someone else, chance, or habit make the decision for you.

Decision-Making

Active or Passive?

You go into the salon and tell the stylist that you want short hair and red highlights.

The hair stylist cuts your hair short because she messed up on the other style.

Whether to eat breakfast.

What to eat for breakfast.

Example Teen Parenthood

One can actively choose NOT to become a teenage parent (Group A)

One can actively choose TO become a teenage parent (Group B)

One can passively just let things happen (they let chance take over) (Group C)

These people will usually become teen parents

Teen Parenthood Worksheet 1

Read each mini-script

Place each peron into a group (A,B,C)

Decide whether it was an active or passive decision

Reference Sheet 1

Read aloud as a class.

Homework

Backside of Teen Parenthood Worksheet 1

Why we aren’t having babies yet.

Write your own mini script about why people choose to postpone parenting until they are older.

Write at least four.

Due: Next class period