Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________ Period: ______
Directions: This page has three parts and a stretch. Part 1 is the chart: four things that change in adolescence. Write one line for each in your own words. Part 2 is the sort: twelve statements. Each one is a myth (not true) or a fact (true). Write M or F. For every myth, write one sentence that corrects it. Use the chart to help. Part 3 is a case. Nothing on this page asks about you. Every "you" means people in general. Questions about puberty and reproductive health go to health class. There is a line for that on the exit card, and it is optional.
Word bank in Spanish
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| brain | cerebro |
| sleep | sueño |
| feeling | sentimiento |
| myth | mito |
| fact | hecho |
| normal | normal |
Part 1: Four things that change
| Part (picture cue) | One change that is typical in adolescence, in your own words |
|---|---|
| Body (a ruler) | |
| Brain (a brain) | |
| Feelings (a face) | |
| Independence (a house key) |
Grade 6 word bank: growth spurt, sleep clock shifts later, prefrontal cortex still building, risks feel bigger, feelings swing fast, wants to decide, still needs family.
Part 2: Myth or fact
Write M or F next to each statement. Then write a one-sentence correction for each myth. There are six myths.
| # | Statement | M or F | Correction (for myths): "This is a myth because ___" |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teenagers need less sleep than younger children. | ||
| 2 | The part of the brain that plans ahead and hits the brakes keeps building into the mid 20s. | ||
| 3 | Mood swings in adolescence usually mean something is wrong with the person. | ||
| 4 | Growth spurts often make people clumsy for a while because arms and legs grow first. | ||
| 5 | If a 13-year-old wants more privacy, it means they no longer need their family. | ||
| 6 | Risks feel bigger and more exciting in adolescence than they will later, and friends nearby make that stronger. | ||
| 7 | Everyone the same age should be at the same point in their growth. | ||
| 8 | Teenagers get sleepy later at night because the body's clock shifts, not because they are lazy. | ||
| 9 | Taking risks is always bad. | ||
| 10 | Wanting to decide things for yourself and still needing your family at the same time is normal. | ||
| 11 | Because the brain is not finished, teenagers cannot be expected to control their actions. | ||
| 12 | Feeling sad for a day or two after something bad happens is normal; feeling sad for weeks with no lift is a reason to tell an adult. |
Grade 6 and IEP/504: sort statements 1 to 8.
Part 3: The case
A 13-year-old wants to go to a friend's house on a school night. The parent says no. The door slams. Both of them feel bad an hour later.
What is the 13-year-old's brain doing? ________________________________________________________
What is the parent doing? ______________________________________________________________________
What would work better? Write one response that fits the brain at this age. Then write one reason.
Response bank (grade 6 and IEP/504, circle one): ask again when calm; offer a plan (homework first, home by 8); name the feeling out loud ("I am frustrated, not mad at you"); write it instead of saying it.
Response: ____________________________________________________________________________________
Reason: ______________________________________________________________________________________
"Normal" is a range (copy from the board)
The rule: ____________________________________________________________________________________
What is not "just a phase" and needs an adult: _______________________________________________________
(more) ____________________________________________________________________________________________
The people at this school I can tell: ________________________________________________________________
Grade 8 stretch (Part 4; you keep this, it is not turned in): write a four-sentence note to a parent or guardian. Explain what the prefrontal cortex (the planning and braking part of the brain) is doing at 13. Then name one thing that helps.
Line 1: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Line 2: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Line 3: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Exit card (3-2-1)
3 things that change in adolescence, one per part: ______________________________________________________
2 myths I can now correct: _______________________________________________________________________
1 question I have for the health teacher (optional; no name goes with it): ____________________________________