Academy Curricular Exchange
Columbia Education Center
Miscellaneous

TITLE:  "Cool" Parent VS. "Messed-Up" Parent
     (taken from "The Winner's Circle" by Clare Lemeres

AUTHOR:  David Evans, Adobe Mountain School;
         Phoenix, AZ

GRADE LEVEL:  7-12;
     This lesson should be effective with 7th to 12th grade
students in terms of content.  The student's reading or
writing levels would not be a problem for this lesson.  The
lesson could be used in Citizenship, Social Studies, or
Independent Living as well as English.

OVERVIEW:  This lesson uses past experiences and perceptions
to cause students to personalize and take ownership of
future opportunities to be a successful parent.

PURPOSE:  The purpose is to build critical thinking, self-
esteem, and establish personal goals.

OBJECTIVE:  Students would copy student suggestions of
criteria and then complete a personal activity.

RESOURCES:  paper and writing instruments for each student
plus a board or over-head.  Drawing or coloring materials
would be optional.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
     The teacher sets up a T-Chart on the "board" like this:

                   Characteristics of...
A "Messed-Up" Parent                    A "Cool" Parent
                              *
                              *
                              *
                              *
                              *
                              *
                              *
                              *

     The teacher asks the students to describe the actions
of a messed-up parent and lists them on the left side.  This
generally produces good comments and interest on the part of
the students.  After a good list is developed, then the
right side can be started by taking the opposite of the
characteristics from the left side and asking how the cool
parent would be.  Then ask for other "cool" characteristics.
     After the two sides of the chart have been filled out,
make the point that each student has the power to become the
cool parent regardless of past personal or family
situations.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  Depending on specific teacher
objectives, the students could be assigned to write an essay
on the characteristics they would like to have as a parent
or to draw a picture or series of simple pictures showing
how they see themselves being successful as a parent.

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