Teaching AIDS

by Tonks,Douglas

• ISBN13: 9780415908757
• ISBN10: 0415908752
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1995-12-04
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Throughout the debate over how--and if--AIDS education should be taught to school-age children, teachers who desire to bring the subject of AIDS into their classroom have had few, if any, resources to guide them.Teaching AIDSresponds to the need for AIDS education material with a practice-based, interactive curriculum that will enable teachers to effectively educate students about the risk of AIDS and HIV infection. Teaching AIDSbegins with a brief but strategic discussion of how teachers can create an environment of support for an AIDS education program. Author Douglas Tonks examines the political and educational implications for winning principal, district and parental support for an AIDS curriculum and offers concrete guidance on such issues as abstinence, condom distribution, prejudice and personal bias. He presents the facts, fictions and myths of AIDS and HIV transmission in a clear, concise manner that will enable educators to gain command of basic,vital information about AIDS with a view to helping them impart it effectively and honestly to their students. The centerpiece of the book, which teachers will find vital to their AIDS education efforts, is a thorough and detailed AIDS curriculum that they can utilize to educate students about the disease. Recognizing that AIDS education must differ for students of different age groups, Tonks presents tailored, age-appropriate content--what and how teachers should communicate AIDS information to young children, older children and teenage students. Topics covered include getting started, setting ground rules, introducing content, utilizing multimedia, peer education programs, cooperative learning and guest speakers. Tonks illustrates how to enhance this material through the presentation of individual and group activities and exercises. Teachers are encouraged to customize the material to deal with students of diverse populations and backgrounds. Teaching AIDSalso addressesactual methods teachers can use to influence their students' attitudes and behaviors by helping them to recognize problem situations in which risks might arise, and presenting them with the actual skills they need to protect themselves in such situations. Tonks outlines a series of refusal skills--sexual decision-making strategies--that students can practice in order to make responsible decisions when faced with the prospect of sexual activity. The concluding chapters concentrate on how to model and practice skills in the classroom through activities such as role-playing, peer education and the use of drama. This easy-to-read yet comprehensive manual for AIDS education breaks new ground in helping teachers provide the information that can literally save their students' lives.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. ix
The Extent of the Problem of AIDS and HIV in Adolescents	p. 1
Preparing an AIDS Education Program	p. 14
Facts and Information	p. 35
Age-Appropriate Information	p. 54
Individual and Group Activities to Uncover the Facts	p. 69
Skills to Change Student Attitudes toward AIDS and Risky Behavior	p. 99
Modeling the Skills	p. 125
Skill-Building Classroom Activities	p. 151
Notes	p. 167
Bibliography	p. 173
Index	p. 191
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