Other Resources - Teaching Tips

Generic Groups and Activities

Contributed by Kendra Jeffcoat

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | L |M | N | P | Q | R | S | T | V | W | X | Z |

Active Listening: For controversial topics, in groups of 2-3 students, ask students to choose a speaker; the other students are listeners. Review the steps in active listening. Allow a 5-minute discussion of a topic and have both speakers and listeners evaluate the process by filling out the appropriate Active Listening^GH handout. Inform students that the goal of this activity is to become better listeners, rather than to convince each other of their position on the topic.

• The first time you do this each semester, you can choose a topic which is nonthreatening and requires less self-disclosure to allow students to become comfortable with the process of active listening (e.g., have the speaker discuss an interesting vacation, hobby, class).

Annotated Bibliography: Ask students to pick a topic of interest from the text. To discourage procrastination, have students turn in their topics on 3x5 cards at least several weeks before the bibliography is due. Students then go to the library and run a computer search on that topic. (Internet use may be encouraged or discouraged depending on your goal for this assignment.) They choose 5-10 journal articles from this search, find the original works and write a bibliography which includes: APA formatted citations with a summary of the content for each work.

• Students can be asked to make a 5-minute presentation of their findings.

• Consider having students submit copies of abstracts from each of their articles.

Back to top

Book Reports: Have students read a book (nonfiction or fiction) that relates to an important topic, or one which is not covered in much detail in the textbook. They can write a standard book report, give an oral book report to the class, or both.

Brainstorming: For use in generating lists of ideas or possible solutions to problems, ask students to form groups of 4-5 members. Review the rules of brainstorming: (1) make the list as long as possible, (2) offer original and unique ideas, no matter how absurd, wild, or impractical, (3) build on ideas from each other, (4) withhold judgments and criticism of ideas until after the full list is made. Record items on a transparencies with felt or dry-erase pens so they can be easily shared with the class for comparison and comment.

• Research has suggested that brainstorming is not as effective as generating lists from everyone working individually. The two main drawbacks to brainstorming

• Consider conducting a mini-experiment: split your class in half and give each group rules 1-4 above, but only give one group the additional 2 rules and see which group has more useful ideas; OR have half the class split into groups and brainstorm a topic (outside and down the hall) and the other half stay in the room to generate individual lists on the same topic, then come back after designated time and compare lists; discuss the effectiveness of each method.

Back to top

Case Histories: Psychologists often present cases in supervision or consultation to elicit helpful suggestions, or in written or lecture format to illustrate specific principles of psychology. In groups of 4-5 members, ask students to make up a case history for a specific behavior pattern, diagnosis, or problem. They must use their knowledge of the onset, symptoms, and patterns of the behavior or problem and include information about genetic, biological, and social etiologies, as well as the physical or psychosocial consequences of the behavior or problem. You can provide a Case History^GH handout as a guide.

• Students can present their case history to the rest of the class. They get points for describing it accurately and well enough for others to guess the behavior or problem; the students who guess also get points for being correct and lose points for being incorrect.

• Students can present their case history to the rest of the class, who must provide options or solutions for the behavior or problem.

• This can be an open-book group assignment or closed-book if you have presented the information in enough detail during a lecture (and students have been assigned the appropriate text reading beforehand).

Case Study: Ask students to research someone related to the field of human sexuality in some way (e.g., a sexologist, sex therapist, feminist, sex symbol) and write a brief report linking the person's childhood, youth, and adolescence with his or her subsequent profession or notoriety.

Collaborative Groups: Ask students to form groups of 4-5 members. Each student is given a "piece" of the problem to be solved, and must join other students in the group, fitting their pieces together to arrive at a correct solution. For example, you could give each student the results of a different study on a particular topic and ask them to decide as a group what conclusions sexologists can now make about the topic.

Critical Thinking: Review the basic elements required for critical thinking to occur: (1) recognizing and setting aside prejudices, biases, assumptions, and judgments, (2) opening up to other views and perspectives, (3) seeking, examining, and analyzing information and its sources, (4) pulling all of this together to form a coherent, more accurate picture of the topic of reflection. Then, give students (individually or in groups of 4-5) the task of evaluating the evidence for a particular fact stated in the text or class lecture. Ask students to use each step in the critical thinking process, and summarize the questions or considerations that arose in each step.

• Have students find an article on human sexuality in a popular magazine and use their critical thinking skills to evaluate the article, writing a 1-2 page summary of their results, and attaching a copy of the article.

Back to top

Debate: For controversial topics, ask students to debate both sides of a topic. Form an even number of groups of 4-5 members. Half the groups get the "pro" side of the debate, the other half get the "con" side. Each group writes as many arguments for their side as they can (on the appropriate vertical half of their page). After 10-15 minutes, switch sides. Have "pro" groups switch papers with each other, have "con" groups switch papers with each other. Each group must now read and develop an answer to each of the "pro" or "con" arguments made by the other groups, recording their responses on the opposite vertical half of their page. (e.g., If the "pro" group said, "Pornography demeans women," the new "con" group might answer, "Poverty for women is more demeaning than earning a living selling pictures of their body.") After another 10-15 minutes, have groups come together to discuss their reactions to having to argue both sides. Ask which was easier, developing their own arguments or refuting those from another group?

• You could randomly assign students to groups OR let them choose initial sides as long as there are an even number of groups on both sides of the debate.

• A more extensive debate can be staged, if you allow students out-of-class time to research their topic, and in-class time to prepare, plan, organize, and present their sides. (Be sure each side knows that the best debaters consider the opposing side's possible arguments so that they are prepared to refute or defuse them.)

Demonstration: Show how a process or procedure works by demonstrating the steps and outcomes. Think through the goal of your demonstration and how the visual process can teach students something they could not learn just by reading about it. This is a great technique for teaching about contraceptive devices and birthing techniques.

Discussion: Describe the elements of a good discussion early in the semester: (1) turn-taking, (2) active listening, (3) building on previous points made, (4) respectful questioning or offering of alternatives. You can provide mini-discussions exploring each element in the process early in the semester, then build to full-length discussions that incorporate all the elements. (Potential discussion questions are included for most text chapters.) Explain that silence is helpful in allowing these steps to occur.

• Silence: The next time you ask a question and no one answers right away (you could plan this by asking a really embarrassing or really hard question to answer), remain silent and time how long it takes for students to begin reacting by looking away, looking at each other, fidgeting, giggling, whispering, etc. Discuss your observations and ask for student reactions.

• Ask students to avoid looking at the clock or their watches and try to guess how long you are silent several times in a row (vary the time from a few seconds to nearly a minute). Discuss initial accuracy versus later accuracy, ask what they did to occupy the time, how uncomfortable the silence was, and how this applies to developing better discussions in this class.

Back to top

Experiments (In-Class): This can be used to teach both research basics and topical content. Be sure to follow procedural rules for research developed by your institution. Have a variety of easy-to-replicate studies with easy-to-calculate measures available for students to choose from; you could have the entire class perform one experiment, or divide the class into several groups, letting each one choose a different study. Provide in-class time for students to develop a hypothesis, operationalize IVs and DVs, decide on how to assign subjects (their fellow classmates) to groups, plan their debriefing, and evaluate and discuss results. You will need to be very involved, guiding students away from pitfalls and complexities that would not work in the time allowed. Each group of researchers can make in-class presentations of their results. Students can then discuss (or write a reaction paper about) what they learned regarding the research process and the results of the studies.

Expert-for-a-Day: Students can choose (or be assigned) a specific topic to research (using text and resources from the library or Internet) in some depth. Student will then give a 5-minute presentation of their information to the class on the day that particular topic is being discussed. Presentations can be graded on clarity, accuracy, thoroughness, organization, and effective use of verbal and non-verbal skills.

• Consider letting students submit 3x5 card evaluations of the presentations in addition to the instructor evaluation, all of which will be averaged, possibly having the instructor grade weighted more strongly.

• Consider allowing students the choice of making an informative, persuasive, or entertaining presentation.

Back to top

Fact-Finding Group: Ask students to form groups of 4-5 members. Provide them with a handout which has questions or problems to solve using the facts they have read in the text or heard in the lecture. This can be open- or closed-book, depending on the purpose of the exercise and the complexity of the topic.

• Tell students that in their next class they will be required to develop a presentation on some factual topic which they have read about in their text. Each student will be allowed to bring in a limited number of pages of notes on the topic, and they can pool their notes. Students without notes form a separate group, are allowed to use the textbook, but lose points on the assignment. The presentations must be accurate, clear, enthusiastic, and informative. They must also provide a Q & A period for other students to clarify and fully understand the facts provided.

Note: This author has used both methods as a way of reinforcing the importance of reading the text before coming to class and paying attention to lecture material. She has also found that groups will quickly exclude, or refuse to include students who consistently fail to come prepared. Usually these students end up in a group together, and their grades reflect their lack of preparation, which motivates them to read and listen (or decide to drop due to insufficient motivation).

Feedback: Ask students to complete Feedback^GH handouts for each chapter or unit.

Field Research: This is a great activity for allowing students first-hand observation and confirmation of previous research on behavior (e.g., gender differences, relationship cues). Review the ethics of observational research with uninformed subjects and the need for maintaining their anonymity. This activity works best if students are provided in-class time to decide what to observe, how to measure it, how to make sense of the data, and reporting their results.

Field Trip: Keep an eye open for community lectures on sexual issues; look for museum exhibits or other forums that might offer sex-education or information related to sexuality; check with your own institution to see if they have a research lab that would be interesting to see; look for clinicians or clinics in the community that might allow a visit to their office or facility with a brief presentation by the professionals in charge. Follow the procedures for your institution if you plan a group trip. Inform students ahead of time about how to get the most from the event: explain the learning objectives, and what students must do to demonstrate that they have been met (e.g., write a report, answer specific questions). Prepare an alternative assignment for students who cannot attend for any reason.

Fish Bowl: This is useful in exploring controversial topics and in experiencing the role of observer, listener, and/or speaker. Arrange chairs in circles, a larger circle outside

a smaller one, each facing inwards. The inner circle is the fishbowl and students seated here will discuss a particular topic (e.g., men can discuss what they want to understand better about women) while students seated in the outside circle listen and take notes IN SILENCE. After 10-15 minutes, switch circles (e.g., women can be in the fishbowl and discuss what they want to understand better about men). After another 10-15 minutes, students come together to (1) share the experience of observing and being observed WITHOUT commenting on content, (2) discuss the content that came out of the exercise, and offer responses.

Back to top

Guest Speaker/Panel: Inviting expert speakers (e.g., sex therapist, sex researcher, fertility physician, childbirth educator) serves two purposes: (1) students get current information, and (2) students get to observe role models working in the field. Inviting guests who exemplify different lifestyles (e.g., a panel of gay community members, a prostitute, a transsexual, a victim or perpetrator of sexual abuse, etc.) must be used with caution as it can be seen as voyeuristic or exploitative rather than educational or informative. Careful selection, and preparation of both guests and students is required to make speakers useful.

• For the speaker: (1) view their presentation elsewhere or get recommendations from respected colleagues, (2) provide the speaker with materials students already have on the subject matter and a list of questions or topics that you want them to address, (3) clarify stipends, time constraints, location of room, parking, etc. [Note: A reminder call is recommended on the day of the class, or the evening before.]

• For the students, before the speaker arrives: (1) provide learning objectives and how they will be assessed (e.g., reaction papers, test questions), (2) have students write down a few questions on the topic which are brief and to the point [Note: Prepare a few questions yourself to "prime the pump" during the Q & A portion of the presentation], (3) remind students that the rules for respect and courtesy apply.

• Consider sending the speaker a group thank you card, a personal thank you card, or even copies of the student reactions to their presentation. This author received the latter, which were quite helpful in planning future presentations, not to mention reinforcing of the experience!

Back to top

Hot Seat: This activity is riskier than the fishbowl because only one student is in the middle of one to several circles of chairs and is being questioned about their beliefs,

experiences, or knowledge base. USE THIS ACTIVITY WITH GREAT CAUTION. Participation MUST be voluntary, volunteers MUST know they can refuse to answer any question, and students who ask questions MUST be well-prepared and cautioned against making explicit attacks and criticisms or implicit judgments.

Hot Topics: Get students interested in keeping current with the research in the field of human sexuality. Using the textbook's "On the Edge" boxes, have students check the literature for references to the most current articles (e.g., find articles dated later than __). They can then compare what the newest research says and compare this to the information from the box on the same topic. [Note: Instructors are encouraged to browse the Wadsworth website, which has a "Hot Topics" resource.]

• Consider giving the student with the most current article a "prize" of 3-5 extra credit points.

• Ask students to bring in newspaper or newsmagazine articles about current topics on sexuality to be posted on a permanent or traveling bulletin board.

Back to top

Internet/Website Assignments: As extra credit, unless you have the ability to teach students how to use the Internet and can help them get access to it, have interested students search the internet for specific websites (go to the Wadsworth Web Site for suggestions), and complete a Website Evaluation^GH form for that site.

• Consider having students look for new sites on their own, with the rule that the site must be accurate, not just entertaining, and non-voyeuristic; again, they need to complete an evaluation for the site.

Interview: Students can conduct structured interviews of friends, relatives, professionals, etc. An example of an interview can be demonstrated in class (e.g., using a videotaped interview or a role-play) to teach the value of open-ended vs. closed questioning and methods of increasing comfort and encouraging participation. Provide information regarding the purpose or objective of the interview (e.g., to practice taking a sexual history, to learn what professionals in the field are doing), appropriate length in time or number of questions/topics to be explored, and method of reporting results (written, oral, or both). Appropriate ethical considerations need to be discussed (e.g., anonymity vs. use of names, voluntary participation, the right to quit at any time).

Back to top

Journaling: This activity provides an opportunity for students to express their reactions to information learned throughout the course. They can be used as extra credit

assignments or integrated into the required curriculum. They can be isolated journals (e.g., reactions to specific topics or speakers) or comprehensive (e.g., a running reaction to the course content from beginning to end of the semester). Scoring can be done on a scale with the lowest score representing an "incomplete" journal, a medium score representing a "complete, but lacking in depth or organization" journal, and a high score representing a "complete, organized, and insightful" journal. It would be helpful to read some examples from each category of the grading structure so students are clearly informed, and recognize that it is not their views or their beliefs that are being evaluated, only their presentation.

Back to top

Learning Community: This activity can be informal and limited in scope or formal and extensive. The latter would involve having students enroll in specific sections of Speech, English, History, and Psychology in which the four instructors have developed an integrated focus on a specific theme (e.g., human sexuality). The informal, limited version could be accomplished by inviting colleagues from various disciplines to share and coordinate specific assignments (e.g., students could be asked to write essays about sexual issues in an English class, research the development of the women's movement or men's movement in their history class, and/or present a speech on either of these topics in their speech class).

Learning Contract: Individualized contracts are useful for students with differing skills or needs. At least one class session is needed to discuss how to set up a contract, which will include: (1) specific goals, (2) steps required to reach each goal, (3) resources (e.g., time, library access, computer/Internet access) required to accomplish each step, (4) evaluation guidelines for the completed project, (5) timeline or deadlines for each step or each goal.

Letter-Writing: This activity can be used in a variety of ways for a variety of topics. Letters can remain private and personal, to be sealed and opened later by the student to see how they have changed in some way related to the course content. Letters can also be public and informative, to be shared with groups or the whole class as a means of opening a discussion or allowing students to offer more personal reflections on a topic.

Back to top

Multicultural Activities: Addressing variations in cultural perspectives, norms, and behaviors is one of the goals of the authors of this textbook. A number of methods for incorporating this goal in the classroom follow:

1. Ask students to identify their own race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status (SES), then research their norms and practices related to the course content. They can keep a journal for private use, or as an extra credit assignment (graded on completeness and insight rather than content).

2. Interview someone from another racial, ethnic, or SES about his or her norms and practices related to sexuality. Write a 2-3 page comparison with their own cultural norms and practices.

3. Ask students to create a collage, poster, or other symbol of as many of their own norms and practices as possible (e.g., dating, degree of nudity or clothing in public, same-sex behaviors, other-sex behaviors, marriage rituals, birthing rituals). Schedule a "diversity day" on which students bring their creations and share them with the class.

4. Have the class form groups based on some common denominator (e.g., short/tall, male/female, teens/twenties, skin color, religion). Each group then follows the rules for a Nominal Group (see below) to identify privileges and penalties for their particular status. Come back together and have the various groups share their findings, discussing their feelings about their common denominator and their reactions to this activity.

5. Ask students to watch a current movie, or rent a recent video and take notes regarding the norms and practices regarding human sexuality that are depicted (explicitly or implicitly). Students can write a 1-2 page paper or give a 5-10 minute presentation on what they found.

6. Ask students who get cable or satellite TV to watch a program from a different country (broadcast in a language they don't understand) and try to describe the norms and practices that they pick up through nonverbal cues. [This author stayed with a Greek family and watched their programs one evening, finding it a fascinating event to share her reactions and receive their explanations of the actual dialogue afterwards.]

Back to top

Nominal Group: Similar to a Focus Group used by marketers, politicians, and pollsters. [Note: the Focus Group would allow a more free-flowing discussion.] Ask students to form groups of 5-10 members and assign a facilitator and a recorder for their groups. Pose a specific question. The facilitator then leads a discussion of this question, soliciting participation from each member in turn, and keeping the discussion focused on

the topic. The recorder notes each person's comments, preferably on poster-size paper or

a transparency, grouping them according to themes. Duplicated ideas can be checked to keep a tally of the number of times they occur. The entire class comes back together and the facilitators share their group's themes and specific ideas.

• An alternative method is to have individuals write separate ideas about a topic on post-it notes. Then, form groups around several poster papers (taped to the walls around the room) and have each group organize their individual post-its according to

Back to top

Pass the Hat: This activity creates a safe atmosphere for sharing sensitive thoughts or experiences in an anonymous format. Ask students to jot down their reactions or personal experiences on a specific topic on a quarter-sheet of paper, fold it up, and place it in the "hat" as you pass it. If they do not want to participate, they can submit a blank piece of paper (NO off-color stories or offensive material allowed; you may want to review and edit submissions during a break or before the next class before completing this activity). Re-pass the "hat," having students draw a paper and read its contents aloud to the class (they do NOT acknowledge whether they drew their own comment). Students can (1) be asked to give individual responses to the comment they drew, or (2) discuss overall reactions after all comments have been read.

Practice Quiz: For especially complex material or new terms, students can be given sample questions (multiple-choice, fill-in, matching) to be answered in small groups or individually as preparation for a lecture, as a mid-lecture break, or as an assessment after a lecture.

• Incorporate questions from the Student Study Guide to reinforce its use as a study aid.

Quick Poll: Students can submit questions they are interested in or instructors can make up their own questions or pull questions from previous surveys. Examples: How many of you are the oldest child in your family? How many of you have divorced parents? How many of you have seen a pornographic film? If students seem reluctant to respond, ask them to close their eyes, and remind them that they always have the right to abstain.

Back to top

Review Games: Several popular games can be adapted to review material throughout the semester: Trivial Pursuit, Charades, Jeopardy. The instructor needs to be clear about the rules, procedures, and materials for the game. Students can even submit potential questions to be asked. For example, the textbook chapter headings can be used to create categories for Jeopardy, the instructor can select and arrange questions according to difficulty, the instructor or students can serve as moderator and judges. Contestants can be individual students or groups of students.

Role-Play: This is an excellent method for practicing new interactive skills. Initial student discomfort with this activity can be handled in several ways: (1) save role-playing until the group has become more comfortable with each other, (2) allow students some choice in the role they assume or in their level of participation, (3) allow small groups to role-play with each other rather than role-playing in front of the whole class, (4) demonstrate a role-play with a visiting colleague or a willing student, and make a mistake so you can model how to stay in character or quickly return to the role after laughing at your error, (5) let students know you are available as a coach if they get stuck.

Procedures: (a) set the scene by describing the basic situation, (b) assign roles or let students choose, but be clear that each student needs to BECOME THE ROLE and stay in-character during the role-play, (c) wander amongst role-playing groups offering assistance as needed, OR briefly assuming a role to "mix things up" in an advanced group, and stepping back to let them cope, (d) discuss student reactions, (e) provide closure by having students reflect on what they learned about both content and process.

Back to top

Simulation: Students can recreate a complex situation, such as a mock rape trial, an initial history-taking sex therapy session, a school board meeting about sex education at the elementary level, etc. Out-of-class time will be needed for research into the elements that make up the rules of behavior in the situation; in-class time will be needed to plan, prepare, set-up, and execute the simulated situation. Time for debriefing and for evaluation feedback is also essential. Points can be earned for providing written research on the rules of behavior, playing the various roles that are required, discussing or writing reaction papers to what was observed, and evaluating the discussion.

Student Perspectives or Reflections: This can be a quick method of generating or re-stimulating interest in many topics. It is best when begun in pairs or trios because it often requires some personal disclosure. The small groups can then report their discussion to the class as a whole.

Summaries: At the beginning of the class, ask students to pair up and produce a summary of 1-3 interesting facts from the assigned chapter on a 3x5 card. Set aside during the lecture or class discussion. At the end of class, ask students to make any corrections or additions to what they recalled earlier, based on the class presentation. Collect the cards, which can be used to help you determine student comprehension of both text and lecture.

Survey Project: This activity can serve the dual purpose of acquainting students with appropriate research methods as well as informing them about the content of the

surveys they choose to study. Be sure to follow any institutional research guidelines. Begin by educating students about the basics of producing reliable and valid surveys (e.g., wording of questions, selection of sample, number of subjects, volunteer bias, etc.), then choose one of the following options:

• As a class, or in smaller groups, use in-class time to decide on a survey topic, generate questions (revising with instructor's help), check items for clarity, determine the population of interest and sample to be surveyed, and analyze and report results. (see Survey Project^GH handout) Out-of-class time can be spent typing, printing, and distributing questionnaires, and tallying results. Once all surveys are complete, have students discuss what they learned about both process and content.

• Assign a specific survey from a current popular magazine for everyone to find, complete, and turn in anonymously for the instructor to analyze. Next, have students critique the reliability and validity of the survey based on your lecture and their textbook information. Report results from the analysis, and have the class present their critique of the survey, putting the results in the context of the survey's reliability and validity. [Variation: Ask students to find current, popular surveys from magazines or the Internet; give these surveys to several volunteer friends and relatives; tally the results; include a copy of the survey; and proceed as above.]

Back to top

Treatment Planning: Ask students to choose a specific behavior related to human sexuality that they want to change. [Note: Students should choose behaviors that have a chance of success (e.g., communication strategies) rather than sexual problems that require long-term intervention or qualified sex therapists to change (e.g., fear of intimacy, sexual predator). Alternative assignments should be available for students who still find this too threatening or too personal to be graded.] Using the lecture and textbook information related to the behavior chosen by the student, have them outline a specific plan for changing that behavior. They must include: (1) a pre-measure of the frequency, or a description, of the behavior, (2) a specific strategy for changing

that behavior, based on recommendations from the textbook or lecture, (3) the specific method they will use to measure the changes in the behavior, and (4) an expected time-

frame for the change to occur. Students can submit their proposals at various stages for approval to insure that their goals are realistic and clear and that their measures are adequate.

Back to top

Value Clarification: This activity can be used to confirm that students share many common values, and that strong differences can be acknowledged and discussed in an assertive but sensitive manner. It can also apprise the instructor of student views, and

offer students a preview of issues that are going to be discussed. Procedure: Tape four large signs to the walls of your room before class ("Strongly Agree," "Agree," Disagree,"

and "Strongly Disagree"), and develop several statements that are related to a local concern, evoke a diversity of opinions, or evoke homogenous views, but lack factual or statistical right/wrong answers. Explain to students that you will read a statement that is intentionally general, and that they must define terms for themselves and go stand silently under the sign that describes their own position on the statement. Once groups are formed under the signs, have each group share their definitions and opinions, allowing students to decide to change groups if they feel "moved" to take another position. [Note: State the rules about disagreements = they are allowed, even encouraged, but must be voiced courteously without physical or verbal aggression.] Once groups seem stable and discussion begins to wane, read another statement and repeat this process several times. Ask students to silently return to their seats and complete an anonymous response form which asks them to complete several sentences, without using anyone's names in their answers ("I was surprised to learn that…," "I was uncomfortable when….," "I was pleased to find that…"). Finally, ask students to pass these around in silence, reading several before opening a class discussion of their reactions.

Video/Film Use: There are several ways to find videos or films for use in class.

• Students can help keep instructors and others informed of upcoming documentaries or special programming on human sexuality (e.g., news magazine shows, educational television, PBS, cable channels). Students are also an excellent resource for current movies that display a variety of issues discussed during the semester.

• Students can earn a few extra credit points for bringing in a clip from one of the documentaries which can be put on reserve in the library for other students to check out.

• Students can earn more extra credit points by putting together short clips from a variety of movies that portray 5-10 issues from the course, turning this in along with a written explanation of the issues and how the clips supported what they learned in class.

• See the address and phone list at the beginning of this chapter for the companies that produce films and videos suggested in each chapter of this instructor's manual.

Most instructors find that videos or films work best when they are short (20-30 minutes) and to the point. If they run longer than this, you could consider showing the video in parts, or stopping it periodically to let students discuss or write their reactions.

It is helpful to prepare students for a video or film by asking them to watch for particular information, to be ready to answer specific questions, or to take notes on facts presented and their reactions to the film's message.

The best films relate to the course material presented thus far, show something that is difficult to explain in words, or lay groundwork for good student discussions of complex material. Although most instructors prefer to screen films and videos prior to showing them to a class, you might consider showing an unscreened film (which you

know does not contain offensive material) and asking the students to critique it along with you, having them develop ways it could be used effectively for a subsequent showing.

Contemporary full-length movies can be used as extra credit or as a critical thinking assignment, using the Critical Movie Review^GH handout to guide students in an investigation of cultural messages about sexuality. (Adapted from Sayad & Janowiak).

Visualization: This activity serves a dual purpose: (1) to teach students how to reduce stress in difficult situations, and (2) to model using this technique. Before an exam, role-play, or other stressful classroom activity, talk your class through a guided visualization experience. Dim the lights, ask students to close their eyes after promising that nothing embarrassing or negative will happen to them (model the behavior by closing your own eyes, but allow students to keep their eyes open if they want to).

• Simple progressive relaxation technique: have students start with their head (or their feet), and progressively talk them through relaxing each set of muscles proceeding down (or up) the body. Use words like "limp," "loose," "heavy," or "floating" to describe what the relaxation might feel like.

• Safe Haven technique: once students have been talked through a quicker version of the progressive relaxation, tell them they can now go to any place in the world (real or fantasy) where they know they will feel safe and comfortable. Ask them to imagine arriving at this place, picking the most comfortable and pleasing spot, and settling in. They can sit, lie down, bring in a recliner or a rocker, a blanket or couch, etc. It is their place, and they can personalize it any way they want to. Now have the students focus for several seconds on each of their senses, one at a time: notice the sights, colors, friendly creatures like birds, squirrels, or dolphins; then notice the smells like salty air, pine scented needles, or desert blossoms; focus next on pleasant sounds like ocean waves, trickling water, birds chirping, leaves rustling; and finally feel the textures and temperature around them, like soft moss, warm sand, cool water, warm sun, cool breeze. Lastly, inform students that before they leave this place, they can decide to come back whenever they want just by closing their eyes and bringing these images back to mind. When they feel ready, they can imagine themselves getting up, and coming back into this room (you can remind them of a few of their surroundings to help them ease back gradually). Once they have opened their eyes, ask them to share at least some of their experience with another student sitting near them, giving permission for them to admit it was difficult or impossible to do, and to share ideas for how to make it work better next time.

Vocabulary Cards: Ask students to prepare anonymous 3x5 cards with 1-3 new terms from the assigned chapter on one side, and the text definition as well as a definition in their own words on the other side. Tell students these will be their tickets for getting into the next class, and collect the cards as they enter the room. Redistribute these cards (along with ones from previous semesters, or a pile of your own). Have students first try to define the terms themselves, then read the text and student definitions on the back. Generate a discussion about how many students chose the same terms, or how hard it was

to define terms in their own words. Note how much more involved students become in reading the chapters.

Back to top

Written Response: At the end of a lecturette or the end of class, ask students to complete several sentences regarding the subject of the day. "Three things I learned today are…" "The concept I understand the most is…" "The concept I still don't understand well is…" "Things the instructor could do to help me learn the material more effectively are…" "Things I can do to learn the material more effectively are…" Have students turn these in as they leave class, or at the next class meeting. Use the feedback to prepare your next class or review material that is not yet well-understood.

X-Ratings: At the beginning of the semester, or before discussing potentially embarrassing topics, have students form groups of 2-3 members and agree on a list of X-rated terms or topics that NO ONE in their group wants to hear about or discuss. Read each group's list of unanimously X-rated material, and ask for the full class to vote on whether the X-ratings should remain. Discuss the results: if there is a term or topic that everyone agrees on, make a rule to keep it out of class discussions; if there are no items that everyone agrees on, have students decide how they will proceed with the discussion of the topic in a way that will respect the concerns of some without trampling on the free speech of others.

Zeitgeist: Define Zeitgeist (the spirit or characteristic outlook of various periods of time or generations) and tell students they will be defining their classroom Zeitgeist with regard to human sexuality. Ask students to watch for indicators of its occurrence. At the end of the semester, ask students how the class Zeitgeist might differ from that of other classes on campus, their parents' generation, or even future generations.

Back to top