Life Skills & Leadership: Unit 1, Session 2: Stages of Adolescence | Page 18 of 95- Go over each section or each line with the group to clarify and give examples as appropriate.
Note: You might need to be particularly sensitive to the discussion of sexuality in some cultures. The group might giggle or
get embarrassed. Affirm that sometimes these topics can make people uncomfortable and that is OK. It is important to
know that these changes are normal and happen to everyone. If you, as the facilitator, can embrace the changes of
adolescence – especially sexuality – as “normal’ and “healthy” aspects of human development, you will project a
thoughtful, mature tone for the discussion.Note: Adolescents tend to compare themselves to others, hoping they fit in and are seen as “normal” or even more mature
than their peers. For this reason, it is recommended that facilitators not attempt to assign more specific age ranges to the
three columns of changes in Handout 1. Instead, encourage participants to determine how they have changed physically,
mentally, emotionally, and socially and to anticipate the changes they will face personally in the future. It is not uncommon
that someone may be in early adolescence physically, late adolescence mentally, and mid-adolescence emotionally (or any
other combination) at the same time. You can reduce any anxiety participants have about their development by reminding
them that wherever they are at present is OK and assuring them that everyone eventually gets through the changes of
adolescence to adulthood at their own pace.B. Summary
Summarize by saying:
“Adolescence is a time of change. These changes are normal and happen to everyone. Finding people
you can trust to talk to about your experiences – whether this is a family member, friend, or me –is a
good idea.”III. Practice (30 minutes)
Materials:
Handout 2: Personal Dramas
Trainer Material 1: Personal Dramas Answer KeyA. I Am an Adolescent (Continued)
Participants explore the stages of adolescence by examining brief scenarios.- Divide participants into groups of three or four and distribute Handout 2: Personal Dramas to each
person.
Note: If the characters’ names are too unusual for participants, to the point of being distracting, assign other names to the
characters.- Introduce the handout:
“This handout has eight short situations about people who are experiencing changes during adolescence. Ask
someone in your group to read the first story aloud. Then, as a group, decide what changes the person is
experiencing. Each situation is just the beginning of a bigger story so feel free to make guesses about any details
that are missing. Try to talk about as many stories as you can in the next few minutes. Have different group
members read the stories aloud.