Dating Relationships

Overview

This lesson focuses on advocating for safe and respectful dating as well as refusal skills to stay true to the emotional and physical boundaries you have set for yourself. The advantages of abstinence are discussed, as are the consequences of early and unprotected sexual behaviors.

Learning Targets

  • Examine the characteristics of a healthy dating relationship.
  • Explain three advantages to choosing abstinence.
  • Practice your refusal skills for a potential physically intimate situation.
  • Summarize the consequences of early and unprotected sexual behaviors.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the journal question on the board or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use.

For the Content Focus: Open the Dating Relationships PowerPoint slides or make copies of the Dating Relationships Note-Taking Guide.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Healthy Communication.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: List three qualities the person you date must have and explain why you need them to have those qualities.
    • Option: Write or project the question and have students respond in their journals as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to complete the Dating Relationships Vocabulary Review Worksheet.
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Dating Relationships Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quiz and use it alongside a posttest to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Lesson Focus: Healthy Communication

  1. Provide one copy of the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Healthy Communication for each student.
  2. Have students read the scenario and answer the questions to write a refusal response for the scenario presented.
  3. If time allows, have students share their refusal response with a partner.

Challenge Activity

Have students needing additional challenge work on the following critical thinking task:

Why do you think it would be important in a relationship to establish boundaries around physical intimacy?

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you...

  • Examine the characteristics of a healthy dating relationship?

    A healthy dating relationship should have the following characteristics: honesty, good communication, mutual respect, mutual affection, physical and emotional attraction, respect for individuality, stability, safety, and equality.

  • Explain three advantages to choosing abstinence?

    There are no health risks; pregnancy won’t occur; the parties won’t contract an STD; there is no need to plan for abstinence; abstinence is free and readily available; emotional and social problems are reduced; the parties are able to wait until they are ready for a sexual relationship; they are able to honor their personal, moral, or religious beliefs.

  • Practice your refusal skills for a potential physically intimate situation?

    Refusal skills are techniques you use to say no to something you don’t want to do. You should always use a combination of verbal and nonverbal communication to emphasize your point.

  • Summarize the consequences of early and unprotected sexual behaviors?

    Physical risks can include becoming pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

    Social risks may involve feelings of not belonging or not being normal if teens are comparing their own sexual activity or lack of sexual activity to what their peers may say they are doing or what they see in social media.

    Mental health risks include possible anxiety about the consequences or about being pressured to be sexually active. Depression may also be a factor if an individual feels guilty about being sexually active.

    Emotional risks and consequences can include not having the emotional maturity to manage a sexual relationship, which can be damaging to teens’ self-esteem.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

Take It Home

Talk to a family member or trusted adult about expectations of dating. Are your expectations about dating and what rules apply to dating the same as those of your family member or trusted adult? Write a paragraph explaining your response.