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CBAE Grant - Connections: Relationships & Marriage Word File
CURRICULUM DESCRIPTION |
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Curriculum Title: Connections: Relationships and Marriage |
Author:
Charlene R. Kamper |
Publisher:
The Dibble Institute for Marriage
Education
P.O. Box 7881
Berkeley, CA 94707-0881 |
Copyright Date:
1996 – First Printing
2003 – Second Printing
Revised to include PREP® concepts.
2005 – Spanish Translation |
Target Audience: Grades 11-14 |
Brief summary of curriculum and agency’s past experience administering it:
The Connections: Relationships and Marriage curriculum is based upon the premise that preventive education introduced at the high school level will help young people develop a better understanding of themselves and others. It is designed to be taught in a group setting as an educational tool for raising awareness of important issues regarding the bond of marriage and focusing the attention of adolescents on knowledge and skills they will need before certain critical life decisions are made. The ultimate goal of the curriculum is to help young people realize the importance of establishing loving harmonious relationships that result in lasting marriages. Stable, happy families provide the bedrock of healthy child development and provide the next generation with the greatest potential for success in all areas of life.
Material from the highly respected PREP® trainings is included. The Instructor’s Manual, activity cards, Kiersey Temperament Sorter, overhead transparency masters, PREP® communication tools is priced at $225. Student workbooks, sold in packs of 10, are $65. Spanish Supplement is an additional $99, Prices good through 2007.
The Connections: Relationships and Marriage curriculum appears to be beneficial in changing attitudes and actual behaviors in high school students from diverse racial backgrounds. It decreases the use of verbally aggressive and violent tactics in interpersonal conflicts. It tends to improve parent-child communication. The students taking this course become less favorable toward divorce, more favorable toward marriage, and more favorable toward preparing for and protecting their marriage. (Scott Gardner, PhD, South Dakota State University. 2005.) |
Modifications: : In 2003, Connections: Relationships and Marriage was revised to include PREP® principles. Evaluation studies of the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP®) are well known and show that couples can learn to improve communication and conflict management. Furthermore, in two studies, they experienced one-third to one-half as many breakups and only one-quarter the incidence of physical aggression as compared to couples in control groups.
The Connections: Relationships and Marriage student materials were translated into Spanish in 2005. |
CONNECTIONS: RELATIONSHIPS AND MARRIAGE
Overview:
The Connections: Relationships and Marriage curriculum was written for the purpose of teaching junior-senior level secondary school age adolescents the fundamental components of establishing healthy and stable interpersonal relationships with family, friends, dating partners, and eventually, husbands and wives. Adolescents can learn to recognize important factors in healthy relationships and, hopefully, make thoughtful decisions about their relationships before entering into marriage. When one chooses a life partner carefully and enters marriage for the right reasons, everyone benefits: the partners, the children who may enter the family unit, and society as a whole.
The concepts presented in the unit are intended to give participants an opportunity to assess their current level of understanding about relationships, and to give them useful experience in practicing important life management skills. The lessons are designed to assist adolescents in gaining a better understanding of themselves, to help identify positive or negative patterns of behavior that influence the quality of relationships, to clarify perceptions and expectations in dating relationships, and to offer guidelines for making a wise and lasting choice for a marriage partner.
Introducing high school age young adults to the components of healthy dating and marriage relationships takes advantage of an opportune situation. Adolescents are highly motivated to establish interpersonal connections at this stage of their development. Their maturity level has increased enough to allow them to begin thinking critically about the more important issues of their lives. Most teens have had at least moderate dating experience by the time they reach the senior high school level, and some of them are or have been in long-term dating relationships. Adolescents will freely admit, however, that not all of their dating experiences have been positive. Establishing and maintaining a lasting relationship requires knowledge, skill and practice. The Connections: Relationships and Marriage curriculum is one method of instruction in this area.
Comparison/Consistency with Themes; Location of Thematic Elements within Connections: Relationships and Marriage
Themes are in (parenthesis).
Abbreviations: IM – Instructor’s Manual SW – Student Workbook OH- Overheads
Lesson 1: What It’s Like to be Me
- (G1) “Lesson Objective: Students will be able to explain how variations in factors that influence personality will affect character development.” (pg 1 – IM; pg 3- SW)
- (G2) “Lesson Objective: Students will be able to explain how variations in factors that influence personality will affect character development.” (pg 1 – IM)
- (G1) “It is known that personality is shaped by a number of factors that interact with one another to produce patterns of behavior….How an individual experiences these factors singly or in combination, will have a significant impact on the outcome of the developing personality.” (pg 3 – IM)
Lesson 2: Understanding Myself Better
- (G2) “Lesson Objective: Students will be able to identify needs that motivate and shape behavior and influence personality.” (pg 5 – IM; pg 5 - SW)
- (G2) “Overhead: A Hierarchy of Needs Toward Self-Actualization – explains that certain needs are present in our lives long before we are aware of them. These needs are associated with feelings that influence the things we do. Discussion on self-actualization.” (OH-2-1)
- (D2) “Have the students suggest reasons for the differences in preferences and behaviors (gender, interests, etc.)” (pg 5 – IM)
- (D2) KEIRSEY TEMPERANCE SORTER – (front pocket of IM)
Lesson 3: Your Plan for Life
- (G1) “Key Concepts: Studies show that people who achieve the greatest amount of success plan their lives and follow their plan. Unexpected situations can alter plans.” (pg 9 -IM)
- (G1) “Student Discussion: Have your parents ever told you about the way they expected their lives to be? If so, was it different from the life they have now?” (pg.9 -IM)
- (G1) “Most often the greatest obstacle to attaining goals is not having a plan. This exercise is intended as a guide to help you visualize the many decisions you will face in the future.” (pg 7 – SW)
PART TWO: RELATIONSHIPS
Lesson 4: Things Change – Positive Relationships
- (D1) Activity asks student to list characteristics of behavior that indicate why a relationship they know of is working. (SW-pg 12)
- (D2) Overhead Transparency – Change Over Time (OH 4-1)
- (D2) “Lesson Objective: Students will understand the dynamics of different types of relationships.” (pg 13 – IM)
- (D1) “Students will further examine how change due to maturation affects their interpersonal relationships.” (pg 15 – IM)
- (E-2) “Activity asks student to list characteristics of behavior that indicate why a relationship they know of is working.” (SW-pg 12)”
Lesson 5: Expectations
- (B1) “Lesson Objective: Students will learn how expectations and core beliefs affect behavior.” (Pg 17 – IM)
- (G1) “Expectations develop from experience and build up over a lifetime. They can produce both good and bad effects depending on whether the expectation is realistic or not. This activity will help you identify various expectations you currently have in important areas.” (pg 13 – SW)
- (G1) “…the developers of PREP® have observed that people don’t usually talk directly about the deeper themes they call ‘Hidden Issues’ in a clear and constructive way unless they feel safe.
- Research shows that most people only deal with “Issues” in the context of a triggering ‘Event’.” (pg 20-IM) Overhead Transparency – Events and Issues (OH-5-2)
Lesson 6: Attractions – Getting Acquainted
- (E1) “Discuss the importance of possessing these qualities when in a relationship of any kind.” (pg 24-IM) Overhead – Ten Basic Ingredients for Friendship (OH – 6-1) Overhead Transparency – Signs of maturity (OH –6-2)
- (E1) Activity: “List the dating behavior preferences on the board: Girl’s Expectations and Boy’s Expectations.” (pg 25 – IM)
- (G1) “Ask students to think of a good relationship in their own life and identify the positive elements that are demonstrated in that relationship.” (pg 24 – IM)
Lesson 7: Dating and Emotions – Breaking Up
- (B1) Rate Your Relationship (pgs 19 – 20 – SW)
- (B2) Overhead Transparency- Broken Relationships: Steps to Recovery (OH 7-2) “Breaking up is not necessarily a negative experience. For some individuals the decision to end a relationship may have positive results.” (pg. 21 – SW)
- (D2) “Students will identify signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships.” (pg. 27 – IM)
- (D1 “Key concepts: Differences in goals or interests, emotional involvement, sexual behaviors or desires, or role expectations may be factors in deciding to end a relationship.” (pg 27; pg 21 SW)
- (E1) Breaking UP…”Why is it often so difficult to make the decision to end the relationship?” (pg. 21 – SW)
PART THREE: COMMUNICATIONS
LESSON 8: Family Patterns
- (G1) “Filters in communication – Have you ever avoided talking about something important with someone because you thought it would lead to an argument?” (pg. 26 –SW)
- (G2) “Key concepts: Learned family patterns of communication will influence communication behavior in other relationships.” (pg 31-IM)
Lesson 9: Dealing with Conflict
- (G2) “This lesson focuses on learning how to resolve conflict in relationships by communicating safely and openly.” (pg. 35 –IM)
- (G2) “Knowing how you and your partner settle differences is an important element in improving understanding.” (pg. 27 – SW)
- (G1)“Objectives: Students will discuss the importance of controlling difficult situations.” (pg 35 – IM)
Lesson 10: Let’s Talk – Listening
- (B1) “How does it feel when others fail to listen to you? What message are you sending when you fail to listen to others?” (pg. 30 – SW)
- (G2) “The students will discuss different communications styles and work in groups to practice basic communications skills.” (pg. 39 –IM)
PART FOUR: MARRIAGE
Lesson 11: Components of Relationships – What is Love?
- (D1) What is Love?” (pg 33 – SW)
- (D2) “Imitation forms of love can be mistaken for genuine love.” (pg 47 – IM), Overhead Transparency - Components of Relationships (OH – 11-1a and 11-1 b)
- (D2) ‘What is Love?” (pg 33 – SW)
- (F2) “If You Dream of having a Happy, Healthy, and Lasting Marriage” (pg 34 – SW)
Lesson 12: Roadblocks to Relationships – Before You Marry
- (D2) “Living together before marriage is not a benefit.” (Pg 51 – IM), “Attitudes about Living Together” (pg. 37 – SW) “PREP® List of Key Risk Factors: Things that can change and things that cannot change.” (pg 54 –IM)
- (F2) Roadblocks to Relationships Checklist, “ # 3, Would you consider dating or marrying someone who is already a parent?” (pg 36 -SW)
Lesson 13: Making the Decision – Priorities
- (D2) “Commitment means making the choice to give up some other choices –especially to remain faithful to the marriage in word and behavior. (pg 57-IM)
- (D2) Overhead Transparency -Commitment…Choices (OH – 13-1), Benefits to being committed – (pg 60-IM, pg 39 – SW)
Lesson 14: A Portrait – Family Album
- (F2) When children enter the household, the harmony between a husband and wife is greatly impacted. (pgs 64 -65 – IM)
Lesson 15: Finances – The Family Budget
- (F2) The Family Budget (pg 77 – IM, pg 48 - SW)
Lesson 16: Our Crisis
- (F2) Overheads: Problem Solving –(OH – 16-1), Forgiveness (OH 16-2); (Blue) Crisis Game Cards – Extra Marital Affair; New Baby; Sexual Dysfunction; etc. (back pocket – IM)
Lesson 17: Family Vacation
- (F2) Families need the opportunity to work at the skill of enjoying one another’s company and developing interpersonal relationships (pg. 84 – IM; pg 51 – SW)
Lesson 18: Marriage Evaluation
- (B1, B2, D1, D2, F1, F2, G1, G2) “Marriage can provide individuals with the love and security they desire, and last a lifetime.” (pg. 87 – IM; pg 52 – SW) as learned from the material presented in this curriculum.
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