Choosing the Best, presented in our middle school classrooms, is a leading provider of abstinence until marriage education. The materials foster a dynamic learning environment to engage students, teach relationship education and refusal skills, promote character education, and encourage parent involvement.
iWait. offers Choosing the Best WAY for 6th grade students, Choosing the Best PATH for 7th graders, and Choosing the Best LIFE for 8th grade students.
Choosing the Best WAY—6th grade curriculum
Down-to-earth and hands-on, these sessions keep students involved through self-discovery and interviews with friends, parents or guardians, and class partners. Videos that open each lesson lead naturally to discussion. This lively curriculum creates the foundation for an informed commitment to healthy relationships and the Abstinence Pledge.
The 50-minute sessions cover:
- Deciding on Your Future
Students watch teens talk about the importance of making smart decisions. Students then discover how decisions help them reach their goals, especially when linked with determination.
- Figuring Out Friendships and Relationships
This lesson begins by looking at the qualities of a good friend, then progresses to understanding crushes, infatuations and true love through a fun-filled activity. Learning respect for the other person is part of this lively session.
- Avoiding Unhealthy Relationships
Students discover how emotional needs may leave them vulnerable to unhealthy relationships. Included is an honest, but discreet, discussion about sexual abuse. An engaging activity helps students discover their personal uniqueness.
- Identifying the Risks
Students may know about some risks associated with sexual activity, but this session presents a frank examination of teen pregnancy and STDs, as well as the emotional effects often not discussed. From this study, students see the need for compassion.
- Choosing the Best Way
Risks provide reasons why students should avoid sexual activity. This session’s study of abstinence offers the positive benefits of waiting until marriage. At the end of this session students have a chance to make the healthy choice to sign the Abstinence Pledge.
- Learning How to Say NO
Once students choose abstinence, they need tools to help them stick with their decision. First, they see how alcohol can destroy their abstinence pledge. Then, students try out different ways to say NO and keep a friendship. Students learn that courage helps them stand up and stick with their decisions.
Choosing the Best PATH—7th grade Curriculum
Creative and engaging, these sessions keep middle-schoolers involved. Videos that open each lesson lead naturally to discussion. In each 50-minute segment, they learn the facts about risks and consequences of sex before marriage, as well as the benefits of choosing healthy relationships. Step by step, students develop the skills, character, and commitment to remain abstinent until marriage.
Topics include:
- Sex: Everyone’s Talking About It
Teens hear what others say about sex, discover the overlooked emotional consequences of sexual activity, and learn the importance of self-respect.
- The Risks of STDs and HIV/AIDS
Often believing “It can’t happen to me,” students hear from teens who have STDs and AIDS. They study the most common STDs, how STDs are spread, and the need for compassion.
- Teen Pregnancy and “Safe Sex”
Teen parents share the lost dreams of youth and highlight the importance of responsibility.
- Pressures to be Sexually Active
Students identify and discuss four major pressures, including alcohol use and abuse, which contribute to teens’ sexual activity, and they learn the role of respect in overcoming these pressures.
- Choosing the Best Path
After hearing teens, married couples and sports and entertainment personalities present the case for abstinence, teens are encouraged to make their own commitment to the healthy choice: abstinence until marriage.
- Set It! The Need for Boundaries
In a fun activity, students see what guys and girls look for in a relationship, while learning about infatuation and love. Teens realize that self-discipline helps them set personal boundaries.
- Say It! The Need to Speak Up
After learning the skills of saying “NO”, students put them into practice, finding out that it often takes courage.
- Show It! The Need to Be Assertive
Four role-plays provide practical ways for teens to test their newly acquired skills as they recognize the need for perseverance.
Choosing the Best LIFE—8th grade Curriculum
Direct enough to command teens’ attention, this curriculum also helps communicate, dynamically and positively, the value of committing to abstinence. Videos that open each lesson lead naturally to discussion. Each 50-minute segment balances information about healthy choices with role-plays that help guys and girls practice saying “NO.”
Topics include:
- Sex, Emotions and Self-Respect
Teens learn how guys and girls view sex differently, while grappling with the emotional impact of sex before marriage.
- Sex, Alcohol and Respect
Teens hear painful stories of mixing alcohol and sex, as they learn startling statistics about alcohol.
- Sex, STDs and Honesty
A powerful video introduces students to the consequences of sexually transmitted diseases. They see for themselves the damage of specific STDs.
- Sex, Pregnancy and Responsibility
A real-life teen couple shares the struggle of an unintended pregnancy. After teens evaluate choices and consequences, they see the value of being abstinent until married.
- Sex, HIV and Compassion
After watching two young adults share how it feels to live with AIDS, teens separate myths from facts about HIV/AIDS, and in the process, learn compassion.
- Sex, Love and Healthy Choices
Teens hear others share why they’ve chosen abstinence. After evaluating the options for themselves, students are given the opportunity to commit to abstinence until marriage.
- Sex, Limits and Self-Discipline
Beginning with self-discipline, teens learn practical ways to handle sexual pressure from peers and others.
- Sex, Saying “NO”and Courage
Practical role-plays enable students to develop and sharpen assertiveness skills.
Visit www.choosingthebest.org.