Peer Pressure & Today's Youth by Kelly Campbell - College of ...

Campbell 6
at the end of the novel so that they can see how they were right and wrong and how they
may choose to predict differently or similarly in the future. They are also asked to write a
book review at the end of the novel which is designed to help them form and defend
opinions about literature.
One task given to the students in the unit is to create a skit about an assigned form
of peer pressure. This assignment allows them to work collaboratively toward a common
goal. It will also help them to think more deeply about specific types of peer pressure.
When they perform their skits they will be taking on the responsibility of showing the
class either the effects of peer pressure or tools for overcoming it. Whichever way they
choose to take their skit, they will be obligated to think profoundly about what peer
pressure can do.
About nine days and twenty nights (including weekends) of this unit are dedicated
to literature circles. The students are given five choices of young adult novels that deal
with the theme of peer pressure and form literature circle groups based on those choices.
Each group will be given the responsibility of creating their own reading timeline- which
means they will have to decide together how much they read in class and how many
pages they read each night for homework. The purpose of this is to help the students learn
to take responsibility for themselves and their time management. Each group will meet
seven times during class. During these times they can read and discuss the text. They will
also be given the task of making a book talk with a coordinating poster (Appendix J) that
summarizes their novel and compares it to Speak in reference to the peer pressure theme
of the unit. They will have to present their book talks as a group to the class. These tasks