j----_. - New York Civil Liberties Union

Mahopac 358
and myth-fact sheets. The charts and myth-fact sheets
can be adapted for student use.
All schools in New York State must provide students
with instruction concerning AIDS. The Commissioner's
Regulations, Part 136, require that:
• instruction provide accurate information concerning
the nature of the disease, methods of transmission,
and methods of prevention
• instruction stress abstinence as the most appropriate
and effective premarital protection against
AIDS
• instruction be consistent with community values
• instruction
be age-appropríate
• students, at the request of the parent, may be excused
from the methods of prevention portion of
instruction provided the parents agree to teach
such prevention.
The Pattern of Lesson Development and the lessons
are designed to ease the taskof complying with the regulations.
All lessons, as appropriate, stress abstinence;
the values to be included are clearly identified on each
lesson, and grade-level cluster designations guide determinations
for age-appropriateness. There are six lessons
which deal with AIDS prevention, one at grades 4-
6 (Lesson #18), two at grades 7-8 (Lessons #27a and
#27b) and three at grades 9-12 (Lessons #36a, #36b, and
#36c). Lessons #18, #27a, and #36a deal with understanding
how abstinence from illegal drug use can prevent
the transmission of the AIDS virus. Lessons #27b
and #36b deal with understanding how abstinence
from sexual activity can prevent transmission of the
AIDS virus. Lesson #36c deals with understanding
how to prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus to an
unborn baby.
As always, teachers should be aware of the needs of
their students. Instructional techniques and materials
may need to be modified or adapted to permit students
the opportunity-to acquire the basic understanding of
this guide. Developmental appropriateness should be
considered for each of the suggested lessons. Students
need to be mature enough and have previous learning
experiences so that they can participate in and profit
from the lessons.
()
('}
"
14
C)
__~~ 1JJ> _