Getting Ready

Read and discuss the following statement. (10 minutes)

"There are seven key developmental needs that characterize early adolescence:

Positive social interaction with adults and peers
Structure and clear limits
Physical activity
Creative expression
Competence and achievement
Meaningful participation in families, school
Communities, opportunities for self-definition."

— P.C. Scales, A Portrait of Young Adolescents in the 1990s: Implications for Promoting Healthy Growth and Development

Think about a unit you teach that does not typically include the arts.

• Which of these adolescent needs are met through your unit?
• How might integrating the arts allow more adolescent needs to be met?

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