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Although smoking among German teens has declined in recent years, one in five of them (still) smoke according to a new study by the Robert Koch Institute.

Smoking among U.S. teens had also declined in the past decade, but – much to the disappointment of tobacco opponents – tobacco use among teens has remained constant at a level of about 22% in recent years.

Apparently, all the warnings about the dangers of smoking are being ignored by a core group of young people. What can be done to convince them to give up a habit that is ruining their health?

The Worksheet ‘Smoking among German Young People’ includes salient facts from the Robert Koch study and a number of Activities designed to find out more about the reasons young people start and continue smoking.

Excerpt:

SMOKING AMONG GERMAN YOUNG PEOPLE

According to a recent poll carried out by the Robert Koch Institute, 20% of German young people between the ages of 11 and 17 smoke.

Further findings:

They are much more likely to start smoking if their friends smoke. Whether or not their parents smoke is an unimportant factor.

Students of high schools (Gymnasien) smoke much less than do students of other kinds of schools.

The percentage of girls who smoke is almost the same as that of boys, but girls smoke fewer cigarettes.

The average starting age is between 13 and 14 for both sexes.

Here are some of the main findings of recent studies by various American organizations in the field of cyberspace research. First of all, with regard to teachers:

• Less than 25% of educators feel comfortable teaching students about Internet safety.

• Of 1,000 teens, only 48.1% said that a teacher had talked to them about computer safety within the last 30 days.

• Only 14.9% said that a teacher had talked to them about online safety regularly within the last month.

Secondly, with regard to parents:

• Less than 50% of the students surveyed said that a parent had talked with them about Internet safety in the last 30 days.

• Only 22% reported that a parent had talked with them regularly within the last month.

• 43.4% said that their parents never go on the computer with them.

• Only 5.5% reported that a parent went online with them ‘often’ or ‘very often’.

Dr. Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and a leading authority in the field of cyberspace research, commented on the above findings: ‘…it is quite apparent that a very small proportion of youth consciences are being piqued about the tremendous importance of participating in cyberspace with wisdom, discretion, and civility.’ Although disappointed, Dr. Hinduja says she is more determined than ever to combat cyber bullying. Even though data of this kind – as far as I know – is not available with regard to the role German teachers and parents play in terms of  Internet safety, I can imagine that the situation here is similar, i.e. that German schools and parents aren’t doing enough to educate young people to use cyberspace sensibly. In view of the fact that cyber bullying is on the rise, I feel that it is urgent that teachers be aware of this issue and try to influence their students to combat cyber bullying wherever they encounter it.

Here are 2 examples of Cyber Bullying:

The Web: The Bully’s new Playground

David Knight Cyber Bullying Victim

Looking for an interesting reader for your class 9?

‘Cyber Nightmare’ deals with the controversial issue of cyber bullying, written from the point of view of the victim. From the moment Neil Green is targeted by cyber bullies, his life is turned upside down, his school becomes a chamber of horrors. The story gives students an inside and – I believe – realistic look at what happens when bullying takes place in cyberspace. It can help them realize that cyber bullying is not ‘fun and games’, but a cruel and cowardly form of behavior that can leave its victim traumatized and scarred for life.

‘Cyber Nightmare’ is also suitable for class 10.

A couple of other school readers I’d like to recommend for ninth graders are:

• ‘The Body’ by Stephen King in the simplified Penguin version. Although it is not annotated (which means a lot of extra work looking up words), there is the wonderful movie version, which adds to the story’s appeal and enjoyment.

• ‘Born too Short: The Confessions of an eighth-grade Basket Case’ by Dan Elish. Though neither simplified nor annotated, this story of the awkward first attempts of a pubescent boy to come to grips with (sorry about the pun) the opposite sex is just what pubescent ninth graders need to read. They enjoy it, too.

On the lookout for a suitable reader for your class 8?

In writing ‘S.O.S. Rocky Hill’ I tried to write a story that would appeal not just to girls, but also to boys, who are more difficult to motivate when it comes to reading. I combined a strong element of adventure to appeal to the boys with a touch of romance, especially for the girls. Judging from the feedback, both boys and girls identify well with the main characters, the four 13-year-old friends, especially with the very human and always-hungry Carlos.

‘S.O.S. Rocky Hill’ can also be read by a competent 7th class.

A couple of other school readers I’d like to recommend are:

• ‘Love me Blindly’ by Jeremy Taylor. I recommend this not just because Jeremy is a good friend (I used it long before I got to know him.) It’s the story of one boy’s desperate attempt to find a girlfriend. ‘Love me Blindly’ is a fun read with a profound lesson.

• ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There are several school editions. A good one for a competent eighth class is an Oxford Bookworm stage 4 book, from Oxford Press.

Looking for a suitable reader for your class 7?

One that will interest both the girls and the boys? In writing ‘S.O.S. Rocky Hill’ I tried to keep both of these target groups in mind. The story combines adventure (for the boys) and romance (the girls like this). Judging from the feedback, students can readily identify with the main characters, the four friends who go off on a secret raft trip, especially with the very human figure of the always-hungry Carlos.

‘S.O.S. Rocky Hill’ is also suitable for 8th graders.

Are school readers too sanitized?

OPINIONS

MY OPINION

I think it’s obvious that, if such elements are just inserted into a story as a marketing gimmick (like models in bikinis ‘presenting’ new cars at automobile fairs), they shouldn’t be included. But what if they are an organic part of the story, part and parcel of the plot?

One possible answer to this question is to say that stories with such material are just not suitable as school readers because they would be disturbing to young people. But is that a realistic standpoint? Nowadays students have access to ‘adult’ literature, even at a very young age. Compared to what they read and see on TV and at the movies, even the most daring school readers would seem harmless. On the other hand– as teachers well know – there are many parents who keep a watchful eye on what their children are given to read at school. And when they complain about a reader they consider improper, their complaint should be taken seriously. Having said that, schools (teachers, principals) should have the courage to stand up for literature they deem suitable for a certain age group.

THE U.S.A. AND CENSORSHIP

• family values
• religion
• political views
• minority rights

GERMANY AND CENSORSHIP

I’ve devised a student questionnaire to throw light on their thinking on the subject:

questionnaire

(Comments in German or English welcome)

Looking for a reader that will motivate your class 10?

‘Cyber Nightmare’ deals with the currently very controversial issue of cyber bullying. From the moment Neil Green is targeted by cyber bullies, his life is turned inside out, his school becomes a chamber of horrors. Written from the point of view of the victim, ‘Cyber Nightmare’ affords an inside and – I believe – realistic look at what happens when bullying takes place in cyberspace. It can help students realize that cyber bullying is not just ‘fun and games’, but a cruel and cowardly form of behavior that can cause a lot of pain.

(Also suitable for class 9)

Another book I’d like to recommend is Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Armstrong. This 144-page account is the extraordinary true story of the Shackleton expedition to the Antarctic. The author manages to take the reader up close to the crew and leader of the expedition, while retaining a reporter’s objective standpoint.

It must first of all be said that texting can be very beneficial.

It facilitates two things crucial to teens: companionship and connectedness. On the other hand, texting can have a detrimental effect on teen development. In the end, whether it will be beneficial or detrimental depends – as with many other things – on how it is used.

This phenomenon presents a difficult challenge to teachers, one that should be dealt with head-on in school. I would strongly urge that English teachers take up the challenge and do a lesson sequence on the dangers of addictive texting. You can find my teaching material on this topic at www.School-Scout.de under Paul Davenport.

My SMS Blues Rap (cf. Downloads) can serve as a good introduction to the topic.

Paul Davenport

Ab 2010 ist das Fach Darstellendes Spiel durch die EPA der Kultusministerkonfernz der Länder mögliches Prüfungsfach im mündlichen Abitur.

I consider this to be important news. Many of you wlll, I’m sure, echo my sentiments,  when I say that Drama is finally gaining the status in the curriculum it deserves. Why is Drama so important? The quick answer is: life is drama, drama is life, drama is a window on life. As far as English teaching is concerned, an excellent opportunity to use drama is in role play, acting out (scenes from) literature. I’ve always been a firm believer in the pedagogical and personal benefits of drama and have taken every opportunity to include dramatic elements in my teaching. That’s why the dramatization of scenes is an important part of the Activities I design for my readers, for example, in the Activities  section of Cyber Nightmare and S.O.S. Rocky Hill.

Good examples of this are the Before-Reading Activities on my Download page.

I’d like to pass on the main points of an article about the benefits of extensive reading I read recently.

The article, by Professor Richard Day, is a summary of recent studies on the impact of extensive reading on learning English in an EFL context. The impact was measured in two areas: language improvement and pupil attitude and motivation.

Language Improvement: Reading comprehension and reading speed increase significantly. Listening , speaking and writing abilities also show marked improvement. Finally, there is significant vocabulary growth, due to the fact that in reading, learners encounter the same words repeatedly in context, which is the key to increasing vocabulary.

Attitude and Motivation:  Extensive reading is shown to result in considerable improvement in pupil attitude and motivation towards learning a second language.

To EFL English teachers who regularly do readers in class, the results of these studies probably come as no surprise. To those teachers who for whatever reason don’t work with graded readers, the results of these studies suggest that they should try it. From my own personal experience, I would say, ‘Come on in! The water’s fine!’