Episode 2: RELATIONSHIPS

The aim of this resource is to motivate students to discuss and explore the dynamics of relationships and develop an understanding of what happens and why. In the process this episode addresses a number of factors, including:

• Friendship groups
• Emerging sexual relationships
• The need to belong
• Peer pressure
• Power and control
• Social standing
• Shared values
• Communications skills
• Supportive and unsupportive friendship

This Stories of Us education resource is composed of a dramatised Video and a 36 page Teacher's Guide.

Audience

The suggested target age group for the Relationships resource is Year 9, however its use need not be restricted to this year.

The Teacher's Guide

The Teacher's Guide outlines how the resources are used over a number of classes with step-by-step instructions, extensive teacher support material, summary notes and questions as discussion starters. Each question includes an indication of the territory the discussion might explore, and is supported with additional information should any details need clarification.

The Support & Research section lists a number of websites for teachers seeking further information on the issues (which are also available via the links on this site). The Guide also details a number of relevant MindMatters extension activities.

Because of their realism the videos also form an excellent basis for extension activities in English or Drama.

A preview of the Teacher's Guide can be downloaded here as a PDF document.

The Video

There are two versions of the program on the DVD/videotape.

• The Play Version is played without interruption, with a prompt at the end to refer to the Teacher's Guide for questions to begin the discussion. In this version the story is left intentionally unresolved to maximise student engagement in the discussion.
• The Segmented Version repeats the main program but with a series of pause points (with Teacher's Guide questions) for a more in-depth discussion. At the end the main characters tell us how they resolved their situations – with a positive outcome.

The duration the Play Version is 16 minutes and the Segmented Version is 17 minutes 29 seconds.

A 5 minute preview of the video is available here online.

The Story

This episode centres on two Year 10 students, Sophie and Gary. Sophie is friends with Rose and Sarah but she’s restless and finds herself drawn to the ‘cool group’ in the class – led by Rachel. Gary is fairly new to the school and seems to get along well with his mates Marcus and Steven. He’s also taken an interest in Sophie – but they’ve yet to go out together. Marcus had been seeing Rachel but last weekend she broke up with him. However Marcus hasn’t got the message. He behaves as if all is well, even telling Gary they had sex together – in turn pressuring Gary to do the same with Sophie... >More

Previews

A 5 minute preview of the video is available here online.
A preview of the Teacher's Guide can be downloaded here as a PDF document.

Ordering

The Order Form and Pricing information are available here online.

Production Information

The Relationships episode was produced at Mercedes College in Adelaide, South Australia. Over a two month period filmmaker Christopher Faull worked with the Year 10 Drama students exploring the subject, developing characters, then workshopping the scripts. The students performed all the main acting roles in the dramatised videos, and fulfilled all of the secondary roles in supporting the professional film crew. Every detail of the story and its staging was approved by the students, and every word of dialogue is their own.

> Production photos