Episode 3: STRESS

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

• Family, school work and financial pressures
• Emerging sexual relationships
• Peer pressure
• Privacy and shared personal information
• Changing friendships and alliances
• Social standing
• Supportive and unsupportive friendships
• Positive versus negative ways to deal with stress
• Consequences of stress and associated behaviour
• Alcohol and driving
• Building resilience

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 Stress resource is Year 10, 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 23 minutes 11 seconds and the Segmented Version is 25 minutes.

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

The Story

This episode centres on Travis and Anna, two Year 11 students dealing with the pressures of study, family and friends. Travis’ parents have recently separated and continue to argue – often about Travis. Having difficulty keeping up with his school work, Travis foolishly cheats on a Biology assignment, forges his mother’s signature on the parent notification card and now has to deal with the consequences. In contrast, Anna’s life seems relatively happy and yet for some reason she lies to her father about having already done her homework, then secretly works late into the night... >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 Stress episode was produced at Marryatville High School in Adelaide, South Australia. Over a two month period filmmaker Christopher Faull worked with the Year 10/11 Multi-Arts 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