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  • "Understanding the Power of Media: Planning a Documentary Segment About Peter: A Juvenile Sentenced to Life Without Parole "
  • Student Handout: The Language of Film and Video
  • Student Handout: Storyboard Organizer
• Additional Lesson Ideas
  • Exploring The Adolescent Brain
  • How Does YOUR State Treat Adolescent Offenders?
• Additional Resources
• Printable .pdf of entire guide
  (Adobe Acrobat required)

Additional Lesson Idea

Exploring the Adolescent Brain

Students will

• Read several articles about brain development and create a chart depicting differences between adult and adolescent brains. Suggested articles, in the "Additional Resources" section of this guide, are listed here for your convenience:
  
  
  • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/adolescent.html
  • http://www.actforyouth.net/documents/may02factsheetadolbraindev.pdf
• Develop questions and conduct a survey of classmates about their attitudes towards the difference between adult and adolescent decision-making.
• Make a chart of the differences.

How does YOUR state treat adolescent offenders?

Students will explore youth sentencing laws in their states. Students will research and report on how their states treat juveniles who commit or are accessories to crimes.

Go to:

• FRONTLINE's interactive map http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/whenkidsgetlife/etc/map.html and
• The National Center for Juvenile Justice Web site http://www.ncjj.org/stateprofiles. Scroll down at the top to find statistics about your state.