Identifying the Real Life Issue(s) to be Incorporated into the Curriculum

Some pressing issues are present in a high percentage of schools throughout the United States. These include problems of bullying, social ostracism, marijuana use and heavy drinking (nationally, approximately 30 percent of high school seniors, disproportionately white students, binge drink). Other real life issues including HIV/AIDS and gang violence are critical problems for students in some communities. Real life issue curriculum infusion begins by identifying problems students confront in their daily lives. These issues may be identified in a variety of ways including:

There are a number of city, state and national data sources to consult. The City of Chicago Board of Health provides current information on the incidence of HIV/AIDS by Chicago neighborhoods as well as information on high risk sexual behavior in the city. The Illinois Department of Human Services Bureau of Prevention surveys drug use in many state and city high schools. The Illinois Violence Prevention Center, located in Chicago, provides up to date studies on bullying and on violence in its many forms including family violence, sexual assault and gang violence. For more than twenty years the Monitoring the Future Study funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse has provided data on alcohol, tobacco and other drug use by 8th, 10th and 12th graders in the United States.
The Real Life Issue Curriculum Infusion website (www.neiu.edu/~k12pac/) lists and provides links to these resources.