Accompanies Lesson 26
(See also pictures 36 & 37A & B)
Objectives
Students will:
- Discriminate between friendship, romance, engagement and marriage.
- Recognize the responsibilities of engagement.
- Recognize that same-sex couples can fall in love, get engaged and can legally marry (in the United States and many other countries).
Teacher Notes
Help students understand the intensification of feelings and commitment as a relationship moves from friendship toward marriage. People can move back to a more comfortable relationship if they find the responsibilities and expectations of engagement making them unhappy.
Teaching Questions
These people are engaged to be married. They have set a date for the wedding and will tell their families about their decision together. The man has given the woman an engagement ring, although the ring is not necessary for the couple to be engaged. The same can be true for same-sex couples; they too can decide if they will exchange rings or show their commitment in another way. If one of them changes his or her mind, or if they find they disagree on too many important issues, they will break the engagement and just be friends. Will this man and woman date others while engaged? (Apply questions to same-sex couples) Will they date others after marriage? What responsibilities do they have to each other now? (Fidelity-being romantic, sexual or close to only him or her, talk/communicate with one another, honesty, trust in the future, friendship) If they can't feel these things, what should they do? Can you go back to being friends or dating after becoming engaged? (Yes)
LifeFacts Assessment
Point and Ask: When people are in love and planning to marry, they might get engaged. What does this mean? What is appropriate behavior for engaged people? Can two men or two women get engaged? Can they get married?