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The "Baby Think It Over" Project is part of the Teen Sexuality, Commitment, and Family curriculum and is a major test grade. The computerized baby is programmed to need care (cry) at various times during the day and night...there are 15 settings (based upon the care required for 15 different rea-life babies). The students each choose a baby and care for the baby for 4 days and 3 nights to help them understand the time, commitment, and care that a baby requires. All of the babies are programmed on medium settings and not on a difficult setting.
On average, each student will have one difficult night, one easy night, and one night in between (as far as baby care is required). All of the students will be given the option to sign up for the days they want to care for the baby (taking into consideration school, school activities, work, family activities, etc.) Students will have the following options to choose from (first day they receive the baby and the last day is the day they turn the baby back in):
(1) Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Sunday
(2) Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday
(3) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
(4) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
(5) Thanksgiving Break (Scheduled on an individual basis with teacher)
(6) Christmas Break (Scheduled on an individual basis with teacher)
(7) Spring Break (Scheduled on an individual basis with the teacher)
Taking into consideration that students have different needs (for example, the amount of sleep needed on a school night) and student/parent personal preferences, different scheduling options will be available to accommodate student/parent preferences.
Students who opt not to do the "Baby Think It Over" baby project will need to complete the Research-based Alternative Project in its place. Part I of the Alternative Project is research based and involves reading parenting articles, creating survey questions based upon the readings, interviewing individuals, comparing/contrasting/analyzing the responses to survey questions/interviews, and writing a paper in narrative form. Part II involves answering questions (Reflections about parenting).
The "Baby Think It Over" project is worthwhile and the project is done at many schools across the nation. The majority of students enjoy the "Baby Think It Over" project and do very well gradewise.
The "Baby Think It Over Baby" is computerized. The baby cries when he/she needs care and stops after the student chimes the baby and follows up with the care required...bottle, change diaper, rock the baby, or burps the baby. Sometimes, the baby may be fussy and no require care. The computerized baby records the total number of care opportunities and the number of times the student properly cared for the baby. A student will lose points for rough handling, lack of baby head support, and shaken baby syndrome. On the rare occasion that a baby registers a negative number, the computerized baby will shutdown and record "Abuse Shutdown."
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