Chapter 11, Student Web Activities, Sociology and You, Glencoe, 2003

Chapter 11: The Family
"Blended Families"

Introduction
In this chapter you learned about types of family structure and norms for marriage arrangements as well as alternatives to the traditional nuclear family. With the high rate of divorce and other influences in society, blended families have become a more and more common family arrangement. In this activity you will take a closer look at some of the challenges and benefits of being part of a blended family.

Destination Title: Blended Families

Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window.
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Directions
Start at the TeensHealth Web site about blended families.

Scroll down to read the first page of the article.
At the bottom of the page, click on Next Page.
Continue this process until you have read all five pages of the article.

Use what you have learned to answer the following questions.

1. What is a blended family?

2. Name some common problems described by stepchildren.

3. What are some benefits to being part of a blended family?

4. What are some things a person can do if he or she is having trouble adjusting to the new stepfamily?

5. Create an informational brochure that could be used by teens who are part of a newly blended family. In your brochure, include tips and advice on adjusting to blended families, and provide a list of helpful resources where teens can find out more about blended families. You may click on the Resources tab on the right of the Web site article to get some ideas. Your resources may be Web sites or the names and addresses of various organizations. Be sure to use color and illustrations to make your brochure visually appealing.