1. Write a persuasive paper in answer to one of the three questions Melissa must answer in her class on teen parenting.

Research teen pregnancy in the United States. What do you discover through your research?

2. Choose one of the stories and compare and contrast the adult influences on the teen character's life. Discuss which adults helped these characters and which ones hindered them.

3. Compare and contrast Melissa and Christina, who find themselves in similar situations. Discuss how motherhood has changed their attitudes about life and led them to take responsibility for themselves as well as their children. Do you know anyone your age who is a mother? Interview her and discuss your findings.

4. Choose one character and analyze the thought process that occurs in the character's mind as he or she comes to a resolution of the problem. When you...