AIDS: WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW, AN INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM, LEVEL I Nettie R. Bartel and John E. Orlando with Roxanne L. Bartel Austin (Texas), Pro-Ed, 1988. 327pp, spiral bound, $49 US. Distributed by Pro-Ed., 5341 Industrial Oaks Blvd., Austin, Texas 78735. Kit contains Work­book for Students and Answers for Parents booklet. AIDS: WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW, AN INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM, LEVEL II Nettie R. Bartel and John E. Orlando with Roxanne L. Bartel Austin (Texas), Pro-Ed, 1988. 425pp, spiral bound, $59 US. Distributed by Pro-Ed., 5341 Industrial Oaks Blvd., Austin, Texas 78735. Kit contains Workbook for Students and Answers for Parents booklet. Grades 10 and up/Ages 15 and up Reviewed by Kenneth Elliott. Volume 18 Number 2 1990 March AIDS: What We Need to Know is the Cadillac of programs for teenage, young adult and adult education. This educa­tional package is probably the best on the market. This program was developed by a Canadian psychologist, an educator and a physician. It provides factual informa­tion and allows students to discuss their feelings and to apply what they have learned through discussion, role playing, and the study of case histories based on real people. Most notably, it is flexible enough for the teacher to gear the content to the maturity of the student. Depth of coverage of specific topics may be varied and units may be omitted without compromising overall effectiveness. Each kit includes the instructor's manual, the student workbook and the parent booklet. Additional copies of each may be purchased directly from the publisher. The instructor's manual covers sexuality in adolescence, teaching about sexuality and AIDS in the classroom, and suggestions for working with parents, teachers and administrators. It is divided into four parts: teaching plans, resource material, black-line masters, and supplementary activities. The teaching plans are comprehen­sive. They provide objectives, detailed lesson plans, evaluation materials, and a variety of optional teaching activities. The entire program can be taught in four 50- or 55-minute periods; however, the amount of material available to the teacher could easily double this time frame. The resource material provides teachers or advanced students with up-to-date and comprehensive information on all major aspects of AIDS and related issues. A large number of illustrations, charts and case histories are provided. A complete glossary, which also appears in both student workbooks, is included. The supplementary activities include games, case studies, tests, and letters to parents. In about one hundred pages the essential information about AIDS is presented in the student workbook. The well-organized, easy-to-read format makes it a gem of pedagogical construc­tion. Simple, everyday language heavily supplemented with charts and illustra­tions is used throughout. A balanced set of teacher-directed, group-oriented and individually based activities of interest to young people is provided. Answers for Parentsis a twenty-page booklet, which complements the instruc­tor's manual and the student workbook. It is organized in a question-and-answer format that parents will find easy to use. Suggestions are provided on how parents can help their child learn about AIDS and what it means to assume personal responsibility. Any teacher with this program, regardless of professional background, will feel comfortable, prepared and excited about giving AIDS instruction. These materials should be made available by local school boards to all teachers involved in the AIDS program. Kenneth Elliott, Laval Catholic High School, Chomedey, Que.