Visit a fifth-, sixth-, or seventh-grade class. Note variations in the size and maturity of the students. Do you see any patterns related to gender, ethnicity, body fat, or self-confidence?

Ask several of your friends about their memories of menarche or spermarche, including their memories of others’ reactions. Analyze the connections between body changes and emotional reactions.

Talk to a teenager about politics, families, school, religion, or any other topic that might reveal the way that young person thinks. What do you hear that reflects adolescent cognition, such as egocentrism, intuitive thinking, or formal thought?

Think of a life-changing decision you have made. How did logic and emotion interact? What might have changed if you had given the matter more thought—or less?