Health Education Counsultation for schools, churches, and community organizations

Student Learning Objectives

[Tier A | Tier B | Tier C | Optional Lessons]

Tier A: I Wonder How Things Work

LESSON A-1: A Climate for Growth

Students will:

  • Name kinds of body cells and sex cells.
  • Propose guidelines for discussions during the puberty lessons.
  • Identify ways to initiate communication with their parents regarding growing up.

LESSON A-2: New Life

Students will:

  • Review that all animals reproduce themselves.
  • Explain that fertilization must occur for a new life to begin.
  • Compare and contrast animal families and human families.
  • Explain the reasons to wait until adulthood before having a baby and making a life-long commitment to being a parent.

LESSON A-3: Families and Roles

Students will:

  • Relate positive qualities they admire in their families.
  • Improve communication skills with their families.
  • Examine sex roles, sex role expectations, stereotypes, and ways they can affect people.

LESSON A-4: Social and Emotional Changes

Students will:

  • Identify social and emotional changes occurring during puberty.
  • Describe normal variations in individual rates of change during puberty.
  • Examine case studies and plan ways to respect a peer who is going through an awkward stage of puberty.

LESSON A-5: Growing Up Male

Students will:

  • Identify additional changes that occur in males during puberty.
  • Define the structures and functions of the male reproductive system.
  • Practice their communication skills by talking with their parents or other trusted adult about puberty.

LESSON A-6: Growing Up Female

Students will:

  • Identify additional changes that occur in females during puberty.
  • Define the structures and functions of the female reproductive system.
  • Practice their communication skills by talking with their parents or other trusted adult about puberty.

[Tier A | Tier B | Tier C | Optional Lessons]

Tier B: I Wonder What Is Happening to Me

LESSON B-1: Ready, Set, Grow!

Students will:

  • List changes that will occur as they grow and mature.
  • Formulate guidelines for discussions during the puberty lessons.
  • Assess what they already know about puberty.
  • Develop a plan for improving communication with their parents regarding changes in puberty.

LESSON B-2: Puberty and the Male Reproductive System

Students will:

  • Summarize what they know about growing up.
  • Identify physical and emotional changes occurring during puberty.
  • Define the structures and functions of the male reproductive system.

LESSON B-3: Puberty and the Female Reproductive System

Students will:

  • Define the structures and functions of the female reproductive system.
  • Practice their communication skills by talking with their parents or other trusted adult about puberty.

LESSON B-4: Reproduction

Students will:

  • Review the structures and functions of the male and female reproductive systems.
  • Describe the changes that indicate an individual is physically capable of reproduction.

LESSON B-5: Personal Hygiene and Healthy Habits

Students will:

  • Distinguish between accurate and inaccurate sources of information about puberty.
  • Demonstrate the intent to implement personal hygiene and healthy habits.
  • Select their personal reasons for postponing sexual intercourse.

LESSON B-6: Media Messages

Students will:

  • Critique advertisements and popular music for the presence of messages about sexuality.
  • Compose advice for their peers to advocate for accurate information and healthy behavior.

[Tier A | Tier B | Tier C | Optional Lessons]

Tier C: I Wonder What Happens Next

LESSON C-1: Growing Together

Students will:

  • Recall prior knowledge about puberty.
  • Compose guidelines for discussions during the puberty lessons.
  • Develop a plan for improving communication with their parents regarding growing up.

LESSON C-2: Building Blocks of Life

Students will:

  • Describe prenatal development from a single cell to a complex organism.
  • Review the anatomy of human body cells and the roles of chromosomes, DNA, and genes as the basic units of heredity.
  • Compare and contrast human body cells with reproductive cells.
  • Explain how sex is determined by the X and Y chromosomes received from the egg and sperm cells.
  • Assess themselves for the presence of inherited traits.

LESSON C-3: Fetal Development

Students will:

  • Explain that birth defects can be caused by heredity and environment.
  • Describe the developmental milestones of a developing fetus.
  • List factors that increase the likelihood of being able to bear healthy children in the future.
  • Recommend lifestyle choices that will favorably affect a developing fetus.

LESSON C-4: How My Body Works

Students will:

  • Explain the anatomy and physiology of the male and female reproductive systems.
  • Deduce that parenthood should be reserved for adults who are able to make a life-long commitment to raising a child.
  • List the risks of having sexual intercourse as adolescents.
  • List the benefits of abstaining from sexual intercourse as adolescents.
  • Practice communicating with parents and other caring adults about sexual behavior and relationships.

LESSON C-5: Emotions and Relationships

Students will:

  • Explain typical emotional changes that occur during puberty.
  • Describe ways to show affection that demonstrate respect.

LESSON C-6: Growing Strong

Students will:

  • Identify reasons some young people might have sexual intercourse and recommend alternatives.
  • Summarize peer refusal skills and how to avoid trouble.
  • Practice peer refusal skills and how to avoid trouble in situations involving sexual risk.

[Tier A | Tier B | Tier C | Optional Lessons]

Optional Lessons: More Wonders

LESSON O-1: Changes in the Skin

Students will:

  • Summarize challenges in caring for their skin, hair, and nails during puberty.
  • Propose ways to care for their skin, hair, and nails as they mature.

LESSON O-2: Dominant or Recessive? Identical or Fraternal?

Students will:

  • Explain the difference between dominant and recessive traits.
  • Draw diagrams that illustrate possible combinations of dominant and recessive traits in offspring.
  • Compare and contrast identical twins and fraternal twins.
  • Distinguish between the roles of heredity, environment, and lifestyle on their health by making a personal commitment to a healthy lifestyle choice.

[Tier A | Tier B | Tier C | Optional Lessons]

Read Why Provide Puberty Education? to see why puberty education is important.

Puberty: The Wonder Years was published March 2002.
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