Changing Adolescent Body2. Teaching activities and resources

Supporting Activities sheet

Puberty MindmapMedway RSE scheme of work, Y6PSHE Association

Equipment needed Flipchart paper and pens

Activity: • Pupils work in small groups to produce group mind mind-maps about

puberty, thinking back to their lessons from year 4 and 5 to help them• They can choose whichever headings for the mind-map they like and

organise it how they like, but it should also include where people can ask or help and advice

• To feedback, pupils can do a ‘walk around’ to look at different groups’ mind-maps, noting if they have missed anything from their own

• Give them a brief time as an opportunity to add any further information to their group mind-map if needed

• Encourage the pupils to use scientific vocabulary. If slang words are suggested, check pupils’ understanding and provide the correct word

Puberty Postcard: Assessment activityMedway RSE scheme of work, Y6PSHE Association

Puberty Fact or myth cardsMedway RSE scheme of work, Y6PSHE Association

Equipment needed Prompt cards

Activity: • Organise pupils into working groups and give each group a set of

Resource A: puberty fact or myth cards• Pupils read the statements on each card and decide if the statement is a

‘fact’, a ‘myth’ or ‘maybe’• Pupils make three piles of cards – one set of facts, one set of myths and

one set of maybes• Once completed, go through each of the statements as a class. Discuss in

more detail the statements that the class were less sure about

Puberty Zone of relevanceMedway RSE scheme of work, Y6PSHE Association

Equipment needed Zone of relevance Prompt questions

Activity: • Ask pupils to imagine a person their own age• They need to decide what is important now, what might

be important in the future and what might never be important

• Work in pairs• Pupils could make up their own content

What’s in the bag?

• a good method of engaging children• can be used to access baseline knowledge by asking children what they

know about a particular object or for exploring attitudes at the beginning of the unit

Equipment neededA range of objects related to the topic (age appropriate) Hygiene: tissues, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, aftershave, perfume,

washing powder, sponge, flannel, towel Puberty: soap, bra, menstrual towel, tampon, razor, make up, deodorant,

shampoo, teen magazine problem page? Relationships: mobile phone, teen magazine?, valentine card, wedding

ring, baby photo, internet advert, clothe advert

Activity1. Children are seated in a circle if possible. Explain that in the bag there are

a number of objects that have something to do with the subject being covered. Without saying what the topic is.

2. Children sit in pairs. One child selects an object without looking in the bag. 3. Discuss in pairs:

what the object is what could it have to do with the topic who might use it, where and how any questions or feelings they have about the object

4. Ask each pair in turn to introduce their object to the class. Note any gaps in knowledge – if they have limited knowledge of tampons or sanitary towels. Note any stereotypes of misconceptions.

5. Teacher can say all these objects might be used by someone growing up. Puberty is when your body grows and develops to become an adult.

6. They could collect the questions the class would like answering in the following lessons.

Me, you or us?

You will need signs of puberty information from a quality resource (you could use the DfE powerpoint on this topic)

• Use this activity at the start of the topic to see how much the children know/understand

• Can be completed individually or in small groups• You could use large hoops and printed out statements to physically move

into correct hoops• Or it can be completed by cutting and sticking into Venn diagram

worksheet• Discuss:

• most changes happen to us all• changes happen as a result of hormone changes

Body bits & pieces (3D modelling)

Equipment needed a range of materials (such as string, ping pong balls, balloons, tissue

paper, paint, felt, cloth, play-dough, straws , tubing, glue etc) Also provide a range of visual materials such pamphlets or books on

growing up (puberty)

Activity: Note: the range of work created may help pupils to observe that aspects of the anatomy have similar properties, such as clitoris and glans, scrotum and labia, testes and ovaries. During early development of the foetus the genital structures are the same.You might like to involve another audience, for example parents, another group of pupils or the school nurse. This can help keep pupils focused on the task and is a further opportunity for them to practice using correct terminology with confidence.Plenary: pupils present their models to the class or invited audience and respond to questions about what their models show.

Body Image – I feel good! (Y6 activity)

This activity is adapted from ‘Great relationships and sex education’ (Alice Hoyle and Esther McGeeney) pg 180.

• This is a discussion-based activity that introduces pupils to the idea of body image. It also has a surprise reveal!

• Explain that body image is what we believe and feel about how we look.• Split the group in half. One half are given envelope A and the other half

envelope B (both are actually given the same image but they don’t know this)

• Tell group A that this character has a really good body image and ask them to think about what may have helped the person to feel that way (what they have been told, their experiences, what they think of themselves)

• Tell group B that this character has a really poor body image. Ask them to think about why this person might feel so bad about their looks (what they have been told, their experiences, what they think about themselves)

• Take feedback from each group. Then reveal the pictures are the same!

• Explore the idea that it doesn’t matter what you look like – it’s how you feel about yourself that matters – and how you are treated by others. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes! We should try to feel good about ourselves and help others feel good too. Talk about how you can do this (e.g focus on what you like best about your body)

• You could explore this further by looking at adverts and how advertisers alter body image so it looks quite different from the person they photographed. Why do they do this?

• Explore portrait painting in History! They did just the same!

Puberty Party!This activity is adapted from ‘Great relationships and sex education’ (Alice Hoyle and Esther McGeeney) pg 180.

• A fun and interactive way of finding out what pupils know and setting it in a celebratory context

Equipment needed• party materials, pens and paper

Activity• Ask pupils to plan a puberty party to celebrate someone becoming an

adult (being fertile)

Questions• Why might you want to imagine or plan a puberty party? How is puberty

celebrated in different countries and cultures? What is good about puberty? What is there to look forward to? What might boys/girls look forward to?

• What games could you invent/play that would help someone learn about puberty?

• What key messages would you want the party goers to take away?• What products might be in the party bag? To celebrate and support

puberty. • Write a card to the person. What messages of support, celebration or

encouragement could you include?

Fed in Facts• What are the top 3 facts that children should know about

puberty?

Activity• Pose a statement for the children to discuss in small mixed ability groups.

The idea is that they read the facts; discuss each of the facts together before coming to a shared agreement

• Start by giving the groups a sheet of paper with a fact on it, eg) how girls and boys develop more hair during puberty

• One member of the group needs to read and share this information with the rest of the group. Allow the children time to discuss. After a few minutes of discussing this, feed in another sheet of paper with a further fact: e.g how your moods may change during puberty

• Keep adding further facts after allowing the children time to read and discuss the previous one

• There are no right or wrong answers to the task…the idea is the children get to discuss all of the points with their peers. Because you are giving them the facts, you know that they are getting accurate information to discuss, however, ensure that you are listening to discussions to ensure misconceptions can be addressed

• What the children have to do is feedback to the whole class at the end of the session on which 3 facts they have chosen and why. This will probably differ depending on the group dynamics (boys/girls and what they think is important to them). Again, this doesn’t matter. This can be a starting point to raise any questions / ideas for further learning

Problem Page• Different scenarios can be written/created for the children to respond to

either as a written exercise, such as responding to a letter, or role play• The activity will allow the children to think about the situation someone is

in and how they can use their new knowledge to help them

Example• Steven woke up one morning and his pyjamas felt sticky and wet. He was

worried that he had wet himself. He was embarrassed and confused and unable to speak to anyone about it

Questions• What do you think might have happened?• Would you say to Steven to reassure him?• Where might he find more information? (think about books, internet sites

etc)• What advice could you give me? • Who could he talk to about this?

Activity• Pupils create a poster or brochure for other young people to help them

manage their emotions and physical wellbeing through puberty