Growing up

(1) Body Changes

group work activity

1. I divide the group by gender: One girls group, one boys group. Each group receives a poster. On the poster we can see the bodies of a girl and a boy.

 

2. Compare the posters. We can distinguish a young girl and a young boy by the sexual organs – vagina and penis. But apart from that, their bodies look very similar. They are still young. The bodies of grown-up women and men do not look that similar anymore: When we grow up, we experience changes on our bodies – girls and boys develop different characteristics, and some changes are also the same.

3. Task for the groups: Please sketch in with a red marker the changes that one experienes on his or her body when he or she grows up.

4. Let´s talk about our work. Boys/Girls, can you show us your poster?

My learners were to shy to draw in all of the changes, so I took the red marker and had them watching me doing the job without mercy.

5. Let´s compare our work. What body changes are the same on our posters?

6. We note down a table chart:

Body changes during adolescence

BOYS	BOTH	GIRLS
Broadening of shoulders Enlargement of penis and testes wet dreams growing of a beard Deepening of voice	pimples on the face growing of pubic hair and armpit hair sweat/perspiration, body odour becomes stronger	Hips getting wider and more round Breasts begin to grow Beginning of menstruation (bleeding about every 4th week because of a hormonal cycle)

(2) The mysterious pink jumbo bag

"Today I have brought you my mysterious pink jumbo bag! Now I need a brave volunteer… Who wants to come in front and pick something out of my pink jumbo bag?

I want to make shure that you don’t see what you chose, so we will cover your eyes. Now put your hand into the mysterious pink jumbo bag and grab something. Show it to the class. Look at it. What is it? Can you tell me what the use of it is? What can we use it for? What does this have to do with body changes during adolescence?"

Useful thing	Use
Cleaning soap	To fight pimples
Deodorant	To fight the smell of strong sweat (my learners were very delighted that I allowed each of them to try out a little spray)
Razor blade	To shave beard, pubic and armpit hair
Sanitary towel	Used to catch the blood during menstruation
Condom	Adolescents develop interest in sex. Protect yourself against various infections (HIV is only one example) and prevent an unwanted pregnancy.