Animals including Humans

Year 5Lesson 5

LI: Understand the changes that happen during puberty and how they differ for boys and girls.

Expectations

Puberty

What is puberty?Why does our body go through it?When does it happen?

Using the outlines provided add on anything you and your group know about puberty.

What do we know

The changes that happen during puberty can be split into the following categories:

• physical changes – changes that happen to the body

• psychological changes – changes to someone’s personality.

• behavioural changes – things that a person may choose to do can change during this time e.g giving up a sport or experimenting with risky activities.

The Changes

• This can vary greatly but the biggest difference is between girls and boys.– Girls – between 8-14 (average age 11)– Boys - between 9-14 (average age 12)

• It takes a person approximately 4 years to get through puberty.

When does puberty start?

• Puberty is the time when the human body is getting ready to make babies.

• It is important to remember that being able to have babies does not mean you are ready to have babies.

Why do we go through puberty?

• Hormones (chemical messengers of the body) are released by the pituitary gland.

• These send messages to different parts of the body depending if you are a girl or a boy.

How does it start?

• Growth spurt which can lead to clumsiness (some people never grow out of this!!)

• Hair develops on body parts• Face become more greasy which can cause

spots (acne)• The body sweats more.• Hormone changes can cause mood swings.• Some people feel anxious about the way their

body looks during puberty.

General changes

• The hormones released travel to the testes which are stimulated to produce the hormone testosterone sperm cells.

• Sperm are male sex cells.• Boys shoulders become wider and more

muscular.• A boys penis become longer and wider and their

testes become bigger (or drop)• A boys voice ‘breaks’ – become deeper as the

muscles of the voice box become thicker and larger.

Boys

• The hormones released travel to the two ovaries.• The ovaries are stimulated to produce oestrogen

(hormone)• A girl’s body will become curvier as their hips

widen (ready for child birth).• Breast develop – these can grow at different

rates but should even up by the end of puberty.• Girls will begin to menstruate.

Girls

• During the menstrual cycle the ovaries (which house thousands of eggs) release one egg a month.

• These travel down the fallopian tube to the uterus.• On the release of the egg hormones stimulate the

lining of the uterus to build up with extra blood and tissues to house a potential baby.

• If the egg is not fertilized then the lining and the egg is expelled through the vagina during what is known as a period.

• The bleeding can last anywhere between 2 and 7 days.• Periods tend to start approximately 1-2 years after

breast begin to develop.

Menstrual Cycle

Puberty

- Your task is to create a fact sheet that could be given to the next years class on puberty.- Use what you have learnt and other sources to help you.

PlenaryWhat advice would you given the following children?

My boobs are a different size and I am struggling

to find a bra that will fit. I don’t want to talk to my friends as they will all

laugh at me. What can I do?

Gemma aged 11

Plenary

When I am talking my voice keeps going high

and low. It is really embarrassing and is

making me not want to talk at school.

Edward aged 14