Sex and Self Esteem

Attribution Share Alike: by mahalie

The unit is designed to inform students about human sexual reproduction as another type of life cycle but also aims to address the emotional and psychological aspects of sexual activity and the issues facing sexually active people in the 21st Century.

Students will navigate through a WebQuest to unearth information and build a collection of facts that they consider useful (for an audience of peers).

Links
Visit the Webquest
Visit the Wiki

Checklist for teachers

Establish parent permission, possibly via an information night or a detailed letter home.
Establish sensitivities: cultural; religious; age; maturity; child protection; other?
Establish students’ prior learning via a brief questionnaire:

          _ What do you want to know?
          _ What have you heard that you are not
             sure is true?
          _ What are you concerned about or afraid of?

Lesson outline

Look at reproduction in the animal kingdom: documentaries.
Webquest - Look at human development from child to adult: students research the development of secondary sexual characteristics
Labelling a human body
Debunking Barbie! And other media portrayals of “desirable” women and men.
The law and sex

Lesson 1

1. Class discussion – what is sex?
Introduce the topic then clarify the rules for participation:

Sensitivity (no one has to give an answer)
No personal comments about other people
No put-downs
Respect

2. Clarify what we mean by sex (the reproductive act, a person’s sexuality or their gender)
Why do we need to learn about it? If it’s just about reproduction, what is the big deal?
How much do we need to know? Examine taboos and sensitivities, myths. Analyse the reasons for these
3. Explain the structure of the unit

Students can ask questions at any stage via the Question Box
Students will engage in a Webquest to seek out information
Students will compile information in a Wiki for their peers (eg: what would Year 5 need to know when learning about sex next year?)