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1. How do bodies change–physically, emotionally, and sexually–during puberty?

2. What is gender identity and sexual orientation? How do individuals experience gender & sexuality on a spectrum?

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This video is an introduction to some of the changes that students can expect their bodies to undergo during puberty. It outlines the physical changes that individuals who were assigned male at birth and female at birth may experience, while also discussing shared experiences across genders. The video also introduces the idea that sex and gender exist on a spectrum.

Discussion Questions:

1. When can puberty occur?

2. List 3 physical changes that bodies undergo during puberty.

3. What does it mean that sex and gender exist on a spectrum?

4. What is 1 mutual experience that people of any/all sex or gender(s) may share?

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Join characters Tim and Moby as they describe the reproductive system. This BrainPOP movie will explore the following topics: puberty, reproductive organs, conception, and fertilization. There is an attached worksheet and graphic organizer that students can fill out as they watch.

To-Do:

1. As you watch the movie, keep the following guiding question in mind:

1. What is the purpose and primary function(s) of the human reproductive system?

2. After watching, take the online quiz and save your results.

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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This “Puberty” playlist by Planned Parenthood provides four videos available in both English and Spanish:

1. Am I Normal? Puberty Explained

2. Is this Normal? Puberty in People with Penises

3. Is this Normal? Puberty in People with Vaginas

4. Is This Normal? Puberty in Intersex and Non-Binary People

The videos highlight the range of experiences people may have, emphasizing that everyone will experience it differently in a way that is unique to their own body.

Discussion Questions:

1. Pick 1 of the 4 videos that sounds most interesting to you (or watch them all!). What are 2 things that you learned?

2. Why do you think the video titles refer to individuals as “People with Penises/Vaginas” instead of girls and boys?

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Growing Up: An Inclusive Guide to Puberty and Your Changing Body

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Growing Up: An Inclusive Guide to Puberty and Your Changing Body

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This nonfiction picture book provides succinct explanations of puberty topics with clear, corresponding visuals. Topics include biological sex, gender identity, physical & emotional changes, boundary-setting, and online safety.  Growing Up is an illustrated guide that students can read independently, or that can be read-aloud in chunks as an anchor text for the Sexual Health Education unit.

Discussion Questions:

1. Which experience(s) can you relate to in the book?

2. What is 1 term from the glossary that you learned? Provide a definition in your own words.

3. Who/what are trusted sources you can go to for answers to your puberty questions?

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Sex is a Funny Word: A Book About Bodies, Feelings and You

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Sex is a Funny Word: A Book About Bodies, Feelings and You

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This comic book is an inclusive and accessible guide for students about their bodies, gender, and sexuality. Sex is a Funny Word encourages young people and adults alike to openly discuss puberty, with a particular emphasis on setting boundaries, living safely, and experiencing joy. Written by sex educator Cory Silverberg, this graphic novel won the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction, ALA Stonewall Book Award, and ALA Notable Children's Book in 2016.

Discussion Questions:

1. Which character do you relate to most in the book - Zai, Mimi, Cooper, or Omar? Why?

2. Why is sex a funny word? What do you think makes kids laugh about the topic?

3. How does the book answer our essential questions? Provide 2-3 pieces of evidence per question.

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This encyclopedia entry defines the human reproductive system, explaining how reproductive organs develop in male and female bodies. There are fourteen different diagrams breaking down concepts and systems described in the text. In this interactive web page, students can read the entry, view the diagrams, find related content and more.

To-Do:

1. As you read the entry and look at the diagrams, think about the following guiding question:

1. What are the roles of the reproductive organs in the human reproduction system?

2. After exploring the site, pick 1 reproductive organ diagram to sketch and label.

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Table of Contents

human reproductive system, organ system by which humans reproduce and bear live offspring. Provided all organs are present, normally constructed, and functioning properly, the essential features of human reproduction are (1) liberation of an ovum, or egg, at a specific time in the reproductive cycle, (2) internal fertilization of the ovum by spermatozoa, or sperm cells, (3) transport of the fertilized ovum to the uterus, or womb, (4) implantation of the blastocyst, the early embryo developed from the fertilized ovum, in the wall of the uterus, (5) formation of a placenta and maintenance of the unborn child during the entire period of gestation, (6) birth of the child and expulsion of the placenta, and (7) suckling and care of the child, with an eventual return of the maternal organs to virtually their original state.

For this biological process to be carried out, certain organs and structures are required in both the male and the female. The source of the ova (the female germ cells) is the female ovary; that of spermatozoa (the male germ cells) is the testis. In females, the two ovaries are situated in the pelvic cavity; in males, the two testes are enveloped in a sac of skin, the scrotum, lying below and outside the abdomen. Besides producing the germ cells, or gametes, the ovaries and testes are the source of hormones that cause full development of secondary sexual characteristics and also the proper functioning of the reproductive tracts. These tracts comprise the fallopian tubes, the uterus, the vagina, and associated structures in females and the penis, the sperm channels (epididymis, ductus deferens, and ejaculatory ducts), and other related structures and glands in males. The function of the fallopian tube is to convey an ovum, which is fertilized in the tube, to the uterus, where gestation (development before birth) takes place. The function of the male ducts is to convey spermatozoa from the testis, to store them, and, when ejaculation occurs, to eject them with secretions from the male glands through the penis.

At copulation, or sexual intercourse, the erect penis is inserted into the vagina, and spermatozoa contained in the seminal fluid ( semen) are ejaculated into the female genital tract. Spermatozoa then pass from the vagina through the uterus to the fallopian tube to fertilize the ovum in the outer part of the tube. Females exhibit a periodicity in the activity of their ovaries and uterus, which starts at puberty and ends at the menopause. The periodicity is manifested by menstruation at intervals of about 28 days; important changes occur in the ovaries and uterus during each reproductive, or menstrual, cycle. Periodicity, and subsequently menstruation, is suppressed during pregnancy and lactation.

This articles describes the organs, both male and female, that are involved in human reproduction. The reproductive process itself is covered in other articles. For a detailed discussion of the series of changes that occur in a woman's body as her fetus develops, see pregnancy. For a description of the stages of labour and delivery, see parturition. For the development of the unborn child during gestation, see human embryology. For coverage of the many diseases and disorders that can affect the reproductive organs, see reproductive system disease.

Development of the reproductive organs

The sex of a child is determined at the time of fertilization of the ovum by the spermatozoon. The differences between a male and a female are genetically determined by the chromosomes that each possesses in the nuclei of the cells. Once the genetic sex has been determined, there normally follows a succession of changes that will result, finally, in the development of an adult male or female. There is, however, no external indication of the sex of an embryo during the first eight weeks of its life within the uterus. This is a neutral or indifferent stage during which the sex of an embryo can be ascertained only by examination of the chromosomes in its cells.

The next phase, one of differentiation, begins first in gonads that are to become testes and a week or so later in those destined to be ovaries. Embryos of the two sexes are initially alike in possessing similar duct systems linking the undifferentiated gonads with the exterior and in having similar external genitalia, represented by three simple protuberances. The embryos each have four ducts, the subsequent fate of which is of great significance in the eventual anatomical differences between men and women. Two ducts closely related to the developing urinary system are called mesonephric, or wolffian, ducts. In males each mesonephric duct becomes differentiated into four related structures: a duct of the epididymis, a ductus deferens, an ejaculatory duct, and a seminal vesicle. In females the mesonephric ducts are largely suppressed. The other two ducts, called the paramesonephric or müllerian ducts, persist, in females, to develop into the fallopian tubes, the uterus, and part of the vagina; in males they are largely suppressed. Differentiation also occurs in the primitive external genitalia, which in males become the penis and scrotum and in females the vulva (the clitoris, labia, and vestibule of the vagina).

At birth the organs appropriate to each sex have developed and are in their adult positions but are not functioning. Various abnormalities can occur during development of sex organs in embryos, leading to hermaphroditism, pseudohermaphroditism, and other chromosomally induced conditions. During childhood until puberty there is steady growth in all reproductive organs and a gradual development of activity. Puberty marks the onset of increased activity in the sex glands and the steady development of secondary sexual characteristics.

In males at puberty the testes enlarge and become active, the external genitalia enlarge, and the capacity to ejaculate develops. Marked changes in height and weight occur as hormonal secretion from the testes increases. The larynx, or voice box, enlarges, with resultant deepening of the voice. Certain features in the skeleton, as seen in the pelvic bones and skull, become accentuated. The hair in the armpits and the pubic hair becomes abundant and thicker. Facial hair develops, as well as hair on the chest, abdomen, and limbs. Hair at the temples recedes. Skin glands become more active, especially apocrine glands (a type of sweat gland that is found in the armpits and groin and around the anus).

In females at puberty, the external genitalia enlarge and the uterus commences its periodic activity with menstruation. The breasts develop, and there is a deposition of body fat in accordance with the usual contours of the mature female. Growth of axillary (armpit) and pubic hair is more abundant, and the hair becomes thicker.

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Human reproductive system | Definition, Diagram & Facts

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Human reproductive system, organ system by which humans reproduce and bear live offspring.

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It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, Gender, and Sexual Health

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It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, Gender, and Sexual Health

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This educational resource provides answers to kids' most commonly-asked questions about puberty and sex. Topics include conception, birth control, AIDS, anatomy, families, babies, and sexual health. Originally published in 2009, this guide was revised in 2021 to incorporate the following changes: a shift to gender-neutral language, LGBTQIA+ topics, societal advancements from technology to contraception methods, the rise of social media & the internet, and the implication of shifting policies & legislation.

To-Do:

1. Read the Introduction, “Lots of Questions.”

2. Read through the table of contents and pick one topic that interests you in each section: "Part 1: What is Sex?," "Part 2: Our Bodies," and "Part 3: Puberty."

3. As you read from your 3 chosen chapters, take notes on the main idea of each section and provide supporting evidence.

4. Extension: Become an expert on one of your chosen topics. Prepare a poster to share through a classroom gallery walk.

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This coming-of-age story follows the life of 12 year-old Margaret Simon as she undergoes puberty. Margaret and her friends create a private club to discuss everything from crushes to periods. Margaret navigates peer pressure, relationships, faith exploration, and identity development as she enters adolescence.

The puberty-related discussion questions below are pulled directly from the publisher. If your teacher requires this book as ELA anchor text, click here for more guiding questions.

Discussion Questions:

1. “ Why is it so important to the girls to get their periods sooner rather than later? Why do Margaret and Janie buy bras?”

2. “How do Margaret and her friends buy into these stereotypes about how girls should act and look? How and why do some of the boys at school emphasize stereotypical expectations about female bodies? Do you think these stereotypes still exist now? Do you see them in your life and school?”

3. “Margaret emphasizes her desire to be "normal" over and over again… Why do you think she feels this desire so strongly? What do you think she learns about being normal? How does society tend to define normal? How do you define normal?”

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In this video, sexual orientation is defined and explained across the spectrum. Different characters share their own unique experiences of sexual orientation. Viewers are encouraged to celebrate the different sexual orientations that individuals may identify with.

Discussion Questions:

1. True or False: Everyone experiences sexual orientation the same way.

2. What 3 sexual orientations are described in the video?

3. Do you think that sexual orientation can change over time?

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Sexual Orientation: A Spectrum Of Attraction

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In this interview series, parents and their children sit down together to talk about puberty. Puberty topics discussed include acne, body changes, hormones and feelings, sexual attraction, and relationships. This video demonstrates the importance of having open conversations with trusted adults about puberty.

Discussion Questions:

1. What did you learn from these interviews?

2. How do you think the kids and their parents felt having these conversations? Why might they feel that way?

3. Who can you always talk to about puberty?

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Here are more recommended graphic novels with puberty themes/topics.

Fiction:

Go with the Flow by Karen Schneemann & Lily Williams

Gender: A Graphic Guide by Meg-John Barker

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

The New Girl by Cassandra Calin

Pizza Face by Rex Ogle & Dave Valeza

Turning Twelve by Kathryn Ormsbee & Molly Brooks

Nonfiction:

The Period Comic by Florence Igboayaka

Wait, What?: A Comic Book Guide to Relationships, Bodies, and Growing Up by Heather Corinna & Isabella Rotman

You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty, and Other Things by Cory Silverberg & Fiona Smyth

As you read, look for answers to the essential questions and record supporting evidence!

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Here are more recommended fiction books with puberty themes/topics.

Revenge of the Red Club by Kim Harrington

Planet Middle School by Diana Peterfreund

Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Bloom

The Moon Within by Aida Salazar

Karma Khullar's Mustache by Kristi Wientge

The Amazing Life of Birds (the twenty-day puberty journal of Duane Homer Leech) by Gary Paulsen

The Babysitter's Club by Ann M. Martin

As you read, look for answers to the essential questions and record supporting evidence!

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Here are recommended non-fiction books with puberty themes/topics.

Will Puberty Last My Whole Life? by Julie Metzger, Robert Lehman & Lia Cerizo

Puberty is Gross But Also Really Awesome by Gina Loveless & Lauri Johnston

You-ology: A Puberty Guide for Every Body by Trish Hutchison, Kathryn Lowe, & Melisa Holmes

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Puberty―and Shouldn't Learn on TikTok by Gemma Hong, Sophie Young & Amelia Pinney

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Puberty―and Shouldn't Be Googling by Morris Katz & Amelia Pinney

The Care & Keeping of You by Valerie Schafer

As you read, look for answers to the essential questions and record supporting evidence!

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Turning Red Movie: Puberty Clip (0:00-4:35)

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Turning Red Movie: Puberty Clip (0:00-4:35)

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This clip is from the animated Pixar film, Turning Red. In this movie, a 13-year old girl named Mei turns into a giant Red Panda anytime she experiences strong emotions. This scene portrays Mei’s first time transforming into a panda and how she returns to her human form.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does Mei’s mom mean by “Did the red peony bloom?” What does her mom bring into the bathroom?

2. Is Mei's mom being supportive? Why or why not?

3. What does Mei turning into a red panda symbolize?

4. How does Mei become a human again?

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Turning Red(2022) | The night Mei Mei transforming into a panda | Nightmares Scene