A Family Life Science Unit for Early Adolescents: Ages Eleven Through Thirteen
Kathleen London and Frank Caparulo
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Suggested Sequence of Activities
:
-
A.
Menstruation
—to identify the sequence of events in the female body preceding menarche and during the menstrual cycle
Activity 1.
Discussion of myths and facts
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____
a. Introduce and explain the word, myth.
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____
b. Cite an example of a myth about menstruation
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____
c. Distribute mimeo of myths and facts about menstruation with instructions to label each appropriately:
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1. Girls shouldn’t bathe during menstruation.
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2. Girls shouldn’t wash their hair during menstruation.
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3. Conception cannot take place during menstruation.
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4. All girls begin their period at the same time.
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5. Girls may play sports during their period.
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6. Menstrual flow lasts three days.
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7. Only married women can use tampons.
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8. Girls can’t swim during their menstrual period.
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9. Boys can tell when girls are having their period.
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10. The menstrual cycle is always 28 days.
Students answer myth or fact. Discussion follows on each statement.
Activity 2.
Film
: “
Naturally A Girl
”
Booklets
: “
Menstruation
”
The film is available from the local Planned Parenthood Center. The booklets are available from the Kimberly Clark Corporation, Life Cycle Center, Neeah, Wisconsin.
a. Introduce new vocabulary:
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1. men o pause
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____
the time that a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs, and she stops menstruating, usually between the ages of 45 and 50
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2. men strual cycle
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____
a process that takes about a month and includes the menstrual flow, growth of a new egg, ovulation, and, if the egg is not fertilized, breakdown of the lining of the uterus, returning to the menstrual flow again
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3. men strual flow
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____
the flow that includes pieces of the lining of the uterus and blood (period)
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4. men stru a tion
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____
the process in which the thickened lining of the uterus breaks down and passes out of the woman’s body
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5. o va
-
____
female sex cells
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6. o va ries
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____
the two organs in the female where the eggs are formed
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7. o vu la tion
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____
the release of a mature egg from an ovary
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8. u ter us
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____
the female organ in which a fertilized egg can develop into a baby
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9. u re thra
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____
the tube in both males and females that carries urine out of the body, and also carries semen during a male’s ejaculation
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10. va gi na
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____
the passageway from the uterus through which the menstrual flow leaves the woman’s body, through which sperm can enter the uterus, and also through which the baby leaves the uterus during birth
b. View and discuss “Naturally a Girl”.
c. Read and discuss ”Menstruation” booklets.
d. Complete Matching Terms Worksheet:
Fill in the blank with the correct term:.
a. menstruation
|
f. menopause
|
b. ova
|
|
|
g. ovulation
|
c. ovaries
|
|
h. menstrual cycle
|
d. menstrual flow
|
i. uterus
|
e. urethra
|
|
j. vagina
|
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___ The flow that includes pieces of the lining of the uterus.
-
___
The time that a woman’ s ovaries stop producing eggs and she stops menstruating.
-
___ The tube in both males and females that carries urine out of the body
-
___ The process that takes about a month and includes the menstrual flow, growth of a new egg, ovulation and, if the egg is not fertilized, breakdown of the lining of the uterus, returning to the menstrual flow again Female sex cells
-
___ The female organ in which a fertilized egg can develop into a baby.
-
___ The two organs in the female where the eggs are formed.
-
___ The passage way from the uterus through which the menstrual flow leaves the woman’s body.
-
___ The process in which the thickened lining of the uterus breaks down and passes out of the woman’s body.
-
___ The release of a mature egg from an ovary.