The purpose of this lesson is to make concrete the reproductive organs. All the information needs to be conveyed to students of both sexes. The section on fertility awareness is appropriate for older middle school students whose physical and psychological maturity is more advanced. The unit on fertility awareness was designed to be taught to middle and high school girls by Beth Roth
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Supplies needed
A large chart showing male and female reproductive organs in which the inside and outside can be seen, such as a cutaway design. These can be borrowed from Planned Parenthood (see bibliography).
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a pear
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to represent the uterus
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a thin drinking straw cut into 3-inch lengths
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the fallopian tubes
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two almonds in the shell
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to represent the ovaries
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a toilet paper tube
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to represent the vagina
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raw egg white, white hair conditioner, white hand lotion, paste
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to represent cervical secretions
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two walnuts in the shell
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to represent the testes
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a balloon containing dried peas or beans
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to represent the scrotum
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string (or insulated wire or string licorice)
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to represent the epididymis, vas deferens and the urethra
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two small balloons
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to represent the internal glands (cowpers & prostate)
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a large balloon
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to represent the bladder (male & female)
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A very dry piece of sponge and a clear plastic container of water
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to demonstrate the process of erection
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clear cream rinse
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to represent semen
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The teacher begins, before she introduces the props, by explaining that this is a lesson on reproductive anatomy, physiology, and fertility. Anatomy means the parts of the body. Physiology means how they work. Reproductive means making babies. Fertile means able to grow things. A garden can be fertile. We put fertilizer in gardens to make the soil more fertile. An animal can be fertile. When a person is fertile, it means his/her body is ready to make a baby. When an egg or seed is fertilized, it can begin to grow in a fertile place, like a garden or a uterus. We are going to look at the parts of the body which have to do with reproduction. If the teacher is comfortable, she/he may indicate on her/his own body the location of the sexual organs. Otherwise she/he may use a large classroom chart. As each body part is identified, write the term on the board.
Female (some of us are fancy on the inside).
Directions to the teacher:
Hold up the pear, stem side down. Say, “This pear represents the uterus. They are the same size and shape. The bottom of the
uterus
, where the stem of the pear was, has its own name, the
cervix
, although it is also part of the
uterus
. Holding two sections of the drinking straw to show how they branch out to the sides, the teacher says, “These are the
fallopian tubes
.” The almonds represent the
ovaries
at the other ends of the
fallopian tubes
. Hold the toilet paper tube to cover the stem end of the pear. Say, “This is the
vagina
. It is a tube shaped muscle which is squeezed shut most of the time.” Squeeze the tube shut.
Referring to the poster or chart, the teacher will show which part of the drawings are represented by which prop, meanwhile talking about the function of each organ. There are three important things about the uterus: (1) it is a muscle which can tighten and relax like other muscles; (2) like a balloon being filled with air, the uterus can expand or stretch around a growing baby; (3) it is where the menstrual blood comes from every month when a woman is not pregnant. The menstrual blood is the uterine lining which was put there by the body to support a growing pregnancy. There are two important things about the fallopian tubes: (1) they are pathways from the ovaries to the uterus; (2) they are where the egg and sperm meet which is called conception, the beginning of pregnancy. If egg and sperm do not meet, the egg lives for one day and then disintegrates. There are two important things about the ovaries (1) they make hormones and (2) they release eggs. The ovaries are egg cartons which store immature eggs. Girls are born with about 400,000 half grown eggs. A mature egg is the size of a pencil dot. At
puberty
, girls begin to
ovulate
. From about age 10 or later to age 60 or sooner, once a month an egg is matured and leaves the ovary. This is called
ovulation
The age at which ovulation begins is called menarche, the beginning of puberty. The time of the last ovulation is called menopause. Both menopause and puberty are gradual body changes which may take a few years. A girl who uses one egg a month from 10 to 60 will use six hundred eggs in her lifetime.
Ovaries also function as hormone producing glands. Estrogen and progesterone come from the ovaries and cause the monthly female cycle. When the egg is not fertilized, hormones cause the uterus to shed its lining. The lining leaves the body through the vagina, looking like blood This is known as a period.
Male (Some of use are fancy on the outside)
Now let’s look at the boy’s body. The chart and the walnuts, string and balloons show the location of the scrotum, the testicles, the epididymis, the vas deferens or sperm duct, and the internal fluid producing glands. The scrotum is represented by a balloon with dried peas in it. The
scotum
is a sac which hangs outside the body behind the
penis
. After puberty, the scrotum has hair on it. A muscle in the scrotum allows the
testes
to be held closer or farther from the body to maintain the correct temperature for sperm production slightly below body temperature. Holding the mouth of the balloon with one hand, use the other hand as a ring through which the balloon can be raised or lowered. The
testes
(show the walnuts) which are in the
scrotum
have two functions. They make
sperm
and the hormone
testosterone
. The sperm are stored while they mature in the epididymis. The
sperm
travel from the
testes
along the pathway called the
vas deferens
or
sperm duct
. Along the way they pass through several glands which manufacture
semen
, the milky fluid which nourishes
sperm
as they travel. (Use cream rinse or white hand lotion to show what semen looks like. The string can represent the various internal tubes. The smaller balloons can represent the internal fluid producing organs/glands). The
penis
is made of spongy tissue with lots of blood vessels which fill with blood to cause an
erection
.
Erection
is when the penis gets stiff and hard and stands out from the body.
Semen
can only leave the man’s body when the
penis
is
erect
.
Urine
can only leave the man’s body when
penis
is not
erect
. The tube through which
urine
or
semen
pass is called the
urethra
. When the
semen
leaves the body, it is called
ejaculation
. A boy’s body begins to be able to release
semen
(ejaculate) at
puberty
(about age 12 to 16). Boys produce and could release
sperm
every day beginning at
puberty
. We say they are always
fertile
. Girls, however, are only fertile for a short time in each
menstrual cycle. Fertile
means able to make or begin a baby.
Sexual intercourse
is when the man’s penis is placed in the woman’s
vagina
. If he ejaculates in or near the
vagina, sperm
can travel to the
fallopian tubes
in search of an egg. If they meet, it is called
fertilization
or
conception
, and it is the beginning of a pregnancy.
For a classroom activity, students in small groups can construct and label male and female reproductive anatomy. Each group is given a brown paper bag containing the various props needed. A soda bottle, pipe cleaners, tin foil, Saran wrap, modeling clay, construction paper, styrofoam cups and yarn are other materials which can be included. Each group describes its constructions to the rest of the class.