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Me, my body and the rest of the world
Summary
Adolescents often disturbed by the physical changes they experience during puberty. Society expects more of them and they might feel that they are not able to meet these demands. Coupled with this they often experience mood swings and feelings of anomie. It is therefore not uncommon to find among adolescents social problems manifested, among others in coping with their physical changes early sexual debut. The experimenting with sexual intercourse can lead to HIV transmission. This is a difficult time for adolescents and they need strong guidance to help them understand and accept the changes taking place. |
Time allocated for this lesson: 45 – 55 minutes
Target group: Grade 10 (15 – 16 years old)
Objectives of the lesson:
- To enable learners to state ways that gender roles change during adolescence;
- To access critically the impact of these changes on girls, boys and gender relations; and
- To strengthen critical thinking skills.
Introduction:
The teacher conducts a class discussion by asking the learners to respond to the following questions:
Fact: All young people experience changes during puberty and adolescence. Some changes are natural physical changes, some are emotional changes. Not everybody respond in the same way to these changes. Even the way people treat adolescents can change. |
- Based on the aforementioned fact, do the larger society and the media depict all kinds of body types as attractive?
- If not, how does it differ?
- How do you feel when you have to get used to a lot of changes in your body over a fairly short time?
- Is too much emphasis placed on appearance and not enough on our personality qualities?
For the educator
Allow time for meaningful discussions. Some learners might want to use the opportunity to air their views in a nonthreatening environment. Never be judgemental, respond in a sympathetic way.
Development
The educator move through the class and allow the learners to choose a strip of paper. Explain to the learners that on the strips of paper is a description of physical development that happens to young people all around the world during puberty, or there is a shift in how society treats young people when they reach puberty and adolescence. The learner must read out loud what is written on the strip of paper to the class and categorize the change as either a physical change or a change in the way other people view them.
(See appendix A for the strips of paper and appendix B for the answers.)
Practice
The educator divides the learners into small groups. These groups must consist of only boys or girls. Ask the groups to respond to the following questions. Allow the groups to report back.
- Can the shifts in social expectations and experience that young people encounter at
puberty be fairly dramatic or are they fairly minor?
- What do you notice about what boys encounter at puberty? Overall, is their freedom expanding or shrinking?
- Do these experiences lose importance after puberty, or can they affect the person’s life into adulthood?
- What do you notice about what girls encounter at puberty? Overall, is their freedom expanding or shrinking?
- Do these experiences lose importance after puberty, or can they affect the person’s life into adulthood?
Wrap-up
The educator bring the groups together and pick up on some of the issues that emanated during the small group discussions. The overall facts that should be stressed are the following:
- The rest of the world can respond unfairly towards adolescents. Deal with it. Sometimes life is unfair.
- We have a choice how we are going to respond towards negative attitudes. Be positive, forgive and by doing so, break the vicious circle.
Every normal person will at one stage or the other go through the emotional and physical changes.
Appendix A
| New opportunities for leadership at school and in the community |
| Changes in responsibilities |
| New pressures related to sexual activity |
| Increase in overall growth; need for extra nutrition |
| New pressures related to marriage |
| Increase in sexual feelings |
| New rules about how to dress |
| New rules about social mixing between boys and girls |
| Menstrual bleeding/mucus secretion |
| Change in the amount of freedom allowed |
Appendix B
| Changes in the body |
Changes in how people treat you |
| Growth in body hair |
New opportunities for leadership at school and in the community |
| Increased perspiration |
Coming-of-age rituals |
| Breast growth (among girls) |
Changes in responsibilities |
| Wet dreams (among boys) |
New pressures related to sexual activity |
| Voice changes (among boys) |
New pressures related to marriage |
| Increase in overall growth; need for extra nutrition |
New rules about how to dress |
| Increase in sexual feelings |
New rules about social mixing between boys and girls |
| Menstrual bleeding/mucus secretion (among girls) |
Change in the amount of freedom allowed |
References
Author: Pieter Visser (B.Ed)
Reviewed by: Hendra van Zyl (MPH)
Contact: afroaidsinfo@mrc.ac.za
Date: May 2013
Preferred citation
Visser, P. (2013) Me, my body and the rest of the world, AfroAIDSinfo. Issue 13 no. 5, Education (Open access).
Last updated:
2 May, 2013
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