Yesterday’s post was about anatomy – the kind with penises and testicles and ejaculation. So today’s lesson from Changes, Changes, Changes is about another kind of reproductive anatomy: the kind with ovaries and a uterus. This particular lesson just cracks me up. I haven’t actually run through it with a group of middle school students, but my best guess is that high hilarity and much learning would ensue!
UNCOVERING THE HIDDEN STORY
Female Reproductive and Sexual Anatomy
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Increase their comfort with the language of sexuality.
- Increase their knowledge of female reproductive anatomy and sexual anatomy.
- Be able to ask questions anonymously that they may not feel comfortable asking in front of their peers.
Rationale:
Young people rarely have the opportunity to talk with adults about sexuality and the changes of puberty. This lesson gives them permission to talk openly about sexual language, both formal and slang, as well as ask their questions. Building three-dimensional female sexual and reproductive anatomy models allows students to actively learn about the complex and unseen female reproductive system.
What I did as a similar kind of lesson was to have high school students build sexual anatomy hats. I brought in a few boxes of random arts and crafts supplies and the students could make a hat featuring whatever part of sexual anatomy that they chose, and then they wore their hats while they described the anatomical feature that they created. The students had so much fun that they seemed to forget they were in class. (It’s been awhile since I did this lesson plan. Now that I’m remembering it, I think I might need to bring it back into my regular lesson rotations…) Making things from unusual items is so much fun, and I think the additional structure for the younger students is probably a good variation on my anatomical-free-for-all lesson!
