Lesson video

Hello and welcome to our next lesson together for this unit of work, "Internet safety and harms: Body image".

I am Mrs. Smith.

In this lesson, we will learn about the changes that take place during puberty and the impact this may have on our self-perception.

This lesson might contain some contents, that is a sensitive topic for you.

We recommend checking the lesson with a trusted adult beforehand or completing the lesson with a trusted adult nearby.

If you're ready to get started, then let's go.

For this lesson, you are going to need an exercise book or paper and a pen to write with.

If you need to go and collect that equipment now, do so and press play when you're ready to resume.

Our agenda for today's lesson looks like this.

We will start by looking at the changes that occur during puberty, and then discuss that worth is not defined by looks.

You will then have the opportunity to go away to share this message.

And you will finish with a reflection and exit quiz.

Our keywords for today's lesson include puberty.

It describes the changes that take place when you physically become able to reproduce, for example, make babies.

It is part of growing up for everyone.

Body image, the perception we have of our body, and the thoughts and feelings this can create.

And finally, self-perception, how we view ourselves.

For the first part of the lesson, we will be discussing the changes that take place during puberty.

Puberty is the period of human development where a child's body matures into an adult body.

The changes people experience during puberty are physical, emotional, and sexual in nature.

A brief true or false for you here.

So changes that take place during puberty relate only to reproduction.

Do think this is true or false? Point to the screen now.

This is false.

Changes also take place in the brain to do with your emotional development, and also our bodies to do with our physical development during puberty.

Your first main activity is this.

What you need to do is create a table or three columns on your piece of paper.

You have got a mixture of keywords, definitions, and examples on the screen for you.

Let's do one as an example.

So if we take the keyword physical, we're going to match that with which definition? Take a moment now to look at the screen.

I'm sure you agree with me that this definition matches with physical the best, changes in your bodily features and appearance.

You then need to select two examples to go with that definition.

Pause the video now and unscramble these keywords, definitions, and examples.

Press play when you're ready to compare our answers.

Let's now compare our answers.

So we've already matched the physical keywords with the definition of changes in your bodily features and appearance, which two examples did you match with this? Well, I matched body hair and sweating more.

These are changes in your bodily features and also your appearance.

The second keyword to discuss is emotional.

And the definition for this is changes in your feelings of mood.

An example of this is feeling more self-conscious.

So, whereas before you would wear what you wanted and didn't care what anyone thought you might suddenly become a bit more self-aware.

And finally, sexual.

The definition for this being changes in your sexual organs and your feelings towards sex.

And examples might include having periods or experiencing erections.

You should know that these are all completely normal expectations of changes during puberty.

Pause the video now if you need to update or change anything on your work.

Let's now discuss those changes during puberty in a little bit more detail.

So as you grow, your brain will send a message to your pituitary glands, a group of cells that releases chemicals in your body, and they tell them to start producing hormones that cause you to grow into an adult body.

Hormones can be thought of as chemical messengers that tell your body what to do.

Your body also produces lots of different hormones, unrelated to puberty that are involved in most of your bodily functions.

Everyone has the hormones, oestrogen, and testosterone in their body, no matter what sexual parts you have, but the amount of each hormone that people have is different based mainly on their sexual parts.

If your body has a vagina, that means you also have ovaries, which will start producing more oestrogen during puberty than before.

If your body has a penis, that means you also have testes or testicles, which will start producing more testosterone than before.

The hormones goes throughout your bloodstream and trigger the changes of puberty.

This image illustrates how your glands send a message to the ovaries or testes.

And the arrows show which parts of the body are most affected by these hormonal changes.

For most people, puberty starts between the ages of 10 to 14, but it is perfectly normal to start puberty before or after that age.

It is something that you don't have any control over.

In general, girls start going through puberty earlier than boys.

Let's now discuss this statement, worth is not defined by looks.

In order to understand this statement, let's have a quick reflection on what is the ideal? What do we mean by the ideal feminine person and the ideal masculine person? Pause the video now and write down any words you would normally associate with feminine and, or masculine.

Okay.

So some generalised, stereotypical words to fit with the word feminine and masculine might include passive, beautiful, domestic, emotional, and weak.

And when we associate words with masculine, some of the words might have included aggressive, protector, breadwinner, brave, and strong.

It is inappropriate for people to assume that females and males should act in stereotypical ways.

All females and all males are different, and they may or may not assume some of the traits on the screen.

I'd like to share some reflection questions with you now for you to pause and have a think about.

So the first one, are these stereotypes actually possible for everybody? Pause to reflect on that question.

So the answer really, and simply is no, they are quite unrealistic and impossible for most people.

The majority of females and males do not look anything like the models and actors who appear on our televisions and films or in magazines.

My second reflection point for you is what do you think happens when people cannot meet these standards of femininity and masculinity? Pause the video to reflect on that.

Sometimes people may feel badly about themselves and develop a negative body image and also low self-esteem.

And finally, are the pressures the same for girls and boys? Pause the video to reflect on that question.

Whilst both girls and boys encounter pressures relating to body image, there are more realistic images of the males in the media than there are females.

This unbalanced portrayal of male, female body type ideas may explain why females report that they think about their weight and dieting more often than males.

Young females also have expressed a great deal more dissatisfaction with their bodies than young males and are more likely to develop eating disorders.

Young males are facing increasing pressure to conform to unrealistic standards of masculinity.

As the pressure for boys to develop muscular physiques rises, the use of steroids in boys may also increase.

This is something to bear in mind when we're discussing our own bodies and that of our peers.

So if worth is not defined by looks, what are you worth? Consider now, not your outside appearance but actually what is within you? So for example, I consider myself as a sister, a wife, a mom, a daughter, I am worth as a teacher.

I love sharing learning experiences with young people, such as yourselves.

I consider myself to be kind and thoughtful of others.

And finally, I am creative and I love to express myself through lots of different forms of media.

Pause the video now and reflect on what you are worth.

What makes you, you? Write yourself a list on your piece of paper and remind yourself that it isn't just about your look, but it's about your thoughts and feelings of yourself.

Press play when you're ready to carry on.

My final activity for you this lesson is to share the message.

Pause the video to complete this task.

You can either create an assembly or a newsletter to tell people about the importance of having a positive body image and the changes that are normal and associated with puberty.

Press play when you're ready to carry on with the lesson.

We shall now end with a reflection.

Puberty can be a time when people become more aware of their own and others' appearance.

Your worth is not defined by your looks.

Thank you for joining me for this lesson.

I've really enjoyed working with you again.

If you have any of your assemblies or newsletters or notes that you would like to share with us, please check with a parent or carer and use the #LearnwithOak.

Thank you again and I will see you next time.

Goodbye.