Lesson video

Hi, I'm Ms. Lowe, and I'm your RSHE teacher for today.

Thank you so much for choosing to complete your learning with me.

Now, due to some of the themes covered in today's lesson, it's important that while you complete your learning, you're accompanied by an adult.

So here are our outcomes for today's lesson.

So by the end of today's lesson, you are gonna be able to explain that emotions might change during puberty and ways to get support if it's required.

Every RSHE lesson should begin with a set of ground rules.

This ensures that every conversation had in RSHE is respectful and we're all able to learn effectively.

So Laura is reminding us that in our SHE, we should listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

And when disagreeing, we challenge the statement and not the person.

Andeep is reminding us to respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we don't use names or descriptions that can identify anyone, including ourselves.

Izzy is reminding us to choose a level of participation that suits us.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in a discussion, but we never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob is reminding us that in RSHE, there is no judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without the fear of being judged.

So here are our keywords of today's lesson.

Let's go through those definitions together.

Emotions, a feeling such as happiness or sadness, which can be caused by a situation, your body, or the people who you are with.

Hormones, chemicals in the body that act like messengers.

Prefrontal cortex, part of the brain that develops in adolescence and is responsible for decision-making.

Amygdala, part of the brain associated with emotional impulses, aggression, and impulsive behaviour.

Now, here is our outline of today's lesson.

We're gonna be starting with asking the question, what is happening to my brain? So puberty often starts around the ages of 9 and 14, but it is different for everyone.

And puberty begins as a slow maturation of the human body.

So that means it's the human body changing from adolescence and childhood into being an adult.

Puberty can last between two to five years, but as I said before, it's not the same for everyone.

It might be shorter for some people, or puberty might last longer for others.

Now, during this time, bodies change and grow, but it's not just bodies, it's your brain as well.

So the brain also goes through big changes and developments.

And this can alter the way that a person experiences emotion and even the way that they behave.

So here on the screen, you can see a diagram, an illustration showing the hypothalamus gland.

Now, this is a really important gland in our brain because this is where puberty begins.

So puberty begins in the hypothalamus, and this is a gland that is no bigger than an almond.

And what happens is the hypothalamus begins by sending hormone signals to the ovaries or the testes.

And what happens then is that this prompts the production of sex hormones.

So for female bodies, this will be oestrogen.

And in male bodies, this will be testosterone.

Now, here on the left-hand side, we can see a diagram of ovaries.

So the hormones sent from the hypothalamus act on the ovaries in female bodies, prompting the production of the sex hormone oestrogen.

These hormones impact the development of the body as well as the brain.

Now, here on the left, we can see a diagram of the testes.

So the hormones that the hypothalamus send act on the testes in male bodies, prompting the production of the male sex hormone, testosterone.

And just like oestrogen, this hormone also impacts the development of the body and the brain.

Now, we're gonna pause here and we're gonna test our understanding about what we've learned so far.

So true or false, puberty begins at age nine.

Like to pause the video, have a think about your answer, and then we'll go through the correct one in just a moment.

Really well done if you said false.

Why is this false? Well, puberty can begin between the ages of 9 and 14, but it is different for everyone.

And, if we remember, it won't last for the same amount of time for everyone either.

So well done there if you said false.

Now, here on the left-hand side, we can see a diagram of the brain and we can see the amygdala is highlighted.

So the amygdala begins to grow and become more active due to the increase in sex hormones.

So the amygdala is really important and it's responsible for processing emotions like fear or enjoyment.

And as the body and the brain changes, this gland can lead to young people experiencing more intense emotions.

So during puberty, the brain begins to form connections between what we call neurons.

And if you look on the left-hand side of the screen here, you can see a little illustration showing this part of the nervous system, the neuron.

So these are the nerve cells that send signals to the body that allow you to do things like walk, talk, think, and even more, so really, really important.

And these connections are called synapses.

The more synapses we have, the more efficient we are at completing tasks.

However, as the brain adjusts to all these new synapses, and as our brain is developing and growing, we can experience what we call mood swings.

Now, here on the left, we can see a diagram showing us the prefrontal cortex.

So during puberty, this also begins to develop, and this is part of the brain that helps with things like decision-making, planning, and self-control.

So again, another really important part of the brain that's going through massive changes during puberty.

However, interestingly, about the prefrontal cortex, unlike other parts of the brain, this part doesn't fully develop until your mid-twenties.

So this can make things like decision-making far more difficult for young people, particularly during puberty.

And it's why young people can sometimes make unwise decisions.

So taking part in things that we might consider risky behaviour.

So not only do different people experience puberty at different times and for different lengths of times, but female and male bodies may experience those changes to the brains at different rates.

So Nurse Daniel here is telling us that female brains and bodies generally mature faster than male brains and bodies.

And these changes in the brain often lead to earlier emotional development.

Dr.

Elsie here is telling us that male brains may also experience slower development in the prefrontal cortex, which can lead to engaging in more impulsive behaviour.

We're gonna pause video here again and check our understanding.

So true or false, once you finish puberty, your brain is fixed and it isn't going to change.

So pause the video here, have a think about your answer, and then we'll go through the correct one together in just a moment.

Really well done if you said false.

Why is this false, though? Well, your brain continues to develop into your mid-twenties, particularly your prefrontal cortex.

And if we think back to earlier in the lesson, we said that the prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that helps with things like decision-making.

Now, to end this first part of the lesson, we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So I would like for you to fill in the blanks using the word bank about the changes taking place in the brain during puberty.

So pause the video, have a read through that word bank, have a look through those statements labelling the brain, and try to fill in the blanks with the correct words.

Take your time with this, and then we'll join back together in a moment and have a think about the correct answers.

Really well done at giving that a go.

So you should have filled in the blanks about the brain's changes during puberty like this.

The hypothalamus sends hormones to the ovaries and testes.

Synapses are formed between neurons making the messages between the brain and body more efficient.

The amygdala grows, creating more intense emotions, and the prefrontal cortex begins to develop but isn't fully developed until your mid-twenties.

Massive well done if you got all of those blanks filled in correctly.

Moving on now to the second part of our lesson, and we are asking the question, what is happening to my emotions? Now, during puberty, emotions can be felt intensely, and we know that this is because of that growing amygdala.

And not only can they be felt intensely, but they can also change rapidly.

Now, we commonly refer to this as experiencing mood swings, and it can feel like an emotional rollercoaster.

So we have Jacob here and he is experiencing a mood swing.

So he begins the day and he's feeling quite sad.

A little bit later he's saying, "I'm having the best day!" So he's feeling really happy now.

And then finally he's saying, "I hate this!" He's feeling a bit miserable again.

And this illustration really nicely explains what it's like to experience a mood swing.

Feelings can change really rapidly, can be feeling fantastic one minute, and then quite sad or angry or frustrated the next.

But this is completely typical during puberty.

So the increase in hormones in the body can lead to these mood swings.

And like I said before, they are a usual, typical part of puberty.

The amygdala grows and this creates more intense emotions.

However, because that prefrontal cortex isn't fully developed yet, young people might struggle to regulate their emotions, which can make mood swings more common and maybe more difficult to deal with.

So we're gonna pause the video here again and check our understanding.

I'd like you to complete the sentence with the missing word.

So during puberty, the brain develops and new hormones make, blank, change quickly, which can cause mood swings.

Pause the video, have a think about what word might be missing here, and then we'll go through the correct answer together.

Well done if you said emotions.

Yes, and we know that it's because of that developing, growing amygdala that young people are gonna be feeling those intense emotions that can change quickly and cause mood swings.

Very, very well done if you got the answer correct there.

So during puberty, the brain and body undergo significant changes and you can begin to experience emotions that you may have never felt before.

So Andeep is saying here that since starting puberty, he's started to feel more self-conscious.

So that means feeling more aware of the way that he looks, the way that he's behaving, and the way that other people see him as well.

Laura is saying that she thinks that she might fancy her friend, but she's not sure.

So Laura's saying that she's starting to feel attracted to people, and these are emotions that you may have never felt before, but start to emerge during puberty.

Now, here is a list of some more new emotions that might be felt during puberty.

We have anxiety, depression, self-consciousness, which we saw that Andeep was feeling before, confusion about identity, so starting to question about who you are, romantic feelings like we saw Laura having, and a desire for acceptance, so wanting to fit in, wanting people to like you.

And these are all these new emotions that might be felt during puberty.

So these new emotions are intensified by the amygdala and it can make young people feel quite sensitive about things like social dynamics.

So their relationships with their friends and their families.

It can make them self-conscious about identity and who they are as a person.

It can make you feel sensitive about how others see you, other people's feelings, and the way that you see yourself.

And Dr.

Elsie is really helpfully reminding us here that all of these emotions, all of these feelings and the things that we start to become more sensitive about is all usual.

It's all typical, and it is all just a part of puberty.

We're gonna pause the video here again and check our understanding about what we've just learned.

So the, blank, introduces the body to new and more intense emotions during puberty.

Is it the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala, or the hypothalamus? So pause the video, have a think about which of those missing words is correct, and we'll go through the answer together.

Well done if you said amygdala.

Yes, it's the amygdala growing and developing that introduces the body to all these new, more intense emotions during puberty.

Now, we are gonna put our learning into practise.

So Sofia is unsure about why she's been experiencing mood swings.

I would like for you to explain to Sofia why mood swings are common during puberty.

So let's have a look at what Sofia's saying.

She's saying, "My emotions are changing so often at the moment.

One minute I'm having a great time with friends, the next minute I feel self-conscious and upset.

I've never felt like this before and it is worrying me." So I'd like for you to pause the video and explain to Sofia why these mood swings that she's experiencing are completely common during puberty.

Great work.

Let's go through some of the things that you might have said in your answers.

So you might have said that mood swings are a common part of puberty because of the changes happening in the brain and body.

As the amygdala develops, it allows you to feel more intense emotions.

But since the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that helps with decision-making and controlling emotions, is not fully developed yet, it can be harder to manage these feelings.

On top of that, new hormones can bring up emotions you might not have experienced before.

It's also completely normal to feel things like self-consciousness and sensitivity during this time.

Very, very well done on whatever you said to Sofia and your advice about how mood swings are common during puberty, and an extra well done if you managed to squeeze all of our keywords from today's lesson in your answer.

We're moving on now to the final part of our lesson and we're asking the question, what can I do about it? So new and confusing emotions are usual during puberty.

It can be hard to regulate them, but there are ways you can support yourself or others when experiencing these changing emotions.

So you can do things like be kind to yourself, be understanding.

Don't be upset with yourself if you have a mood swing or you're feeling particularly sensitive about something, be kind to yourself.

Treat yourself nicely.

You could talk to a trusted adult.

That could be somebody at home or a teacher in school.

It could be to educate yourself, so to learn more about the changes that your body is experiencing during puberty.

Connecting with others, establishing a routine and staying active.

And finally, thinking carefully before you act.

We know that during puberty, that prefrontal cortex is not fully developed yet.

So it might lead young people to engage more in risky behaviours.

So taking the time to think before you do anything is really important.

So first, we're gonna have a look at being kind to ourselves.

So if you're feeling self-conscious and you're struggling with confidence, you can do something as simple as looking in the mirror and saying something positive about yourself.

You might feel silly at first, but with time, you'll start to feel more confident.

So we can see Jun here having a go at this.

He's looking at himself in the mirror and he's saying, "You're really interesting!" So he's reminding himself that he is great.

He's saying something positive about himself to try and boost his confidence.

If this feels uncomfortable, what you could do is you could always ask someone you trust to say something positive about you.

You can also talk to a trusted adult.

Now, like I said before, this could be someone at home, it could be a teacher or a counsellor.

Everyone goes through puberty, so they can help you to understand more about what is happening.

Now, it's usual during puberty to feel a mixture of emotions, including things like depression or anxiety.

And if you experience either of those emotions, it's really important that you speak to a trusted adult.

So Sam is saying here that she is struggling to handle her emotions.

So it would be important, and we would probably advise Sam, if you're really struggling, to speak to a trusted adult or someone at home, a teacher or a counsellor.

So we're gonna pause here and we're gonna check our understanding about what we've learned so far.

So is what Alex saying true or false? He says, "No one understands what I'm going through so there's no point in talking to an adult if I'm struggling." So pause the video, have a think about your answer, and then we'll go through the correct one in a second.

Well done if you said false, of course this is false, because everyone goes through puberty.

So adults will have had similar experiences and can offer advice and support to help people to manage and understand their emotions during puberty.

So another thing that you can do is to educate yourself.

So by trying to understand what's happening to you during puberty, it can demystify the emotional changes and help you feel more in control.

Now, there's lots of great books.

There's charity and medical websites that can help you to understand puberty.

So Aisha is saying here that learning about puberty has really helped her to understand why she's feeling the way that she is.

Next is connecting with others.

So talking to friends who are going through the same things as you can really help you to manage emotional changes and feel less isolated.

So Andeep is saying here, "I've started to feel attracted to someone.

I've never felt this way before." And Lucas has felt the same way.

He's saying, "I started having similar feelings last year.

It's usual and just a part of puberty!" So it's really important to connect with others who are having or have had similar experiences to you.

Another thing that you can do is to establish a routine and stay active.

So having a routine in place can help you feel more in control day-to-day.

Staying active, getting exercise and fresh air can help boost positive hormones like dopamine and help you to relieve anxiety.

It's also really important to get a minimum of nine hours of sleep each night.

So Sofia is saying here that she tries really hard to wake up at the same time every day and go for a walk with her dad after school.

So Sofia is saying there about the importance of getting a good night's sleep, getting a routine and sticking to it, and also having some time during the day where she can be active, get some fresh air, have some exercise, and connect with her trusted adult.

Next is thinking carefully before you act.

So during puberty, young people might be more impulsive, and that's because that prefrontal cortex hasn't fully developed yet.

And this means that they can act on emotion and feelings of reward rather than thinking things through sensibly.

And what this can do is it can make young people going through puberty more susceptible, so more likely, to give in to peer pressure, because they want to fit in.

So it's important that you set boundaries and you feel comfortable saying no.

So here we can see a conversation between two people.

One person saying, "Come on, everyone's trying alcohol, join in!" And the other person's saying, "No thanks, I don't want to do that." They've set boundaries and they have said no.

And this is a really important skill to have.

Now, we're gonna pause here.

We're gonna check our understanding one more time.

So true or false, puberty can cause mood swings, but if you feel down all the time, you should ask for support.

So pause the video, have a think about your answer, and then we'll go through the correct one together.

Well done if you said true.

Yes, new emotions that you might feel during puberty are things like anxiety or depression.

You might experience mood swings, but if you do feel down all the time, it's important you speak to a trusted adult or a medical professional, 'cause they can provide you with the help and support that you need.

So going through puberty involves a great deal of change.

It can be a difficult period, and if you feel like you're struggling with depression or anxiety, you must speak to a trusted adult for support.

Finally, we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So with your partner, I'd like for you to discuss how people can be supported during puberty.

Things I'd like you to consider during your discussion is being kind, asking for support, educating yourself, saying no to peer pressure, connecting with others, and finally, keeping a routine.

So I'd like you to go away and have those discussions now and then we'll have a think together about some things that you might have mentioned.

I'm sure those discussions were fantastic.

Now, let's have a look at some of the things that you might have mentioned in your discussion.

So firstly, it's important to be kind to yourself during puberty, especially as your emotions are unpredictable.

You could try telling yourself things you like about yourself in the mirror.

If you're struggling with feeling down regularly, or feelings of anxiousness, it's important to speak to a trusted adult.

Learning more about puberty can demystify what you're going through.

You could use the NHS website to find out more information.

Peer pressure can be difficult during puberty, as you can begin to feel a stronger desire to fit in.

It can be helpful to practise saying no.

You may also have discussed that it's important to think before you act.

During puberty, your prefrontal cortex is not fully developed, so you may make impulsive decisions.

Be understanding of this with yourself.

Connecting with friends regularly who are going through the same thing that you are can be helpful in supporting each other.

Keeping a routine can help keep some of your day predictable when your emotions may not be, during puberty.

And finally, getting regular exercise will increase positive hormones.

And trying to get nine hours of sleep a night can also help with managing emotions.

Now, to end today's lesson, we are gonna have a little look at what we have learned today.

So a summary of what we've learned so far.

So although the brain changes and develops during puberty, the prefrontal cortex is not developed until your mid-twenties.

Brains grow and change dramatically during teenage years due to changes in physical development.

During puberty, the changes in the brain can make you feel sensitive and experience new emotions due to the growing and more active amygdala.

An increase in new hormones in the body can change emotional responses and lead to mood swings and new emotions.

And finally, there are ways that you can support yourself or others experiencing changing emotions during puberty.

Now, if anything that we've discussed today in this lesson affects you in any way, or you're concerned, here are some places that you can go to to get support.

So first, we have the NHS website, which provides advice about health and prevention, including how to access services, and Childline, a website and phone line which is able to offer confidential advice and support.

And I would like to end today's lesson by saying a big well done on all the fantastic learning that you've done, and I hope to see you again soon in another RSHE lesson.