Myths about teaching can hold you back
- Year 9
Menstruation and how cycles change with age
I can explain how menstrual cycles change with age.
- Year 9
Menstruation and how cycles change with age
I can explain how menstrual cycles change with age.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Menstruation is often irregular in young people.
- Perimenopause is often shown in irregular cycles, sleep difficulties, foggy thoughts, and is caused by hormonal changes.
- There is support available if a person is experiencing perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms.
Keywords
Fertility - how well a person can produce eggs or sperm and achieve pregnancy
Menarche - pronounced men-ar-kee; the time when a female has their first period
Menopause - when a female’s monthly periods end and the body stops releasing eggs, typically occurring in their mid-50s
Perimenopause - the transition period before menopause when a female's hormone levels change, leading to irregular periods and other symptoms
Common misconception
Once menstruation starts someone will get one period a month until they experience the menopause.
Most menstruating people experience between 11 - 13 menstrual cycles per year. However, pregnancy, stress, weight fluctuation, holidays and hormone changes can all disrupt cycles and therefore not everyone experiences a period ‘once a month’.
To help you plan your year 9 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Menstruation and how cycles change with age, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Menstruation and how cycles change with age, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 RSHE (PSHE) lessons from the Our changing bodies: When might I need to seek support? unit, dive into the full secondary RSHE (PSHE) curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sexual content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Menstrual cycles last approximately days.
Q2.Which of these is a good piece of advice for someone experiencing PMS?
Q3.What age range does puberty begin on average?
Q4.What is PCOS?
Q5.Which of these are symptoms of endometriosis?
Q6.PMDD stands for ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word to the correct definition.
when a female's monthly periods end and the body stops producing eggs
the transition period before menopause
the period of fertility
the time when someone has their first period