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Year 5

Changes during puberty

I can describe changes in humans as they develop through adolescence.

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New
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Year 5

Changes during puberty

I can describe changes in humans as they develop through adolescence.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Adolescence is the stage of growth and development between childhood and adulthood
  2. Puberty is when a child's body begins to develop and change as they become an adult and are able to reproduce
  3. Puberty usually happens between ages 10 and 14 for girls, and ages 12 and 16 for boys
  4. Signs of puberty for girls include changing body shape, additional body hair and starting periods
  5. Signs of puberty for boys include changing body shape, additional body hair and a deeper voice

Keywords

  • Human - People are a type of animal called humans.

  • Adolescence - Adolescence is the time that a human spends as an adolescent.

  • Adolescent - An adolescent is a human in the process of developing from a child into an adult.

  • Puberty - Puberty is a time when human bodies go through changes to become adults that are able to reproduce.

  • Reproduce - When living things reproduce they create their offspring.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that everyone goes through, or should go through puberty, at the same time.

Using the lesson resources to support, explain that everybody is different and will go through puberty at different times.

Try and get hold of photos of familiar staff members during childhood and adolescence so children can enjoy seeing how these familiar people have changed over time and during the period of adolescence.
Teacher tip

Equipment

None required

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these animals is a mammal?
Crocodiles
Correct answer: Humans
Penguins
Clownfish
Q2.
Humans become toddlers when they are around ...
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: one year old.
two years old.
five years old.
ten years old.
Q3.
At what stage in their development do humans usually stop growing?
Baby
Toddler
Child
Correct answer: Adult
Q4.
What can human adults do that human children cannot?
An image in a quiz
Walk
Communicate
Correct answer: Reproduce
Eat a range of foods
Q5.
Between what ages are young humans considered to be children?
An image in a quiz
0-1 years old
1-3 years old
Correct answer: 3-12 years old
12-20 years old
Q6.
Match the approximate age with the stage of development in young humans.
Correct Answer:6 months,Start eating solid food

Start eating solid food

Correct Answer:12 months,Start learning to walk

Start learning to walk

Correct Answer:3 years,Start speaking in short sentences

Start speaking in short sentences

Correct Answer:4 years,Start learning to recognise letters and numbers

Start learning to recognise letters and numbers

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Starting with the earliest, order the stages of human development.
1 - Baby
2 - Toddler
3 - Child
4 - Adolescent
Q2.
What is puberty?
Correct answer: The time when human bodies change to be more like adult bodies
A type of body hair grown by humans
The name for a group of organs inside a human’s body
The time humans are aged from 13-19 years old
Q3.
Match the stage of human development to the body change.
Correct Answer:baby,Able to digest foods other than milk

Able to digest foods other than milk

Correct Answer:toddler,Start learning to walk

Start learning to walk

Correct Answer:child,Baby teeth fall out

Baby teeth fall out

Correct Answer:puberty,Body hair grows in new places, such as under the arms

Body hair grows in new places, such as under the arms

Q4.
Which of these changes happen to both boys and girls during puberty?
Periods start
Correct answer: Body hair grows in new places
Voice deepens significantly
Correct answer: Changing body shape
Q5.
When does puberty usually start for girls?
Between the ages of 8 and 12
Correct answer: Between the ages of 10 and 14
Between the ages of 12 and 16
Between the ages of 15 and 20
Q6.
When does puberty usually begin for boys?
Between the ages of 8 and 12
Between the ages of 10 and 14
Correct answer: Between the ages of 12 and 16
Between the ages of 15 and 20