Minds On
Mind and body changes
As we grow and develop, our bodies and minds go through changes. Some of these changes are physical, some are emotional, and some are intellectual.
What might some of these changes be?
Create a list of your own personal thoughts and questions about our personal development.
Complete the My Thoughts on Personal Development in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. You can also use another method of your choice to record your ideas.
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Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the My Thoughts on Personal Development.
Action
Physical and emotional changes
One of the physical and emotional changes people go through as they grow and develop is called puberty.
Puberty
Puberty is the name for the time your body begins to change and develop as you move from a child to an adult.
People undergo many physical and emotional changes as they grow up from being a child to eventually becoming an adult. Everyone experiences these changes at different rates and at different times, as hormones are released into the body. This period of adolescence, with all the changes that happen during this time, is referred to as puberty. Puberty can start anytime between the ages of 8 and 16.
Hormones
Hormones are chemical messengers released in the body that contribute to how the body grows and develops.
Along with the emotional changes that are happening during puberty, there are physical changes too. It happens at different times and rates for everyone. Puberty is a normal occurrence for every individual.
Brainstorm
Brainstorm
What are some of the feelings someone might have as they start to experience physical changes during puberty?
Record your thoughts using a method of your choice.
Different types of changes
Press the following tabs to access examples of different types of changes.
Check your learning
For each change, select the corresponding example.
Brainstorm
Brainstorm
As physical and emotional changes begin to happen, this can also mean some social changes too. What are some social changes that might happen when someone begins to go through puberty?
Record your thoughts using a method of your choice.
Hormones in the body
During puberty the main hormones that are released are estrogen and testosterone. If you were born with a vagina, the main hormone in your body is estrogen. If you were born with a penis, the main hormone in your body is testosterone.
Explore the following information on changes from estrogen and testosterone. As you explore, record your findings using a Venn diagram.
Press ‘Venn diagram’ to review what this diagram is.
A Venn diagram is a useful tool to help quickly organize similarities and differences in text. The space in the middle where the two circles overlap is for information that is shared between the two topics. The parts of the circles that do not meet are for the differences.
Complete the Compare and Contrast the Changes from Estrogen and Testosterone in your notebook or using another method of your choice.
Press the Activity button to access Compare and Contrast the Changes from Estrogen and Testosterone.
Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)Press the following tabs to access the different changes from estrogen.
Between the ages of 8-13 years, some people start developing breasts. It is possible that one of the breasts grows faster than the other, but by the time the breasts are fully developed, the differences in their shape and size are reduced. The size of the breasts and the time when they start to grow also varies on an individual basis. During puberty, some adolescents experience a sharp growth in their height. This is known as a growth spurt.
Through the years of puberty, the hips of some adolescents widen, and hair begins to grow in the genital region. Hair in the genital region is known as pubic hair. During puberty, hair also begins to grow in your armpits.
Some bodies are preparing to reproduce another human being. An egg is released from the ovaries once a month and goes to the uterus. Menstruation is a process in which a mature adolescent’s body releases a small amount of blood and tissue through the vagina when the egg is not fertilized. Menstruation is a normal process that healthy mature people undergo once every month.
Press the following tabs to access the different changes from testosterone.
The voice may get deeper/lower. Hair begins to grow on the face that can later develop into a moustache and/or a beard. Hair begins to grow on the chest, in the armpits, hands, legs and in the groin area. Hair in the groin region is called pubic hair. The penis and the testicles grow larger in size.
During puberty, some adolescents experience a sharp growth in their height. This is known as a growth spurt.
Press ‘Answer Guide’ to check your understanding.
An a Venn diagram of the differences and similarities between estrogen and testosterone. In the circle labelled "Estrogen", the characteristics are menstruation, development of breasts, and widening of hips. In the circle labelled "Testosterone", the characteristics are deepening of voice, facial hair, and increase in size of genitals. In the overlapping space, the similarities are growth spurt and hair growth (underarm and pubic hair).
Did You Know?
Did you know?
Some cultures have traditions associated with puberty that mark the transition from childhood to adulthood.
For example, in Judaism, a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah is celebrated at age thirteen, when a person comes of age, according to religious law, and can now participate as an adult in the religious life of the community. Many Indigenous communities have rites of passage that signal that an adolescent is ready to take on an adult role in society.
Consolidation
Public service announcement
Puberty is the process that a body undergoes as it prepares itself to be able to produce a baby. Everyone will eventually experience puberty, as this is a natural stage of human development that will vary among individuals. You are not going through this alone.
Using a method of your choice create an educational tool to let others in your age group know that puberty is a natural process that all humans experience. This could be a PSA (Public Service Announcement), or a video, audio, or visual presentation of your choice.
Use the checklist to make sure you have included all your information.
Checklist
In your educational tool, be sure to:
Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.