Lesson Planning (The Whole Unit Outline)

Created by: Madison Gordon

Subject: Sexual Health Education
Grade: 9 & 10 (Stage’s 1-3 can be applied to Grade 12 Careers classes as well, however some of the
activities in stage four will need to be changed to be more age appropriate)

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Communication Thinking Personal & Social

C T PS
Big Idea(s): what students will understand (at a conceptual level, see connections to and between ideas, goes beyond the classroom
learning)

There are six big ideas that should be taught in a grade 9 physical education class regarding sexual health these are: Individual
development, overall sexual health, Relationships, growing different skills, and the society/culture around adolescents.

-Individual development should include topics such as the bodies’ anatomy, sexual orientation, gender identity, puberty, and how to be
inclusive with your peers.

-Sexual health should include topics such as STI’s, birth control, pregnancy, abortions, healthy sexual decision making all around and
sexual behavior including how individuals are or choose to be as sexual beings. This also includes understanding both the positive and
negative, long- and short-term consequences of health choices made, and sources of health information/ resources available.

-Relationships should include topics such as romantic partners, parents, friends, family, health care providers, yourself, and other
individuals in one’s life. This should also include potential changes within relationships that could occur and noticing what a healthy vs.
unhealthy relationship looks like.

-Developing different skills should include strategies on how to protect you or someone else from potential abuse or harm, strong
communication, setting boundaries, smart decision making, and consent.

-Society/Culture should include stereotypes, shame, stigmas, power imbalances, and impacts of reproductive freedom.
Each one of these six big ideas goes far beyond classroom learning, in fact it is taught for students’ safety, as well as knowledge in life. In
addition, each of these six big ideas should be covered in a though manor that is appropriate for each grade, but each topic should still be
covered.

Essential Question(s):
How can students explore all the six main topics above, in a way that is inclusive to all and brings awareness?
Curricular Competencies: what students will do Content Competencies: what students will know
(activities to deepen understanding / product) (basic knowledge, definitions, theories, laws)
(this is often right/wrong, yes/no)
Communication: This is the first curricular competency, which
focuses on interactions with others. Communication can be used in Some of the basic knowledge that students should know is listed
the classroom to ask questions, talk to peers, or complete an activity above within the big ideas. They should also have a good
regarding sexual health. This unit will also help students with understanding of the following:
consent, having conversations with romantic partners, setting • The bodies anatomy (All Genders)
boundaries with individuals in their lives, using proper inclusive • Puberty signs and symptoms
language, and asking professionals questions or for help. • LGBTQIA2S+, and how to be an ally/Supportive as
Communication skills will also be used to express individuality, someone who is not a part of this community.
whether that be in general or one’s sexual identity/orientation.
• How to identify/ what to do if you get an STI
• The different Birth control options
Thinking: Thinking is the second main curricular competency,
which includes both creative and critical thinking. In other words, • What an Abortion is? Where to get one? Different kinds of
this is one’s intellectual development. Thinking can be abortions available?
demonstrated in the classroom when learning about Sexual Health
by asking questions, developing new ideas, and recognizing the • What to do if you are pregnant, signs and symptoms you
importance to sexual health. These skills can help outside of the are pregnant (this needs to include all ethnicities, as studies
classroom by noticing healthy or unhealthy relationships, show that black women are more likely to have
understanding feelings about sexual identity/orientation or about complications. Why this occurs also need to be talked
being sexually active. Another example is, analyzing a possibly about.)
harmful situation, which will then help with taking the next steps. • A list of resources available in the community for students
to use for anything regarding Sex Education or the six
Personal and Social: The third competency includes positive main topics listed above.
personal & cultural identity, social responsibility, and personal • What is an abusive relationship, and how to safely get out
awareness & responsibility. This includes all things relationship of it
wise, as well as personal values, and the ability to choose, which is • Different relationships in your life, and what is an is not
very important when sexually active. Social responsibility can help healthy.
students respect everyone, build healthy relationships, and bring • Tools to help set boundaries.
awareness to reproductive rights or sexual health. Lastly, personal • Reproductive freedom’s currently
awareness can ensure that both themselves and their partners are • How to deal with shame and stigma’s
both comfortable with their relationship, as well as understanding **These are just some examples of the content competency’s that
what is best for one’s body. should be taught.
Stage 2-Learning Plan
Potential Barriers to Success What will you do? (differentiation/adaptations)
(Might include: engagement, motivation, organization, language (not enough to just list obstacles w/o thinking of how to address
ability, exceptionalities, reading level etc.) them)
Teachers/Admin: There are not workshops or training events on Teachers/Admin: The most effective solution to this would be to
professional development days, which can make if very challenging provide training and workshops to teachers at least once a year.
for teachers to teach this topic all around if they don’t have a strong However, until then, if teachers do not feel comfortable or do not
understanding themselves. have enough knowledge on a certain topic within sex education
then they should bring in professionals to teach it. For example, if a
Students: Sex Ed is a topic that requires maturity and respect, even teacher does not feel comfortable teaching anatomy, then they
though it can be an uncomfortable topic at times. This can be should bring in a nurse.
challenging because almost all students feel uncomfortable about
talking about sexual health. Students: This can be overcome simply by addressing it beforehand
and having empathy for how students may be feeling. For example,
Parents: Another Barrier to success could be parents, as many acknowledging that these are difficult conversations to have, but
parents want to know what their children are learning, or want to also listing reason’s as to why it is significant.
have a say in it, especially something as controversial as sexual
health. Parents can also be reluctant to sexual health education Parents: If teachers have the reliable information, bring in
because of religious reasons. professionals, and sex education is taught in a thorough way, then
teachers have done their job. Reminding parents, the importance of
sex education, and looking at it from a harm-reduction standpoint.
If this does not work then students can always be excused from
classes by their parents, but it is ideal if they get some form of sex
education.
Infusing Aboriginal Education/First People’s Resources / Materials Required / Technology
Principles of Learning The materials needed depend on the activities listed in the teaching
Due to generation trauma many indigenous people, as well as other plan below. (See the teaching plan for more information.)
minority groups experience unhealthy relationships and abuse. Some of the resources in the community that can be a big help are
Therefore, the greatest thing that can be done for them is giving the B.C Curriculum, The Foundry, Options for sexual health, and
these students knowledge and helping them develop the skills Frazer health (They have many other resources listed on their
needed to be safe and healthy. It is also important for other students website under sexual health).
to know how to support or help their peers.
Stage 3 – Assessment Evidence
Formative (before/during) Summative (at the end) Self (Assessment/Reflection)
The majority of this unit will be based off of There will be no summative pieces to this, Here is an example of reflection questions
formative learning. For example, working in in the form of write up’s, tests, or individual to ask after an activity or at the end of the
groups, interactive activities, reflections, work, because there will be a different take unit:
journals, or exit slips. See Stage 4 for more away for each student. The summative 1. What was something new that you
examples. marks will be based off participation, group learned?
 activities, or presentations about a topic they 2. What was your biggest take
researched. This unit is strictly to teach away?
students about sexual health, not to put 3. What did you find interesting?
pressure on them by grading them with tests 4. What question’s do you still
or write ups. have?

Stage 4 – Teaching Plan

Day: What is being taught:
**Note: Below are just some activities/lessons that could be used to teach sexual health in a grade 9 or 10
class. Before each of these the teacher should go over ground rules and use inclusive language throughout.
Lessons Includes: Individual development should include topics such as the bodies’ anatomy, sexual orientation,
Day 1- gender identity, puberty, and how to be inclusive with your peers.
Mental Set/Hook: Introduce the lesson/ activity by setting ground rules and the expectation of students. Explain to
Individual the students what the plan is for this topic. Begin the lesson by introducing the presenter/ nurse or begin the slide
Development show.
(Sex Education
Needs to be at least Input/Information: The topic individual development is most effective in a presentation format, done by a nurse or
a weeklong unit, a teacher that is very well informed, because of the maturity level at grade 9 and 10. The main information should
for it to be effective cover everything that is included in this topic, which is listed above.
and cover all the
following Activities/lesson:
information. This 1. The general information should be included within the presentation/ slide show. This can also include
five-day unit could props or examples of what is begin taught. There should also be slides on sexual identity, sexual
easily be spread orientation, and homophobic bullying. (Here is a video to inform students about homophobic bullying/ to
over two weeks.) bring awareness: https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education/equal-love-lgbti-rights ) There are many
other videos available, as well as movies with homophobic bullying examples.
2. Matching Game (Gender identity/ orientation terms and meanings.) It is very important for students to not
only support but learn about the LGBTQ+ community. A game to get the conversation going can be small
cut outs of paper with either a term or the meaning of it. Students will have to match the meaning’s
together in groups, to help inform them about the LGBTQ+ community. An Example of this is, the term
Transgender would be matched with, “a person’s identity/expression/behavior that is not the same as the
sex they were assigned to at birth, “but it would not be matched with “being sexually attracted to someone
with the same gender as you.”
3.
Checking For Understanding: After the presentation, video, or matching game it is important to make time for
discussion or questions that students may have. Teachers can also go around the classroom quickly, and each
student has to say one small thing. This can either be a question, something they learned, something they found
interesting, or anything else they want to say.

Closure: This topic can be concluded with access to an anonymous question box, where students can ask whatever
questions, they want. The second topic is overall sexual health which is complimentary to this one. In fact, many
nurses will cover all the information from both individual development, and overall sexual health in one
informative presentation.

Day 2-Overall Sexual health should include topics such as STI’s, birth control, pregnancy, abortions, healthy sexual decision
Sexual Health making all around and sexual behavior including how individuals are or choose to be as sexual beings. This also
includes understanding both the positive and negative, long- and short-term consequences of health choices made,
and sources of health information/ resources available.

Mental Set/Hook: Introduce the lesson/ activity by setting ground rules and the expectation of students. Explain to
the students what the plan is for this topic. Begin the lesson by introducing the presenter/ nurse or begin the slide
show. If a nurse is brought in, she will most likely cover this topic as well as individual development.

Input/Information: A beginning icebreaker game is True or False. For example, o to the front of the room if you
think my statement is true and go to the back of the room if you think my statement is false. Here are some example
of statements, to get the conversation going, and get students engaged:
1. A woman who has an STI and is pregnant can pass it to her infant. TRUE
2. A person can have an STI and not know it. True
3. 1 in 10 women will have an abortion in their lifetime. FALSE, the answer is 1 in 6 or less
 4. An IUD is not a form of Birth Control. FALSE, an IUD is one of the most popular forms of birth control
along with the pill, and an arm implant.

Activities/Lessons:
1. There should be a video on how to put on both female and male condoms, or this can be included in the
nurse’s presentation.
2. Each school should have a resource board, but if there is not a resource board in the school, each student
should be provided with a print off list of resources in the community to access if one has questions or
needs help.
3. There should always be a question box available in the classroom during this unit, where students can ask
questions anonymously.
4. Students can also do a research activity in small groups or on their own, about how to find their own
resources available in the community. This can look like each student or group having to find 6 reliable
resources, and a quick overview of each of the resources, where they are, and what they do. After this each
student/group will have to present their findings to the class.
5. The next activity is Jeopardy. Students will be slit up into groups of two or four, and then they will have to
select a volunteer to go up to the front and ring the bell. This game will be focused on doing the right
thing. For example, one of the questions could be, “what do you do if you think you have an STI?” and
then the teacher will have five possible answers, and if the student gets them right their team gets a point.
Some other questions could be:
-What is a type of birth control?
-What is one type or name of a STI?
-Common symptoms of pregnancy?
-Where are some local resources to seek help?

Closure: This topic can be wrapped up by reminding students about the resources available, as well as passing the
question box around, and having an open conversation about everything taught.

Day 3- Relationships should include topics such as romantic partners, parents, friends, family, health care providers,
Relationships yourself, and other individuals in one’s life. This should also include potential changes within relationships that
could occur and noticing what a healthy vs. unhealthy relationship looks like.

Mental Set/Hook/ Input/Information: Start this lesson by having a conversation about what healthy and unhealthy
relationships can look like, as well as different kinds of relationships.

Activities/Lesson:
1. The first activity is a matching card game where there is a scenario on each of the cards and students have
to either put the card in the healthy or unhealthy column. This will help students help recognize the
difference between a healthy or unhealthy relationship. An example of some of the cards are One person
feels like they can’t live without the other, and constantly relies on them to do basic tasks, another example
is one partner asks for help when needed or after trying to do something themselves. This activity could
also be done by the teacher reading out the scenario aloud, and the students going to the side of the room
that best fits the situation explained.
2. This next activity is “The effects of Relationships,” students will split chart paper in four columns:
Empirical difficulties, Intimate/Romantic difficulties, Commitment/Loyal difficulties, and Compatibility
Challenges. Students will then brainstorm and write examples for each column. After teachers and
students should come together and go over their findings. At the end of this activity students can complete
an exit slip with reflection questions on them. The reflection questions can be; What category did you have
the hardest time with and why? What category did you have the easiest time with and why? What roles do
values play in relationships.
3. Students will have to pick two song’s or small movie clip’s, one will have to be an example of a healthy
relationship, and the other will have to be an example of an unhealthy relationship. Students will then have
to explain why it is unhealthy or healthy and provide examples of what could have been done or changed
to be a stronger relationship. At the end of their research students will have to present this in front of the
class.

Checking For Understanding: Teachers can check for understanding by having a final reflection, or by doing the
song/movie clip activity. Teachers can also do a whip around the class where each students shares one thing they
learned.
 Closure: This topic is important to wrap up with having an in-depth conversation about what to do if you are in a
bad relationship, and how to safely get out of it. It is also important to talk about how it can be mentally draining,
and effect one’s mental health to be in an unhealthy relationship. In addition, there are online quizzes available for
your personality type, and how you act in your relationships. One of these quizzes is the 16 personalities quiz
(https://www.16personalities.com ).

Developing different skills should include strategies on how to protect you or someone else from potential abuse
Day 4-Growing or harm, strong communication, setting boundaries, smart decision making, and consent.
different Skills Mental Set/Hook/ Input/Information: This topic can be introduced by taking about the importance of consent and
setting boundaries. Below are also some video’s to help get students engaged, and get the conversation started.
- https://www.ippf.org/resource/watch-lets-talk-about-sex-consent
- https://www.ted.com/talks/kaz_sex_education_should_start_with_consent?language=en
- https://www.ted.com/talks/nathaniel_cole_why_we_need_to_change_the_way_young_men_think_about_consent?language=en

Activities/Lessons:
1. The first activity is role playing in class with different consent, boundary setting, and communication
scenarios. There should be some good and some bad examples. Students will be put into groups and have
time to go over and plan their script and then they will have to present in front of the class.
2. This next activity is Jeopardy, the rules are explained in topic two, overall sexual health. This time the only
difference is students will be given a handout of different ways to communicate in different situations.
Students will have to decide the best answer based off of the questions which will be about consent, power,
and boundary setting.

Checking For Understanding/ Closure: You can make sure students understand by the first activity, as they will
have to make their own small skits and present them. It is also important to finish this topic with a reminder of
resources to access if anyone needs help or wants to work on setting boundaries/consent.

Society/Culture should include stereotypes, shame, stigmas, power imbalances, and impacts of reproductive
Day 5- freedom.
Society/Culture Mental Set/Hook/ Input/Information: This topic can be introduced with a small presentation giving some
examples of stigma’s and stereotypes we see in society. Once students have some examples of what stereotypes and
stigmas can look like the teacher should also give some examples of how to overcome them or stand against them.
This video below is a great way to start the conversation and give examples of gender norms.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdHSDaJNQSg)

Activities/Lesson:
1. This activity is called act like a woman or act like a man. Students will write two columns on chart paper
one that is titled men and one woman, and they will have a set amount of time to write down all the
common stereotypes of men and women. After a few minutes the class will also be instructed to add ways
that people should act as a man or women. At the end of this activity students will share a few of their
examples with the class. There will also be reflection questions of: Where do we learn these common
misconceptions? How can we change these misconceptions? Would you or have you stood up against these
stereotypes?
2. Here is a video for the class to watch on how we are all human, and how there is much more than what
meets the eye. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD8tjhVO1Tc
3. For reproductive freedom, gay marriage rights, and LGBTQ+ rights print off a sheet of paper will true
and false situations that have happened around the world in the past. This will help give students
perspective and learn how people are oppressed. Some examples of the statements are;
-Same sex couples are more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases. F
-In June of 2015, same sex marriage became legal in all states in the US. F
-LGB Youth are almost 5 times as likely to have attempted suicide than heterosexual youth. T
-Forced pregnancy only impacts women. F

Checking For Understanding/ Closure: As a teacher you can ensure that your students understand what they re
learning about by having a class discussion, as well as making each student write a page write about some of the
more impactful stereotypes and stigma’s they have seen that fit within sexual health, and how we can help
overcome them.
 Bibliography (Find more information here)

“Grade 9 Archives - Teachers | Teaching Sexual Health.” Teachers | Teaching Sexual Health,
https://teachingsexualhealth.ca/teachers/grade/grade-9/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

https://www.trentu.ca -Look up PDF Sex Education Lesson Plan