SESSION EIGHT: APPLICATION, PRACTICE, AND RESOURCES

Lesson Plan – Taking Care of Your Sexual Health

TARGET–AGE
TOPIC: Taking Care of Your Sexual Health TIME: 45 minutes
RANGE: 9–15
SUBJECT: Life Skills
IDEAL NUMBER OF LEARNERS: 40

WHAT ADVANCE PREPARATION, IF ANY, IS REQUIRED OF THE TEACHER FOR THIS LESSON?
• Identify a health care provider from a local health center or hospital who can speak about the family
planning and reproductive health care services available to young people in your country. Use the
Guidelines for Teachers in Preparing a Guest Speaker to guide your selection and preparation of this
health care provider before they present to your learners. Ideally the speaker can bring samples of
birth control methods to show students during class.
• A day prior to the guest speaker’s visit, ask learners to write down a question, which will be anonymous,
that they have about reproductive health care for the speaker. Collect these questions to use in case the
learners are too timid to ask questions directly during the presentation. This is helpful when learners
are hesitant to ask questions in front of each other, including for example, if girls are hesitant to do
so in front of boys or vice versa.
• If the gender dynamic is such that more is needed to ensure full engagement of both girls and boys,
consider separating learners by gender and have the guest speaker address the groups separately.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this lesson learners will be able to:
1) Describe at least three reproductive health care services provided by a local health care provider.
[knowledge]
2) Identify at least three reasons why a young person would seek reproductive health care. [knowledge]

LIFE SKILLS DEMONSTRATED IN THIS LESSON:

1) Think critically about reproductive health care available to young people.

RESOURCE MATERIALS FOR TEACHER:

• Guidelines for Teachers in Preparing a Guest Speaker
• Any available information about the reproductive health care services that your guest speaker will be
presenting about. This will allow you to respond to questions from your learners after the presentation
is over.

MATERIALS FOR LEARNER:

• Taking Care of Your Sexual Health—A Homework Assignment

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Lesson Plan – Taking Care of Your Sexual Health

This lesson is enhanced when learners have the following background knowledge: Content from the International
Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education—Key Concept 6: Sexual and Reproductive Health – All Topics

PROCEDURE:
Step 1)
The teacher should introduce the topic and reason for this lesson by saying, “Today we will be learning about
reproductive health care, which is how to care of our bodies and specifically the parts of our bodies involved
with reproduction and sexual behaviors.” Ask the learners, “Who can tell me one reason why a young person
might need reproductive health care?” Ask for volunteers to share their responses, which may include any
of the following:
• They think they might be pregnant and want to take a pregnancy test
• They think they might have an STI and want to get tested for STIs
• They are planning to have sexual intercourse and want to get contraception
• They are planning to have sexual intercourse and want to be tested for STIs
• They want to get tested for HIV
• They want to get contraception for other health reasons.
Step 2) 5 minutes for Steps 1 & 2
Tell learners that you have invited a very special guest to speak to the class today. Introduce your guest
speaker; explain what their role is at the health care facility and the name of the health care facility. Explain
to your learners that the guest speaker will present for 15 minutes and then there will be time for learners
to ask questions Encourage learners to write down any additional questions they may have as the guest
speaker is presenting.

Step 3) 15 minutes
Have the guest speaker present about their health care facility and the reproductive health care they provide
young people for 15 minutes. If speaker was able to obtain samples, have them display and/or pass around
samples of birth control methods as appropriate during their presentation.
Step 4) 15 minutes
When the guest speaker has concluded, ask learners if they have any questions and facilitate a question and
answer session for an additional 15 minutes. If learners do not initially have questions, you can start with any
of the following questions, if this information has not already been covered in the guest speakers’ presentation.
Additionally, if you had learners write down questions the day before, use some of those questions now to
get the conversation started and to get their questions answered.

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Lesson Plan – Taking Care of Your Sexual Health

PROCEDURE (CONTINUED):
Sample Questions for the Guest Speaker:
• At what age can young people access services on their own?
• What are the different types of reproductive health care services you offer and what do these consist of?
• Where is your clinic located? How can a young person get to your clinic location? Is there transportation
available?
• What are the costs associated with the services you provide?
• Is everything confidential, meaning no one else can know about it? If not, what is not confidential
and why?

Step 5) 5 minutes
Once time has elapsed, ask the learners to thank the guest speaker for their time and sharing their expertise.
Ask learners to think of one new thing they learned from the presentation and raise their hands once they
have something in mind. Ask for five volunteers to share one new thing they learned with the whole group
as a result of the guest speaker’s presentation, making sure not to repeat any comments already shared.

Step 6) 5 minutes
Distribute copies of the homework activity and explain the directions and expectations for the assignment
with your learners. Explain how the learners should accomplish the task and when it is due to you for credit.

KEY MESSAGES OF LESSON:

1) Taking care of one’s sexual health is important for overall well–being.
2) There are community resources that can provide reproductive health care for young people.

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES AT CONCLUSION OF LESSON:

• The homework assignment can be used for assessment of learning objectives.

HOMEWORK WITH FOCUS ON FAMILY INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES:

• See Step #6 above for homework assignment.

POSSIBLE ADAPTATIONS:
• Large class size—None
• Limited materials/technology—None

Source: Nicole Cheetham, MHS, Director of International Youth Health and Rights & Nora Gelperin, M.Ed., Director of Sexuality Education & Training,
Advocates for Youth, 2015

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Guidelines for Teachers in Preparing a Guest Speaker

Here are some questions to consider when both selecting a guest speaker and preparing the guest
speaker to present to your class.

1. Is the speaker’s information medically accurate?

2. Is the presentation (including method and materials) inclusive of all students’ needs?

3. Is there certainty that the speaker does not use fear–based educational techniques?

4. Is the philosophy of the health care facility aligned with your curriculum?

5. Is the material appropriate for use with learners of all races, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic
and cultural backgrounds, and learners with disabilities?

6. Are the instruction and materials used in the classroom free from the teaching or promotion of
religious doctrine?

7. Is the material free from promoting bias against any person?

Adapted from: New Jersey Department of Education and California Department of Education, USA

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Taking Care of Your Sexual Health –

Homework Assignment
Your Name: ____________________________ Date: ________________________

Directions: Complete the following four sections with information about the guest speaker and
their organization’s sexual and reproductive health services.
Today’s speaker represented this organization:
__________________________________________

A: List three reproductive health care services that young people can get from this
organization:

1) ________________________________________________________________

2) ________________________________________________________________

3) ________________________________________________________________

B: Identify one place where young people can get condoms in your community:

C: Identify one place where young people can get a pregnancy test in your community:

D: Identify one place where young people can get tested for STIs/HIV in your community:

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