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Year 5 - Science

Changes during puberty

Human development

Unit Summary

This unit describes the changes humans undergo from birth to old age. It involves planning scientific enquiries, measuring accurately, recording complex data, and presenting findings. Emphasis is on identifying evidence to support or refute ideas, drawing conclusions, and explaining results.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe changes in humans as they develop through adolescence.

Key Notes

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

Vocabulary To Learn

  • human: People are a type of animal called humans.
  • adolescence: Adolescence is the stage of the human life cycle that occurs between childhood and adulthood.
  • 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 Mistakes To Avoid

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

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.

Adolescence is the stage of growth and development between childhood and adulthood. Puberty is when a child's body begins to develop and change as they become an adult and are able to reproduce.

2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'human'

People are a type of animal called humans. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.

3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may think that everyone goes through, or should go through puberty, at the same time. Correction: Using the lesson resources to support, explain that everybody is different and will go through puberty at different times.

More Lessons In This Unit

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