Topic: Family planning

Author: Leokadia Stalewicz

Target group

7th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

General requirements

IV. Reasoning and applying the acquired knowledge to solving biological problems. Student:

1) interpret information and explain causal relationships between phenomena, formulate conclusions.

Specific requirements

III. The human body

12. Reproduction and development. Student:

2) describes the phase of the woman's menstrual cycle.

General aim of education

The student learns about natural and artificial methods of birth control

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• describe the natural and artificial methods of birth control.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

• Students get acquainted with the content of the abstract. They prepare to work on the lesson in such a way to be able to summarize the material read in their own words and solve the tasks themselves.

Introduction

• The teacher gives the topic, the goals of the lesson in a language understandable for the student, and the criteria of success.

Realization

• The teacher discusses natural methods of birth control using resources from the „Family Planning” lesson in the e‑textbook and explains how to determine the term of ovulation by thermal method or by observing the mucus secreted by the cervix.

• The teacher acquaints students with the method of calculating fertile days in the case of regular 28‑day cycles and in the case of irregular cycles. The second of the abovementioned cases is explained using an infographics presenting an example of the use of this method.

• The teacher explains what artificial methods of birth control are, giving examples..

• The teacher divides the class into groups of 5‑6 people. Each group, working using the metaplan method, is designed to assess the advantages and disadvantages of natural and artificial methods of birth control (command 1 from the lesson in the e‑textbook). When assessing the methods, students should base their knowledge on lessons from the lesson.

• The teacher initiates a short discussion summarizing the work in groups. Each group during the discussion presents the effects of joint work.

• Students, working individually or in pairs, carry out interactive exercises to check and consolidate knowledge learned during the lesson. Selected people discuss the correct solutions for interactive exercises. The teacher completes or corrects the statements of the proteges.

Summary

• The teacher briefly presents the most important issues discussed in class. He answers the additional questions of the proteges and explains all their doubts. Students complete notes.

Homework

• Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

• Analyze the change in hormone levels in the woman's sexual cycle. Specify the date of ovulation. Determine if the egg cell has been fertilized in this cycle. Justify your answer with one argument..

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Family planning

Prospective parents, when deciding to conceive a child, should be prepared to perform one of the most important roles of their lives. It involves responsibility for the child from the moment of its conception. In order not to become parents by accident, it is worth consulting a gynecologist who will present methods of birth control. They are divided into natural and artificial ones. Natural methods are based on the observation of the woman's sexual cycle and the accompanying symptoms on the basis of which fertile and infertile days can be determined. These methods allow the woman to know how her body functions. However, the irregularity of cycles and factors such as illness, physical exertion, and stress can disrupt the functioning of the body, disturb the course of the cycle and change the date of ovulation. For these reasons, natural methods are unreliable.

When determining the days in which intercourse is likely to lead to pregnancy, the presence of a viable ovum and sperm life in the woman's reproductive tract should be considered. The ovum is capable of fertilization for 24‑48 hours. Sperm in female reproductive tracts lives for 3‑4 days. Therefore, fertilization may occur when sexual intercourse occurred up to 4 days before ovulation and up to 2 days after ovulation.

If ovulation falls on the 14th day of the cycle, then pregnancy can occur between the 10th and 16th day. In the case of irregular menstrual periods, the length of the shortest and longest cycle in the last six months is taken into account. 11 days are deducted from the longest cycle and 18 days from the shortest. The numbers obtained indicate the days of the cycle between which conception is very likely.

Artificial methods consist in applying measures that interfere with the functioning of a woman's body. They can change the course of the menstrual cycle, prevent sperm from entering the female genital tract, destroy sperm, impede fertilization or prevent the implantation of the embryo in the uterus. Studies show that the most effective are hormonal contraceptives. Their use should be under strict medical supervision, as they may cause side effects and various ailments, also outside the reproductive system.

• Estrogens and progesterone affect the uterus, preparing it for embryo implantation.