Growth and Development Resources for Students

• Always Changing and Growing Up resources are free, downloadable and support teaching adolescent growth and development, personal hygiene, and healthy, active living. From Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) and Ophea (Ontario Physical and Health Education Association).
  • Grades 5 and 6
  • Grades 7 and 8
• Amaze provides educators with toolkits, lesson plans and resources to help communicate effectively and honestly about sex and sexuality with children and adolescents (American)
• Beyond the Basics is a resource for educators on sexuality and sexual health. It offers tools to teach young people from a sex positive, human rights perspective. Topics range from anatomy, to consent, and health relationships. (NOTE: requires a one time fee for purchase.)
• Differing Abilities: Puberty & Hygiene [PDF] is one of the many lesson plans and answers key available from the Teaching Sexual Health portal.
• Every Body Curious is a fun web series aimed at youth ages 9 to 12 (and their parents) that explores the birds and the bees through leading sex educators answering real questions from real kids. Includes open and honest conversations about sexuality, bodies, and healthy relationships.
• Human Development and Sexual Health Teaching Resources (grades 4-12) from Middlesex London Health Unit provide educators with strategies to promote healthy growth and development that can lead to reducing risky sexual behaviour among children and youth. 
  • Elementary School Toolkit: Promoting Healthy Growth and Development 
• Human Development and Sexual Health Teaching Tools (elementary and secondary) from Niagara Region Public Health are designed to support teachers in creating comprehensive lesson plans to cover health-related content in the classroom.
• Puberty is a student-friendly resource from Sex & U that provides a summary of puberty changes to the male and female bodies.

• Keeping Clean When You're a Preteen is a lesson plan, complete with activities, for teaching hygiene during puberty from Health Powered Kids™.

MediaSmarts provides lessons and resources for teachers. Search body image for activities on teaching about body image and advertising messages using videogames and media.