RSHEGrowing up: body, periods and hygiene20 min★ difficulty

Looking after a changing body

Puberty brings new sweat glands, oilier skin and hair, so a few small daily habits make a big difference to how you feel.

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Understand the changing adolescent body and personal hygiene

Key learning points

• Sweat and smell
• Skin and hair
• Teeth, sleep and shaving
• Making it stick

This lesson at a glance

20 minutes
19 parts to scroll through
4 quick checks
Marked quiz at the end
Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

changingadolescentpersonalhygieneshaving

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 19 · Intro5%

Introduction

Part 1 of 19

Looking after a changing body illustration

Visual introduction

Picture this

Looking after a changing body

Puberty brings new sweat glands, oilier skin and hair, so a few small daily habits make a big difference to how you feel.

In a nutshell

Understand the changing adolescent body and personal hygiene

What you already know

Part 2 of 19

Before we start

What you already know

You know that sweat helps cool the body down.

Key words

Part 3 of 19

Key words

Words you'll need today

deodorant: Covers or reduces body smell. Antiperspirant also reduces sweating.
bacteria: Tiny living things. Body smell comes from bacteria breaking down sweat.
acne: Spots caused by blocked, inflamed pores. Very common in puberty.
routine: A few habits done at the same time each day.

Learning cycle

Part 4 of 19

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1: Skin, sweat and hair

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 5 of 19

Learn

Sweat and smell

Fresh sweat doesn't smell. The smell comes from bacteria. Washing underarms and genitals daily with mild soap and water, wearing clean pants and socks, and using deodorant keeps it under control. Don't put soap or perfume inside the vagina. It cleans itself.

Explore the idea

Part 6 of 19

Learn

Skin and hair

Wash your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser. Don't squeeze spots, because that can leave scars. Oilier hair may need washing more often. If spots are painful or upsetting, a pharmacist or GP can help.

Quick check

Part 7 of 19

Quick check

What causes body smell?

Quick check

Part 8 of 19

Quick check

Should you squeeze spots?

Reset break

Part 9 of 19

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 2 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Learning cycle

Part 10 of 19

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2: Building a routine

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 11 of 19

Learn

Teeth, sleep and shaving

Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes. Teenagers need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep. Shaving any body hair is a personal choice, not a rule. If you do shave, use a clean razor and never share it.

Explore the idea

Part 12 of 19

Learn

Making it stick

Link each habit to something you already do. For example, put deodorant on after brushing your teeth. A checklist on the mirror helps at the start. It's a routine, not a test.

Quick check

Part 13 of 19

Quick check

How much sleep do teenagers need?

Quick check

Part 14 of 19

Quick check

A good way to remember a new habit is to:

Common mix-ups

Part 15 of 19

Common mix-ups

Things people often get wrong

Body smell isn't a sign of being dirty. It's bacteria, and daily washing sorts it.
Removing body hair is a personal choice, not something you have to do.

Challenge round

Part 16 of 19

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

Challenge round

Part 17 of 19

Game · Fill the gaps

Finish the sentences

Choose the word that belongs in each gap.

Shaving any body hair is a ____ choice, not a rule.

Mastery quiz

Part 18 of 19

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Looking after a changing body

3 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

1. How should you clean the vulva?
2. Is shaving body hair required?
3. Who can help with painful acne?

Lesson round-up

Part 19 of 19

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

Not sat

Games

Not played

Points this lesson

Best run

0 in a row

Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?

Ask Luna

Do the work

Your written work for this lesson

This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.

Case study

The group chat

Ellie is added to a class group chat with twenty-six people in it. At first it is jokes and homework questions. Then someone screenshots a private message from a girl in another class and posts it. Several people laugh. Two people leave the chat. Ellie says nothing, and feels bad about it that evening.

The next day the girl is off school. A teacher asks the class about the chat. Nobody wants to be the one who tells.

Staying silent can feel like the safest choice in the moment. It also leaves the person who was hurt on their own.

Written for Good Learning Co.

Reading questions

What choices did Ellie have at the moment the screenshot was posted?
Who could she tell, and what would each of them be able to do?
Write what you would do in this situation and why, in 6–8 sentences.

Thinking it through
Writing
Write what you would do in this situation, who you would ask, and why.
6–8 sentences

Write your answer, notes or working here

Saved as you type.

Photos of paper work, diagrams or working outHow many minutes did the written work take?

Part 1 of 19 · Introduction

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