LESSON PLAN - MENSTRUATION/PERIOD
Updated: Feb 13
The parent/teacher and child will:
Read Mistake’s story of the month ‘WHAT'S WRONG WITH SILVIA?’. (PreK-2 read aloud with a parent. 3-5 silent read independently).
Have the child identify the main idea of the story (tell it in their own words).
Ask your child if they know someone who may have a period (mom, aunts, sisters, teachers, etc) and how they think they could support them during their period.
Discuss the vocabulary words on the bottom of this page with your child.
Have your child re-tell the definitions of the vocab words in their own words.
FOLLOW UP LESSON #1:
Objective: to help kids understand the science of menstruation.
Watch our video series with Prof Einat Shalom-Paz to learn about the scientific explanation of menstruation. You can also use the facts about periods on page 3 of this magazine.
Have the kids write questions while they watch the videos, and allow time in class for discussion and Q&A.
Have the children write what they learned about menstruation.
FOLLOW UP LESSON #2:
Objective: to allow kids to express their idea about menstruation in a creative way.
Ask the children to write why periods happen and why it’s important to have them (based on follow-up lesson #1).
Have art supplies like paint, collage paper, beads, feathers, etc, and ask the kids to represent menstruation in a creative way.
Ask the kids to present and explain their work and creative choices.
You’re welcome to email us the children’s work at contact@makemistakes.club
VOCABULARY:
Periods - a natural, healthy part of a girl’s life. A period is when blood comes out through a girl’s vagina every month. It is a sign that she is getting close to the end of puberty*. They’re not hurt. This is how the body gets ready for a baby.
Uterus - where a baby, grows. It is a hollow, pear‑shaped organ in women’s bodies.
Hormones - special chemicals your body makes to help it do certain things, like grow up! Hormones are important when you start to go through puberty, which is when you begin developing into an adult.
Puberty – the name for the time when your body begins to develop and change as you move from kid to adult. For example, girls develop breasts, and boys start to look more like men. During puberty, your body will grow faster than at any other time in your life, except for when you were a baby.
LESSO PLAN COMPETENCIES
CASEL COMPETENCIES
Self-Awareness:
Integrating personal and social identities
Identifying one’s emotions
Demonstrating honesty and integrity
Linking feelings, values, and thoughts
Examining prejudices and biases
Having a growth mindset
Social Awareness:
Taking others’ perspectives
Demonstrating empathy and compassion
Showing concern for the feelings of others
Responsible Decision-Making:
Demonstrating curiosity & open-mindedness
Identifying solutions for personal and social problems
Anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one’s actions
Reflecting on one’s role to promote personal, family, and community well-being
Evaluating personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts
Self-Management:
Managing one’s emotions
Identifying and using stress-management strategies
Demonstrating personal & collective agency
Relationship Skills:
Communicating effectively
Developing positive relationships
Resisting negative social pressure
Seeking or offering support & help when needed
ELA COMPETENCIES
Reading: Reading grade-appropriate texts independently
Fluency: Using appropriate fluency when reading grade-level text.
Comprehension:
(G) Evaluating details to determine what is most important with adult assistance.
(H) Synthesizing information to create new understanding with adult assistance.
Response Skills:
(D) Retelling texts in ways that maintain meaning.
(F) Responding using newly acquired vocabulary.
Composition:
(A) dictating or composing literary texts.
