Health Education ~ Growth and Development


Sexuality Education Overview / AIDS Education Overview

arrow Growth and Development (Sexuality) Education Overview

Growth and development education is currently being taught to all students in grades 5 through 12. The following is a brief summary of the curriculum and instruction at each level:

GRADE 5
Individual Growth and Development: Six lessons are taught during three afternoons. Lessons focus on the importance of the family, communication, puberty, reproductive anatomy, AIDS, peer pressure and the media’s influence.

Abstinence-based curriculum written by a committee representing a cross-section of our local community.

Materials used as supplements to the curriculum:
bullet "Changing" video — Always Publications
bullet "Changing" booklets — Always Publications
bullet Female anatomy model (girls only) — Always Publications

GRADES 6, 7 and 8
"Choosing the Best" is our nationally recognized abstinence-only curriculum that encompasses a medically accurate health model and has been shown to be effective through proven, research-based results. This curriculum was adopted in 2004 by PUSD only after a yearlong process of consideration by the Health Education Advisory Committee, public review and input, and approval by the Prescott Unified School District Board. It offers a three-year scope and sequence for the middle school years. WAY is the designation of the 6th grade unit, PATH is the 7th grade unit and LIFE is the title of the 8th grade lessons.

Key components of "Choosing the Best" are:

Motivational Learning Environment -- Video vignettes of real-life teens, in-depth discussions, classroom exercises and role-plays engage the students in learning.

Medical Learning Model -- current information on STDs, emotional consequences and teen pregnancy.

Relationship Education and Refusal Skills -- Provides students with the confidence to handle negative peer and relationship pressures.

Parent Involvement -- Student Manual provides at-home opportunities for parent-student interaction.

Character Education -Students are challenged to develop respect, self-respect, compassion, honesty and courage.

GRADE 6

"Choosing the Best WAY": Five lessons are taught over a one-week period. "WAY" offers students age-appropriate insights into what’s happening to their bodies, emotions and new interest in relationships. Students separate myths from facts and learn that abstinence until marriage is the best "WAY." Lesson topics include: Deciding On Your Future; Figuring Out Friendships and Relationships; Avoiding Unhealthy Relationships; Identifying the Risks; Choosing the Best WAY; Learning To Say “NO.”

GRADE 7

"Choosing the Best PATH": Five lessons are taught over the course of one week. The 7th grade students are presented with down-to-earth videos, energetic exercises and practical refusal skills as a way to be on the best "PATH" for abstinence until marriage. Lesson topics include: Sex: Everybody’s Talking About It; The Risks of STDs and HIV/AIDS; Teen Pregnancy and “Safe Sex?"; Pressures to Be Sexually Active; Choosing the Best PATH; Set It! The Need for Boundaries; Say It! The Need To Speak Up; Show It! The Need To Be Assertive.

GRADE 8

"Choosing the Best LIFE": Five lessons are taught over the course of one week. Powerful video segments introduce each of the lessons and provoke intellectual and emotional responses meant to facilitate discussion. Interactive exercises and role-plays integrated with character traits lead students to choose abstinence until marriage as the best choice for "LIFE." Lesson topics include: Sex, Emotions and Self Respect; Sex, Alcohol and Respect; Sex, STDs and Honesty; Sex, Teen Pregnancy and Responsibility; Sex, HIV/AIDS and Compassion; Sex, Love and Choices; Sex, Limits and Self-Discipline; Sex, Saying “NO” and Courage.

GRADE 9

"Sexuality, Commitment and Family": Ten lessons taught in the P.E. classes, primarily for 9th grade, but may include older students. Lessons focus on dating relationships, date rape, love versus infatuation, marriage, contraception, family planning, parenting, fetal development, pregnancy and childbirth, consequences of teen sexual activity, including abortion, adoption and teen pregnancy, advantages of abstinence, secondary virginity, refusal skills, including one-line comebacks, peer pressure, media influence and 13 sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS.

Abstinence-based curriculum purchased from Teen-Aid. Gender appropriate lesson on female personal health with a guest speaker from the county health department, includes explanation of pelvic exam, breast self-examination and other female personal hygiene concerns.

Gender appropriate lesson for the boys on male responsibility and paternity issues. Supplemented with a video — Teenage Father.

Materials used as supplements to the curriculum:

• Videos on date rape, assertiveness and refusal skills, choosing to wait for sex — Sunburst

• Current contraceptive information on eight methods

• Sex, Lies and the Truth video — Focus on the Family

• It Ain’t Worth It video — A.C. Green, Athletes for Abstinence

GRADE 10

"Staying on Track": Two lessons are taught in conjunction with substance abuse curriculum in the language arts classes.  The focus in on dating and relationship behavior, including verbal and physical abuse, date rape, setting limits, being assertive and resisting pressure. The students use role-plays to practice verbal resistance and negotiation. The power of media influences and how they affect sexual decision-making is also addressed.

Abstinence-based curriculum written by a committee representing a cross-section of our local community.

Materials used as supplements to the curriculum:

• Teenage Sex: Resisting The Pressure video —  Sunburst Communications

• When Dating Turns Dangerous video —  Sunburst Communications

• The Glitter: Sex, Drugs and the Media video — Human Relations Media

GRADE 11

"Building Healthy Relationships": Based on Act Smart/Reducing the Risk Curricula focuses on setting goals, future life planning, decision making, setting and communicating sexual limits, male/female sexuality and fertility, the prevention of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, family planning methods, assertiveness and refusal skills, consequences of teen pregnancy and the advantages of postponing sexual activity.

Sunburst videos, visual displays, teen parents and group activities are included in the one-week program for grade 11 students.  

GRADE 12

"Building Healthy Relationships": Three lessons are taught at the conclusion of the semester long language and comp classes. The emphasis is on discriminating between love and infatuation, the consequences of teen sexuality, marriage, family planning and parenting skills.

Abstinence-based curriculum written by a committee representing a cross-section of our local community.

Materials used as supplements to the curriculum:

• Family planning handout

•"Clues to Distinguish Infatuation from Love" handout

•"Marriage Doesn't Change You--It Unmasks You" handout

Please note: All PUSD sex education classes are currently taught by a male/female team that travels to all schools. AIDS is taught as part of the instruction on sexually transmitted diseases.

arrow HIV/AIDS Education Overview

The Governing Board of Prescott Unified School District has approved a K-12 HIV/AIDS curriculum which is currently being implemented into comprehensive health classes at most grades. School nurses, classroom teachers and the sex education team are involved in this instructional process.

GRADES K-4
Focus is on healthy practices that reduce the risk of infection. Students should be able to differentiate between communicable and non-communicable disease. Students will be introduced to HIV/AIDS and learn that it is transmitted by blood. Students will learn how to be assertive and say no to behaviors that might transmit HIV.

GRADES 5-8
Focus is on the immune system, how it works and how the HIV virus will attack this system. Sexual and genital contact as modes of transmission are discussed.  Emphasis on what the student can do to prevent acquiring this and other diseases. A variety of communicable and non-communicable diseases is also discussed.

Grades 9-12
Instruction will be given in several science classes, including Biology, Health, Global Science and Anatomy and Physiology and in social studies classes, including World History and Civics. AIDS information is also presented in the 9th and 11th grade sex education classes. School-wide activities are designed to provide appropriate information to as many students as possible. These may include:

bullet “Dolls” - A play produced by our drama students

bullet Guest speakers - People with AIDS and local health officials

bullet Videos
A Dangerous Affair, Just Like Us: AIDS Prevention
A Letter From Brian
A Million Teenagers(fifth edition), etc.

It is a goal that all students who are able to participate in this instruction will have a well-rounded background so that they may be able to make decisions that will prevent the spread of AIDS, as well as other STD’s.