Ford in. Sex Ed out.

THE CURRICULUM AT A GLANCE

The Health and Physical Education curriculum has four main sections for each grade:

• Living Skills: understanding themselves, communicating and interacting positively with others and learning to think critically and solve problems
• Active Living: active participation, physical fitness and safety
• Movement Competence: skills for moving properly and with confidence
• Healthy Living: learning about health, making healthy choices, and understanding the connections to everyday life

Students also learn about mental health across the curriculum.

Sex education is part of the “Healthy Living” section, under the category of Human Development and Sexual Health, which makes up about 10 % of the curriculum.

In this section, students learn information that can help them to make healthy decisions about things like:

• food
• safety at home, school and in the community
• alcohol and other substances
• sexual activity

TOPICS BY GRADE

The following charts show what students will learn in the Healthy Living portion of their Health and Physical Education classes.

GRADE 1

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Food for healthy bodies Food groups, Canada’s Food Guide Hunger and thirst cues
Personal safety and injury prevention	Safe practices – personal safety Caring and exploitive behaviours and feelings Safety at school Potential risks at home, in community, outdoors
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Unhealthy habits, healthy alternatives
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Body parts Senses and functions Hygienic procedures

GRADE 2

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Canada’s Food Guide – healthy growth Food choices (snacks, meals)
Personal safety and injury prevention	Personal safety – home and outdoors Food allergies Standing up for yourself Relating to others
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Prescription/non-prescription medicines Medication, healthy alternatives
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Stages of development Oral health (E.G., brushing, flossing, visits to dentist)

GRADE 3

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Food origins, nutritional value and environmental impact Oral health, food choices Local and cultural foods, eating choices
Personal safety and injury prevention	Safety guidelines outside of class Real and fictional violence
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Impact of use of legal/illegal substances Decision making – substance use/behaviours
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Healthy relationships Physical and emotional development Visible/invisible differences, respect

GRADE 4

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Nutrients Food choices, healthy eating goals Food choices in various settings
Personal safety and injury prevention	Safe use of technology Bullying and abuse Decision making – assessing risk
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Tobacco Decisions about smoking Short- and long-term effects of smoking
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Puberty – changes; emotional, social impact Puberty – personal hygiene and care

GRADE 5

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Nutrition facts tables, food labels Media influences – food choices
Personal safety and injury prevention	Supports – injury prevention, emergencies, bullying, violence Strategies – threats to personal safety Actions, emotional well-being
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Short- and long-term effects of alcohol use Refusal skills – alcohol use and other behaviours Decisions to drink alcohol, influences
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Reproductive system Menstruation, sperm production Emotional, interpersonal stresses in puberty

GRADE 6

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Influences on healthy eating Eating cues and guidelines Benefits of healthy eating/living
Personal safety and injury prevention	Safe and positive social interaction, conflict management Responsibilities, risks – care for self and others, safety practices
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Effects of cannabis, illicit drugs Supports – substance use, addictive behaviours Strategies, safe choices, influences: tobacco, alcohol, cannabis
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Development of understanding of self Understanding puberty changes, healthy relationships Decision-making in relationships Stereotypes and assumptions – impacts and strategies for responding

GRADE 7

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Food choices and health problems Healthy eating practices and routines
Personal safety and injury prevention	Benefits and dangers of technology Impact of bullying/harassment
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Mental health, substances, support Body image, substance use Implications of substance use and addictions
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Delaying sexual activity Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy prevention Sexual health and decision-making Relationship changes at puberty

GRADE 8

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Nutrients Food choices – criteria Promoting healthy eating
Personal safety and injury prevention	Reducing risk of injuries, death Assessing situations for potential danger Impact of violent behaviours; supports
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Warning signs, consequences Mental health, stress management
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Decisions about sexual activity; supports Gender identity, sexual orientation, understanding of self Decision-making, contraception Relationships and intimacy

GRADE 9

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Connection to holistic health: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual Healthy eating plans Food and beverage choices – environmental, social factors
Personal safety and injury prevention	Technology – benefits and risks, safe use Mental health concerns – warning signs and responses Responding to bullying/harassment (including sexual harassment, gender-based violence, homophobia, racism)
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Resilience – protective and risk factors Social influences; decision-making, communication skills
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Preventing pregnancy and STIs Factors affecting gender identity and sexual orientation; supports Relationships – skills and strategies Thinking ahead about sexual health, consent, personal limits

GRADE 10

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Eating habits and choices – physical and emotional factors Nutritional implications of dietary choices and trends Using consumer influences to promote healthy eating
Personal safety and injury prevention	Mental health – factors that enhance Conflict – within oneself and with others; resolution strategies Minimizing health and safety risks – physical and personal environment
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Effects on health and well-being Responding to challenges involving substance use or addictions – use of living skills Addiction-related issues – local, national, global
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Decision-making, communication, healthy sexuality Misconceptions relating to sexuality Relationships – effects on self and others

GRADE 11

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Impact of diseases and health conditions on nutrition requirements and food choices Current issues related to food and/or nutrition
Personal safety and injury prevention	Actions, risks, influencing factors Suicide – warning signs and prevention strategies Strategies for making safer choices Behaviours associated with risk – social impacts, costs, ways of preventing
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Connections between substance use, addictive behaviour and physical/mental health; making safer choices Risk factors and supports
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Mental illness, addictions – causes, manifestations, effects on personal health and well-being Reproductive and sexual health; proactive health measures Skills for dealing with stressful situations Mental illness, reducing stigma

GRADE 12

TOPIC	KEY CONCEPTS
Healthy eating	Making healthy eating decisions in different contexts Personal circumstances and healthy eating
Personal safety and injury prevention	Harassment, violence, abuse – effects, legal implications and responses Using living skills and supports to reduce vulnerability to harassment, violence, abuse Harassment, violence, abuse in local and global contexts – resources, supports and responses
Substance use, addictions and related behaviours	Consequences of substance misuse – short-term, long-term, legal Developing resilience, making healthy choices Local and international trends and issues
Human development and sexual health (“sex ed”)	Skills and strategies for evolving relationships Identifying personal aptitudes and interests; developing life plans Maintaining health and well-being when independent Bias and stereotyping in media portrayal of relationships

SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION BY GRADE

Below are more details on what students will learn about human development and sexual health (sex ed) and why these concepts are being taught at certain age levels.

GRADE 1

Students will learn:

• to identify body parts by their proper names, including genitalia
• about their senses and how they function
• basic good hygiene habits (E.G. washing your hands, using tissues)

When children know the correct names of their body parts, they can communicate clearly and ask for help in case of illness, injury or abuse.

GRADE 2

Students will learn:

• the basic stages of human development (E.G., infant, child, adolescent) and related body changes
• good hygiene habits for oral health (E.G., brushing your teeth, flossing, visiting the dentist regularly)

Before puberty, helping children to understand that their bodies will change (E.G., losing baby teeth) can help them communicate potentially unhealthy changes (E.G., pain) to a trusted adult.

GRADE 3

Students will learn:

• about healthy relationships with peers and family (E.G., accepting differences, listening, mutual respect, honesty, open communication)
• how to overcome unhealthy aspects of relationships with others (E.G., bullying, peer pressure, being left out)
• about factors and habits that can affect physical and emotional development (E.G., safe environment, caring adults, feeling like you belong, sleep, food, physical activity)
• how visible differences (E.G., skin, hair and eye colour, clothing, physical ability) and invisible differences (E.G., learning abilities, cultural values and beliefs, gender identity, different family types such as one-parent, two-parent, two-mom or two-dad, grandparents, caregivers) make each person unique
• ways of showing respect for differences in others

As a foundation for healthy relationships later in life, students will learn about what makes them unique and different from others, and how to show respect for all.

GRADE 4

Students will learn:

• the physical changes that happen during puberty, and the emotional and social impact these changes can have on a developing child
• how personal hygiene needs may change during puberty (E.G., the increased importance of regular bathing)

Today, children enter puberty earlier: on average, girls enter puberty between 8-13 years old and boys enter puberty between 9-14 years old. Learning about puberty before most students fully experience it helps prepare young people for changes in their bodies, emotions and social relationships.

GRADE 5

Students will learn:

• to identify parts of the reproductive system, and how the body changes during puberty
• about the process of menstruation and sperm production
• to describe emotional and interpersonal stresses related to puberty
• to identify strategies to manage stress and enhance their emotional well-being and mental health

Puberty can be stressful, and helping students to understand changes in their bodies can help them cope. Students will also continue to learn the importance of showing respect for all, including those who may be entering puberty earlier or later than their peers.

GRADE 6

Students will learn:

• about factors that may affect the development of a person’s understanding of themselves or personal identity (E.G., body image, stereotypes, self-awareness, cultural and gender identity)
• the physical, social and emotional changes that may occur in adolescence after the initial start of puberty (E.G., body growth, skin changes, increasing influence of peers, increased intensity of feelings) and how this impacts healthy relationships
• to make decisions in their personal relationships that show respect for themselves and others, including the importance of consent and clear communication
• how stereotypes, such as homophobia and assumptions about gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture and abilities, can affect how a person feels about themselves, their feelings of belonging and relationships with others
• appropriate ways to respond to and change assumptions and stereotypes

As children grow older and enter adolescence, understanding how the many changes happening in their lives may affect them and their peers helps build a healthy sense of who they are.

By Grade 6, students have developed some self-awareness and coping skills, and also learned critical thinking and reflective skills to solve problems and examine issues, which they will apply to learning about stereotypes and assumptions.

Through challenging these stereotypes and assumptions, they not only continue to learn respect for others, but also self-confidence in their own identity.

GRADE 7

Students will learn:

• the importance of having a shared understanding with a partner about: delaying sexual activity until older, reasons for not becoming sexually active, the concept of consent and how to communicate consent, and the need to clearly communicate and understand decisions about sexual activity in a healthy relationship
• how to identify common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and describe their symptoms
• how to prevent STIs (including HIV) and unintended pregnancy, including delaying first intercourse and other sexual activities until they are older, and using condoms consistently if and when they become sexually active
• physical, emotional, social and psychological factors to consider when making sexual health decisions (E.G., STIs, pregnancy, side effects of contraception, social labelling, cultural teachings, gender identity, and impact on other relationships)
• how relationships with others and sexual health may be affected by physical and emotional changes in puberty and adolescence

Students need information and skills to make sound decisions about their health and well-being before they face a situation where they may need that information.

Teaching about sexual health and development does not increase sexual behaviour, and can actually prevent risky activity.

GRADE 8

Students will learn about:

• factors that could affect someone’s ability to make safe and healthy decisions about sexual activity
• sources of support related to sexual health (E.G., parents, health professionals, in-school resources, local community groups, religious leaders, an elder)
• gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation, and how to identify factors that can help all young people to develop positive personal identities

Learning respect for their peers helps to ensure young people build positive, healthy understanding of themselves.

GRADES 9-12

Students are required to take one Health and Physical Education credit in high school. However, they may choose to continue to take additional course in other grades. These courses build on learning from Grades 1-8. See below for what students will learn in the in the Human Development and Sexual Health component of those courses.

GRADE 9

Students will learn about:

• preventing STIs and unintended pregnancies and helpful sources of information and support (E.G., doctor, public health unit)
• gender identity and sexual orientation, and how different things like acceptance, stigma, stereotypes, self-awareness, culture, religion, and media can influence a person’s understanding of themselves
• how to build healthy relationships with peers, family members and potential romantic partners (E.G., honesty, open communication and respect)
• how to think in advance and to apply their knowledge of sexual health and safety, including consent and sexual limits

High school students are encouraged to think critically about the information they’ve learned about sexual health, in the same way they are encouraged to apply these same critical thinking skills to decisions about other things that impact their health like food choices, personal safety and fitness.

Students also continue to learn about the potential implications of online activities (E.G., texting and sending personal photos) and how to use electronic technologies appropriately.

GRADE 10

Students will learn:

• how a variety of factors (E.G., their values/beliefs, what they see in media, setting and communicating limits) can influence a person’s decisions about sexual activity
• common misconceptions about sexuality in our culture, and to explain how these may cause harm to people and how they can be responded to critically and fairly
• how being in an exclusive romantic relationship with another person may affect them and their relationships with others

Providing information and opportunities to think, discuss and explore ideas helps students to understand and express their identity as it develops.

GRADE 11

Students will learn:

• about mental health/illnesses and addictions, their causes and symptoms, and their effects on personal health and well-being
• how proactive health measures and supports (E.G., regular medical exams such as Pap tests) can minimize the risk of reproductive or sexual health problems
• how to use personal and interpersonal skills to deal with stress and help others in stressful situations (E.G., abusive relationships, illness, separation/divorce)
• the negative stigma sometimes associated with mental illness and ways to reduce it in their community

As students near the end of high school, they learn self-awareness and self-monitoring skills that help them to:

• understand their strengths and needs
• take responsibility for their actions
• monitor their own health progress and fitness goals
• continue to acquire health knowledge and apply it throughout their lifetime

GRADE 12

Students will learn:

• how relationships may develop through various stages (with an emphasis on communicating throughout those stages)
• the skills and strategies needed to maintain a satisfactory relationship as it evolves (E.G., conflict resolution strategies)
• skills and resources they will need to maintain their health and well-being as they become more independent
• about how their strengths and interest can be applied to the development of life plans and goals
• to analyze how relationships are portrayed in the media, and how they can take action to encourage more realistic and inclusive messaging

The final year of high school emphasizes how students can maintain the habits of healthy, active living throughout their lives.

WHAT’S CHANGED

The world has changed since the sexual health education section of the curriculum was last updated in 1998 – 17 years ago.

Research shows that children now enter puberty earlier. Young people now have widespread access to the Internet, social media and smart phones, giving them easy access to both helpful and potentially harmful and incorrect information.

Educating children with accurate and current information, skills and strategies to help them navigate a digital world can help keep them safe and healthy.

TEACHING THE CURRICULUM

The Human Development and Sexual Health (sex ed) component of the Health and Physical Education curriculum guides teachers to plan what they teach with the goal of establishing a foundation of mutual respect, and understanding for diverse perspectives in the classroom.

It will not replace the role of parents in educating their children about sexual health