Lesson based on the Fully Alive textbook

1. Grade 8
Growth and Change
BY MR. B

2. What do developing adolescents need for a
successful journey?
• Love and Guidance from their families.
• The experience of Friendship.
• Interest and concern from caring adults.
• A maturing relationship with God

3. A Changing Appearance
• Secondary sexual characteristics are changes in our bodies like facial
hair for boys or the development of breasts for girls. These changes make
us more self-conscious.
• We tend to become concerned with our changing appearance and ask
questions like:
• Is it normal to develop earlier or later than other people?
• Is it normal for some parts of the body to grow more quickly than others?
• The answer is YES! The timing of changes during puberty and temporary
awkwardness still worry and sometimes embarrass us.

4. Or there’s always this conversation starter!

5. Body Image
• Puberty leads to increased self-awareness, which often causes self-
consciousness and a tendency to obsess over small imperfections.
• It’s normal to have some concerns about appearance, but we can’t
fixate on them. Anything that prompts people to fixate on themselves is
usually harmful.
• Need to develop a sense of perspective about our appearance. Looks
are only one aspect of who we are!

6. Mood
• Hormones involved in sexual development have an effect on
moods and feelings.
• Moods are a state of mind that is experienced at a particular
time. Ex. Restless, miserable, happy, irritable, hopeful, distracted,
relaxed, anxious etc.
• Everyone experiences moods, however developing peoples
moods tend to come and go more often than adults.

7. Stress
• These changes in our lives can be stressful.
• More is expected of us at home and school.
• We have outside activities and social lives can be complex.
• Stress can cause a person to feel distracted, anxious, or irritable.
• A bad mood can also make everyday stresses, like school work or family
obligations, seem enormous

8. Ideas for Managing Stress and Mood
• Talk to someone you trust if something is really bothering you
or you can’t get rid of a bad mood. Everyone needs help
sometime and it’s a sign of strength to ask for it.
• Feeling annoyed? Don’t take it out on others. Spend some
time alone – listen to music, read a book or a magazine, go
for a walk or run, or take a short nap.
• Regular physical exercise is an excellent way to combat bad
moods and stress.
• Learn some relaxation methods – deep breathing,
visualization, yoga etc.
• Eat good food and get enough sleep.
• Don’t leave things to the last minute

9. Survey Says…
• Top Stresses for Grade 7/8 Students:
• 1. School (Tests, Homework, Projects)
• 2. Family Difficulties (Fights, Divorce etc.)
• 3. Presenting In Front of a Group.
• Ways they manage stress:
• 1. Listen to music
• 2. Talk to Someone (Parents, Friends)
• 3. Deep Breathing

10. Sexual Attractions and Feelings
• What attracts one person to another?
• Appearance has something to do with it, but attraction is
based on more than looks.
• An attraction between people is sometimes described as
“chemistry” – a strong connection that cannot be described in
words.

11. Sexual Attraction and Sexual Feelings
• Sexual attraction as well as physical sensations and urges have a
biological purpose – To ensure the human species survives by
reproducing itself.
• Sexual attraction and feelings have a purpose in God’s plan of creation:
to bring about a strong, bond between man and woman and to
encourage them to have children.
• Sexual Feelings:
• Differences between males and females:
• Males typically become aroused sexually more quickly than females.
• They also react strongly to visual images that involved sexuality – pictures,
movies, videos and websites.

12. Romantic Fantasies
• It’s natural for people to think about the kind of relationship
they might have in the future.
• Romantic fantasies are a way of preparing for future
relationships.
• They help people handle some of their feelings in a safe and
uncomplicated way.
• Not good to spend most of our time daydreaming and
imagining the perfect relationship.
• May ignore other aspects of lives - developing as a person,
friendships, family relationships, schoolwork etc.

13. Sexual Fantasies
• Not about relationships, but about the physical experience of sex
• When something prompts a person to think about sex, the body responds
by becoming sexually aroused.
• There may be a strong urge to act on these feelings which may lead to
masturbation.
• Need to have self discipline.
• May lead to self-centredness, and makes it difficult for people to grow in
maturity.

14. Sexual Fantasies Cont.
• They are normal.
• People can’t control the images that pop into their mind or the way the
body responds to these thoughts.
• A decision to act on these sexual feelings and abuse the gift of sexuality
in a self-centred way is wrong.

15. Pornography
• Term used for films, websites, magazines, pictures and other written
materials that are sexually explicit and are intended to cause sexual
arousal.
• Some young people are motivated by curiosity to look at pornography.
• Curiosity is completely normal, but looking at images with the only
purpose of arousing sexual feelings, has no connection to love or
relationship.
• In the eyes of the church this is morally wrong
• Very easy to become addicted to watching pornography.

16. Some Pornography Facts
• In 2014 it is estimated that the worldwide pornography industry earned at
least 97 billion dollars.
• In 2006, there were 4.2 million websites containing pornography.
• Approximately 20% of all internet pornography is illegal child
pornography.
• In an anonymous survey of teens, 96% had internet access and 55.4%
indicated that they had visited a sexually explicit website.
• More than twice as many males as females visit pornography websites.

17. Pornography Cont.
• Distorts the meaning and purpose of sexuality by portraying people as
things to be used for sexual pleasure.
• Often connects sexuality with power, aggression, and violence.
• Image of females as objects of violence and males as sexual aggressors is
a corrupt and dangerous vision of human sexuality.
• Damages view and understanding of relationships between males and
females.

19. Homosexuality
• It is a description of a person’s sexual
orientation.
• A homosexual orientation is a predominant
sexual attraction to members of the same sex.
• A heterosexual orientation is a predominant
sexual attraction to the opposite sex.
• About 2-5% of the population is homosexual.

20. Why are some people Homosexual?
• Most likely due to a combination of genetic make-up as well as the
influence of their social environment.
• Regardless of the reason, in most cases, homosexuality is not something
that is deliberately chosen
Did you chose to be right/left
handed? Or were you born that
way?

21. Homosexuality Cont.
• Being attracted to a person of the same sex and having an intimate
sexual relationship are not the same thing.
• The church teaches that a homosexual orientation is not sinful, but sexual
acts between people of the same sex are morally wrong.
• This is also true for unmarried heterosexual people.

22. Remember!
• Masculinity and femininity are not defined by a person’s interests or
behaviour.
• Negative comments about any aspect of a person’s sexuality (their
body, behaviour, appearance or interests) are unacceptable and
harmful.
• We all need to realize that God’s plan for us is mysterious.
• All of us, heterosexual or homosexual, who are trying to live as good
Christians, struggle with our sexual feelings and desire for physical
intimacy.
• All of us are called by God to honour and respect the gift of sexuality.