School Curriculum: Interpersonal Skills and Sexuality

This page is designed to enable parents to understand what their child should be learning, when they should be learning it, and what degree of mastery the child should have attained (at a median level) by a certain grade level. For Homeschoolers, we hope that this page will serve as a valuable asset in establishing a baseline curriculum. For parents whose children attend public or private schools (or for the inquisitive student) this page should give some guidance as to whether or not the school curriculum and methods are providing students with an adequate standard of education. 

What is meant by "Interpersonal Skills and Sexuality," why is it important, and how is it approached ? Below is a description of the core discipline and its components, and the answers to why-how-when these components are taught. Drugs and Medicines components have median level goals to be attained by the end of Grade 2, by the end of Grade 4, by the end of Grade 6, by the end of Grade 8, and by the end of Grade 12.

This page does not contain articles for education in this discipline.
For educational articles, go to: Interpersonal Skills and Sexuality: A. Relationships, B. Sexuality, C. Pregnancy and Parenting

STANDARD 2.4 (HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS AND SEXUALITY) ALL STUDENTS WILL LEARN THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS AND SEXUALITY AND APPLY THESE CONCEPTS TO SUPPORT A HEALTHY, ACTIVE LIFESTYLE.

Descriptive Statement: This standard seeks to provide students with an understanding of the physical, emotional and social aspects of human relationships and sexuality and how they support a healthy, active lifestyle. Students learn how to develop and maintain healthy relationships with friends and family. Additionally, students learn medically-accurate information about both abstinence and contraception and learn the skills to enact behaviors to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and unintended pregnancy.

Strands and Cumulative Progress Indicators

By the end of Grade 2, students will:

A. Relationships

1. Identify different kinds of families and explain that families may differ for many reasons.

2. Explain that all family members have certain rights and responsibilities that contribute to the successful functioning of the family.

3. Explain that families experiencing a change or crisis can get help if they need it.

4. Define friendship and explain that friends are important throughout life.

5. Identify appropriate ways for children to show affection and caring.

B. Sexuality

1. Explain the physical differences and similarities of the genders.

C. Pregnancy and Parenting

1. Explain that human beings develop inside their birth mother, are helpless when born, and must be fed, clothed, and nurtured.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 4, students will:

A. Relationships

1. Describe different kinds of families and discuss how families can share love, values, and traditions, provide emotional support, and set boundaries and limits.

2. Compare the roles, rights, and responsibilities of various family members.

3. Discuss ways that families adjust to changes in the nature or structure of the family.

4. Discuss how culture and tradition influence personal and family development.

5. Discuss factors that support healthy relationships with friends and family.

6. Describe the characteristics of a friend.

7. Describe appropriate ways to show affection and caring.

B. Sexuality

1. Describe the physical, social, and emotional changes occurring at puberty.

2. Discuss why puberty begins and ends at different ages for different people.

C. Pregnancy and Parenting

1. Explain that after fertilization, cells divide to create a fetus/embryo that grows and develops inside the uterus during pregnancy.

2. Discuss how the health of the birth mother impacts the development of the fetus.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 6, students will:

A. Relationships

1. Compare and contrast the interconnected and cooperative roles of family members.

2. Investigate ways that individuals and families enhance and support social and emotional health and meet basic human needs.

3. Describe the characteristics of a healthy relationship and discuss factors that support and sustain it.

4. Describe how peer relationships may change during adolescence.

5. Discuss different forms of dating and explain the role of dating in personal growth.

B. Sexuality

1. Describe the individual growth patterns of males and females during adolescence.

2. Discuss strategies to remain abstinent and resist pressures to become sexually active.

3. Discuss the possible physical, social, and emotional impacts of adolescent sexual activity.

4. Describe behaviors that place one at risk for HIV/AIDS, STDs, or unintended pregnancy.

5. Identify sexual feelings common to young adolescents and differentiate between having sexual feelings and acting on them.

6. Discuss how parents, peers, and the media influence attitudes about sexuality.

C. Pregnancy and Parenting

1. Discuss fertilization, embryonic development, and fetal development.

2. Describe the signs and symptoms of pregnancy.

3. Recommend prenatal practices that support a healthy pregnancy.

4. Discuss the potential challenges faced by adolescent parents and their families.

5. Recommend sources of information and help for parents.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:

A. Relationships

1. Compare and contrast the current and historical role of marriage and the family in community and society.

2. Discuss changes in family structures and the forces that influence change.

3. Analyze how relationships evolve over time, focusing on changes in friendships, family, dating relationships, and lifetime commitments such as marriage.

4. Discuss factors that enhance and sustain loving, healthy relationships.

5. Describe how various cultures date or select life partners.

6. Differentiate among affection, love, commitment, and sexual attraction.

7. Describe the signs of an unhealthy relationship and develop strategies to end it.

8. Develop standards for dating situations, such as dating in groups, setting limits, or only dating someone of the same age.

B. Sexuality

1. Discuss the influence of hormones, heredity, nutrition, and the environment on the physical, social, and emotional changes that occur at puberty.

2. Analyze internal and external pressures to become sexually active.

3. Describe the physical, emotional, and social benefits of sexual abstinence and develop strategies to resist pressures to become sexually active.

4. Discuss the potential short- and long-term physical, emotional, and social impacts of adolescent sexual activity.

5. Analyze how certain behaviors place one at greater risk for HIV/AIDS, STDs, and unintended pregnancy.

6. Compare and contrast methods of contraception, risk reduction, and risk elimination and explain how reliability, religious beliefs, age, gender, health history, and cost may influence their use.

7. Discuss topics regarding sexual orientation.

8. Discuss the importance of routine healthcare procedures such as breast self examination and testicular examination.

C. Pregnancy and Parenting

1. Describe fertilization and each stage of embryonic and fetal development.

2. Discuss the signs and symptoms of pregnancy and explain how pregnancy is confirmed.

3. Analyze the physical and emotional changes that occur during each stage of pregnancy, including the stages of labor and childbirth.

4. Discuss the importance of regular prenatal care to help prevent complications that may occur during pregnancy and childbirth.

5. Describe the potential impact of alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, medicines, diseases, and environmental hazards on pre-natal and post-natal development.

6. Describe the physical, economic, emotional, social, cultural and intellectual responsibilities of parenthood.

7. Describe effective parenting strategies and resources for help with parenting.

8. Analyze the challenges and responsibilities of being a teen mother and/or teen father.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12, students will:

A. Relationships

1. Investigate how different family structures, values, rituals, and traditions meet basic human needs.

2. Discuss how personal independence, past experiences, and social responsibility influence the choice of friends in young adulthood.

3. Recommend strategies to enhance and maintain mature, loving, respectful, and healthy relationships.

4. Compare and contrast adolescent and adult dating practices.

5. Describe the important characteristics of a spouse or life partner and describe factors to consider when contemplating a lifetime commitment such as marriage.

6. Discuss the importance of physical and emotional intimacy in a healthy relationship.

7. Develop strategies to address domestic or dating violence and end unhealthy relationships.

B. Sexuality

1. Appraise internal and external influences and pressures to become sexually active and demonstrate strategies to resist those pressures.

2. Critique behaviors that place one at greater risk for HIV/AIDS, STDs, and unintended pregnancy.

3. Analyze factors that influence the choice, use, and effectiveness of contraception, risk reduction, or risk elimination strategies.

4. Predict how cultural and religious beliefs, popular trends and fads, and current and emerging technological advances influence sexuality and reproductive health.

5. Investigate current and emerging topics related to sexual orientation.

6. Investigate female and male reproductive and sexual health issues and discuss the importance of education and preventive healthcare (e.g., breast/testicular exam).

C. Pregnancy and Childbirth

1. Compare and contrast embryonic and fetal development in single and multiple pregnancies.

2. Describe the stages of labor and childbirth and compare childbirth options.

3. Analyze the physical and emotional changes that occur during each trimester of pregnancy and postpartum.

4. Compare and contrast pregnancy options.

5. Discuss physical, emotional, social, cultural, religious, and legal issues related to pregnancy termination.

6. Investigate the relationship between prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, infections, and environmental hazards, and the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome, sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight, and disabilities.

7. Analyze the physical, economic, emotional, social, intellectual, and cultural demands of raising a child.

8. Assess and evaluate parenting strategies used at various stages of child development.

9. Investigate the legal rights and responsibilities of teen mothers and fathers.

10. Discuss factors that influence the decision to have or to adopt a child.

11. Analyze trends in teen pregnancy rates, teen births, and out-of-wedlock births, considering shifts in marriage patterns, sexual norms, contraceptive practices, the availability of abortion, and the size and composition of the teen population.

 

 

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