Menstruation and Fertility Curriculum (for ages 10 and up)

The premise of this curriculum is this:

It is a love story.

And the information provided is only the most basic of basic - like the flirtation at the beginning of a long relationship.

Only this relationship is the one that you have with your body - not the one you might have with a boyfriend/girlfriend, or a sister or father - it's your relationship with your own physical being.

Just imagine if you put the amount of energy into your relationship with your body that you put into your loved ones….imagine how well you would know yourself.

We want young people to know themselves that well.

So, we've designed this curriculum to be used in the classroom, either as a full day of discussion about menstruation and fertility or in discreet chunks over the course of a week. We recognize that menstruation and women's fertility are controversial topics in our society. Part of our goal in designing this curriculum is to give young women and men unbiased, accurate information about menstruation and women's fertility in hopes that someday these topics will not be so controversial. Puberty is a confusing time of rapid and uncontrolled change in a person's life. We believe it can also be a time of tremendous growth and empowerment as young men and women discover who they are and what it means to them to become adults in our society.

This curriculum promotes a new way of talking about women's bodies - a new conversation that emphasizes responsibility, respect, communication and healthy sexuality. We believe that by providing young people with holistic, truthful information about their bodies, they will be better equipped to make healthy individual choices.

Please feel free to contact us with questions or concerns. Volunteer presenters are also available (in Oregon) to come to your classroom to assist in presenting the materials. Contact our office for more information.

Our curriculum is a work in progress, so we welcome feedback and suggestions. We also expect it to be used as a guideline rather than as a rote presentation, it is meant to be adapted to the needs of the particular students. In that spirit, we offer these basic tools:

• Curriculum outline: (Word Doc) each session lasts about 45-50 minutes and provides a structure for presenting a wide array of information about menstruation and fertility, including anatomy, physiology and various cultural interpretations and practices.
• Pre- and post- tests (Word Docs: Pretest, Pretest Answers, Post-test, Post-test Answers) (with answer keys) for helping us gauge the effectiveness of the curriculum. Please share the results with us!
• Vocabulary sheet (Word Doc) - all the basics on male and female reproductive anatomy
• Menstrual cycle overview (Word Doc) - a quick run-down on what is happening and when over the course of the menstrual cycle. Can be used as a guide for covering Part 3 or as a handout.
• Menstrual cycle activity (Word Doc) - an interactive "game" that gives participants the opportunity to see the menstrual cycle in action
• First Period Stories (Word Doc) - first hand accounts of young women's experiences with first menstruation
• Period Poems (Word Doc) - there's lot's to celebrate about menstruation (and plenty to complain about too) these are a few poems that have been written about bleeding
• Menstrual Culture (Word Doc) - an incomplete collection of cultural practices surrounding menstruation
• Fertility Awareness Exercise - a brief exercise in interpreting menstrual charts (in progress)
• Powerpoint presentation on the menstrual cycle (PowerPoint file) - a short review with visuals

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