As part of the New Zealand Health and Physical Education curriculum, we cover age-appropriate sexuality education through a unit of work called Navigating the Journey. Through Term Two, Year 7 to Year 10 students will be participating in this programme. Each week, an overview of the forthcoming lessons will be available here.

NAVIGATING THE JOURNEY - WEEK 1 AND WEEK 2:

YEAR 7 AND 8:

Week 1: Establishing a positive learning environment: Students will understand that they are in a learning journey to learn about themselves, their relationships with others, their changing bodies and staying safe. Establishing group guidelines that will enable a safe learning environment within which to navigate the journey.

Week 2: Students will review current knowledge about relationships and sexuality and identity aspects. Develop strategies for safely asking and answering questions about aspects of sexuality and relationships. Students will connect with big ideas about relationships and sexuality and the ways in which we grow and develop our language, culture and identity. Start to question gender stereotypes and their impact on peoples' sense of identity. Discuss strategies to challenge gender stereotypes that they can use. Identify how social messages about gender can affect peoples' experiences of becoming an adult.

YEAR 9:

Week 1: Being a teenager: Identify the positive aspects of being a teenager and ways to overcome the challenges. Review understanding of the term 'stereotype' in reference to being a teenager, and identify strategies to challenge stereotypes. Gender Identity: Understand that we live in a diverse society. Examine cultural attitudes towards gender and sexual diversity.

Week 2: Gender stereotypes and the media: Identify gender stereotypes in the media and how they can influence beliefs and attitudes about gender, body image and relationships. Discuss the impact of media messages about gender on people's sense of identity. Identify and discuss strategies to challenge gender stereotypes.

YEAR 10:

Week 1: Diverse gender and sexual identities: Understand that we live in a diverse society. Examine cultural attitudes towards gender and sexual diversity. Be able to use appropriate terms when referring to gender and sexual diversity. Develop strategies to support themselves and people who identify as gender and/or sexually diverse.

Week 2: Gender and the media: Identify gender stereotypes in the media and how they can influence beliefs and attitudes about gender, identity, body image and relationships. Analyse and deconstruct media images. Identify and discuss strategies to challenge gender stereotypes.