1. Introduction & reflection

Ask students to reflect on the previous lesson, on the homework and invite a few students to share what they have learned.

2. Warming up: Time line (10 min)

Material

Drawing chalk or a rope.

Aim

1. Students are challenged to think about their future and if and when they want to plan a family.
2. Students think of motivations why they want or don’t want to plan a family at a particular time in their life.

How

1. Draw a line with chalk on the classroom floor (long enough for all students to stand on) or use a rope to create a straight line, representing the timeline up to 35 years of age.
2. Split the timeline up in 4 equal parts, starting at age 15, 20, 25, 30, ending at age 35. Explain this concept to the students.
3. Ask students to think for a minute about the following:
   1. Do you want to become a parent in the future?
   2. If so, at what age would that be?
   3. Why would you want to start a family at that age.
4. Ask the students to take a stand on the timeline at the age at which they would like to become a parent.
5. Ask a few students to share why they plan to have a family at that particular age.
6. Encourage discussion on the following motivations: education, maturity, income, suitable partner and a steady relationship/marriage.

Teacher Tips

Tell the students they are free to change their future plans at any time during the discussions.
Be aware that all students might centre along the rope around a certain the same age.
There might be students who do not wish to have a family, who might be HIV positive or already have a family, or wish to start having a family a few years earlier or later than the rest. Remind students about the importance of respecting each other’s opinions and future plans.

Wrap Up

Conclude the activity with the following:
'You have thought about whether you would like to become a parent and when and how this fits in with your other future plans, such as your education, your career, income, marriage et cetera. Feeling mature enough to become a parent is also a good reason to become a parent. Everybody has a right to plan a family, also when you are HIV positive. However, planning a family at a very young age comes with a lot of challenges to give the baby the future it deserves.'

3. Read & Talk: Menstrual cycle and pregnancy- presentation (15 min)

Materials

Presentation: Menstruation, pregnancy and contraception

Aim

1. Students know the facts related to menstruation, fertile days and getting pregnant.
2. Students know the importance of family planning and that family planning helps control their own future and their partner’s future.
3. Students know several methods of contraceptives and can tell which might be the most convenient for them.

How

1. Students read the presentation together in pairs or in groups behind one computer.
2. The presentation covers the following topics:
   1. The menstrual cycle, fertile days and what happens when a girl gets pregnant
   2. Signs and symptoms of pregnancy
   3. How to prevent an unintended pregnancy
   4. What to do in case of an unintended pregnancy
3. The presentation includes discussion points, that students should address together before continuing with the next slides.
4. Once the students have worked through this presentation, and there is enough time, they can do the Reproductive System Puzzle.
5. Additionally, students can watch a film clip about the menstrual cycle
6. Discuss the presentation about the ‘menstrual cycle and pregnancy’ with the students, where they can get factual information on the menstrual cycle, fertility, contraceptive methods and pregnancy and where they can go for a pregnancy test and support during pregnancy.

Wrap Up

Conclude the activity with the following:
'Now you know how to plan a pregnancy and how to prevent an unintended pregnancy as you have learned in detail how the menstrual cycle works and when a girl can get pregnant. Also, you have learned how family planning can be used to control your future and that of your partner. You have also learned the importance of communicating with your partner about abstinence and using contraceptives ifyou are sexually active.'

Teacher Tips

1. It is very important that boys should also feel responsible for avoiding pregnancy, but they should not feel they are to be blamed. Not all boys act irresponsibly: sometimes the girl might act carelessly or be the one pushing for sex without a condom.
2. A frequently asked question of students is: “Can a girl get pregnant when she has unsafe sexual intercourse while she is ovulating?” This is the right answer: “The egg of a girl lives for two days and sperm cells of a boy can live for five days inside the vagina and uterus, so ovulation and intercourse could happen days apart and still cause a pregnancy.”

4. Do: Listen to real stories from your peers: Lulu & Martin (15 min)

Materials

The hand-out of 'The stories of Lulu & Martin'.
The hand-out also contains the questions to be answered by the students.

Aim

Students learn about the physical and social consequences of becoming a parent at a young age by listening to stories about their peers.

How

1. Have the students sit in the classroom facing each other.
2. Tell the students you are going to read two stories. Students need to listen carefully, because they will be asked to answer a few questions on the stories afterwards.
3. You can write the questions on the flip chart or blackboard, so students won’t have to memorize them all at once.
4. Students will get approximately 5 minutes to answer the questions. (You can also choose to put the students in small groups. Each group can discuss one of the questions.)
5. Students write the answers in their Top Tip Peer Book.
6. Discuss the answers in the group. For every question you ask one student to share the answer, or one student per group.

If there are additional answers which the students do not mention, add your answers in the discussion.

Wrap Up

Conclude the activity with the following:

'Since you have become aware of the possible negative consequences of teenage pregnancy, you might understand now, that becoming a parent at a young age doesn’t mean you can still aim for the future you pictured for yourself. But you have to be motivated, look for support and work hard. Let’s support teenage mothers!'

Teacher Tips

Answer keys to the questions:

1. School drop-out, forced into marriage, no money, left by boyfriend, no future education.
2. Mental problems, fistula, becoming infertile, STI (including HIV/ AIDS).
3. Being sent away from home, beaten by parents, experiencing stigma from community, expelled from school, run away.
4. Solutions: motivation, seeking help, look for support and support each other, share responsibilities.

5. Do: Make a poster (20 min)

Materials

A piece of paper for each students
Pen, markers, pencils, paint or other drawing materials
Optional: Example of a poster to show students

Aim

Students clarify what their (safe sexual) behaviour needs to be in order to achieve their future plans discussed in the warming up (Time line) of this lesson.

How

1. Ask students to think back to the warming up in the beginning of this lesson. Ask them to think of the age class mates had in mind for themselves as a right age to become a parent. These will be their future goals.
2. Ask them to put an average age in the centre of their poster.
3. Encourage students to draw on paper in a creative way (words, illustrations, papers, photo’s, et cetera) different ways (in terms of healthy sexual behaviour, abstinence, family planning methods as discussed in this lesson) how young people like to achieve their future goals, around the number written in the middle of the page.
4. Students take the poster home after finishing it. Discuss with the students if this is an option. If not, just put the posters on the wall in the class or school. If possible, encourage students to hang the poster in their community somewhere.
5. Encourage students to have conversations about their poster (their future goals , their behaviour) with at least 1 or 2 people from their class, school or community.

Wrap up

Conclude the activity with the following:
‘You have made clear what your behaviour needs to be in order to become a parent. Try to get feedback from people around you on ways young people like to achieve their future goals. Discuss what the positive consequences are of family planning and (safe sexual) behaviour for unmarried, sexually active young people.’

Teachers tips

If there’s time left, ask the students to share their posters with each other and discuss shortly what they have come up with as question: What behaviour did everybody draw to achieve their plan?

6. Lesson wrap-up (5 min)

Conclude the lesson with the following:
‘Today you learned the most important facts about pregnancy, fertile days and family planning. You have learned about the importance of controling your own future, preventing unintended pregnancy and planning parenthood. You are introduced to the basics of family planning methods and learned that (preventing) pregnancy and family planning is a responsibility for both girls and boys. It should be clear that pregnancy is a beautiful thing, only if it happens at the right time in your life and under the right circumstances.’

7. Homework: Tomato parents (5 min)

Materials

A tomato per student pair.

Aims

1. Students become aware of their new responsibilities and duties when becoming a parent by taking the role of a caring parent of a ‘tomato baby’ for one week.

How

1. Students need to purchase a tomato or get a tomato from their home.
2. If possible, students pair with another students in the class (as a two-parent home or ‘couple’).
3. Each student is responsible for taking care of the tomato over a period of a week.
   For ‘couples’, both students must divide equal time and responsibilities to take their tomato home at the end of the school day.
4. The ‘tomato babies’ must be brought to school each day.
5. If a tomato is broken or lost, it means the baby is dead.
6. "Babies" (i.e. tomatoes) are not to be kept in the school lockers or school bags in the school or cupboards or fridge at home. They are to be treated as 'real babies.'
7. Tomatoes are as fragile as babies are and need adequate attention to develop.
8. Students are free to decorate their tomato in a unique way to make it more personal and realistic.
9. Regardless whether the 'tomato baby' survives or not, discuss the following questions with the students in the next lesson:
   1. For student pairs, how did you feel about the task? Were you able to decide who is responsible for taking care of the ‘tomato baby’ at particular times? What challenges did you face with taking care of the ‘tomato baby’?
   2. For single students, how did the task feel and what challenges did you face?
   3. Reflecting on this task, what does the ‘tomato baby’ tell you about how you would feel about having a baby at this point in your life?

Teachers tips

Students can also do the task on their own (as a single parent).

Students can choose having just one tomato (= ‘one baby’) or multiple tomatoes to represent twins.

8. Optional - Do: Reproductive system puzzle (10 min)

When time allows

Material

A copy of the 'Reproductive system puzzle' for each student.
Correct answers to the puzzle (see Teachers Tips).

Aim

Students test their knowledge about the reproductive system and health.

How

1. Hand out the crossword puzzle and explain the students what to do:
   1. Read each clue and fill in the correct answer on this puzzle.
   2. Each answer must fit into the correct number of boxes.
   3. Where a vertical answer crosses with a horizontal answer, they will share a box with the same letter.
2. After 10 minutes, review correct answers by going around the room.

Wrap Up

Conclude the activity with the following:
'Now you have tested your knowledge about the reproductive system by answering the questions to the puzzle, you are aware of the facts. If you have more than two mistakes, read the presentation again in your free time.’

Teacher Tips

The Reproductive system puzzle is optional in this lesson. This is why the puzzle is not listed as a separate activity. Depending on the available time you can instruct students to do this puzzle. When there’s little time left, leave the puzzle undone. Answer key:
- Across: 5. Uterus, 7. Ejaculation, 8. Menopause, 9. Fallopian tubes
- Down: 1. Wet dream, 2. Ovulation, 3. Testicle, 4. Semen, 6. Puberty, 7. Erection