Page 44 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: Health and Physical Education, 2015 - revised

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Health and Physical Education
Human Development and Sexual Health. Human development and sexual health education is more than simply teaching young people about the anatomy and physiology of reproduction. Sexual health, understood in its broadest sense, can include a wide range of topics and concepts, from sexual development, reproductive health, choice
and sexual readiness, consent, abstinence, and protection, to interpersonal relationships, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, affection and pleasure, body image, and gender roles and expectations. Sexual development is one component of overall human development, and learning about healthy human development begins
at an early age. It is important for that learning to be appropriate to children’s age and stage of development. Younger children learn the names of body parts, begin to understand how their bodies work, and develop skills for healthy relationships,
which include demonstrating respect for others. As students grow and develop, they build an understanding of the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive changes that they will experience at puberty. Their learning about human development – and their understanding of its many, interrelated aspects – deepens as students get older and as the nature of their relationships changes. They learn more about self, others, and identity; peer, family, and romantic relationships; personal safety; and decision making. Acquiring information and skills and developing attitudes, beliefs, and values related to identity and relationships are lifelong processes.
The overall and specific expectations in this strand are developmentally appropriate
and should be addressed with sensitivity and respect for individual differences. Students should have the knowledge and skills needed to make sound decisions about matters affecting their health and well-being before they experience real-life situations in which decisions have to be made.
Depending on the particular needs of the students in the class or school, it may be helpful to plan for instruction in groupings and/or settings that are most conducive to this learning – including small groups, groups separated by sex, and co-educational groupings.
Integration of Mental Health
Mental health concepts are included within all content areas of the Healthy Living strand. (In fact, students today have opportunities to learn about mental health across the full curriculum, in this and other disciplines.) The focus in this strand is on promoting and maintaining mental health, building an understanding of mental illness, and reducing stigma and stereotypes. Mental health and emotional well-being involve the healthy balance of all aspects of life – physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual.
A person with good mental health is able to think, feel, act, and interact in a way that permits him or her to enjoy life while being able to cope with challenges that arise. Mental health is connected to how we think about and appraise ourselves, our lives,
and the people we know and care about. It involves our ability to make realistic sense of the world around us and to react meaningfully to it.
Positive mental health and emotional well-being are closely related to the development of psychological and emotional resilience. Resilience involves being able to recover from difficulties or change – to function as well as before and then move forward. It is often referred to as the ability to “bounce back” from difficulties or challenges. Resilience is enhanced by healthy, active living, but it also depends on many other things. Our lives are affected by a variety of individual characteristics, family circumstances, and community and environmental factors, some of which increase our resilience by protecting us from
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