Human Growth and Development – JSS2 Basic Science Lesson Note (First Term)

Human growth and development is the series of physical, social, emotional and mental changes a person goes through from childhood to adolescence and adulthood.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. state the difference between growth and development;
2. state the difference between temporary and permanent developmental changes;
3. give examples of temporary changes;
4. describe the physical, social, emotional and mental characteristics of 5- to 7-year-olds and 8- to 10-year-olds;
5. describe the characteristics of 11- to 13-year-olds and 14- to 16-year-olds.

What is the difference between growth and development?

Growth is an increase in the size of the body, while development is the improvement of a person’s abilities and behaviour over time.

• Growth: a change that can be measured, such as height and weight.
• Development: a change in skills and behaviour, such as speaking, thinking and making friends.

What are temporary and permanent changes?

Developmental changes are either permanent, which stay for life, or temporary, which may disappear after some time.

Permanent changes

Permanent changes are changes that cannot be reversed and stay with a person for life.

• Body growth: the features that come with the stages of childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

Temporary changes

Temporary changes are changes that may disappear after some time.

• Correction: they can be corrected medically or changed by behaviour.
• Pimples: they grow in males and females during adolescence.
• Malnutrition: includes kwashiorkor.
• Fatness after a meal: the stomach enlarges after a meal or after drinking water.
• Bedwetting: passing urine in bed during sleep.
• Sweating: the body gives out sweat.
• Rise in body temperature: the body becomes warmer than normal.

What are the characteristics of 5- to 7-year-olds?

Children aged 5 to 7 are eager to learn, very active, competitive and easily hurt by criticism.

General characteristics

• Learning: eager to learn, easily fatigued and interested in things for a short time only.
• Learning style: learn best when they are active while learning.
• Attitude: self-assertive and boastful, less cooperative and more competitive.

Physical characteristics

• Energy: very active, so they need frequent breaks for energetic and fun activities.
• Rest: need rest periods. Good quiet activities are reading books together and doing simple art projects.
• Muscles: large muscles are well developed. Small-muscle tasks, such as building models with small pieces, are difficult.
• Safety: may tend to be accident-prone.

Social characteristics

• Games: enjoy organised games and are very concerned about following rules.
• Competition: can be so competitive that they cheat at games.
• Imagination: very imaginative and involved in fantasy-playing.
• Attitude: self-assertive, aggressive and boastful, and want to be first. They are becoming less cooperative.

Emotional characteristics

• Awareness of others: alert to the feelings of others but unaware of how their own actions affect others.
• Sensitivity: very sensitive to praise and recognition, and their feelings are easily hurt.
• Maturity: inconsistent. They regress when tired and are often less mature at home than with outsiders.

Mental characteristics

• Curiosity: very eager to learn.
• Speech: like to talk.
• Fairness: can be inflexible about their idea of fairness.
• Decisions: have difficulty making decisions.

What are the characteristics of 8- to 10-year-olds?

Children aged 8 to 10 are busy and curious, and acceptance by friends starts to matter to them.

General characteristics

• Interest in people: aware of differences, willing to give more to others but also expect more.
• Activity: busy, active and full of enthusiasm. They may try too much, are accident-prone and are interested in money and its value.
• Criticism: sensitive to criticism, recognise failure and can evaluate themselves.
• Interest and planning: capable of prolonged interest and may make plans on their own.
• Character: decisive, dependable and reasonable, with a strong sense of right and wrong.
• Talk: spend a great deal of time in talk and discussion. They are often outspoken and critical of adults, yet still depend on adult approval.

Physical characteristics

• Energy: very active, and need frequent breaks for energetic and fun activities.
• Early maturers: may be upset about their size. An adult can help by listening and explaining.
• Safety: may tend to be accident-prone.

Social characteristics

• Competition: can be very competitive.
• Friends: choosy about their friends.
• Acceptance: acceptance by friends becomes very important.
• Team games: become popular.
• Heroes: often idolise heroes, television stars and sports figures.

Emotional characteristics

• Sensitivity: very sensitive to praise and recognition, and their feelings are easily hurt.
• Conflict: because friends are so important, there can be conflict between adults’ rules and friends’ rules.
• Adult support: honesty and consistency from adults are helpful.

Mental characteristics

• Fairness: can be inflexible about their idea of fairness.
• Questions: eager to answer questions.
• Curiosity: very curious and collectors of everything, but may move to other interests after a short time.
• Independence: want more independence while knowing they need guidance and support.
• Reading: show wide differences in reading ability.

What are the characteristics of 11- to 13-year-olds?

Children aged 11 to 13 are going through body changes, feel insecure and depend strongly on their friends.

General characteristics

• Attitude: test limits and show a “know-it-all” attitude.
• Feelings: vulnerable and emotionally insecure, with fear of rejection and mood swings.
• Role models: identify with admired adults.
• Body changes: physical changes affect their personal appearance.

Physical characteristics

• Small muscles: good coordination, with interest in art, crafts, models and music.
• Early maturers: may be upset about their size. An adult can help by listening and explaining.
• Appearance: very concerned about how they look and very self-conscious about their physical changes.
• Habits: may have bad diet and sleep habits, which lead to low energy levels.

Social characteristics

• Acceptance: acceptance by friends becomes very important.
• Cliques: start to develop.
• Team games: become popular.
• Crushes: often have “crushes” on other people.
• Rules: friends set the general rules of behaviour.
• Conformity: feel a strong need to dress and behave like their peers in order to “belong”.
• Opinion of others: very concerned about what others say and think about them.
• Manipulation: tend to try to manipulate others to get what they want.
• Money: interested in earning their own money.

Emotional characteristics

• Sensitivity: very sensitive to praise and recognition, and their feelings are easily hurt.
• Conflict: because friends are very important, there can be conflict between adults’ rules and friends’ rules.
• In-between stage: caught between being a child and being an adult.
• Loud behaviour: may hide a lack of self-confidence.
• View of people: look at the world more objectively, but look at adults more subjectively and are critical of them.

Mental characteristics

• Perfectionism: tend to be perfectionists. If they attempt too much, they may feel frustrated.
• Independence: want more independence but know they need guidance and support.
• Attention: may have a lengthy attention span.

What are the characteristics of 14- to 16-year-olds?

Teenagers aged 14 to 16 are very conscious of their appearance, follow their peers closely and understand moral principles.

General characteristics

• Attitude: test limits and show a “know-it-all” attitude.
• Feelings: vulnerable and emotionally insecure, with fear of rejection and mood swings.
• Role models: identify with admired adults.
• Body changes: physical changes affect their personal appearance.

Physical characteristics

• Appearance: very concerned about how they look and very self-conscious about their physical changes.
• Habits: may have bad diet and sleep habits, which lead to low energy levels.
• Weight and appetite: often gain weight rapidly at the beginning of adolescence and have an enormous appetite.

Social characteristics

• Rules: friends set the general rules of behaviour.
• Conformity: feel a strong need to dress and behave like their peers in order to “belong”.
• Opinion of others: very concerned about what others say and think about them.
• Manipulation: tend to try to manipulate others to get what they want.
• Extremes: often appear emotionally unstable while keeping a “know-it-all” attitude.
• Fears: fear ridicule and being unpopular.
• Role models: strong identification with admired adults.

Emotional characteristics

• Sensitivity: very sensitive to praise and recognition, and their feelings are easily hurt.
• In-between stage: caught between being a child and being an adult.
• Loud behaviour: may hide a lack of self-confidence.

Mental characteristics

• Morals: understand moral principles.
• Attention: may have a lengthy attention span.

Evaluation

1. What is the difference between a permanent change and a temporary change?
2. List four examples of temporary changes.
3. State three physical characteristics of 5- to 7-year-olds.
4. Why do friends become very important to 11- to 13-year-olds? Give two social characteristics of this age group.
5. State two emotional characteristics of 14- to 16-year-olds.

Assignment

Write short notes on the physical characteristics of 14- to 16-year-olds.