D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Growing and Changing: Stages of Life and Appreciating My Body

D1.4 D1.5 A1.5 A1.1About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can name the stages of human development: infant, child, adolescent, adult and older adult.
I can describe some changes that happen at each stage.
I can name physical, mental, social and environmental things that help people grow and live healthy lives.
I can describe how parts of my body work and what they can do, and how I will keep appreciating my body as I grow.

Words to know

stage
One part of a person's life, like being a child.

infant
A baby, from birth to about one year old.

child
A young person who is no longer a baby and not yet a teenager, like you!

adolescent
A teenager. The body grows a lot and changes to become an adult body.

adult
A grown-up person.

older adult
An adult who has lived many years, like many grandparents.

appreciate
To notice and be thankful for something.

Look how you've grown!

Were you ever a baby? Of course! Once you could not walk or talk. Now you can run, read and ride a bike. You have been growing and changing your whole life, and you will keep changing.

Everyone goes through stages as they grow.

The stages of human development: infant, child, adolescent, adult, older adult.

Stage	Some changes
Infant (baby) 👶	Grows very fast. Learns to hold up their head, roll, sit and crawl. First teeth come in. Needs grown-ups for everything.
Child 🧒	Learns to walk, talk, run, read and write. Loses baby teeth and grows adult teeth. Grows taller and stronger. Learns to do more things alone.
Adolescent (teenager)	Grows a lot. The body changes to become an adult body. Becomes more independent. You will learn more about these changes in later grades.
Adult 🧑	Fully grown. May work, care for a home, raise children and help in the community.
Older adult 👵	Hair may turn grey or white. Skin may get wrinkles. May move more slowly or need glasses. Has lots of life experience to share.

Every person grows at their own pace.

Learning from older adults

Older adults, like grandparents, have learned a lot in their lives. In many First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, Elders are greatly respected as knowledge keepers who pass on teachings, stories and language to younger generations.

What helps people grow and live healthy lives?

At every stage, people need:

Physical things: healthy food, water, active play, sleep, keeping clean, and visits to the doctor and dentist.
Mental things: learning new things, naming and managing feelings, and kind thoughts about yourself.
Social things: family, friends, caring people and belonging.
Environmental things (the world around us): clean air and water, a safe home and safe places to play, and time in nature.

My amazing body

Your body works hard for you every second, even when you sleep!

Your heart pumps blood all around your body.
Your lungs breathe air in and out.
Your muscles and bones let you move, jump and stand tall.
Your stomach helps break down food into energy.
Your brain helps you think, feel, learn and remember. It sends messages to the rest of your body.

Every body is different. Some bodies move with wheelchairs, some see with glasses, some hear with hearing aids. All bodies are good bodies.

Your amazing body at work: the brain thinks and sends messages, the lungs breathe, the heart pumps blood, the stomach breaks down food, and muscles and bones help you move.

Worked example

Let's put stages in order

Put these people in order from youngest to oldest: Grandpa Joe (older adult), baby Lily (infant), cousin Sam (adolescent), Aunt Mei (adult), and you (child).

The youngest stage is infant: baby Lily.
Next is child: you!
Then adolescent: cousin Sam.
Then adult: Aunt Mei.
The oldest stage is older adult: Grandpa Joe.

Lily → you → Sam → Aunt Mei → Grandpa Joe (infant, child, adolescent, adult, older adult).

Worked example

Let's appreciate a body

Jasmine says, "My legs are short. I wish they were long like Kira's." How could Jasmine think about her body in a way that appreciates it?

Think about what her legs can do: run, jump, kick a soccer ball, dance, climb.
Remember: every body is different and grows at its own pace.
Use kind words: "My legs are strong. They help me score goals!"

Jasmine can appreciate her body by noticing what it can do and using kind words about it.

Just for fun

Riddle: What goes up every single year and never comes down?

Your age!

Hands-on activity

Then and now timeline

You need: paper, tape, and baby photos (or ask a grown-up to tell you stories).

Ask your grown-up: What could you do as a baby? When did you start walking? What was your first word?
Make a timeline across the paper: Infant → Child (now!) → Adolescent → Adult → Older adult.
Draw or paste a picture of yourself as a baby and now.
Under now, write 3 things your body can do, like "My heart beats. My legs run. My brain reads."
For the future stages, draw what you might like to do, like ride a bike to a friend's house or become a nurse.

Bonus: Put your hand on your chest and feel your heart beat. Jump 20 times and feel it again. Is it faster?

Your turn

Name the five stages of human development in order.

Which stage are you in?

Name one change that happens to a child.

Name one change that can happen to an older adult.

What does your heart do?

Name two things everyone needs to grow and live a healthy life.

Say one kind thing about what your body can do.

More practice: warm-up

What is another word for infant?

What is another word for adolescent?

What do your lungs do?

Does everyone grow at the same speed?

Is sleep important for growing?

More practice: on your own

Is having clean air and safe places to play a physical, mental, social or environmental factor?

Is having friends and feeling that you belong a physical, mental, social or environmental factor?

A baby can't walk, but a child can. Explain why.

Your friend says, "I'm the shortest in class, so I'm not good at sports." What could you say?

Name two body parts and what each one does.

Challenge

Choose one stage of life. Describe what a person at that stage might need to stay healthy.

How can you keep appreciating your body as you grow and change?

Explain how a mental factor, like learning to manage feelings, helps a person live a healthy life.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which stage comes right after child?

Which is a change that usually happens to children?

What does your heart do?

Which is an environmental factor for healthy living?

Which is a kind way to appreciate your body?

What is the oldest stage of human development?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers two Grade 2 expectations: outline the basic stages of human development (e.g., infant, child, adolescent, adult, older adult) and related changes, and identify physical, mental, social and environmental factors that are important for healthy growth and living throughout life (D1.4), and demonstrate the ability to identify and appreciate aspects of how their bodies work and describe what they can do to ensure that they will continue to appreciate their bodies as they grow and change (D1.5).

About the content: This is part of Ontario's human development and sexual health expectations. At Grade 2 it stays general: the lesson says only that adolescents' bodies "change to become adult bodies" and that more will be learned in later grades. Puberty is not taught in Grade 2. In Ontario, parents may request an exemption from human development and sexual health instruction at school. At home, you decide how much to say; if your child asks questions, short, honest, calm answers work best, and it's fine to say, "That's a great question. Let's look it up together."

How to help at home:

Share baby photos and stories of how your child has grown.
Talk with grandparents or older relatives about what life was like when they were young.
Praise what bodies do ("Your legs carried you up that hill!") rather than how they look. Avoid negative talk about your own body in front of your child.

Common difficulties: mixing up the order of adolescent and adult; comparing their height or size with classmates. Reassure them that everyone grows at their own pace.

This lesson also builds self-awareness and a sense of identity (A1.5) and identifying emotions (A1.1).