Sex education – middle level

Here we publish material for use in sex education for mid-level primary school and recreation centers. The toolkit includes icebreakers, videos, projects, facts, and more.

Talking to children about pornography

These guidelines provide advice for school and after-school program staff and parents on how to discuss pornography with mid-level children.

Teikning af Fjólu með vinkonu í frístund

Education websites and teaching ideas

Better communication. Here is a teaching idea that works well when the communication in a group/class is not good enough. Good communication is extremely important and when it comes to sexual health, communication is everything. It's therefore beneficial to use every opportunity to enhance and support good communication.

Friendship - healthy and unhealthy communication between friends. The teacher hangs one green, one yellow, and one red paper on the wall. Prints out sentences about friendship and students draw one sentence each. Students take turns reading aloud what's on their note and then stick the note with poster putty on the green paper for healthy and good communication, on the yellow paper if the communication is not quite good, and on the red paper if it involves unhealthy communication or even violence. A discussion is had about the importance of each person trying to always 'be on the green' and the value of choosing friends who are also there. Point out that there is always an opportunity to improve communication.

Hilja's sex education website is an excellent resource with teaching ideas on all aspects of comprehensive sex education. Teaching materials for all primary school levels are available.

The 'Keep It Real Online' education website deals with online communication.

Youmo - a sexual health website is a great Swedish educational site about everything related to sexual health and the teenage years. This site is available in six languages and offers slides, videos, articles, and various useful resources for teaching.

Girls Puberty is a website maintained by nurses that contains various information related to sexual health.

Body Positivity for Children is a website suitable for the youngest and mid-level stages.

The Sex Education Website is a user-friendly resource for mid-level and adolescent education levels.

Heilsuvera has a special education website about sexual health.

Áttavitinn is a website with various types of information under the health and sex category. The material is suitable for mid-level and adolescent stages. It's important to select content that is age-appropriate for the intended audience.

The Gender Unicorn and the Genderbread Person

Here is a tool to teach children about the differences between gender identity, gender expression, and whom people are attracted to. Note that people can be anywhere on the spectrum.

Sex

Here are magazines that are part of the sex education material 'Sex', covering many aspects related to sexuality. There are two magazines, with one specifically addressing girls and the other, boys.

Videos

All About About Puberty is an animated educational short that serves well as a conversation starter.

Puberty. Unreserved and good Norwegian shows about puberty and everything that comes with it. The episodes are short, and it's important to choose the ones that suit each occasion. They can be good icebreakers for further discussion or project work.

Big Mouthis an animated series about sex education for mid-level and adolescent levels on Netflix. The series is a bit provocative but has been very popular with teens, smart to watch a pre-selected episode and then discuss it.

The Substitute Teacher (I. Forfallakennarinn) - sex education videos titled 'Sex' (I. Kynlíf) that discuss in clear and visual terms the main aspects of puberty, sex, and sexual health.

The Picture of Me is a dramatized movie in four parts, well-suited for educating students in grades 7–10. The film discusses digital sexual abuse and is based on the true story of two adolescents.

Appearance Worship and Body Positivity is a short video in English discussing idolization of appearance and its impact on body positivity.

Videos from RFSU

Here you can find short animated videos in English, produced by the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU). The videos address menstruation, sexually transmitted infections, the penis and puberty, and the vagina and puberty.

Online grooming

Here you can find a video and education about what 'online grooming' entails.

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Good to know

It's recommended to offer a variety of teaching methods. Note that some content is more applicable to upper levels of primary school.

  • Group work/presentations
  • Use post-it notes, for instance, in brainstorming sessions.
  • Slide presentations
  • Slido.com or menti.com - allows for the submission of anonymous questions, word clouds, and more.
  • Use magazines, movies, shows, and social media - discuss, for example, media pressure to always be sexy, ready for everything, and that everything is so great, but also unrealistic, and even harmful.
  • Videos / show videos / allow students to create videos
  • Drawings - have students draw, embroider, build or sculpt genitals. Emphasize the diversity of genital appearance.
  • Allow students to create content online - such as Q&As or write brief articles, blogs, or other materials.
  • Have an idea box / question box
  • Use a word -/ concept jar, clarify basic terms and words well. Students can draw from a jar. Examples of words could be: intercourse, foreplay, caresses, masturbation, intimacy. Afterward, they can seek out information, discuss together, and then explain to others or write it down and hang it on the wall.
  • Allow students to create pamphlets, a website, or a podcast.
  • Debates - select a topic and exchange views on it, for instance, about pubic hair, pornography consumption, or condom use.
  • Conduct interviews, for example with parents or grandparents about their first love or heartache, puberty, or the sex education they received in their time.
  • Engage in games
  • 'Café conversations' – taboo sessions. Here, anonymous questions can be used.
  • Work with dilemma scenarios
  • Introduce various projects like Sick Love.
  • Thoroughly introduce resources such as the emergency number 112, gynecologists, the Sexual Health Clinic, healthcare, the Red Cross Helpline (1717), emergency reception for sexual assault victims in Fossvogur, Stígamót (for those over 18, but younger individuals can use their online help), Child Protection, and more.