Adolescence: A Time of Change

1.Students will be able to list 3 physical changes that occur during adolescence.

2.Students will be able to describe 3 mental changes that adolescents experience.

3.Students will be able to explain the emotional changes of adolescence.

Indian Hills Middle School

Adolescence: A Time of Change

The period from about age 12-19 during which a child gradually changes into an adult.

Changes in Your Body:

The reproductive system matures, adult features appear, and height and muscle mass increase.

During adolescence the body goes through many physical, mental, and emotional changes.

Reproductive System

Puberty:

Begins before you reach adolescence and ends during mid-adolescence, 9-16 years of age.

This is a period of time in a persons life when they become sexually mature and able to reproduce. Puberty refers specifically to the changes

that happen to your reproductive system. The pituitary gland in the brain signals changes in

the ovaries for girl’s and the testes in boys. The ovaries begin to produce estrogen &

progesterone for the girls and the testes produce testosterone for the boys.

Repr

oduc

tive

Matu

rity

The release of sex hormones

causes girls to begin to ovulate

and menstruate, and boys to

begin to produce sperm.

Ovulation in girls and sperm

production in boys signal reproductive maturity.

Each has the ability to reproduce

children.

Appearance

The sex hormones also cause the

development of secondary sex

characteristics.

In Both Girls and Boys• Voice deepens• Muscle strength

increases• Body hair appears• Skin releases more

oils• Perspiration

increases

Secondary Sex Characteristics

In Girls Only• Breasts

develop• Hips widen• Body fat

increases

In Boys Only• Shoulders

broaden• Hair appears

on face and chest

• Around the time that puberty starts, the

pituitary gland also increases its production

of growth hormone.

Heig

ht &

Mu

scle

Ma

ss

Senior Prom

8th Grade Dance

• Girls tend to get their growth spurt

earlier than the boys.• Boys start their growth spurt later and

they grow for a longer period of time.

Grow

ing

Pain

s &

Enge

rgy

Dem

ands

o Rapid growth creates aches and

cramps and at times you feel

awkward and clumsy.o You should challenge your body

with a variety of physical activities.o The rapid growth increases your

appetite. o Choose nutritious foods to avoid

excess weight gain.

Early Bloomers and

Late Bloomers

Adolescents who develop at an

early age & those who develop

at a late age.

Age Range For Onset of Puberty

 

 

             9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Age

Boys: Onset of Sperm Production

Girls: Onset of Menstruation

Do you consider yourself an early bloomer, late bloomer or somewhere in between?

Hormones control most of the outward

physical changes of adolescence, but

changes in the way you think and feel

have more to do with changes occurring

in your brain.Between the years of 10 and 13 a dramatic

wave of growth and development takes

place.The brain will actually “prune back” the

brain cells and connections that you do not

use.

Ment

al

Chan

ges

Abstract Thinking

Improved Mental Changes:Reasoning Skills

Impulse Control

Mental ChangesAbstract

Thinking:

Is your ability to

think at a higher

level and process

ideas that involve

complex ideas.

Example: You

understand your

own hunger pains,

but now you begin

to think about the

worlds problems of

hunger.

Reasoning Skills:

Impulse

Control:

Is your ability to

solve problems,

make wise choices

and make

decisions based

on added

information.

Teens have a tendency to react impulsively,

doing things on a dare that may be dangerous

to their health. As teens age, reasoning skills

begin to put the brake on impulsive actions.

The Adolescent Brain

Corpus Callosum

Cable of nerves that connects the two halves of the

cerebrum. It aids creativity and problem-solving. It grows

and changes rapidly.

Cerebellum: responsible for physical movement, grows and changes dramatically.

Frontal Cortex: thinking

region of the brain;

planning, judgment &

memory

Amygdala: “Emotional Center” More active in

young adults.

Emotional

Changes

During adolescence, individuals

start to define meaning in their

lives, a set of personal values,

and a sense of self.

Search for Meaning: Choosing

a way of life that is right for

you.Search for Values:

Establishing beliefs that

are important to you.

Search for Self: This

is a search for your

identity; hair style,

clothes, behaviors,

seeking approval

from others.

Heal

thy

Revie

w &

Ques

tions

1. What are three categories of

physical changes that occur

during adolescence? 2. What is reproductive

maturity? How is it related

to puberty?3. What are secondary sex

characteristics? List 2 for

males and 2 for females.4. Describe 3 mental changes

that occur during adolescence?5. How do teens develop

emotionally during adolescence?