HEALTH MODULE FOR
GRADE 5 LEARNERS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This module is intended for Grade 5
learners and can be answered with the
Lesson 1: Puberty
help of parents, siblings or guardians. It
contains two lessons:
Content overview and objectives 2
• Puberty Let’s get started 2
• Nutrition and Healthy Habits During Let’s read and learn 3
Puberty What have we learned so far 4
Let’s read and learn 4
Think about this 5
Show me 7
Lesson 2: Nutrition and Healthy Habits During
ICON GUIDE Puberty
This icon refers to sections in this Content overview and objectives 8
module that are to be read with the Let’s read and learn 8
learner Now try this 10
This icon refers to sections that need Show me 12
to be answered Now try this 13
This icon refers to sections that
describe more learning activities
1
LESSON 1
PUBERTY
CONTENT OVERVIEW OBJECTIVES
In this lesson, you will learn about puberty and By the end of this lesson, you should be able to
the changes your body will undergo during this 1. Describe what happens to the bodies of boys
period. and girls during puberty.
1. Puberty is different for everyone, but there are 2. Describe common health and nutritional
common factors, like height increase and the problems during puberty and share ways to
development of secondary sex characteristics, prevent these.
that are experienced by all.
2. Some of the physical changes during puberty
are experienced only by boys, and some are In this lesson, we will learn why it is important to:
experienced only by girls.
Choose to
Choose Nutritious Manage
3. Common health and nutritional problems and Varied Options Portions Drink Water
and Milk
during puberty include undernutrition, skipping
breakfast, poor food choices, lack of physical
activity and tooth decay.
LET’S GET STARTED
Think about this... How can you tell that someone is a teenager without asking their age?
For you, what does it mean to be a teenager or an adolescent? Write your answers below.
Puberty is a time wherein your body will undergo a lot of
changes preparing you to become a teenager and adult.
Puberty typically begins at age 8 to 12 for girls and 9 to
14 for boys. When the body is ready to begin puberty,
different parts of the body release hormones that cause
physical changes.
2
Grade 5 Lesson 1 - Puberty
LET’S READ & LEARN
One physical change experienced by both boys and girls
during puberty is a “growth spurt” or a sudden increase in
height and weight. It lasts for about 18 to 24 months.
The peak (or the time when growth is fastest) occurs from
12 to 13 years old in girls and 15 to 16 years old in boys.
Girls reach their adult height at the age of 19 and boys
reach theirs at the age of 21.
Another change is the emergence of secondary sex characteristics. Secondary sex characteristics
are the physical features that differentiate girls from boys.
Both boys and girls also become more prone to acne or pimples, partly due to increased hormonal
activity. It is also common for young adolescents to experience body odor during puberty. Puberty
hormones stimulate the glands under the skin to release more sweat. When sweat and bacteria in
the skin combine, it can cause body odor.
It is important to practice proper hygiene during this
period when your body is undergoing many changes.
Body odor is related to hygiene and it happens to both
boys and girls. How can we avoid body odor?
• Take a bath every day to get rid of the sweat and
bacteria that causes body odor.
• Wearing clean clothes also limits your body’s exposure
to bacteria, limiting the risk of body odor.
There are some changes that only affect boys and some that only affect girls. This is because
different parts of the body release the hormones that trigger change.
For girls, ovaries release estrogen. Estrogen causes a
girl’s body to mature. The first sign is the development of
breasts. Later, hair grows in the pubic area and armpits.
Fat is stored in the breast and around the hips which
contributes to a girl’s curvier appearance. Menstruation, or
the monthly release of blood in the vagina, also begins.
In boys, their testes release testosterone. Testosterone
causes the testes and penis to get bigger. Hair also grows
in the pubic area and armpits. Arm and leg muscles grow,
and shoulders become wider. The voice deepens, and
facial hair appears.
3
Grade 5 Lesson 1 - Puberty
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED SO FAR?
Beside the drawing of the boy, write down the changes that only happen to boys during puberty.
Beside the drawing of the girl, write down the changes that only happen to girls during puberty.
At the bottom, list the changes that happen to both boys and girls during puberty. See how many
of these you can recall without looking at the previous page. Once you have listed as many as you
can recall on your own, turn back to the previous page to look for the facts that you missed.
Changes that happen to Boys Changes that happen to Girls
Changes that happen to Both Boys and Girls
LET’S READ & LEARN
Because of the many changes your body is undergoing,
good nutrition and healthy habits are crucial during this
period.
4
Grade 5 Lesson 1 - Puberty
A very common problem is undernutrition, a condition that
happens when one is not getting enough nutritious food.
One out of four school–aged children are underweight, and
this is primarily due to not eating enough nutritious food.
Some signs and symptoms of undernutrition are:
• Underdeveloped, weak body
• Frequent fatigue or dizziness Prolonged
• Proneness to infections undernutrition
• Poor wound healing may lead to
• Problems with digestion learning difficulties.
Skipping breakfast is a common unhealthy habit among adolescents.
During puberty, adolescents use more energy. This is why you need to eat breakfast to kickstart
your day and ensure that you have enough energy to last through the day.
THINK ABOUT THIS What are some common reasons
for skipping breakfast?
Skipping breakfast can lead to:
• Lack of energy
• Low focus and concentration at school
• Fatigue and dizziness
When you skip breakfast, you are also more likely to eat less
nutritious foods for the next meal due to hunger.
Make sure your breakfast consists of nutritious food that
can give you energy to start your day, such as whole grain
cereals, bread, fruits, fortified milk and chocomalt milk drink.
Be conscious of the kind of food you choose, particularly
when you are hungry. Your food choices affect your
health. Some poor choices to watch out for are:
• Not eating enough fruits and vegetables
• Not drinking enough water and nutritious beverages
like fortified milk
• Often eating foods that are high in visible fat, sodium,
and sugar
Foods that are high in visible fat, sodium, and sugar add little essential nutrients to the diet, and
when eaten in excess, can even contribute to poor health.
5
Grade 5 Lesson 1 - Puberty
Aside from bad eating habits, another common concern
during puberty is lack of physical activity. As pre-teens,
you should play and exercise more to build strength,
flexibility and endurance.
Because of technology, many teenagers spend more time
in front of screens like TV, computers, tablets, and mobile
phones. Too much gadget and social media use, and not
enough physical activity, contribute to poor health and
obesity. Those who spend much time in front of a screen
are more likely to eat less nutritious foods like potato chips,
soft drinks, and sweet snacks.
Some negative effects of too much screen time are:
• Bad posture
• Poor eyesight
• Sleep problems
• Strain on the wrist, hands, elbow
• Poor social skills
• Poor muscle development
• Feelings of weakness, sluggishness
Last but not least, some pre-teens have poor food habits
during puberty that lead to tooth decay or cavities. This
includes eating a lot of sugary snacks, and not brushing or
flossing their teeth.
Tooth decay and cavities – when untreated – can lead to
tooth pain, infections, and damage to the nerves in your
tooth which will require extensive treatment, or possible
removal, of the tooth later on.
Remember... because your body is undergoing several changes, it is important to follow these
Healthy Habits to support your body’s needs during this period of rapid change.
Choose Nutritious and Varied Options. Make sure you have a nutritious and varied diet to
give the body the nutrients it needs for proper development.
Manage Portions. Pinggang Pinoy® can help guide adolescents to get the nutrients they
need. It shows the right portions of the different food groups (Go, Grow and Glow) that
should be present in each meal to ensure that your body gets enough nutrients.
Choose to Drink Water or Milk. Limit the intake of sugary beverages and, instead, choose
the drinks that will support your nutritional requirements during this period of growth.
Choose fortified milk that has calcium and vitamin D for normal bones and teeth. It also
has nutrients like iron, zinc and vitamin C that may contribute to the normal function of
the immune system.
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Grade 5 Lesson 2 - Nutrition and Healthy Habits During Puberty
SHOW ME
Fill up the chart below. For each of the nutrition and health-related concerns listed, describe
three negative effects in the middle column. In the last column, describe ways to prevent
each negative effect you have described.
WAYS TO PREVENT THIS
NEGATIVE EFFECTS
FROM HAPPENING
UNDERNUTRITION
BREAKFAST SKIPPING
POOR FOOD CHOICES
LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
TOOTH DECAY / CAVITIES
7
LESSON 2
NUTRITION & HEALTHY HABITS DURING PUBERTY
CONTENT OVERVIEW OBJECTIVES
In this lesson, you will learn that: By the end of this module, you should be
1. Puberty is a time of rapid growth and able to:
development. Proper nutrition will help 1. Explain nutrition recommendations for
make sure the body and mind develop well pre-adolescents.
during this critical period.
2. Explain the importance of five Healthy
2. Understanding the importance of proper Habits.
nutrition is essential in making the right
food choices that support the body and
mind’s growth and development.
3. Developing Healthy Habits at a young age
can help you, not only through puberty,
but also in your adult life.
In this lesson, we will learn to:
Choose to
Choose Nutritious Manage Play Enjoy Meals
Drink Water
and Varied Options Portions Actively Together
and Milk
LET’S READ & LEARN
In the previous lesson, we discussed what happens
to the body during puberty. Proper nutrition can
help us avoid problems during this critical time.
Proper nutrition starts with a balanced diet. A
balanced contains a variety of food and provides
the recommended amounts of essential nutrients.
Having a balanced diet helps to fuel daily activities,
supports growth and development, and maintains
normal bodily functions.
A balanced diet consists of Go, Grow and Glow
foods in the proper amounts.
Pinggang Pinoy® image adapted from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute. Department of Science and Technology. (2016).
Pinggang Pinoy® A Healthy Plate for a Well Nourished Nation: Guide for Nutrition Professionals. Taguig City, Philippines. FNRI-DOST.
8
Grade 5 Lesson 2 - Nutrition and Healthy Habits During Puberty
Go foods contain carbohydrates that give energy.
We should choose Go foods that not only provide
energy, but also provide vitamins, minerals, and
fiber. Examples are brown rice, camote, corn, whole
wheat bread, and cereals made with whole grains.
Grow foods provide protein that builds our muscles
and keeps them strong. Examples are fish, eggs,
chicken, and pork. Protein is made of different
building blocks called amino acids. Our body needs
these amino acids to grow big and strong. It is
important that we get our protein from different
sources because different sources have different
kinds of amino acids. Eating different sources of
protein raises your chances of getting all the amino
acids that your body needs.
Glow foods are fruits and vegetables. These contain
vitamins and minerals that keep the body healthy
and protected against sickness. Different colors
in Glow foods have different health benefits, so
it is good to eat a variety of colorful fruits and
vegetables every day.
Follow the Pinggang Pinoy® recommended
portions in every meal to have proper nutrition. Half
of the plate should contain fruits and vegetables
(Glow food), with more vegetables than fruits. The
other half of the plate should contain rice/grains
(Go food) and protein sources (Grow food), with
more grains than protein.
Each meal should be eaten with a glass of water or
a nutritious beverage like fortified milk. Water helps
regulate the different processes of our body while
fortified milk has calcium and vitamin D for normal
bones and teeth. It also has nutrients like iron, zinc
and vitamin C that may contribute to the normal
function of the immune system.
Pinggang Pinoy® image adapted from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute. Department of Science and Technology. (2016).
Pinggang Pinoy® A Healthy Plate for a Well Nourished Nation: Guide for Nutrition Professionals. Taguig City, Philippines. FNRI-DOST.
9
Grade 5 Lesson 2 - Nutrition and Healthy Habits During Puberty
Aside from drinking water during meals, drinking water
throughout the day is an important habit to develop,
especially during the period of puberty.
Our bodies use water in all our cells, organs, and tissues to
help regulate body temperature and maintain other bodily
functions. Our bodies lose water when we breathe, sweat,
and digest food. It’s important to replace that water.
Pre-teens aged 10-12 years old should drink 8 glasses of
water or more each day.
Young adolescents aged 13 years and older should drink
9-12 glasses of water or more each day.
NOW TRY THIS
How many glasses of water do you drink each day? Are you meeting the recommended daily
amount? Track your water intake for the next three days. Each time you drink a glass of water,
color one of the glasses in the appropriate row below.
DAY NUMBER OF GLASSES OF WATER THAT I DRANK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
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Grade 5 Lesson 2 - Nutrition and Healthy Habits During Puberty
Another important habit to start is regular physical activity.
As pre-teens, you should play and exercise more to build
strength, flexibility and endurance.
Being active is not just engaging in sports or exercising.
It includes helping with house chores, playing outdoors,
riding bikes, or going for a walk with your family.
Whenever you do physical activities, you can drink
chocomalt milk drink to help release your energy.
Chocomalt milk drink contains milk as the number 1
ingredient. It is high in vitamins B2, B3, B6, B12, C and iron,
to help release energy from fats, protein and carbohydrates
in the food we eat.
Last but not least, another good habit is to eat meals with
your family.
It is important to start and end your meals together.
Encourage your family members to wait for each other
before starting the meal. Put away your gadgets, your
books and your phones. Turn off the TV and enjoy
conversing with each other.
Eating meals as a family at least once a day builds closer
family bonds, teaches social skills, and promotes good
eating habits.
Remember to follow these Healthy Habits to support your body’s needs during this period of rapid
change and development.
Choose Nutritious and Varied Options. Make sure you have a nutritious and varied diet to
give the body the nutrients it needs for proper development.
Manage Portions. Pinggang Pinoy® can help guide adolescents to get the nutrients they
need. It shows the right portions of the different food groups (Go, Grow and Glow) that
should be present in each meal to ensure that your body gets enough nutrients.
Choose to Drink Water or Milk. Choose beverages that will support your nutritional
requirements.
Play Actively. Play and exercise more to build strength, flexibility and endurance.
Enjoy Meals Together. Studies show that children who always eat meals with their families are
less likely to become overweight or obese because of proper intake of fruits, vegetables and
milk.
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Grade 5 Lesson 2 - Nutrition and Healthy Habits During Puberty
SHOW ME
Now that you know the difference between healthy and unhealthy habits, you can make better choices.
Write down what you will do in the following situations.
1. You and your friends played basketball. You went home, and realized that you’re hungry. You go to the
kitchen to make yourself a snack. What will you get?
2. You’ve been so busy preparing for exam week that you can’t play with your friends after class. What
other physical activities can you do?
3. You and your older cousins are going to watch a movie and eat out. Your mother gives you P200 for
your meal at the mall foodcourt. What do you order?
4. You noticed that you and your family members are not eating as many meals together as you used
to because everyone is busy with work or school. When you do get to eat meals together, some are
watching TV or using their cellphones. What can you suggest to your family to make meal time more
enjoyable?
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Grade 5 Lesson 2 - Nutrition and Healthy Habits During Puberty
NOW TRY THIS
Puberty is a great time to start building healthy habits. These habits won’t just help you during
puberty but for your whole life. What are some habits that you will start, stop or continue doing
as a result of what you’ve learned in this lesson?
START
STOP
CONTINUE
Create a brochure that educates pre-teens on how to take care of
NOW TRY THIS themselves during the period of puberty. Include the information that you
described on page 7. Make your brochures persuasive and attractive for
your target audience.
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