Menstrual Cycle Lesson Plan: Make a Movie

Lesson Procedure:

1. A day before the lesson, assign students the Menstrual Cycle Quiz and instruct them to take it in Graded mode. Tell them they will NOT actually be graded on the quiz; that you’re just using it as a way to find out what they already know about the topic. Review students’ results to see how much they know, or don’t know so that you can adjust the lesson accordingly.
2. Display the Menstrual Cycle movie on the whiteboard. Tell students that today they will watch a movie about the menstrual cycle. Explain that like any cycle, this one has stages that go from one to the next. Read aloud the description below the movie player.
3. Now play movie. Turn on the closed caption option to aid in comprehension. Pause during the movie to explain points that may be complicated and/or to explain important key concepts and vocabulary. NOTE: If you feel students will be too uncomfortable watching as a whole class, you can assign the movie and have students watch individually.
4. After watching the movie once through, have students open the Menstrual Cycle graphic organizer that you assigned to them. As they watch the movie again, independently, instruct them to complete the graphic organizer by identifying and describing the stages of the menstrual cycle.
5. After completing their maps, instruct students to open their Make-a-Movie assignment in a new window. Using their graphic organizers, have them create a movie that answers the letter that asks “What happens during the menstrual cycle?”
6. When students finish making their movies, have them share and compare with a partner.
7. Finally, have students take the Menstrual Cycle Quiz again in Graded mode to assess what they’ve learned.