Beyond the Birds and the Bees is a webinar series developed by the Students Commission of Canada in partnership with Healthy Schools BC. It was designed to support educators in enriching their understanding of British Columbia’s updated Physical and Health Education Curriculum for secondary students and to provide teaching tools to assist with the delivery of what can be sensitive and sometimes uncomfortable content to teach.
This webinar includes videos on various key topics covered in the curriculum and the Supporting Student Health Guides: creating a safer space in the classroom, consent, healthy relationships, and safer sex.
This webinar was designed in partnership with youth; youth voice was gathered through multiple consultations and will be included throughout the series.
This document highlights the information shared in the webinar series with accompanying activities, helpful links and resources.
INTRODUCTION
This video is an introduction to the series and is directed towards High School teachers.
CREATING A SAFER SPACE IN THE CLASSROOM
In this video, explore the creation of safer spaces in the classroom. You will discover some general tips and activities that can help create an environment that fosters a genuine and respectful exchange. You will also learn more about specific strategies related to sexual and health education such as inclusive languages and how to respond to the unexpected.
CONSENT
This video will dive into the concept of Consent and Body Autonomy, not only during sexual intercourse, but in life in general. Get some suggestions on how to start the conversation about consent with students and practical ideas to apply this concept in your classroom. Beyond consent, this section also discusses handling the feeling of rejection that can come with asserting one’s boundaries.
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
In this video, unpack the key characteristics of a healthy relationship, romantic or not. Build students' capacity to recognize the signs of abusive relationships through engaging activities and techniques. This section also includes the importance of active listening.
HEALTHY SEXUAL DECISION: SUPPORTING SAFER SEX
Making decisions about sexuality goes beyond sexual intercourse. This video will go into more detail over the different types of intimacy, some legal considerations when engaging in sexual activities, as well as contraceptives, STIs and pornography.