ScienceFreePrintable

Puberty: Growth and Changes

A free science worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

Puberty: Growth and Changes

Puberty is a normal part of growing up, but it does not happen at the same time or in the same way for everyone. Read the information, then solve the questions. Changes may be physical, emotional or social. If you have questions about your own development, talk with a trusted adult or health professional.

Read the briefing

Puberty is the stage when a child's body gradually develops towards an adult body. It is part of adolescence, the broader period between childhood and adulthood. Hormones—chemical messengers in the body—help start and guide these changes. The pituitary gland signals other glands, which release hormones involved in growth and development. A growth spurt may bring a quick increase in height. Skin may become oilier, and sweat and body odour may increase. Hair may grow in new places. Some people develop breasts; some have their voice deepen; and some begin menstruating. These changes do not happen to everyone in the same way. Feelings and friendships can change too: someone may feel more sensitive, want more independence, or care more about fitting in. There is no single timetable for puberty. People develop at different rates, and variation is normal. Washing regularly, wearing clean clothes and using deodorant if wanted can help with body odour. Questions or worries can be discussed with a trusted adult or health professional.

Decode the changes

Use the briefing to answer each question. For multiple-choice questions, select one answer unless told otherwise.

1.What is puberty?

A stage when the body gradually develops towards an adult body
A sudden illness that affects everyone in the same way
The name for the first year of school
A change that happens only after adulthood

2.Which statement best explains how hormones are involved in puberty?

They are chemical messengers that help guide changes
They are bones that make the body taller
They stop all physical changes
They are a type of muscle

3.Match each term to its meaning. Write the correct letter beside each term.

Hormones
Pituitary gland
Growth spurt
Adolescence

B. The broader period between childhood and adulthood
D. A gland that signals other glands involved in development
C. Chemical messengers in the body
A. A quick increase in height

4.Select three changes or experiences that the briefing says may happen during puberty.

5.Complete the sentences: Puberty is part of . Hormones are messengers in the body.

6.True or false: Everyone experiences puberty changes in exactly the same way and on the same timetable.

TrueFalse

7.Name two practical ways the briefing suggests someone could manage body odour.

8.Riley feels worried because a friend has started growing taller sooner. Use the briefing to explain why this difference does not necessarily mean anything is wrong.

9.Name one trusted person Riley could talk to about a question or worry, according to the briefing.

10.A classmate says that every person going through puberty will experience all the changes listed in the briefing. Explain why this claim is inaccurate.