1. Unit 1: Human Lifespan Development
Overview:
This unit explores physical, intellectual, emotional and social development across the human lifespan.
Learning Aims
The aims of this unit are to understand:
Human growth and development through the life stages
Factors affecting human growth and development
Effects of aging

2. Learning Aim A: Principles of growth and development
Physical development across the life stages; including gross and fine motor skills, perimenopause, menopause, puberty
Intellectual development across the life stages; including Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and Chomsky’s theory of language acquisition.
Emotional development across the life stages; including theories of attachment, types of attachment, the development of self- concept and factors affecting self-concept.
Social development across the life stages; including stages of play, development of relationships and peer pressure.

3. What is Growth and Development?
Have a look at the Case Study. In what ways has Sarah grown and in what ways has she developed? Sarah is a 1 year old girl who is developing normally. Her health visitor has come to visit her for a one year check. When she was born, Sarah weighed around 3kg, the health visitor finds that she now weighs 9kg. Sarah’s mother mentions that Sarah has recently begun to use words such as ‘dada’ and ‘moo,’ the health visitor says that this is normal language development and Sarah won’t move on to two-word phrases until around 2 years old. Next, the health visitor measures Sarah and finds that she is 74cm long; the health visitor reassures Sarah’s mother that this is normal for her weight and age. Finally, the health visitor gives Sarah some toys to play with and monitors her abilities; Sarah can build a tower with three blocks, point to a picture of a sheep in a book and can sit herself up after lying down.

4. What is Growth and Development?
Have a look at the case study on page 2. How has Sarah grown? Sarah is a 1 year old girl who is developing normally. Her health visitor has come to visit her for a one year check. When she was born, Sarah weighed around 3kg, the health visitor finds that she now weighs 9kg. Sarah’s mother mentions that Sarah has recently begun to use words such as ‘dada’ and ‘moo,’ the health visitor says that this is normal language development and Sarah won’t move on to two-word phrases until around 2 years old. Next, the health visitor measures Sarah and finds that she is 74cm long; the health visitor reassures Sarah’s mother that this is normal for her weight and age. Finally, the health visitor gives Sarah some toys to play with and monitors her abilities; Sarah can build a tower with three blocks, point to a picture of a sheep in a book and can sit herself up after lying down.

5. What is Growth and Development?
Have a look at the case study on page 2. How has Sarah developed? Sarah is a 1 year old girl who is developing normally. Her health visitor has come to visit her for a one year check. When she was born, Sarah weighed around 3kg, the health visitor finds that she now weighs 9kg. Sarah’s mother mentions that Sarah has recently begun to use words such as ‘dada’ and ‘moo,’ the health visitor says that this is normal language development and Sarah won’t move on to two-word phrases until around 2 years old. Next, the health visitor measures Sarah and finds that she is 74cm long; the health visitor reassures Sarah’s mother that this is normal for her weight and age. Finally, the health visitor gives Sarah some toys to play with and monitors her abilities; Sarah can build a tower with three blocks, point to a picture of a sheep in a book and can sit herself up after lying down.

6. What is Growth and Development?
Key terms for your notes:
Growth: An increase in quantity, for example height, weight or head circumference.
Development: Complex changes in ability or skills. Often following an orderly sequence of milestones.

7. Principles of Growth
Use page 4 of the textbook to research and make notes on principles of growth
You should include-
Growth:
How growth rates vary across the body
What are the features of normal growth in infants?
What are centile lines? How are they used to track growth?

8. Growth Rates in Humans
Using the graph- at what ages does rapid growth (growth spurts) occur?
Birth- 2 years
12-16/17 years

9. Growth Rates in Humans
On this graph- which line represents male growth and which line represents female growth? How can we tell?
(Hint- look at the rapid growth between ages 11-14)
Blue line= boys
Red line= girls

10. Growth Rates in Humans
Look at the graph opposite… This graph demonstrates how growth rates are relative across different body parts. Which part of the body is represented by each line? A= Head/Skull B= Rest of Body C= Reproductive Organs

11. Centile Lines
Centile lines represent the range of growth that is normal. They also show what percentage of people, on average, will grow at a particular rate. If a baby’s weight is on the 15th centile then this means that 15% of babies weigh less than them and 75% of babies weigh more. Complete the BTEC activity sheet.

12. Principles of Development
Use page 5 of the textbook to research and make notes on principles of development
You should include-
Development:
How does development happen?
What are milestones/developmental norms?
How are milestones/developmental norms useful/flawed?
Now try to think of some developmental milestones and fill them into the PIES table.
We will revisit milestones and centiles when we cover Gesell’s maturation theory in Learning Aim B

13. Plenary: Can you answer these questions?
What is the difference between growth and development?
How do growth rates vary across the body?
Which gender experiences a bigger growth spurt between years old?
What do centile lines on a human growth chart show?
What is a milestone/developmental norm?
Why are milestones useful?
How are milestones flawed?