Knowing the stages of growth and development
throughout the human lifespan - Lesson 1
Learning Outcomes of Unit 4
 You will be able to:
1. Identify and define the stages of growth and
development through the human lifespan,
2. Identify, define and apply the potential effects of
life factors and events on the development of the
individual,
3. Identify and define the physical and psychological
changes of ageing.
Unit 4 – description
 This unit is about understanding the way we
change over time. It explores the course of human
development and the range of genetic, biological
and social factors that influence how your life turns
out.
 You will ivestigate the major events whic affect
people throghout their lifetime and look at the
effect and look at how the effects of ageing, and
theories about it.
Key questions
 Will you have a fixed life course where you can predict





much of what will happen to you ?
How can people with genetic conditions be helped?
How far is life fixed for you by your genetic inheritance,
or by the social and economic environment you grow
up in?
How and why do we age?
What does it take to ensure that we are happy in our old
age?
How can health and social care provision provide
opportunities for older people to remain as active as
they wish?
Assessment and grading
criteria
To achieve a pass
To achieve a merit
To achieve a
distinction
P1 – assessment
activity 4.1
M1 – assessment
activity 4.1
D1 – assessment
activity 4.1
P4 – assessment
activity 4.3
M2 – assessment
activity 4.3
D2 – assessment
activity 4.3
P5 – assessment
activity 4.3
M3 – assessment
activity 4.3
P2 – assessment
activity 4.2
P3 – assessment
activity 4.2
Over to you !!!!! TPS
Read Kiara
story and
answer the three
questions in
pairs
What do you think ?
Do you believe
Can someone
How far
does
that people
can
become
success
and
fame
become
What does later
successful
and on your
depend
important and
life hold for
famousupbringing
just
and ?
successfulpeople
because they your
because they are
want to
?
opportunities?
born to do well?
Human growth
 Human beings experience human growth as they
increase in physical size or mass,
 Physical process involves both height and weight
gain,
 Increase in size past the point of physical maturity
is not expected (obesity, gigantism)
Have a think
Individually, complete
the handout which you
have been given you
have 5 minutes to
complete this task.
Market Stall Task
LIFE
STAGES
Life expectancy
 Social Trends (2009) – boys born in 2006 can
expect to live until 77, girls until 82.
 Life expectancy is an average, not a limit as some
may live longer than the set average,
Life course
 Life is a path of a human life cycle and the stages
one goes through e.g. Infancy, childhood,
adulthood,
 Assumption that life course is purely controlled by
biology as people get older a process of physical
decline sets in and continues until that person dies,
 SPRINGBOARD THEORY
Key theorists (life course/life
cycle)
1. Bromley (1966) – physical and social
development ,
2. Havighurst (1972) – life tasks,
3. Levinson et al (1978) – transitions which people
go through their life course
Storyboard
Using the handout you have
been given create your own
storyboard representing the
“Springboard” model of the
life course.
Think – Pair – Share
How far can you choose
your own life course ?
4 key concepts
1. Growth,
2. Development,
3. Maturation,
4. Developmental Norms,
5. Developmental Milestones.
Growth
 Definition: increase in quantity for example
children grow taller as they get older.
 As height and weight increases we can refer to the
increase as a process of growth
Development
 Definition: changes that might be complex and
involve a change in the quality of some ability such
as language development.
 Most social, intellectual or emotional change is
described as development.
Maturation
 Definition: the term maturation is used when
development is assumed due to a genetically
programmed sequence of change.
 Experiences of puberty can be explained as
caused by an in-built genetic process which
unfolds as you get older.
Developmental
norms/milestones
 A norm is something which is expected,
 Norms are a set of expectations which are
expected to be attained at specific times during
the life stages,
 Milestones help us assess a journey that is being
completed such as skills development,
Research Task
STEP 1
STEP 2
In groups of three using the
laptops
undertake
Swapprovided
charts/findings
withan
internet
obtain
a chart
anothersearch
groupstoand
discuss
the
or list of developmental of
advantages/disadvantages
milestones.
different
styles of charts.
You have
minutes to
10 10
minutes
complete this task
Assignment 4.1 - Life stages
Tell me three things...
you have learnt today
you have done well
the group has done well
you would like to find out more about
you know now that you didn’t know 50 minutes ago