Fertility & Pregnancy wellbeing lesson plan
A senior secondary wellbeing lesson for Years 11 to 13 that helps Australian teachers introduce fertility, healthy pregnancy and lifestyle factors through a structured, ready-to-teach lesson. Students learn how everyday lifestyle choices can support fertility and healthy pregnancy, while building age-appropriate understanding of consent, safety and respectful relationships that underpin these decisions.
Sex & Relationships Education
Snapshot
Fertility & Pregnancy
This lesson gives teachers a structured way to introduce fertility and healthy pregnancy topics with age-appropriate, consent-led framing. Feedback: 4.3/5 average rating from 26 teacher and student responses
Prep time:
5 to 10 minutes
Lesson length:
45 to 50 minutes
Key Focus
Understanding lifestyle factors that support fertility and healthy pregnancy
Lesson Format
Teacher-led discussion and structured activities
What students will learn
By the end of the lesson, students will be supported to:
Recognise
recognise lifestyle factors, such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep and substance use, that can influence fertility and pregnancy health
recognise that reproductive health and experiences can look different for different people and life stages
recognise the role of consent and respect in relationships connected to fertility and pregnancy decisions
Understand
understand how everyday habits and choices can support fertility and a healthy pregnancy
understand why informed decision making relies on accurate health information and respectful communication
Practise
practise identifying reliable sources of information about fertility and pregnancy health
practise using respectful, consent focused language when discussing relationships and health decisions
practise recognising when to seek support from a trusted adult or health professional
Who this lesson is for?
This lesson is designed for senior secondary students who are ready to engage with factual, age-appropriate information about fertility, healthy pregnancy and the lifestyle factors that support reproductive health.
It is suitable for:
senior secondary Health units
wellbeing or pastoral care programs covering relationships and health
respectful relationships education
classes with established discussion norms around sensitive topics
students who have prior exposure to consent and relationships education
Suitability should be based on more than age alone. Teachers should consider the lesson focus, student maturity, cohort needs, classroom culture, existing discussion norms and available support pathways.
Best used when
Use this lesson when students need clear, practical language for recognising unkind behaviour and knowing what to do next.
Introducing fertility and pregnancy health Use when students are beginning a unit on reproductive health, fertility or lifestyle factors affecting pregnancy.
Building on consent and relationships learning Use when students have already covered consent and respectful relationships and are ready to apply it to fertility and pregnancy contexts.
Reinforcing healthy lifestyle choices Use when connecting nutrition, physical activity, sleep or substance use learning to reproductive health.
Supporting informed decision making Use when students need practice identifying reliable health information and support pathways.
Extending a Health unit Use when fertility and pregnancy health fits naturally into a broader senior Health sequence.
Creating a structured wellbeing discussion Use when you want a calm, teacher-led discussion about fertility, healthy pregnancy and respectful relationships.
The lesson can be used proactively with the whole class. It does not need to follow a specific incident.
Why this lesson matters
Understanding fertility and healthy pregnancy gives senior secondary students practical health knowledge before decisions feel urgent or personal. Building this knowledge early supports informed choices later in life, whatever path students take. Lifestyle factors such as nutrition, activity, sleep and substance use are often taught in isolation. This lesson connects them specifically to fertility and pregnancy health, helping students see how everyday habits relate to reproductive wellbeing. Pairing this knowledge with consent, respect and safe relationship skills helps students make informed, respectful decisions and know where to seek support if they have questions or concerns.
How this lesson supports wellbeing
This lesson supports student wellbeing by building practical social and emotional skills students can use in everyday school life. It helps students develop:
Capability How the lesson supports it
Health literacy Students build accurate knowledge of lifestyle factors linked to fertility and healthy pregnancy.
Informed decision making Students practise identifying reliable information to guide health choices.
Respectful relationships Students consider how consent and respect apply to conversations about fertility and pregnancy.
Communication skills Students practise using respectful, factual language when discussing sensitive health topics.
Help-seeking Students recognise when to seek support from a trusted adult or health professional.
Personal responsibility Students connect everyday lifestyle choices to long-term reproductive health.
For teachers and school leaders, the lesson contributes to broader wellbeing, respectful relationships, child safety and pastoral care goals in Australian primary schools.
Teaching notes & Delivery Considerations
This lesson includes content about unkind behaviour, exclusion and asking adults for help. It should be taught with calm, clear discussion norms.
Before teaching
Remind students to keep discussion general and avoid sharing personal experiences or naming classmates
Frame lifestyle and health information factually, without implying one normal pathway to fertility or pregnancy
Confirm students have prior exposure to consent and relationships education where possible
Be prepared to follow your school's child safety, wellbeing or child protection procedures if a student discloses harm or says they feel unsafe.
During delivery
Use general, age-appropriate examples rather than personal scenarios
Keep language factual and body-respectful when discussing health and lifestyle factors
Reinforce that fertility and pregnancy health can look different for different people
Allow students to pass on questions or ask them privately if they prefer
Supporting safe discussion
Encourage respectful discussion rather than personal disclosure
Remind students that privacy matters and personal stories should not be shared in class
Direct students with specific health questions to a trusted adult or health professional
Adaptation options
Use small group or paired discussion for classes less comfortable with whole-class conversation
Spend more time on reliable information sources if students need support evaluating health claims
Extend discussion of consent and relationships for classes that need more foundational work
Keep the focus on factual, respectful information rather than personal disclosure, and remind students that questions about their own health can be directed to a trusted adult, school nurse or health professional.
