Lesson Notes
Lesson 9.2a Prenatal Period and Early Childhood: A Time of Rapid Change
In this lesson you will learn about the development from its earliest moments. Life begins at the moment of conception, when the sperm connects to the ovum. From that point forward there is a rapid amount of change. Think about it, at the moment of conception you are no larger than 1/175th of an inch, today you are over five feet tall. You will learn the three different stages of prenatal development and explore some of the possible hazards that can arise during a pregnancy.
The second half of this lesson looks at development throughout early childhood – toddler and school age. This stage of development is also characterized by dramatic physical changes: Brain development, Motor development, and Sensory and Perceptual development. From the early stages of rolling over to having the ability to walk, run, and perform specific motor tasks (i.e. writing, playing a sport), we all go through major changes in a very short period of time.
Lesson 9.2b Adolescence and Adulthood: A Time of Both Dramatic and Gradual Change
This lesson explores the stages of adolescence and adulthood. Although you may think that there is not a lot of change that happens as we get older, there are still significant developmental changes. For example, Adolescence begins with the onset of puberty and the maturation of our bodies and sexual organs into teenagers. As we move into Middle Age, women are faced with menopause, while men experience a decline in their production of sperm and/or testosterone. By Late Adulthood there are declines in our physical capabilities, but there are also concerns with memory loss, and the acceptance of our eventual demise.
Watch this information presentation on Life Span Development to clarify many of the topics addressed in this module.