Project KNOW

Click the Project KNOW icon to view General Information about Project KNOW, including program details and resources for all participating districts. This section highlights how the curriculum is supported across schools and how families and educators can connect with the Project KNOW team for guidance. If you are looking for district-specific information, please click on the corresponding icon below. Please note that each page is password-protected.

Project KNOW is a thoughtful and developmentally appropriate curriculum designed to guide students through the essentials of puberty and human sexuality. Created for the developing child, this program fosters understanding, respect, and healthy decision-making in a safe, supportive environment. Our Project KNOW team is an essential partner in providing clear information and resources to help our students navigate this important stage of life with understanding and confidence.

Fifth Grade

Content

Understanding puberty, human growth, and reproduction
Exploring the different components that make up the concept of sexuality
Identifying adults who can be trusted to provide reliable information and advice
Getting questions answered

National Sexuality Education Standards Addressed:

Describe male and female reproductive systems including body parts and their functions (AP.5 CC.1)
Identify medically accurate information about female and male reproductive anatomy. (AP.5 AI.1)
Explain the physical, social and emotional changes that occur during puberty and adolescence. (PD.5 CC.1)
Explain ways to manage the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty. (PD.3 SM.1)
Explain how the timing of puberty and adolescent development varies considerably and can still be healthy. (PD.5 SS.2)
Identify parents or other trusted adults of whom students can ask questions about puberty and adolescent health issues. (PD.5 AI.2)
Describe how puberty prepares human bodies for the potential to reproduce. (PD.5 CC.3)

5th and 6th Grade Programming highlights the physical, emotional, and social changes during puberty. Also, basic reproduction, childbirth, and parenting responsibilities are presented.

Sixth Grade

Content

Puberty Review
Decision-making and assertive communication skills
Healthy relationships and parenting (adult vs. teen)

National Sexuality Education Standards Addressed:

Demonstrate the use of a decision-making model and evaluate possible outcomes of decisions adolescents might make. (PD.8 DM.1)
Define sexual abstinence as it relates to pregnancy prevention. (PR.8 CC.2)
Examine how alcohol and other substances, friends, family, media, society and culture influence decisions about engaging in sexual behaviors. (PR.8 INF.1)
Demonstrate the use of effective communication skills to support one’s decision to abstain from sexual behaviors. (PR.8 IC.1)

5th and 6th Grade Programming highlights the physical, emotional, and social changes during puberty. Also, basic reproduction, childbirth, and parenting responsibilities are presented.

Middle Level

Content

Building healthy relationships including dating relationships
Exploring the complexities of teen pregnancy
Applying decision-making and assertive communication skills in relationships
Reproduction review and getting questions answered

National Sexuality Education Standards Addressed:

Define sexual abstinence as it relates to pregnancy prevention. (PR.8 CC.2)
Examine how alcohol and other substances, friends, family, media, society and culture influence decisions about engaging in sexual behaviors. (PR.8 INF.1)
Demonstrate the use of effective communication skills to support one’s decision to abstain from sexual behaviors. (PR.8 IC.1)
Compare and contrast the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships. (HR.8 CC.1)
Analyze the ways in which friends, family, media, society and culture can influence relationships. (HR.8 INF.1)
Demonstrate communication skills that foster healthy relationships. (HR.8 IC.1)
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of communicating using technology and social media. (HR.8 CC.5)

Middle level programming considers the responsibilities and consequences of decisions in relationships including the impact of premature sexual intercourse on personal, family, and social life.

High School

Content

Understanding the Components of Human Sexuality
Exploring values and decision-making regarding sexuality
Healthy relationship characteristics
Risk levels of sexual behaviors
Pregnancy prevention including methods of contraception

National Sexuality Education Standards Addressed:

Analyze the influence of friends, family, media, society and culture on the expression of gender, sexual orientation and identity. (ID12. INF.1)
Describe characteristics of healthy and unhealthy romantic and/or sexual relationships. (HR.12 CC.1)
Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of abstinence and other contraceptive methods, including condoms. (PR.12 CC.1)
Access medically accurate information about contraceptive methods, including abstinence and condoms. (PR.12 AI.1)
Describe the steps to using a condom correctly. (PR.12 SM.1)
Define emergency contraception and describe its mechanism of action. (PR.12 CC.2)
Access medically accurate information and resources about emergency contraception. (PR.12 AI.2)
Evaluate the potentially positive and negative roles of technology and social media in relationships. (HR.12 CC.4)

High School programming challenges the students to think about their values and the decisions they make regarding sexuality.

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