Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

Escape Womb

Natural Birth and C-section

Laura Young, Sherry Franklin, Mikylee Burris | Published: February 7th, 2024 by K20 Center

  • Grade Level Grade Level Secondary
  • Subject Subject Science
  • Course Course Biology I, Biology II, FACS
  • Duration More 3 days

Summary

In this lesson students will learn the differences between a natural birth and a c-section. Students will first reflect on statements about the two types of birth and what they already believe. Then students will use the Honeycomb Harvest instructional strategy to explore natural birth and record guided notes on the topic. The following day they will complete a card sort about a C-section and record guided notes on the topic. Students will watch an ICAP video from an Obstetric Nurse about the two types of birth and compare and contrast the two with the S-I-T instructional strategy. Student will revisit the statement from the beginning of the lesson and reflect upon what they have learned and how their opinions have changed.

Essential Question(s)

What happens during a natural birth and a cesarean birth?

Snapshot

Engage

Students will share their prior knowledge about child birth by participating in the Lines of Agreement instructional strategy.

Explore 1

Students will complete a Honeycomb Harvest activity with terms and vocabulary over labor and delivery.

Explain 1

Students will complete guided notes over natural birth.

Explore 2

Students will complete a card sort showing the order in which layers are cut during a c-section.

Explain 2

Students will complete guided notes over c-sections.

Extend

Students will watch an ICAP video from an obstetrics nurse and complete a S-I-T activity comparing and contrasting natural birth and c-section.

Evaluate

Students will revisit the statements/questions from the Engage activity and apply their new knowledge to their answers.

Materials

  • Lesson Slides (attached)

  • Labor and Delivery Honeycomb Harvest handout (attached; print on cardstock; one per group of students)

  • Natural Birth Guided Notes handout (attached; one per student)

  • Natural Birth Guided Notes Teacher’s Copy (attached; optional)

  • C-section Layer Card Sort handout (attached; print on cardstock; one per group of students)

  • C-section Guided Notes handout (attached; one per student)

  • C-section Guided Notes Teacher’s Copy (attached; optional)

  • Scissors (one per group)

  • Paper (one per student)

  • Ping pong balls (optional; one per group)

  • Balloons (optional; one per group)

Engage

Use the attached Lesson slides to present the lesson. Use slide 3 and slide 4 to introduce the essential question and learning objectives.

Display slide 5 and introduce the students to the Lines of Agreement instructional strategy. In this strategy you will have students form two lines based on their opinion/answer. Inform students they will read each statement/question and show their answer by forming a line in the predetermined space in the room. Then students will pair up with someone in the opposing line and discuss their answer.

Move to slide 6 and share the following question with the class.

Which birthing option is easier? Natural birth or C-section?

Point to the designated space you would like the students to line up for each choice. Provide students time to think about their choice and move. Have students then find a partner in the opposing line and provide each student 30 seconds to share their thoughts. After one minute, have the class come back to the center of the room.

Display slide 7 and share the following questions with the class.

Which option has the shorter healing time? Natural birth or C-section?

Point to the designated space you would like the students to line up for each choice. Provide students time to think about their choice and move. Have students then find a partner in the opposing line and provide each student 30 seconds to share their thoughts. After one minute, have the class come back to the center of the room.

Display slide 8 and share the following statement with the class and repeat the process.

Agree or Disagree: The whole labor and delivery process is generally quick (6 hours or less).

Display slide 9 and share the following statement with the class and repeat the process.

True or False: After birth, you do not have physical limitations.

Explore 1

Display slide 10 and introduce the students to the Honeycomb Harvest instructional strategy. Explain to the class that they will be cutting out the hexagons on their handout and connecting them based on their relationships. In order to connect two or more hexagons, they will arrange them so that one of the sides is touching a related hexagon. Students can connect more than two hexagons together. Inform students that this is an educated guess and that you will be going over all the vocabulary after the activity. Divide students into groups of 2-4. Pass out the Labor and Delivery Honeycomb Harvest handout to each group with a pair of scissors. Once all groups have cut out their hexagons, start the 5 minute timer on the slide for students to begin.

Once the timer has stopped, display slide 11 and introduce the students to the Gallery Walk instructional strategy. Inform the students that they will be walking around the room and viewing the other groups’ work. Encourage them to discuss how the other groups have arranged their hexagons. Provide students a few minutes to walk around the room and view the other groups’ work.

Once all groups have returned to their own work, provide them time to discuss and move any pieces they would like to change.

Explain 1

20 Minute(s)

Pass out the Natural Birth Guided Notes handout. As a class go over the four sections (stages of birth, causes of inductions, risks/benefits, and after birth timeline) on the handout.

Display slide 12. Inform students they need to look back over their Honeycomb Harvest. Using their guided notes handout, each group should adjust their Honeycomb Harvests to reflect what they learned. If time allows go over the Honeycomb Harvest and why they chose their arrangement.

This is a good place to stop for day 1. Collect the Labor and Delivery Honeycomb Harvest to use for the next class or for next year.

Explore 2

Display slide 13 and remind students of the essential question and learning objectives.

Move to slide 14 and introduce the students to the Card Sort instructional strategy. Inform the students that they will be sorting cards on the topic of C-section, also known as cesarean. Divide the students into groups of 2-4 and pass out the C-section Layer Card Sort handout with a pair of scissors. Have students cut apart all the cards. Students will then take the 8 bold terms and put them, vertically, in the order they believe a doctor would cut for a C-section. These are now the headers for the rest of the cards. Have each group sort the remaining cards to the right of the bold terms. Encourage students to make their best educated guess and inform them that you will be going over the terms together later in the class period. Once all groups have cut out their cards, start the 5 minute timer on the slide for students to begin.

Once the timer has stopped, display slide 15 and remind students of the Gallery Walk instructional strategy from the previous day. Remind students that they will be walking around the room and viewing the other groups’ card sorts. Encourage them to discuss how the other groups have sorted their cards. Provide students a few minutes to walk around the room and view the other groups’ work.

Once all groups have returned to their own work, provide them time to discuss and move any pieces they would like to change.

Explain 2

Pass out the C-section Guided Notes handout to each student. As a class go over the first section of the four categories.

Display slide 16 and show the students the C-Section Anatomy video. Inform students that as they watch the video, they should write the sections down in the correct order on their handout.

After the video go over the correct order of the C-section layers. At this time have the students adjust their card sort to match the correct order of the layers along with the fact, cut, move, etc. Go over the facts for each layer in the card sort. Have the groups adjust their cards as you share the answers. Use the example below.

Complete the last two sections of the guided notes by going over the risks and benefits and the after birth timeline for C-sections.

This is a good place to end day 2. Inform students that they will need to bring their guided notes on natural birth and C-section back for the day 3 activities.

Extend

20 Minute(s)

Remind students of the essential question and learning objectives by displaying slide 17.

Display slide 18 and show students the Obstetrics Nurse ICAP video. Encourage students to pay attention to the differences in natural childbirth and C-sections.

After the video display slide 19 and introduce the students to a modified version of the S-I-T instructional strategy. Inform students that they will review what they have learned in this lesson and compare and contrast natural birth with a C-section. Students will record what they thought was Surprising, Interesting, and Thought provoking for each of the two types of birth. Pass out a sheet of paper to each student. Have them divide it in half for the two types of birth and then each half into three sections, one for each letter. Encourage students to use their guided notes from the previous two days.

Evaluate

Display slide 20 and remind students of the statements from the first day of this lesson. Inform the students that you are going to show them the same statements, and they will reflect on what they have learned and whether their answer or opinion has changed.

Display slide 21 and read the statement:

Which birthing option is easier? Natural birth or C-section?

Have students form two lines based on their opinion/answer in the predetermined area. As a class, ask for a few volunteers from each side to share their reasoning and discuss.

Repeat the process with slides 22-24.

Resources