April 15th, 2016 Monster by: Walter Dean Myers

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Directions: ANSWER USING COMPLETE SENTENCES! Use the information you have been given to answer questions about: The Female Reproductive System: The Menstrual Cycle

Level#1: In sexually mature women, one or more eggs are released each month. The uterus also changes each month. The walls of the uterus thicken and become swollen with blood. This change prepares the uterus to support a developing baby if the woman becomes pregnant. Most of the time, the woman does not become pregnant. So, the extra lining of the uterus breaks down. The lining is made of mucus, blood, and dead cells. The material leaves the woman's body through the vagina in a process called menstruation.

1. What happens to a woman's uterus when she does not become pregnant?

2. What is the lining of the uterus made of?

3. How does the material of the uterus leave a woman's body and what is this process called?

Level#2: In sexually mature women, one or more eggs are released each month. The uterus also changes each month. The walls of the uterus thicken and become swollen with blood. This change prepares the uterus to support a developing baby if the woman becomes pregnant. Most of the time, the woman does not become pregnant. So, the extra lining of the uterus breaks down. The lining is made of mucus, blood, and dead cells. The material leaves the woman's body through the vagina in a process called menstruation. Menstruation usually lasts 3 to 6 days. Shortly after menstruation, another egg cell matures in the ovary. Ovulation usually occurs about 14 days after menstruation. Then, in another 14 days, menstruation occurs again. The menstrual cycle repeats monthly.

1. When a woman does not become pregnant what happens to the uterus and what is the lining of the uterus made of?

2. What happens to the lining of the uterus when a woman does not become pregnant?

3. How long does menstruation usually last?

Level#3: In sexually mature women, one or more eggs are released each month. The uterus also changes each month. The walls of the uterus thicken and become swollen with blood. This change prepares the uterus to support a developing baby if the woman becomes pregnant. Most of the time, the woman does not become pregnant. So, the extra lining of the uterus breaks down. The lining is made of mucus, blood, and dead cells. The material leaves the woman's body through the vagina in a process called menstruation. Menstruation usually lasts 3 to 6 days. Shortly after menstruation, another egg cell matures in the ovary. Ovulation usually occurs about 14 days after menstruation. Then, in another 14 days, menstruation occurs again. The menstrual cycle repeats monthly. Most girls begin menstruating between 10 and 14 years of age. Between the ages of 45 and 55 a woman's menstrual cycle stops happening each month. This permanent end of menstruation is called menopause.

1. Explain what happens to the material of the lining of the uterus when a woman does not become pregnant and how long does this process last.

2. Explain what happens shortly after a woman menstruates and when ovulation occurs.

3. Explain what will begin to happen to a woman between the ages of 45 and 55 and what is it called.

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