Step by Step Recipe to Teach
Reproductive Anatomy
Adama Dyoniziak, MPH, CPH
Director of Strategic Programs
Braille Institute
ADyoniziak@brailleinstitute.org
For 25 years, I have taught classes in human
sexuality to different groups of people: middle to
college age school students and high risk youth.
These groups of people had one commonality:
good vision. The techniques to teaching repro-
ductive anatomy have included group drawings
using various media, peer presentations, game
shows,
Lotería (bingo), and more.
Here are factors to consider when teaching learn-
ers who are visually impaired: 1) internal anat-
omy, its inter-connectivity and its functionality is
an abstract concept regardless of vision; 2) verbal
descriptions of abstract concepts may be re-
peated back verbatim by blind participants, but
may not be understood in reality; and 3) making
learning tactilely fun means decreasing the em-
barrassment of "touching parts" with mixed gen-
der classmates.
Ingredients to be bought at a discount or
crafts store (substitutions okay):
Male anatomy:
Bladder, urethra: 1 small balloon, 1 long (10-12
inches) pipe cleaner
Seminal Vesicles: 1 short pipe cleaner, 2 gum
drops
Prostate: meatball size amount of Play-Doh(1.5
inch diameter)
Vas deferens, testicles, epididymis, scrotum: 2
long pipe cleaners, 2 small Styrofoam balls, 2
marble size amounts of play doh (flattened), and
1 small balloon - cut
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