4th Grade Health

• • Introduction to Health
    Students remember that health means taking care of our whole self, and that there are five bubbles on the wellness wheel; physical, environmental, emotional, social, and intellectual. Students reflect on activities they did over the summer that support each category of health. 

  • Decision Making
    An introduction to the decision making process; Students learn 5 questions to consider when faced with tough choices and use scenarios to practice the health skill of decision making. 

  • Influences
    It’s important to be aware of and curious about the messages from our external influences because they make up who we are and impact our behaviors. Students will complete a worksheet identifying their influences, and consider the impact of two major influences (school and family). 

  • Peer Influences
    With a focus on the role that peers play in our lives, students will use scenarios to identify how fictional 4th grade characters influence each other. Students will then identify a positive peer influence in their life and how they can be a positive influence for their peers. 

  • Graphic Novel - Assessment
    To assess student knowledge of the decision making process and impact of influences, students write a graphic novel about a 4th grader who needs to make a tough choice. At least one influence will be identified in the story. 

  • Healthy Friendships
    After considering how our peers influence our health behaviors, we begin to define the characteristics of a healthy friendship. Students talk through the dynamics of healthy and unhealthy friendships and then articulate the characteristics of healthy friendships that are most important to them. 

  • Assertive Communication
    Students previously learned that disagreements are a normal part of healthy relationships, as long as we learn to communicate through our conflicts in healthy ways. Students learn about Passive, Assertive, and Aggressive communication styles and decide that Assertive is the most effective for maintaining healthy relationships. 

  • Boundaries
    Navigating and respecting boundaries is an important part of healthy relationships. Students learn how to assertively communicate their boundaries, and take responsibility for finding out and respecting others’ boundaries. 

  • Healthy Relationships Wrap Up
    To conclude the Healthy Relationships unit students work in partners to answer 12 questions set up as a scavenger hunt. Questions are a review or healthy communication, the qualities of a good friend, empathy, and boundaries. 

  • Self Advocacy
    This lesson draws on previous lessons around assertive communication, boundaries, and decision making. Students learn the value of making personal choices and requests that meet their needs and preferences. We learn the term self-advocacy and what it looks like in real life situations. Students work in groups to brainstorm situations in which they may need to use self-advocacy in different settings. Finally, students will articulate what they need to do their best in school and in extracurricular activities, and to feel their best. 

  • Respiratory System
    Students are introduced to the respiratory system with a focus on the lungs. This lesson emphasizes the connection between our environmental, emotional, and physical health. 

  • Tobacco Products
    Avoiding the use of tobacco products is key to maintaining good respiratory health and our overall physical health. Students will learn the harmful effects of tobacco use, with an emphasis on increasing protective factors against tobacco use. 

  • Refusal Strategies
    4th graders learn that they play an important role in promoting positive behaviors by using their knowledge and voice to educate and influence others in a positive way.  To assess knowledge on tobacco products and refusal strategies students will either write a letter or create a poster that teachers others about the harms of tobacco and strategies for refusal. 

  • Hygiene

  • Self Care Plan

*Lessons may not be taught in the order shown, and some lessons are missed due to snow days, field trips, and other events.