8th Grade

 Health Standards

 Unit 1: STATE GOAL 24: Promote and enhance health and well-being through the use of effective communication and decision-making skills.

24.A.3c Explain how positive communication helps to build and maintain relationships at school, at home and in the workplace.

- Why This Goal Is Important: From an early age, students need to know how to communicate their health needs and learn to take responsibility for their own health. They also need to know how and why personal decisions can affect their own health and well-being. Consideration for the needs of others becomes part of health promotion as well. Students who can clearly identify and communicate about health-related issues—and can make healthful personal decisions—will benefit as they grow and mature in school and into responsible workers and citizens.

UNIT 2 : STATE GOAL 22: Understand principles of health promotion and the prevention and treatment of illness and injury.

22.A.3a Identify and describe ways to reduce health risks common to adolescents (e.g., exercise, diet, refusal of harmful substances).

22.A.3b Identify how positive health practices and relevant health care can help reduce health risks (e.g., proper diet and reduce risks of cancer and heart disease).

- Why This Goal Is Important: Nutrition, exercise, rest, hygiene and safety are the bases for personal, family and occupational health. From an early age, students can recognize healthy habits and understand why they are important. As students become more sophisticated in their understanding, they learn and can adopt a variety of ways to minimize illness and enhance health. Learners will be able to apply the effects of health-related actions to success in the workplace. Students who develop an effective understanding of basic health promotion can establish the foundation for achieving and maintaining personal health and well-being by making informed wellness decisions now and throughout their lives.

UNIT 3: STATE GOAL 23. Understand human body systems and factors that influence growth and development.

23.A.3a Explain how body systems interact with each other (e.g., blood transporting nutrients from the digestive system and oxygen from the respiratory system, muscular/skeletal systems [movement] and structure of the brain).

- Why This Goal Is Important: To achieve healthful individual development, students need to understand human anatomy and physiology, nutrition, stages of growth and development, avoidance of harmful actions, and the characteristics of good health habits. Early learners begin with basic recognition of body systems and growth stages. As students progress, they understand how systems work together and how individual actions affect health. As they themselves grow and develop, students can learn to enhance the process throughout their school years and later life.