COURSE PHILOSOPHY

Finding balance in one’s physical, mental, and social wellness is the fundamental foundation for a healthy life. Health Education, in addition to teaching key concepts or knowledge, must also teach a variety of skills students will need to negotiate safely and healthfully throughout their lives. This knowledge includes the most important and enduring ideas, issues, and concepts related to achieving good health. The skills include how to access reliable information, self-management, identifying internal and external influences and ways to respond to those influences, interpersonal communication skills, goal setting, decision making, and finally, advocating skills for oneself and others about health issues.

Community and consumer health, family life, mental health, injury prevention, nutrition and fitness, disease prevention, and substance use and abuse are key concepts that are targeted throughout the 6-8 program. The seventh grade program builds upon earlier material and introduces new information necessary in promoting health and wellness. It is the combination of the knowledge and skills within these key areas, which result in health literacy.

A skills based program is one that focuses on more than just attaining information. Students are coached so that they can transfer information into usable skills. Students are taught how to personalize knowledge, believe it, understand its importance and personal relevance, believe in their own ability to act upon it, and then actually have the skills to act upon that knowledge when necessary. It is through small and large group discussions, role-plays, skits, and values-based activities that students process and internalize information that is presented.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How do physical, emotional/mental, social and environmental health contribute to a person's overall wellness?
• How can we challenge ourselves to grow physically, mentally, and socially throughout our lifetime?
• What must one do to maintain health and prevent disease?
• How can internal/external influences contribute to the health of myself and others?
• How do you determine valid sources of health information, products, and services?
• How can goal setting and decision making challenge one to grow physically, emotionally/mentally, and socially?
• How does my ability to communicate impact my overall wellness?
• How does one advocate for personal, family, and community health?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• How does knowledge of the leading causes of death enable one to make healthy lifestyle choices?
• What prevention efforts enable one to lead a healthy life?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

DEVELOPING A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• identify the symptoms and risk factors of heart disease and diabetes.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• analyze the leading causes of death for children through adulthood in the United States.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• explain how lifestyle choices can increase the incidence of disease and accidental deaths.
• examine the consequences of taking preventative measures to avoid illness/disease versus non-prevention.

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• How do the basics of nutrition, i.e. the essential nutrients, MyPyramid, nutrition facts label, and Dietary Guidelines for Americans enable one to make appropriate food selections?
• How does the body's use of food impact our ability to build healthful eating habits?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

DEELOP A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• identify and discuss national goals (Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPyramid.gov, etc.)
• identify and use reliable nutrition resources.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• describe the role of key nutrients in maintaining healthy bodies.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• explain the role of diet in disease prevention.

EXAMINING THE CONTENT The student will . . .

• analyze barriers to healthy eating and physical activity and explore strategies for overcoming these barriers.
• evaluate the validity of nutrition information.

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• What are the effects of alcohol on the body and mind?
• What role does intervention play in an alcoholic's road to recovery?
• What are the community resources for an alcoholic and their family?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

DEVELOPING A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• identify what alcohol is and its effect on the body.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• analyze the role of intervention in treating alcoholism.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• explain blood alcohol content and its role in drunk driving laws.
• explain the progression of alcoholism.
• discuss the role community resources play in aiding alcoholics and their families during recovery.

EXAMINING THE CONTENT The student will . . .

• determine the validity of resources available to deal with alcohol, addiction, treatment and recovery.

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• What are the physical, emotional/mental, and social changes that occur for males and females during puberty?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

DEVELOPING A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• identify the anatomical structures of the male and female reproductive systems.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• explain the physiological functions of the structures of the male and female reproductive systems.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• examine the physical, social and emotional changes and concerns that accompany puberty.

EXAMINING THE CONTENT The student will . . .

• examine and explain the benefits of practicing abstinence.