High School Social and Emotional Health

Length: Trimester                                     Grade: 10-12                                 Requirement: Yes

Course Syllabus

View course syllabus

Course Description

Social and emotional health covers a range of topics that are essential for students to develop healthy social and emotional skills. Students learn how to identify, label, and regulate their emotions, and understand how emotions can impact thoughts and behaviors.Additionally, students learn about healthy relationships by developing effective communication skills, conflict resolution, and empathy. Coping with stress and adversity, the importance of peer support, and the role that social factors impact the emotional health journey are all included in the class as well. Lastly, the students spend 6 weeks analyzing the impacts that substance misuse and childhood trauma have on mental health. 

Enduring Understandings

• Social determinants of health can have a significant impact on health outcomes.

• Addressing social determinants of health requires multi-level interventions.

• Substance misuse has a significant impact on both physical and mental health.

• Substance misuse is a complex issue influenced by a variety of factors.

• Prevention and treatment are essential components of addressing substance misuse.

• Understanding intersectionality is crucial to addressing health disparities.

• Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a profound and long-lasting impact on an individual's physical and mental health throughout their lifespan.

• Understanding ACEs and their effects can help individuals recognize trauma and seek appropriate support/resources.

• Support/resources can help mitigate the impact of ACEs and promote resilience and healing.

Essential Questions

• What are the different types of substances and their impact on physical and mental health?

• What factors contribute to substance misuse?

• What are the prevention and treatment strategies for substance use disorder?

• What are social determinants of health?

•  How do social determinants of health contribute to health disparities?

• How can we work collaboratively to address social determinants of health in our communities?

• What are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)?

• How do ACEs impact physical and mental health outcomes?

• What strategies can be used to mitigate the impact of ACEs and promote healing and resilience?