Health

Course Essential Questions

• What does it mean to be healthy?
• Who and what influences our health choices?
• What are the current risks teens face and how do these trends impact health?
• Why is it important to use valid healthcare information in order to make appropriate health decisions?

Course Learning Objectives

• Develop skills needed to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
• Access, evaluate, and use valid information to achieve overall wellness.
• Examine and discuss concepts related to wellness and implement realistic plans for a lifetime of optimal well-being.
• Apply decision-making skills that enable students to become well-informed, health-literate individuals.

Unit 1: Introduction to Health (Weeks 1-2)

Unit Essential Questions

• What are the expectations and how do I navigate around this course?
• What does it mean to be healthy?
• How do the decisions I make affect my health triangle?
• Why is it important to use valid sources when researching health-related topics?

Week 1: Health Triangle

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Analyze the relationship between physical, emotional, and social aspects of health.
• Assess how personal attitudes, values, and beliefs influence healthy and unhealthy behaviors.
• Evaluate and assess personal practices and behaviors that reduce or prevent health risks.

Week 2: Teen Risk Behaviors

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Discuss the importance of health literacy for achieving and maintaining good health.
• Determine the validity and reliability of different types of health resources.
• Interpret data to determine current health-related trends.
• Analyze how some behaviors influence the likelihood of engaging in other unhealthy behaviors.

Unit 2: Physical Health (Weeks 3-5)

Unit Essential Questions

• How do nutrition and exercise assist in lifelong health?
• How can I set physical health goals that help me stay committed to wellness?
• What are appropriate ways to reduce risks to promote the safety of self and others?

Week 3: Healthy Eating

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Describe the recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and explain how they are useful in planning a healthy diet.
• Summarize the importance of eating a variety of appropriate foods to meet nutrient requirements that align with individual needs.
• Analyze healthy approaches to weight management.
• Assess signs of eating disorders and explain their effects on healthy growth and development.

Week 4: Let’s Get Physical!

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Determine how an inactive lifestyle contributes to chronic disease.
• Summarize the mental, emotional, and social benefits of physical activity and the importance of selecting appropriate, enjoyable activities.
• Evaluate the recommended amounts and types of moderate, vigorous, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening physical activity for adolescents and adults.
• Analyze ways to increase physical activity and decrease inactivity.
• Examine the basics of goal setting and the goal setting process.

Week 5: Safety & Injury Prevention

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Formulate ways to reduce the risk of injuries from participation in physical activities.
• Examine the effects of self-care on physical performance.
• Assess the importance of CPR and identify local resources for CPR education.
• Evaluate the use of safety equipment for specific physical activities.
• Discover how to recognize a concussion and identify the next steps if a concussion is suspected.

Unit 3: Drug Use & Abuse (Weeks 6-8)

Unit Essential Questions

• What effects do alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs have on the mind and body?
• What are some of the reasons teens turn to drugs and alcohol?
• What resources are available to help those affected by addiction?

Week 6: Alcohol

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Classify acute and chronic health problems associated with alcohol use and abuse.
• Analyze the influence alcohol has on judgment and the ability to make decisions.
• Differentiate between physical and psychological addiction.
• Explain the effects of chemical dependence on members of the family.

Week 7: Nicotine

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Analyze short- and long-term effects of tobacco and nicotine use.
• Evaluate community laws and policies related to the sale and use of tobacco and nicotine products.
• Summarize the long-term health benefits of abstaining from or discontinuing tobacco and nicotine use.
• Formulate an action plan to prevent addiction.

Week 8: Drugs

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Differentiate between proper use and abuse of over-the-counter and prescription medicines.
• Brainstorm alternatives to the abuse of drugs as a means of social acceptance.
• Identify resources in the school and community that provide help for drug abuse and addiction.

Unit 4: Social Health (Weeks 9-11)

Unit Essential Questions

• What are some common characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships?
• How do I protect my sexual health?
• What are effective strategies to promote safe social environments?

Week 9: Healthy Relationships

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Differentiate characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships.
• Evaluate effective strategies for handling challenges in relationships.
• Recognize that there are individual differences in growth and development, physical appearance, gender roles, and sexual orientation, and summarize the benefits of respecting individual differences.
• Analyze how sharing or posting personal information electronically about self or others on social media sites and other digital communication can negatively impact mental and emotional health.

Week 10: Sexual Health

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Examine the signs and symptoms of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Analyze methods of birth control including their effectiveness, required user action or proper use, and possible side effects.
• Explain the importance of preventative care necessary to maintain sexual and reproductive health.
• Analyze the emotional, social, physical, and financial effects of becoming a parent.

Week 11: Abuse & Violence Prevention

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Identify ways to prevent and address bullying, harassment, bias, prejudice, and discrimination.
• Analyze federal, state, and local laws intended to prevent violence.
• Demonstrate the ability to access reliable school and community service providers and resources for health care services related to sexual health & violence prevention.
• Evaluate strategies for avoiding and dealing with sexual health situations that involve personal risk or danger.

Unit 5: Emotional Health (Weeks 12-13)

Unit Essential Questions

• Why are teens more susceptible to emotional changes?
• What mental health resources are available to teens?
• How can effective stress management techniques improve your overall wellness?

Week 12: Mental Health

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Discuss how brain development and emotions change during adolescence.
• Analyze the causes, symptoms, and effects of depression and anxiety.
• Examine how mental and emotional health can affect health-related behaviors.
• Determine when and how to seek help for mental and emotional health problems.

Week 13: Stress

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Summarize personal stressors at home, in school, and with friends.
• Explain the body’s physical and psychological responses to stressful situations and ways to reduce their impact.
• Identify strategies for coping with stress.
• Discuss situations where people have demonstrated resilience.

Unit 6: Wellness (Weeks 14-15)

Unit Essential Questions

• How do diseases and health conditions impact our lives?
• What factors contribute to disease and how can we prevent them?
• What practices are necessary to promote disease prevention and optimal wellness?
• What is your personal vision for a healthy life?

Week 14: Disease Prevention

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Summarize important health screenings, immunizations, checkups, examinations, and health screenings necessary to maintain good health.
• Differentiate between infectious, noninfectious, acute and chronic diseases, and communicable and non-communicable diseases.
• Examine the controllable factors that contribute to optimal wellness.
• Justify why it is important to seek help and treatment for common infectious diseases and chronic diseases.

Week 15: Optimal Wellness & Wrap Up

Weekly Learning Objectives

• Discuss using family history, gender, and age to make informed health related decisions.
• Examine the wellness continuum.
• Make a commitment to practice healthy behaviors.
• Instruct and support others to make positive health choices.