I. Course Description

Students are required to take Health Education typically during their 10^th grade year. The Health course is approximately 36 weeks long, and meets twice a week.  Fit for Life is an integrated course with health and physical education and meets four times a week. The Health curriculum develops health skills needed to improve the quality of life. The course emphasizes the physical, social and mental domains so that students become better informed to solve problems and make decisions related to good health practices. Students will explore a wide array of health related topics including: Personal and Consumer Health, Mental and Emotional Health, Human Sexuality, Chemical Choices and Nutrition. The Health Curriculum enables all students to gain information and skills to make quality decisions about health issues important to their age level and apply these skills responsibly to a variety of health related issues.

II. Materials & Equipment

Many current articles and videos may be used during the year.   Information is handed out at the beginning of the semester with a list of videos to be viewed.

Text Book:

• Glencoe Health:  A Guide to Wellness
• Personal Fitness:  Looking Good, Feeling Good

III. Course Goals & Objectives

• Recognizes and practices enhancing-enhancing lifestyles.
• Uses information to analyze and evaluate health and safety issues, information and resources to become healthy and responsible citizen.
• Strengthens communication skills and responds appropriately to physical, mental emotional and social influences that can affect daily living.
• Thinks through personal health concerns and issues of the family and community.
• Is knowledgeable of diseases, prevention and risk behaviors.
• Makes health decisions and sets goals based on scientific facts in order to implement and sustain a healthy life.

IV. Course Topics (Summary Outline)

                I.      Personal/Consumer Health:  Students will user accurate information to evaluate lifestyle choices as they relate to self, peers and society.                                                                                                                           

    1.  Describe preventive health practices that should be followed by the individual.

·         Describe the relationship between current lifestyles and future health status.

·         Identify healthful and risk behavior on wellness continuum.

     2.  Identify the activities and groups that protect the consumer.

3.  Analyze marketing techniques.

·         Analyze how the media may influence behaviors and decisions.

·         Evaluate the implications of modern technology on society.

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        II.          Mental and Emotional Health:  Students will examine values, goals and decision making skills that relate to risk-taking activities that cause intentional and unintentional injuries or disease.

   1.  Explain how values are involved in decision-making.

·         Identify the relationship of values to actions.

·         List factors involved in effective decision-making.

·         List the positive benefits of a healthy self-esteem.

2.  Distinguish between mental health and mental illness.

·         List several types of mental disorders and describe each.

·         List several types of defense mechanisms and discuss their limitations in solving problems.

·         Identify the harmful effects of stress.

·         Identify strategies to prevent suicide and know how to get help for someone.

·         Demonstrates strategies to stay physically and emotionally safe.

3.  Identify available resources for treatment of mental illness.

·         Identify available local resources for information physical, mental and emotional health.

4.  Discuss conflict resolution styles and components of communication that can aid in the resolution of conflict.

·         Explain ways in which communication styles can influence conflict.

·         Use negotiation and conflict resolution skills.

     5.  Explain factors that contribute to school-based, gang, and sexual and domestic violence.

·         Identify the major factors that lead to dangerous situations of violence.

·         Develop strategies for avoiding potentially violent situations.

       III.                                Human Sexuality:  Students will learn accurate information about their physical and emotional development and avoid behaviors that result in unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

     Relationships: Emotional and Social Aspects

1.                        Define the role of the family in the transmission of values, attitudes, behavior, personality, and responsibilities of its members.

§  Identify the role of the family in influencing behavior and developing values.

§        Apply a decision-making model to interpersonal dilemmas in the areas of male-female expectations and parental expectations.

2.   Describe situations that could cause conflicts and problems within a relationship.

§       Use strategies to demonstrate respect for others without bias, abuse, discrimination or harassment based on color, race, religion, culture or sexual orientation.

3.   Describe the decisions and roles involved in dating, courtship, engagement, and early marriage.

§  Describe appropriate dating behavior.

§  Demonstrate skills to avoid, cope with or resolve risky and unsafe situations.

§        Identify and use ways to reduce or avoid threatening situations including sexual harassment, abuse and assault.

§  Utilize a decision-making model to identify reasons for abstaining from pre-marital sexual activity.

§        Explain the difficulties of teenage marriages, and identify factors, which contribute to successful marriages.

        Biological Concerns

1.   List characteristics of puberty.

2.   Discuss preventative sexual health practices.

3.   Explain menstruation, menstrual hygiene, and factors influencing the menstrual cycle.

4.   Describe the process of pregnancy from conception to birth.

5.   Discuss environmental and hereditary birth defects. (Drug use/abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, sexually transmitted diseases, Down’s Syndrome, sickle cell, and hemophilia)

6.   Identify the impact of unwanted/unplanned pregnancy.

7.   List laws concerning unwanted or unplanned pregnancies.

Disease Prevention and Control

1.               Describe the cause, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of non-communicable diseases.

2.               Describe the cause, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of specific communicable diseases.

3.               Describe the cause, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

4.               Convey that there is no such thing as "safe sex".

5.               Identify the methods of contraception and the effectiveness of each and use the skills necessary to prevent pregnancy, HIV, and other STI’s.

6.               Describe the spectrum and control of the AIDS virus.

7.               Differentiate between HIV and AIDS.

8.               Explain how abstinence from drug use and sexual activity can prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus.

9.               Explain other measures for at risk behavior involving AIDS transmission.

IV. Chemical Choices:  Students will establish and maintain healthy lifestyles that are free of tobacco, alcohol and other non-medicinal drugs.

1. Explain how drugs and medicines have assisted in the reduction or elimination of many health problems.

·                                 Identify constructive uses of drugs and medicines.

·                                 Distinguish between prescription and non-prescription medicines.

2.   Analyze the ways that drug use, misuse, and abuse are encouraged by society.

3.  Illustrate how drug use, misuse, and abuse cause problems to society.

4.  Interpret how different types of drugs affect the individual physiologically and    psychologically.

5.  Describe how individuals can help reduce the misuse and abuse of drugs.

·                                 Identify the laws that protect society against drug and alcohol abuse.

·                                 Identify local helping resources

·                                 Demonstrate skills to avoid, cope with or resolve risky and unsafe situations.

V.  Nutrition:  Students will establish and maintain healthy eating patterns and a physically active lifestyle.

1.  Analyze the social and environmental factors that influence dietary habits.

·  Compare factors, which influence one’s diet.

·  Define consumer rights in labeling and advertising.

2.  Compare or identify the interrelationship between the amount of energy used and the amount of food consumed to obtain ideal weight.

·  Describe the relationship among energy used, calorie intake, and weight.

·  Interpret factors affecting ideal weights.

3.  Interpret the relationship between nutritional factors, diseases, and eating disorders.

·  Interpret the role of nutrition and nutrients in maintaining health.

·  Identify and examine common eating disorders.

· List current fad diets and their effects on nutritional status.

V. Assignments & Grading

Students will be assessed on class participation and homework, quizzes and projects. It is the responsibility of each student to complete and turn in assignments and projects on time. Points will be deducted each day that assignment is late. All decisions have consequences and we will carry this theme throughout our assessments. There is no midterm or final exam.