The Comprehensive School Health Education Curriculum: A Blueprint for Implementing the National Health Education Standards

The Comprehensive School Health Education Curriculum This is an organized sequential K-12 plan for teaching students the information and skills they need to become: Health literate Maintain and improve their health Prevent disease Reduce health-related risk behaviors As teachers, you have the important role of teaching your students these skills that will enhance the quality of their lives for years to come

Framework for the Curriculum Having National Health Education Standards will: Ensure commonality of purpose/consistency Improve student learning Provide foundation for student assessment Provide foundation for curriculum development Provide enhanced teaching preparation and continuing education

Health Literacy Competence in: Critical thinking and problem solving Self-directed learning Responsible and productive citizenship Effective communication

The National Health Education Standards Standards that specify what students should know and be able to do. They involve the knowledge and skills essential to the development of health literacy. Those “skills” include the ways of communicating, reasoning, and investigating which characterize health education (Joint Committee on Health Education Standards, 2006)

8 National Health Education Standards: Achieving Excellence (ACS, 2007) Students will . . . Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention Analyze the influence of culture, media, and other health factors Demonstrate the ability to access information, products, and services to enhance health Demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health

8 National Health Education Standards: Achieving Excellence (ACS, 2007) cont’d. Students will . . . Demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills that enhance health Demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health Demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks Demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health

The Performance Indicators These are a series of specific concepts and skills students should know and be able to do in order to achieve each of the broader National Health Education Standards Understanding the relationship to behavioral objectives Developing behavioral objectives Classifying behavioral objectives

The Domains of Health Health is the quality of life that includes the following domains: Physical Mental/emotional Family-social Wellness is another description of quality of life which encompasses the above domains of health

The Model of Health and Well-Being Includes the 3 domains of health and 10 content areas that influence health concepts

Scope and Sequence Chart This blueprint divides the charts into separate grade levels The Components of Health Literacy drives the following: The Content Areas Health Goals The National Health Education Standards The Objectives

Performance Indicators A Behavioral Objective is a statement of what a learner should be able to do after a learning experience There are 5 rules for writing these objectives 1) expectation is clearly stated for who? 2) specify the kind of behavior that will be accepted 3) include content about the specific learning experience 4) describe a condition which the behavior will occur 5) specify the criteria for acceptable performance Examples are provided in Figure 3-3

Classifying Behavioral Objectives Different types of desired behaviors are identified to classify objectives into 3 domains Cognitive: thinking behavior Affective: feelings and attitudes Psychomotor: action behavior

Health Topics A subject within each content areas that need to be taught so students will have health knowledge to practice and master the performance indicators of the health standards Life skills should be taught within each content area Health goals should be identified by the student Select each health topic carefully with regards to scope Health topics should be placed in a sequence that fosters preventive approaches

How to Introduce and Teach the National Health Education Standards? Prioritize the “self-responsibility for health” concept Focus on “Health Promotion” by allowing the students to use environmental constructs and enables them to act on their knowledge and skills Promote the 8 National Health Education Standards

How to Teach Health Education Standard 1: Comprehend Health Concepts Students will comprehend concepts related to Health promotion and disease prevention Study health knowledge Ask questions about health knowledge you don’t understand Use health knowledge to form health concepts Use health concepts to promote health and prevent disease

How to Teach Health Education Standard 2: Analyze Influences on Health Students will analyze the influence of family, peer culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors. Identify people and things that might influence you Evaluate how the influence might affect your health behavior and decisions Choose positive influences on health Protect yourself from negative influences on health

How to Teach Health Education Standard 3: Access Health Information Students will demonstrate the ability to access information, products, and services to promote health Identify health information products, services that you need Find health information, products, and services Evaluate health information, products, and services Take action when health information is misleading and/or products and services are not satisfactory

How to Teach Health Education Standard 4: Communication Skills Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks. Discuss communication and types of communication skills Develop resistance skills or refusal skills Identify conflict resolution skills or steps

How to Teach Health Education Standard 5: Make Responsible Decisions Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health Describe the situation List possible decisions you might take Share the list of possible decisions with a parent, guardian, or other responsible adult Evaluate possible consequences of each decision Decide which decision is most responsible and appropriate Act upon your decision and evaluate the results

How to Teach Health Education Standard 6: Set Health Goals Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health Write the healthful behavior you want to practice as a health goal Make an action plan to meet your goal Identify obstacles Set up a time line to meet this goal Make a specific plan for recording your progress Build a support system Revise your action plan or timeline Reward yourself when you reach your health goal

How to Teach Health Education Standard 7: Practice Healthful Behaviors Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks Explain a health behavior contract and devise a written plan Write specific statements to describe how this behavior would reduce health risks Make specific plans for recording your progress Complete the evaluation of how the plan helped you accomplish your health goal

How to Teach Health Education Standard 8: Be a Health Advocate Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health. Select a health related concern Gather reliable information Identify you purpose and target audience Develop a convincing and appropriate message A health advocate is a person who promotes health for self and others

Totally Awesome Teaching Strategies: Creating Lesson Plans Creative and motivating concepts that you should include: Clever title Designated content area Designated grade levels Infusion into other curriculum areas other than health Health Literacy Health education standard(s) Performance indicator(s) Health goals Materials Motivation Evaluation Multicultural infusion Inclusion

Assessment Techniques Opportunity-to-Learn Standards: specifies directions for the policies, resources, and activities to be conducted in schools to implement the National Health Education Standards Curriculum: The Comprehensive School Health Education Checklist (Box 3-9) could be used

Assessment Techniques Students Observation, Cooperative Learning, Different forms of exams or testing, Performance Activities, Projects, Portfolios, Attestations, and Rubrics Teachers Likert Scale to Measure Teacher Effectiveness [Box 3-11] Semantic Differentials [Box 3-12]

The Comprehensive School Health Education Curriculum: Chapter 3 The Comprehensive School Health Education Curriculum: A Blueprint for Implementing the National Health Education Standards