Standards and Suggested Material

7-8th grade Health Core Curriculum Standards

 

Standard 1: Students will demonstrate the ability to use knowledge, skills, and strategies related to mental and emotional health to enhance self-concept and relationships with others.

 

Objective 1: Develop strategies for a healthy self-concept.

a. Identify ways to build self-esteem including recognizing strengths and weaknesses.

b. Identify goal-setting strategies and use them to create a plan for reaching a health-related goal.

c. Explain the influence of personal values on individual health practices.

d. Analyze how self-esteem affects risk and protective factors.

e. Use decision making skills to solve personal problems.

 

Objective 2: Identify strategies that enhance mental and emotional health.

a. Identify positive ways to express emotions.

b. Identify ways to build resiliency.

c. Determine how societal norms, cultural differences, personal beliefs, and media impact choices, behavior, and relationships.

d. Demonstrate stress management techniques.

e. Explore strategies for suicide prevention.

 

Objective 3: Examine mental illness.

a. Identify the prevalence of mental illness and the importance of early intervention and treatment.

b. Distinguish types of mental disorders and explain their effects on individuals and society.

c. Analyze the stigma associated with mental illness.

d. Investigate school and community mental health resources. Health Education I 11

 

Objective 4: Develop and maintain healthy relationships.

a. Examine components of healthy relationships.

b. Determine healthy ways to accept, manage, and adapt to changes in relationships (e.g., loss, grief, coping).

c. Develop strategies to manage inappropriate or harmful comments and advances from others (e.g. bullying, cyber-bullying, sexual harassment).

d. Demonstrate refusal skills for managing peer pressure.

e. Demonstrate effective communication skills.

 

 

 

 

Standard 2: Students will use nutrition and fitness information, skills, and strategies to

enhance health.
 

Objective 1: Describe the components and benefits of proper nutrition.
a. Identify the primary nutrients and describe their functions.
b. Explain how the United States Department of Agriculture’s Seven Dietary Guidelines and the most recent Food Pyramid can enhance proper nutrition.
c. Recognize ways to make healthy food choices (e.g., reading food labels, calculating calorie intake).
d. List school and community nutritional resources.

Objective 2: Analyze how physical activity benefits overall health.
a. List the elements of physical fitness (e.g., muscular strength and endurance, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, body composition).
b. Examine the benefits of maintaining life-long fitness and the consequences of inactivity.
c. Identify and investigate available fitness resources.
d. Create individual fitness goals.

Objective 3: Recognize the importance of a healthy body image and develop appropriate weight management behaviors.
a. Explain how weight control is affected by caloric intake and energy expenditure.
b. Explore the short and long term effects of poor nutrition and inactivity (e.g., obesity, chronic diseases).
c. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of various body-weight indicators (e.g., Body Mass Index [B.M.I.], waist circumference, body fat percentage calculators).
d. Examine the causes, symptoms, and the short and long-term consequences of eating disorders.
e. Analyze the influence of media on body image. 

 

 

 

 

Standard 3: Students will demonstrate health-promoting and risk-reducing behaviors to

prevent substance abuse.

 

Objective 2: Analyze the risk and protective factors that influence the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

a. List risk and protective factors associated with the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

b. Examine the impact of peer pressure on alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use/abuse.

 c. Identify practices that help to support a drug-free lifestyle.

 d. Analyze media and marketing tactics used to promote alcohol, tobacco, and other drug

 products.

 e. Practice interpersonal and communication skills (e.g., assertiveness, refusal skills,

negotiation, conflict management).

 

 

 

 

 

Standard 4: Students will demonstrate the ability to apply prevention and intervention

knowledge, skills, and processes to promote safety in the home, school, and community.

 

Objective 1: Identify personal behaviors that contribute to a safe or unsafe environment.

 a. Recognize unhealthy or potentially dangerous situations and their consequences.

 b. Identify ways to avoid dangerous situations.

 c. Discuss safety guidelines for a variety of activities at home, school, and in the community.

(e.g., indoor and outdoor sports activities, recreational outings in various seasons,

technology).

 d. Develop strategies to enhance personal safety (e.g., use of helmets, protective gear,

seatbelts).

 

Objective 3: Identify and respond appropriately to harassment and violent behaviors.

a. Identify abusive behaviors (e.g., threats, harassment, bullying, assault, domestic abuse).

b. Recognize sexual harassment and identify methods to stop it.

 

 

Standard 6: Students will demonstrate knowledge of human development, social skills, and strategies to encourage healthy relationships and healthy growth and development throughout life.

 

Objective 2: Describe the interrelationship of mental, emotional, social, and physical health

during adolescence.

a. Identify qualities and strategies for developing healthy relationships including healthy

ways to manage or adapt to changes.

 b. Analyze how self-image, social norms (e.g., age, gender, culture, ethnicity), and personal

beliefs may influence choices, behaviors, and relationships.

c. Identify ways to recognize, respect, and communicate personal boundaries for self and

others.

d. Develop and use effective communication skills including being able to discuss questions

on sexuality with parents and/or guardians.

 e. Develop strategies to manage inappropriate comments or advances from others.