Grades 3-5 Health:
Mrs. DeVarney
Rationale: All human beings have the ability and desire to move and be active
throughout their lives in order to live a healthy life. Therefore, a program of
physical education should provide students with developmentally appropriate
activities and use a variety of teaching methods based on each individual needs.
A Comprehensive School Health Program can play a leading role in enabling
students to lead healthy, active lives; now and in the future. Quality programs
provide students with opportunities to explore concepts in –depth, analyze and
solve real-life problems, work cooperatively on tasks that develop and enhance
their conceptual understanding, and develop physical and social skills necessary
for a healthy, active life. A Comprehensive School Health program can play a
leading role in enabling students to lead healthy, active lives; now and in the
future, Quality programs provide students with opportunities to explore concepts
in –depth analyze and solve real-life problems, work cooperatively on tasks that
develop and enhance their conceptual understanding, and develop physical and
social skills necessary for a healthy, active life.
Purpose: The purpose of the Health/PE curriculum describes quality
health education and physical education curricula that will help students develop
a life-long commitment to healthy, active living. The healthy, physically active
child is more likely to establish habits of behavior that will foster good health
throughout life thereby enhancing the quality of life. Children and youth who are
physically, emotionally, and socially well are able to benefit from learning
experiences provided in school. Health behaviors are influenced by a variety of
factors that include awareness and knowledge of health issues, skills necessary
to develop healthy behaviors and opportunities to practice the behaviors.
Because health behaviors are learned, they can be shaped and changed.
Fostering healthy children is the shared responsibility of families, communities,
and schools. Planned, sequential, age and developmentally appropriate K-12
curriculum in health education and physically is necessary for students to
become physically educated and health-literate individuals thereby contributing to
an enhanced quality of life. School health education and physical education can
make a valuable contribution in areas such as these and can play an important
role in improving the quality of life. A quality health program educates on
fundamental health concepts and skills that foster healthy habits and behaviors,
and educates on how to assess risks to consider potential consequences, and to
make health- enhancing decisions. The aim of health education from K - 12 is to
enable students to apply health knowledge in daily life in order to increase
health-enhancing behaviors and decrease health-risking behaviors.
Philosophy: Definition of “Health” A dynamic process involving harmony of
physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual “well-being”. Health impacts on
many aspects of school life, from academic achievement to students’ behavior, to
social interaction among students or between students and staff. If present health
knowledge were applied in daily living, then many more individuals within our
society, and our society as a whole would enjoy the benefits of better health.
Through health literacy, healthy self-management skills, and health promotion,
comprehensive health education teaches fundamental health concepts, promotes
healthy habits and conduct that enhances health and wellness, and guides
efforts to build healthy families, relationships, schools, and communities.
Curriculum Goals:
. Students understand their responsibility to themselves in the areas of fitness,
exercise, safety, accident prevention, personal hygiene, consumer health and
nutrition.
. Students understand who they are and who they might become physically and
emotionally.
. Students demonstrate personal responsibility for safety and accident
prevention.
. Students know the personal benefits of fitness and exercise.
. Students know and apply nutritional information in making personal health
decisions.
. Students understand and describe the negative affects of substance abuse
and are aware of its prevention, intervention opportunities, treatment, and after
care.
. Students demonstrate an awareness of consumer health issues.
. Disease prevention
. Understand the Principals of movement and physical fitness.
. First aid concepts and skills
. Developing an awareness of basic skill concepts and skills related to avoiding
high-risk behaviors.
.
Demonstrating basic concepts and self-care skills related to personal, hygiene,
nutrition, and stress management.
. Functions of the human body
Standards achieved by the end of fifth grade:
. Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease
prevention to enhance health.
. Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture media, technology
and other factors on health behaviors.
. Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills
to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
. Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance
health.
. Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance
health.
. Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family and
community health. Express opinions and encourage others to make positive
choices.
Grading:
. Daily participation in class discussions
. Respect others
. Positive energy
. Can work with others in class assignments cooperatively.
. Listens to instructions
. Completes written work in class
. Effort
. Homework assignments in on time.
Example health lesson: Nutrition
Students know and apply nutritional information in making personal health
decisions.
Students will:
. Identify major food groups
. Describe what constitutes a balanced diet
. Have an understanding of what healthy food choices are.
. Read labels to choose healthy snacks
. Understand the ‘Food pyramid “
. Make informed food selections
. Identify essential nutritional components required by the
human body.
Curricular strategies:
. Provide instruction dealing with three of the food groups
. Discuss the importance of eating breakfast
. Smart snacks
. Introduce the concept of well-balanced meals
. Keep track of a food journal
. Read food labels
Classroom activity:
Create a food menu
How much fat and calories per day?
Elementary Health Education 3- 5 benchmark goals:
The student understands the functions of the human body systems.
The student knows the nutritional values of different foods.
The student knows how personal health behaviors influence well-being.
The student understands how the family influences personal health.
The student knows why health problems should be detected and treated early.
The student knows how childhood injuries and illnesses can be prevented and
treated.
The student knows why illegal drugs should not be used and the consequences
of their use.
The student knows the characteristics of valid health information, products, and
services.
The student knows how to locate resources from home, school, and the
community that provide valid health information.
The student will know the basics of how to resolve conflict.
The student will know basic First aid and CPR skills.
Areas of instruction that we focus on in health class are as
follows:
Explain structure and function of major body systems
Develop an exercise plan
Benefits of fitness
Analyze and plan with nutritional guidelines
Hygiene
Stress and conflict
Bullying
Self- expression
Explore responsibility, respect, honesty, accountability, compassion, and
empathy.
Practice emergency response steps
Recognize effects of drugs on the brain
Simulate the effects of smoking
Identify community safety groups
Medias role
Substance abuse education
Mental health
Functions of hormones
Muscles and bones
What is a germ?
Addiction & values, Concept of risk and Refusal skills
Benefits of exercise / what is your heart rate? Pulse
Importance of food labels
Initiating new friendships
Sensitivity to learning differences
Apply decision -making skills to setting goals.
Identify how drugs and violence hurt a community.
Air and water pollution / How it may cause health problems.
How to keep your community safe
Identify how attitudes affect group efforts.
Importance of exercise
8 National Standards: Performance indicators covered
Standard1: Students will comprehend related to health promotion and disease
prevention to enhance health.
1.5.1: Describe the relationship between healthy behaviors and personal health.
1.5.2: Identify examples of emotional, intellectual, physical, and social health.
1.5.3: Describe ways in which safe and healthy school and community
environments.
1.5.4: Describe when it is important to seek health care. Promoting healthenhancing behaviors among youth.
1.5.5: Describe ways to prevent childhood injuries and health problems.
Standard 2: Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media,
technology, and other factors on health behaviors.
2.5.1: Describe how the family influences personal health practices and
behaviors.
2.5.3: Identify how peers can influence healthy and unhealthy behaviors.
2.5.5: Explain how media influences thoughts, feelings, and health behaviors.
Standard 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information
and products and services to enhance health.
3.5.2: Locate resources from home, school, and community that provide valid
health information.
Standard 4: Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal
communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
4.5.2: Demonstrate refusal skills that avoid or reduce health risks.
4.5.3: Demonstrate non- violent strategies to manage or resolve conflict.
Effective communication enhances personal, family, and community health.
Standard 5: Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision- making skills
to enhance health.
5.5.1: Identify health – related situations that might require a thoughtful
decision.
5.5.2: Analyze when assistance is needed in making a health –related decision.
5.5.3: List healthy options to health –related issues or problems.
5.5.4: Predict the potential outcomes of each option when making a health –
related decision.
5.5.5: Choose a healthy option when making a decision.
5.5.6: Describe the outcomes of a health – related decision.
Standard 6: Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal -setting skills to
enhance health.
6.5.1: Set a personal health goal and track progress towards its achievement.
6.5.2: Identify resources to assist in achieving a personal health goal.
Aspirations and plans for the future.
Standard 7: Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health- enhancing
behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.
7.5.1: Identify responsible personal health behaviors.
7.5.2: Demonstrate a variety of health practices and behaviors to maintain or
improve personal health.
7.5.3: Demonstrate a variety of behaviors that avoid or reduce health risks.
Standard 8: Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal,
family, and community health. Advocacy skills help students promote healthy
norms and healthy behaviors.
8.5.1: Express opinions and give accurate information about health issues.
8.5.2: Encourage others to make positive health choices.
Westford Health Benchmarks:
4th Grade:
1. Explain the importance and functions of the digestion and respiratory systems.
2. Describe how the body’s immune system fights off germs apply skills to prevent
the spread of disease.
3. Identify various drugs and describe the effect.
4. List ways to prevent violence and set personal safety goals.
5. Develop the knowledge to participate in a physical fitness program.
6. Differentiate between strength, endurance, and flexibility, and describe how each
is developed during exercise.
3rd Grade:
1. Define the concepts of home, community, and school safety and understand
refusal skills to say no in unsafe situations.
2. Identify and distinguish between safe and unsafe drugs.
3. Explain the importance and functions of the skeletal systems.
4. Describe how germs spread and apply skills to prevent the spread of disease.
5. Identify the key nutrients in food in regards to healthy food choices.
5th Grade:
1. Explain the importance and functions of the body systems.
2. Develop the ability to identify paths to a healthy lifestyle.
3. Identify physical changes as related to puberty reproductive system.
Example lessons:
Mental Health: Students understand the components of mental
health and emotional health and how to cope with stress.
. Identify basic emotions
. Participate in cooperative learning environments as a means of developing
positive self-esteem.
. Participate in individual/group counseling on an: as needed” basis.
. Identify strategies to prevent addictive behaviors
. Identify positive and negative stressors.
Curricular Strategies: Provide students with information that identifies habits
of diet, rest, exercise, and stress management as choices, which individuals
make.
. Help students understand feelings as a natural emotion
. Provide instruction in good manners, effective communication strategies,
cooperative learning environment, and opportunities for shared leadership.
. Teach problem solving and refusal skills
Classroom activities:
Role-play situations that create both positive & negative emotions, and discuss
accompanying emotions.
What is wellness?
What makes you happy?
Identify the negative effects of harmful drugs
Stress management techniques are researched.
Substance abuse:
Students will:
Identify labels that indicate a toxic & poison substance
Distinguish between legal and illegal substances
Identify and list harmful affects of specific drugs
Describe the effects of tobacco on the human body
Describe positive techniques in dealing with peer pressure regarding substance
abuse.
Curricular Strategies: Understand the negative affects of
substance abuse.
What does prevention mean?
What are stimulants and depressants?
Discus household products
Classroom Activities: Classroom discussion on alcohol and
different drugs and how they cause damage to the body, and
others.
Poor decisions
Safety of others
Fitness lesson:
Curricular Strategies:
. Provide instruction on the cardiovascular benefits of fitness and exercise.
. Provide instruction in the development of fitness plans.
. What is your target heart rate?
. Proper warm – up and cool down.
Classroom activities:
. Personalized educational plan goals to improve fitness levels
. Students measure their personal pulse rates
. Students explain why those who participate in aerobic exercise have healthy
and efficient hearts.
. Students determine if their heart rate is within the “Target range”, and increase
or decrease their intensity of exercise accordingly.
. Students develop a personal fitness plan
. Students identify and list the components of fitness
. American heart association and jump rope for heart
Hygiene lesson: Demonstrate responsibility for personal hygiene.
Students will:
. Demonstrate knowledge of wellness and personal health care.
. Demonstrate knowledge of proper dental care
. Demonstrate knowledge of personal hygiene as it relates to changes in body
development.
Curricular Strategies:
. Provide instruction on the importance of rest and sleep
. Provide strategies for preserving wellness
. Importance of being clean
Classroom activities: Discus the Immune system
What are germs?
Washing of hands