Health Curriculum Topics & Information                                                   Florence Sawyer School

Grades 6, 7, & 8                                                                                             2009 – 2010

Miss Jayne Richards                                    978-779-2821, x2243             

jrichards@nrsd.net                                      http://Teacherweb.com/MA/FlorenceSawyerSchool/MissRichards/

General Information

·         Health classes meet twice in the six day cycle. 

·         Newsletters, project materials, and other health-related information will be posted on my website.  You may access my site from the FSS web page under Staff/Related Arts/Health.

·         Classroom instruction will continue to be differentiated in order to meet the individual learning styles of all students.

The following are the outlines of the Health topics that will be covered this school year for Grades 6-8.  Additional topics/lessons may be added if there are teachable moments that can be linked to important issues/needs that may arise during the course of the year.

• Introduction of the National Health Education Standards – Concepts, Skills, and Rubrics
• Character Traits - What they are and why they are important to us 
• Stress – A look at what influences/causes our stress
• Protecting Your Health (part 1) - Alcohol & Tobacco  
• Nutrition 101 – The food groups, serving sizes, and why they’re important to being healthy
• The environment and how it may impact health   

Grade 7

• The National Health Education Standards – Skills and Rubrics Review
• Ecological Health - understanding the interdependence between the environment and health
• Bullying, Teasing, and Harassment
• Stress and Coping Strategies – Effects of positive and negative strategies
• Body Systems Anatomy & Functions
• Protecting Your Health (part 2) – Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs
• Fitness Planning and Nutrition – The connection between Exercise and Food

Grade 8

·         The National Health Education Standards – Skills and Rubrics Review

·         Diseases – Communicable Diseases and Chronic Illnesses

·         Conflict Resolution and Interpersonal Communications Skills

·         A Healthy You – Melanoma, Eating Disorders, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

·         Growth & Development – Decision-making skills; Refusal skills; Barriers to Goals; Abstinence; STDs; Anatomy of the Reproductive System

·         Nutrition and the Media – A look at what influences our eating habits

·         Review of Health Concepts and Skills

Assessment

            The Health Education Assessment Project (HEAP) has created Assessment Rubric Cards and Assessment Skills posters (Student Tips) to “help educators and students to make the connection between the assessment and achievement of the National Health Education Standards” (Assessment Tools for Health Education, 2006, p205).  Massachusetts is one of 23 states participating in the nation-wide project, under the heading of Massachusetts Health Education Assessment Project (MHEAP). 

The goal is to help and guide students develop the knowledge and skills they will need to become Health-Literate Adults.

            There are two basic rubrics – one for Standard 1 - Core Concepts, and one Generic Skills Rubric for Standards 2 through 8.  These are for scoring all student assessments for the National Health Education Standards core concepts and the related skills.  Please see the details of the Rubric Cards & Skills Posters on my website.  This information is introduced in detail beginning in Grade 6 and reviewed each year in Grades 7 & 8.

            A separate rubric with project-specific scoring criteria, along with the point value for each category, will be given for each major project so that students will know the requirements for determining a letter grade.  Students will receive a copy of each project rubric with their grade and comments for their Binder.

Students will be assessed in the following categories:

·         Projects & Presentations (100 points)

·         In-class Activities and Assignments (25-50 points)

·         Respect & Responsibility Posters & Paragraphs (50 points)

·         Homework (20-25 points)

·         Group Activity Work (10-25 points)

·         Binder Organization (10 points/trimester)

• Students are expected to come prepared with the materials needed for class.
• It is expected that students will come to class prepared to learn and actively participate. 
• The students are expected to respect, listen, and work cooperatively with their classmates.
• Students will be keeping a portfolio of their completed work in a 3-ring binder.  It will be the student’s responsibility to keep this binder up-to-date.  Time will be given during Health class to keep this organized.