M/J Health Grade 8 Year   (#0800020)

General Notes

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become health literate and practice responsible behaviors to become healthy, productive citizens. This comprehensive course focuses on the development of positive life-long knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, which promote an active and healthy lifestyle.

The content should include, but is not limited to:

• Mental and emotional health (personal health care, screenings, counseling, negotiation skills, bullying, coping skills and depression)
• Prevention and control of disease (non-communicable, sexually transmitted diseases, STDs, and HIV/AIDS)
• Consumer health (risk reduction behaviors, policies/laws, medical resources, and conflict resolution)
• Family life (cultures, daily routines and rules)
• Personal health (risk reduction behaviors, communication skills, social relationships, wellness, and reproductive health)
• Nutrition (weight management, fitness plan, eating disorders, and BMI)
• Internet safety (security, threats, media, cyber-bullying parental controls, and monitoring)
• Injury prevention and safety (rules, bullying, water safety, weapons safety, and first aid/CPR/AED)
• Substance use and abuse (harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and over-the-counter drugs)
• Community health (local health organizations, technology, resources, and services)
• Environmental health (adverse health effects, chemicals toxins and pollutants)
• Consumer health (advertising, media influence, products and services)
• Teen dating violence (dating, media, abuse and violence)

Special Notes - Instructional Practices: Teaching from a well-written, grade-level textbook enhances students’ content area knowledge and also strengthens their ability to comprehend longer, complex reading passages on any topic for any reason. Using the following instructional practices also helps student learning:

1. Reading assignments from longer text passages as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.
2. Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
3. Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.
4. Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.
5. Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).

Any student whose parent makes written request to the school principal shall be exempted from the teaching of reproductive health or any disease, including HIV/AIDS, its symptoms, development, and treatment. A student so exempted may not be penalized by reason of that exemption.

The following standards focus on yearly instruction to ensure that students gain adequate exposure to health information and practices. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade specific benchmarks and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.

English Language Development ELD Standards Special Notes Section:
Teachers are required to provide listening, speaking, reading and writing instruction that allows English language learners (ELL) to communicate for social and instructional purposes within the school setting. For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support, students will interact with grade level words, expressions, sentences and discourse to process or produce language necessary for academic success. The ELD standard should specify a relevant content area concept or topic of study chosen by curriculum developers and teachers which maximizes an ELL’s need for communication and social skills. To access an ELL supporting document which delineates performance definitions and descriptors, please click on the following link: https://cpalmsmediaprod.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/docs/standards/eld/si.pdf