Health basics and personal habits
Students start the year by learning how daily choices about sleep, food, movement, and stress affect their bodies and minds. They build a working vocabulary for talking about their own health.
What does a student learn in
This is the stretch when health class shifts from learning the rules to running their own lives. Students dig into the real pressures that shape their choices, like friends, social media, family habits, and stress, and they learn how to spot a trustworthy source from a sketchy one. They practice hard conversations, set goals they actually mean to keep, and think through decisions before making them. By spring, students can talk through a real health choice, name what is pushing on them, and lay out a plan they can stick to.
- Healthy decisions
- Goal setting
- Peer and media pressure
- Trusted health information
- Tough conversations
- Stress and mental health
- Speaking up for others
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Sorting out influences and information
Students look at what shapes their choices, from family and friends to social media and ads. They practice telling a trustworthy source from a sketchy one when they look up a health question.
- 3
Communication and decisions
Students work on real conversations: saying no, asking for help, and handling conflict with friends or family. They walk through a step-by-step way to think before making a choice that affects their health.
- 4
Goals, action, and advocacy
Students set a personal health goal and track progress over time. They finish the year by speaking up for something that matters to them, whether it's a habit at home or an issue at school.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 11.
Health Education
Health Education
- High School
Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of…
Students apply what they know about health, like how sleep, stress, or nutrition affects the body, to make real decisions for themselves and the people around them.
- High School
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others
Students look at what shapes health choices, including ads, friends, family, and social media, and weigh how those pressures affect their own decisions and the people around them.
- High School
Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice finding trustworthy sources, like a doctor's website or a public health hotline, when they have a health question. They learn to tell the difference between reliable information and unreliable information.
- High School
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice real conversations around hard topics, like setting limits with a friend or checking in on someone who seems off. The goal is handling those moments in a way that protects their health and the health of people around them.
- High School
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and…
Students work through a step-by-step decision-making process to weigh options and choose actions that protect their own health and the health of people around them.
- High School
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others
Students pick a health goal, map out the steps to reach it, and track their progress. The focus can be their own well-being or someone else's.
- High School
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice real health habits, like washing hands, getting enough sleep, or checking in on a friend, that protect their own well-being and support the people around them.
- High School
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others
Students choose a health issue that matters to them and take a real position on it, then communicate that stance to others through writing, speaking, or organized action.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of… High School | Students apply what they know about health, like how sleep, stress, or nutrition affects the body, to make real decisions for themselves and the people around them. | DE-HE.1.9-12 |
| Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others High School | Students look at what shapes health choices, including ads, friends, family, and social media, and weigh how those pressures affect their own decisions and the people around them. | DE-HE.2.9-12 |
| Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self… High School | Students practice finding trustworthy sources, like a doctor's website or a public health hotline, when they have a health question. They learn to tell the difference between reliable information and unreliable information. | DE-HE.3.9-12 |
| Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self… High School | Students practice real conversations around hard topics, like setting limits with a friend or checking in on someone who seems off. The goal is handling those moments in a way that protects their health and the health of people around them. | DE-HE.4.9-12 |
| Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and… High School | Students work through a step-by-step decision-making process to weigh options and choose actions that protect their own health and the health of people around them. | DE-HE.5.9-12 |
| Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others High School | Students pick a health goal, map out the steps to reach it, and track their progress. The focus can be their own well-being or someone else's. | DE-HE.6.9-12 |
| Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self… High School | Students practice real health habits, like washing hands, getting enough sleep, or checking in on a friend, that protect their own well-being and support the people around them. | DE-HE.7.9-12 |
| Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others High School | Students choose a health issue that matters to them and take a real position on it, then communicate that stance to others through writing, speaking, or organized action. | DE-HE.8.9-12 |
Common Questions
What does high school health class actually cover?
Students study how to take care of their bodies and minds across topics like nutrition, sleep, mental health, relationships, substance use, and safety. They also practice skills such as making decisions, talking through hard conversations, setting goals, and finding trustworthy information online.
How can a parent help with health at home?
Talk openly about everyday choices: what is for dinner, how much sleep students got, who they spent time with, how they handled a stressful day. Short, regular conversations matter more than one big talk. Modeling the habits helps too.
How should the year be sequenced?
A common arc starts with mental and emotional health, moves into relationships and communication, then nutrition and physical activity, then substance use and safety, and closes with advocacy projects. Front-load the decision-making and goal-setting skills so students can reuse them in every later unit.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should be able to spot a health risk, find a credible source, weigh options, make a choice, and explain it. They should also be able to set a realistic goal, track it for a few weeks, and adjust when life gets in the way.
How can a parent help if a teen will not talk about health topics?
Skip the lecture and ask short questions while doing something else, like driving or cooking. Try openers such as what is something people at school are stressed about, or what would you do if a friend asked for advice. Listen more than respond.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Accessing valid sources and analyzing influences trip students up the most. They tend to trust the first search result and underestimate how much social media, peers, and marketing shape their choices. Build in repeated practice with real headlines, ads, and short video clips.
How are sensitive topics like substance use and mental health handled?
These topics are taught with clear ground rules, accurate information, and a focus on skills rather than scare tactics. Students learn warning signs, how to ask for help, and where to go for support. Parents can ask the teacher for the unit outline ahead of time.
What does a strong advocacy project look like?
Students pick a real health issue in the school or community, gather evidence, identify an audience, and propose a specific change. A short campaign, a letter to a decision-maker, or a peer presentation all work. The goal is a clear ask backed by reliable information.
How do teachers know students are ready for life after high school?
Watch for students who can manage their own sleep, stress, and schedule, find accurate health information without help, and speak up for themselves at a doctor visit or with a roommate. If they can do those things in class scenarios, they are ready to do them on their own.