Healthy habits and the body
Students start the year learning what keeps a body healthy day to day. They look at sleep, food, exercise, and hygiene, and connect daily choices to how they feel at school and at home.
What does a student learn in
These are the years health class shifts from following rules to making choices. Students learn how friends, family, ads, and feelings shape the decisions they make about their bodies and habits. They practice spotting trustworthy information, talking through tough situations, and setting small goals like drinking more water or getting to bed on time. By spring, students can walk through a real decision out loud and explain what helped them choose.
- Healthy habits
- Decision making
- Goal setting
- Trusted information
- Communication skills
- Influences on health
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
What shapes our choices
Students notice the things that pull on their choices, like family routines, friends, ads, and screens. They start to tell the difference between a habit they picked up and a choice they actually made.
- 3
Finding trustworthy help
Students learn where to turn when they have a health question or a worry. They practice telling a reliable source, like a parent, nurse, or doctor, from a random website or a friend's guess.
- 4
Talking through tough moments
Students practice the words for real situations: asking for help, saying no, working out a disagreement, and speaking up when something feels wrong. Role-play and short scripts build the muscle.
- 5
Making decisions and setting goals
Students walk through a simple way to make a decision, weighing what could happen before they act. They also pick a small health goal, track it for a few weeks, and adjust when it stalls.
- 6
Standing up for health
Students put it all together by sharing what they have learned with classmates, family, or the school. A poster, a short talk, or a class campaign shows them that one student can move others toward healthier choices.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 4.
Health Education
Health Education
- Grades 3-5
Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of…
Students learn health basics they can actually use, like why sleep matters or how germs spread, and apply that knowledge to take care of themselves and look out for others.
- Grades 3-5
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others
Students look at what shapes health choices, like friends, family, ads, and social media, and decide whether those influences push toward healthy habits or away from them.
- Grades 3-5
Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self…
Students learn to find trustworthy sources, like a doctor, school nurse, or health website, when they have questions about staying healthy. They practice choosing sources that give accurate information for themselves and the people around them.
- Grades 3-5
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice how to speak up, listen, and respond in ways that keep relationships healthy, whether asking for help, setting a boundary, or checking in on a friend.
- Grades 3-5
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and…
Students work through a step-by-step process for making choices that affect their own health and the people around them. They practice weighing options before deciding, not just going with the first idea.
- Grades 3-5
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others
Students pick a health goal, like drinking more water or getting enough sleep, and map out the steps to reach it. They also think about how the same process can help a friend or family member.
- Grades 3-5
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice real habits that keep themselves and the people around them healthy. That means washing hands, making active choices, and learning what to do when someone needs help.
- Grades 3-5
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others
Students practice speaking up for healthy choices, like asking for more recess time or telling a friend why wearing a helmet matters. It's about using your voice to make things healthier for yourself and the people around you.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of… Grades 3-5 | Students learn health basics they can actually use, like why sleep matters or how germs spread, and apply that knowledge to take care of themselves and look out for others. | PA-HE.1.3-5 |
| Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others Grades 3-5 | Students look at what shapes health choices, like friends, family, ads, and social media, and decide whether those influences push toward healthy habits or away from them. | PA-HE.2.3-5 |
| Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self… Grades 3-5 | Students learn to find trustworthy sources, like a doctor, school nurse, or health website, when they have questions about staying healthy. They practice choosing sources that give accurate information for themselves and the people around them. | PA-HE.3.3-5 |
| Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self… Grades 3-5 | Students practice how to speak up, listen, and respond in ways that keep relationships healthy, whether asking for help, setting a boundary, or checking in on a friend. | PA-HE.4.3-5 |
| Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and… Grades 3-5 | Students work through a step-by-step process for making choices that affect their own health and the people around them. They practice weighing options before deciding, not just going with the first idea. | PA-HE.5.3-5 |
| Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others Grades 3-5 | Students pick a health goal, like drinking more water or getting enough sleep, and map out the steps to reach it. They also think about how the same process can help a friend or family member. | PA-HE.6.3-5 |
| Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self… Grades 3-5 | Students practice real habits that keep themselves and the people around them healthy. That means washing hands, making active choices, and learning what to do when someone needs help. | PA-HE.7.3-5 |
| Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others Grades 3-5 | Students practice speaking up for healthy choices, like asking for more recess time or telling a friend why wearing a helmet matters. It's about using your voice to make things healthier for yourself and the people around you. | PA-HE.8.3-5 |
Common Questions
What does health class look like in these grades?
Students learn how the body works, how to make safe choices, and how to get along with others. They practice skills like washing hands well, reading a food label, asking for help, and calming down when upset. Lessons cover physical health, feelings, friendships, and safety at home and online.
How can I help my child build healthy habits at home?
Pick one habit at a time and make it part of the day. A regular bedtime, water with meals, a short walk after school, or screens off during dinner all count. Talking about why the habit matters helps more than a long lecture.
What should I do if my child asks hard questions about bodies, feelings, or safety?
Answer in plain words and keep it short. It is fine to say a question is a good one and come back to it after thinking. Kids this age mostly want honest information and to know they can ask again.
How should I sequence topics across the year?
Start with routines and personal habits like sleep, hygiene, and feelings, since those skills carry into every other unit. Move to nutrition and physical activity in the middle of the year, then cover safety, relationships, and decision-making later when students can handle more nuance. Revisit emotional skills throughout.
What does decision-making and goal-setting look like at this age?
Students learn a simple process: name the choice, think about what could happen, pick one, and check how it went. Goals should be small and specific, like drinking more water this week or being kind to a new classmate. Practice with low-stakes examples before bigger ones.
How do I teach kids to find trustworthy health information?
Show students who the safe adults and sources are: a parent, a school nurse, a doctor, a trusted website. Practice the question, who would actually know the answer to this? Compare a reliable site with a random search result so students see the difference.
My child is shy about speaking up. How can I help with communication skills?
Rehearse short scripts at home for common moments, like asking a teacher for help, telling a friend no, or saying when something hurts. Role-play feels silly but it works. Praise the attempt, not just the result.
How do I know if my child is ready for the next grade in health?
By the end of the year, students should be able to describe a few habits that keep them healthy, name feelings and ways to handle them, and walk through a simple decision out loud. They should also know which adults to go to for help. Confidence with these basics matters more than memorising facts.
Which topics usually need the most reteaching?
Emotional regulation, refusal skills, and decision-making rarely stick after one lesson. Students can name the steps but freeze in real moments. Short, repeated practice across the year works better than one long unit.