Healthy habits and daily choices
Students start the year learning how sleep, food, exercise, and screen time shape how they feel. They practice noticing which daily habits help them and which ones do not.
What does a student learn in
These are the years health class shifts from following rules to making real choices. Students learn to spot what shapes their habits, from friends and family to ads and social media, and to find trustworthy answers when they have questions about their bodies, food, sleep, or feelings. They practice talking through tough situations and setting goals they can actually keep. By spring, students can walk through a decision out loud and explain why it supports their health.
- Healthy choices
- Peer and media influence
- Trusted health information
- Communication skills
- Goal setting
- Decision making
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
Spotting influences on health
Students look at what shapes their choices, from friends and family to ads and social media. They learn to question messages about bodies, food, and products instead of taking them at face value.
- 3
Finding trustworthy information
Students learn where to go for real answers about their health. They practice telling a reliable source from a shaky one and know which adults to ask when something feels off.
- 4
Communication and decisions
Students practice speaking up, listening, and saying no in tough moments. They walk through a clear set of steps for making decisions about friendships, safety, and risky situations.
- 5
Setting goals and taking action
Students set a personal health goal and track real progress over time. They also learn how to speak up for the health of friends, family, and their school community.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 6.
Health Education
Health Education
- Grades 6-8
Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of…
Students apply what they know about health to make better decisions for themselves and the people around them.
- Grades 6-8
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others
Students look at what shapes health decisions, from friends and family to ads and social media, and explain how those pressures push people toward or away from healthy choices.
- Grades 6-8
Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self…
Students learn to find trustworthy health information, like government websites or licensed medical providers, and use it to make informed decisions for themselves and the people around them.
- Grades 6-8
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice the words and conversations that help them handle disagreement, ask for help, and support a friend going through something hard.
- Grades 6-8
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and…
Students practice a step-by-step process for making choices about health, like deciding what to eat, how to handle stress, or how to respond when a friend is in a tough spot.
- Grades 6-8
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others
Students pick a personal health goal, break it into steps, and track their progress. The process works for individual goals or ones that involve helping a friend or family member.
- Grades 6-8
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self…
Healthy habits aren't just personal. Students practice behaviors like getting enough sleep, managing stress, and supporting others' well-being, then explain how those choices affect the people around them.
- Grades 6-8
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others
Students identify a health issue that matters to them and make a case for change, whether that means talking to a friend, writing to a school, or speaking up in the community.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of… Grades 6-8 | Students apply what they know about health to make better decisions for themselves and the people around them. | TX-HE.1.6-8 |
| Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others Grades 6-8 | Students look at what shapes health decisions, from friends and family to ads and social media, and explain how those pressures push people toward or away from healthy choices. | TX-HE.2.6-8 |
| Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self… Grades 6-8 | Students learn to find trustworthy health information, like government websites or licensed medical providers, and use it to make informed decisions for themselves and the people around them. | TX-HE.3.6-8 |
| Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self… Grades 6-8 | Students practice the words and conversations that help them handle disagreement, ask for help, and support a friend going through something hard. | TX-HE.4.6-8 |
| Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and… Grades 6-8 | Students practice a step-by-step process for making choices about health, like deciding what to eat, how to handle stress, or how to respond when a friend is in a tough spot. | TX-HE.5.6-8 |
| Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others Grades 6-8 | Students pick a personal health goal, break it into steps, and track their progress. The process works for individual goals or ones that involve helping a friend or family member. | TX-HE.6.6-8 |
| Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self… Grades 6-8 | Healthy habits aren't just personal. Students practice behaviors like getting enough sleep, managing stress, and supporting others' well-being, then explain how those choices affect the people around them. | TX-HE.7.6-8 |
| Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others Grades 6-8 | Students identify a health issue that matters to them and make a case for change, whether that means talking to a friend, writing to a school, or speaking up in the community. | TX-HE.8.6-8 |
Common Questions
What does health class look like in middle school?
Students learn how to take care of their bodies and minds as they get older. They look at food choices, sleep, exercise, friendships, stress, and safety. The work also includes thinking about how friends, family, and social media shape the choices students make.
How can I support what students are learning at home?
Talk through small daily choices: what to eat, when to put the phone down, how to handle a hard moment with a friend. Middle schoolers learn more from short, honest conversations than from lectures. Share how adults make these calls too.
What topics should I expect to come up this year?
Topics include nutrition, physical activity, sleep, mental and emotional health, friendships and family, online safety, and refusal skills around alcohol, drugs, and vaping. Puberty and personal hygiene also come up. Specific content varies by district policy.
How should I sequence the units across the year?
Start with personal wellness habits like sleep, food, and movement, since those anchor everything else. Move into mental and emotional health, then social health and communication. Save risk-related topics like substances and online safety for later, once trust and vocabulary are in place.
What does mastery look like by the end of eighth grade?
Students can explain a health concept in their own words, name an influence that shapes behavior, find a trustworthy source, and walk through a decision step by step. They can also set a small goal and check their own progress on it.
My child says health class is boring or obvious. What helps?
Ask what topic came up and connect it to a real moment from the week. A snack choice, a tough text from a friend, or a late bedtime are all health decisions. Students stay engaged when the lessons match their actual lives.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Decision-making and goal-setting are the two that need the most practice. Students can list the steps but struggle to use them under pressure. Build in low-stakes scenarios across the year so the process becomes a habit, not a worksheet.
How do I help students spot reliable health information?
Give students a quick test for any source: who wrote it, what they want from the reader, and whether other trusted sources agree. Compare a hospital site, a wellness influencer, and a friend group chat on the same question. The contrast does the teaching.
How will I know students are ready for high school health?
Ready students can talk about a health choice without flinching, name pressures that pull them one way or another, and ask for help from a trusted adult or resource. They can also push back on a bad idea from a peer with words that sound like their own.