Mission Statement

Health Education

The purpose of health education is to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve and maintain personal wellness. Through a comprehensive health curriculum students are encouraged to take ownership of their lives by learning to set goals and make positive decisions.

The professional staff of the Mahopac Central School District believes that health education is a vital component of the core curriculum at each grade level. We recognize the direct correlation between student health and academic achievement. We realize that personal achievement in any aspect of a student’s life is contingent upon his/her ability to maintain physical, social and emotional well-being. Our ultimate goal is to empower students with the necessary health information and skills needed as they pursue academic success, personal fulfillment and community involvement.

Health Education-

Self, Community and Peers

CURRICULUM GOALS

  • Students will increase their personal health knowledge.
  • Students will recognize the synergy between the community and their personal health.
  • Students will appreciate the importance of peer influence on personal health.

Theme One-

Personal Health and Fitness

New York State Standards

  1. Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity and maintain personal health.
  1. Students will acquire the knowledge and ability to create and maintain a healthy environment.
  1. Students will understand and be able to manage their personal & community resources.

Goals and Objectives

  • Students will increase their personal health knowledge.
  • Students will recognize the synergy between the community and their personal health.
  • Students will appreciate the importance of peer influence on personal health.

Content

Self:

  • Knowledge of own health behaviors
  • Changing health needs of adolescences
  • The relationship between personal health habits and wellness

Community:

  • Health Services in the community
  • Skills for accessing health services
  • Holistic/alternative health practionner

Peer:

  • The influence of peers on decision making
  • Role models
  • Media influence on adolescence

Activities and Assessments

  • Self-assessment on fitness, health and well-being
  • Guest speakers: community and school based health professionals
  • Personal Health Log (exercise, nutrition, sleep, hydration, hygiene practices, etc)
  • Reaction paper
  • Gratitude Journal
  • Current Event Topic

Theme Two-

Tatu Program: Anti-Smoking

New York State Standards

  1. Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity and maintain personal health.
  1. Students will acquire the knowledge and ability to create and maintain a healthy environment.
  1. Students will understand and be able to manage their personal & community resources.

Goals and Objectives

  • Students will increase their personal health knowledge.
  • Students will recognize the synergy between the community and their personal health.
  • Students will appreciate the importance of peer influence on personal health.

Content

Self:

  • Knowledge of short and long term effects of tobacco on the body
  • Contents of a cigarette

Community:

  • The effects of the media on tobacco use
  • The effects of second hand smoking
  • The financial and societal costs of tobacco use
  • Community resources and treatment

Peer:

  • The effects of peer influence on tobacco use
  • The media influence on tobacco use

Activities and Assessments

  • Role Plays
  • History of smoking timeline
  • TATU activities
  • Demonstrations
  • Current events: smoke free restaurants
  • Advertising and tobacco use analysis
  • Worksheets
  • Video

Theme Three-

Careers in Health

New York State Standards

  1. Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity and maintain personal health.
  1. Students will acquire the knowledge and ability to create and maintain a healthy environment.
  1. Students will understand and be able to manage their personal & community resources.

Goals and Objectives

  • Students will increase their personal health knowledge.
  • Students will recognize the synergy between the community and their personal health.
  • Students will appreciate the importance of peer influence on personal health.

Content

Self:

  • Career interest surveys
  • Higher education requirements for health careers
  • Knowledge of health careers

Community:

  • Volunteer opportunities in the health professions
  • Group volunteer initiative

Peer:

  • Public service announcements of volunteer opportunities

Activities and Assessments

  • Community service projects
  • Interviews of health professions
  • Internet college exploration project
  • Career planning assessment
  • Poster designs
  • Guest speakers
  • Public speaking
  • Field trip

Theme Four-

Stress Management

New York State Standards

  1. Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity and maintain personal health.
  1. Students will acquire the knowledge and ability to create and maintain a healthy environment.
  1. Students will understand and be able to manage their personal & community resources.

Goals and Objectives

  • Students will increase their personal health knowledge.
  • Students will recognize the synergy between the community and their personal health.
  • Students will appreciate the importance of peer influence on personal health.

Content

Self:

  • Self assessments on stress
  • Signs of stress
  • Effects of stress on health
  • Healthy vs. unhealthy stress management techniques

Community:

  • Community resources
  • Crisis Intervention hotlines
  • Health consumerism

Peer:

  • Peer education on stress: warning signs and healthy coping techniques
  • Role play

Activities and Assessments

  • Self-assessments on stress
  • Role-plays
  • Healthy stress management techniques
  • Alternative health definitions
  • Multi-cultural health practices
  • Current events

Theme Five-

Environmental Health

New York State Standards

  1. Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity and maintain personal health.
  1. Students will acquire the knowledge and ability to create and maintain a healthy environment.
  1. Students will understand and be able to manage their personal & community resources.

Goals and Objectives

  • Students will increase their personal health knowledge and awareness.
  • Students will recognize the synergy between their community and their personal health.
  • Students will learn to appreciate the importance of peer influence on their personal health choices.

Content

Self:

  • Reduce, Recycle, Reuse
  • Effects of pollution on health (noise, air, water, land)
  • Environmental consumerism
  • Environmental Log (personal choices, community observations)
  • Recreational Safety

Community:

  • Environmental hazards within the community
  • The effects of personal health habits on the environment

(noise, air, water, land)

  • Corporate environmental practices
  • Current events
  • Community Resources: EPA vs. local, recreational opportunities

Peers:

  • Peer influence on environmental health practices
  • Recommendations of environmentally friendly corporations

Activities and Assessments

  • How Healthy is Your House
  • Environmental Log
  • Environmental Police-Photo Journalism Project
  • Guest Speaker: Department of Environmental Police
  • Scenic Hudson
  • Website Research
  • Recycling Competition
  • Corporate Interviews
  • Presentation on environmental health to peers
  • Recreation Map
  • Recreational Safety Checklist

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