Health and Wellness Curriculum

8th Grade

National Health Education Standards (NHES)

Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
Analyze the influences of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health
behaviors.
Access valid information, products, and services to enhance health.
Use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
Use decision-making skills to enhance health.
Use goal-setting skills to enhance health.
Practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce risks.
Advocate for personal, family, and community health.

Social and Emotional Health

Objectives- The student will be able to:
A. Examine sources of stress
B. Examine the effects of stress to include depression and suicide
a. Consequences of untreated depression
b. Warning signs of suicide
C. Examine coping and intervention strategies for stress, depression, and suicide
D. Construct healthy strategies for managing stress, depression and suicide
E. Examine the impact of bullying/cyberbullying on the individual, family, and community
a. Consequences of bullying such as depression, violence, etc.
b. Perspective of bully, victim, bystander, upstander
c. Strategies for handling bullying/cyberbullying

Safety, First Aid, and Injury Prevention

Objectives- The student will be able to:
A. Identify careers in the health, medical, and related fields
B. Critique strategies for prevention and intervention of safety issues (gang activity, bullying and
cyberbullying, human trafficking, safe and ethical use of electronic devices, misuse of household
products/inhalants)
C. Describe components of healthy relationships
D. Describe strategies for the prevention and intervention of harassment, to include sexual harassment
E. Choose conflict resolution skills to prevent violence
F. **Review types of violence (dating violence, bullying, name-calling, harassment, and other forms of
conflict
G. Conflict resolution skills (verbal vs. nonverbal communication, listening skills, assertiveness skills
H. **Explain the term digital footprint and its long term and/legal implications

Tobacco, Alcohol and Other Drugs

Objectives- The student will be able to:
 A. Analyze the physical, psychological, social, economic, and legal consequences of drug abuse
B. **Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy use of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC)
drugs (consequences of prolonged use)
C. **Describe the effects and impact of tobacco, vaping, opioid use, prescription drug use, and
alcohol on the individual, family, and society
D. **Identify the consequences of underage drinking (Physical and psychological addiction, death,
legal consequences, drinking and driving)
E. **Demonstrate skills that promote a personal commitment to remain alcohol, tobacco, vaping,
opioid, prescription drug-free
F. Identify gateway behaviors
G. Recognize the importance of drug-free employees in the workplace
Notes:
Research has shown that normative education and resistance skills are the most effective components
of drug prevention curriculum
Students should not be placed in the role of perpetrator in role-play situations

Disease Prevention and Control

Objectives- The student will be able to:
A. Describe the transmission, treatment, and prevention of HIV and AIDS
a. Define HIV and AIDS
b. Transmission, to include sexual contact, IV drug use, mother to baby
c. Prevention, to include universal precautions and abstinence

Human Sexuality
Objectives- The student will be able to:
A. Review the anatomy and physiology of the male and female reproductive system
B. Apply personal and interpersonal skills to support sexual health (Values, decision making,
communication, assertiveness, conflict resolution, communication with parents/guardian)
C. Review examples of sexual harassment and sexual assault
a. Strategies
b. Reporting
c. Interventions
D. Emphasize abstinence as the healthiest behavior for youth
E. Describe the process of human reproduction
a. Define the following terms as they relate to human sexuality: sexual intercourse, abstinence,
fertilization, pregnancy
F. Describe the prevention, symptoms, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections to include
HIV/AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, HPV/genital warts, genital herpes, etc.
G. Describe various contraceptive methods and their effectiveness in reducing the risk of pregnancy
(abstinence, condoms, withdrawal, hormonal contraceptives, spermicides, and sterilization)
H. Identify behaviors that support sexual health (regular check-ups, breast exams, testicular self-exam,
early identification of potential problems)
Notes:
 Prior to beginning instruction in this very sensitive topic, it is important to establish ground rules that
promote open and honest discussion and create a safe classroom environment for such discussion

** All students will receive instruction in this area, regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in a
Wellness course. Most of these items are state mandated.