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To Your Health: Lessons to Build Health Awareness

Lesson Planning Channel Education World presents 10 lessons to help students learn about health and the dangers of substance abuse. Included: Activities that involve students in creating posters about the dangers of drug abuse, conducting experiments about germs, and much more.

October is the perfect time to learn about staying healthy! National Health Education Week takes place from October 16 to 22. In 1995, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services established National Health and Education Week with the goal of informing children and adults about important health issues.

Show and Tell
Do you have a favorite lesson or site about health or preventing substance abuse? Click here to share your ideas with other teachers on today's message board!

That is not the only health-related event that takes place in October! This month is Substance Abuse Awareness Month, Child Health Month, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Find out about those and other October health observances at the 2000 Health Observances & Recognition Days site.

You might also try a free, Internet-based health activity, Are You What You Eat? This interdisciplinary project gives students the opportunity to share information about their daily food intake with students from around the world. The site includes lesson plans that explain how to execute the project.

Now for this week's lessons! Supplement your health curriculum with these ten lessons. Brief descriptions are provided for each lesson. Click any headline below for a complete teaching resource.

Germs Experiment
Students observe the growth of germs on three germ-covered potato slices and one "control" potato slice. (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8)

The Human Body: A Life-Size Model on Paper
Help students create a life-size model of the human body and its inside parts. (Grades Pre-K, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Germs Experiment 2
Students use art glitter to create a simple demonstration of the way germs travel. (Grades Pre-K, K-2, 3-5)

Smoking Danger Demonstration
Demonstrate the potential harmful effects of smoking with this simple experiment. (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Human Body Simon Says Game
Adapt the popular children's game with such directives as, "Simon says shake your phalanges." (Grades Pre-K, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

"Targets"
Students examine ads for alcohol products to determine which audience the ads are aimed at in this lesson in media literacy. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Saying No!
Calling all thespians! Students present short skits on ways to say no to drugs. (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

What Do Drugs Do to the Body?
Students create posters showing the effects of different dangerous drugs on the body. (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Fun Food Quiz: True or False?
Check your students' knowledge of vegetables, fruits, and other fun food facts! (Grades 3-5, 6-8)

Tastes Great-- Is It Good for You?
Students use the food guide pyramid established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to evaluate the nutritional value of their favorite foods. (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8)

 

Read More About It!

Add to your students' good physical and mental health with ideas in these related stories from the Education World archives.

* Nutrition on the Net-- Healthful Activities for Every Grade!

* Serve Up Classroom Nutrition Activities!

* A Feast of Nutrition Ideas on the Internet!

* The Web Puts "Fizz" Into Phys-ical Fitness!

* Let's Get Physical!

* Stop Bullying Now!

 

 

 

Lois Lewis
Education World®
Copyright © 2000 Education World

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10/23/2000