Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.1A Grade 8 CPI 4

 

Standard: 2.1 - Wellness

 

Strand: A - Personal Health

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 4 -  The student will investigate how technology and medical advances impact wellness.

 

Grade: 8

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        ENVIRONMENTAL CALENDAR - Begin by showing the class pictures or photographs of beautiful scenery. Ask students to close their eyes and imagine themselves in the scenic surroundings. Describe the images in quiet peaceful tones. With their eyes still closed, ask students to describe how they feel in this imaginary place and what they think is pleasant and peaceful about the place they are visualizing. Tell students to keep their eyes closed and describe how the scene would appear if it were polluted and dirty. After soliciting several responses, students open their eyes. Pose the following question: “What caused our lovely hideaway, our scenic place of solitude and relaxation, to become polluted, dirty, and unhealthy?” Students should respond with “people.” Explain that human beings have a profound impact on the environment for present and future generations. Divide the class into several small groups. Each group selects pictures from magazines or calendars that represent a positive environment. Using these pictures, each group develops a calendar that provides information on the environment, the impact it has on human health, and tips to preserve and protect the community and its surroundings. Students share the calendar with community representatives and businesses along with writing a letter explaining why the calendar was made and encouraging the organization to support student efforts to improve the community.

Variation: Students identify health problems related to environmental issues (e.g., skin cancer and the ozone layer). Students conduct online searches for sources of information about the issue, evaluate the information for validity, and present the information and sources to the class.

Variation: Invite an occupational health specialist to discuss regulations that impact the working environment, such as indoor air pollution standards, noise standards, and sanitary conditions. If possible, visit a manufacturing plant to see the controls in action.

Variation: Students survey the community for potential environmental concerns and interview public officials about sites of historical significance. Based on this information, students develop an environmental profile of the community and offer suggestions to improve environmental health conditions.