(a) Introduction.
  (1) The goal of health education is to provide instruction that allows youth to develop and sustain health-promoting behaviors throughout their lives. The understanding and application of these standards will allow students the ability to gather, interpret, and understand health information; achieve health literacy; and adapt to the ever-evolving science of health. The health education knowledge and skills should be presented to students in a positive manner to support the development of a healthy self-concept and responsible decision making. The standards will help students reinforce, foster, and apply positive character traits.
  (2) There are essential skills that repeat throughout the five strands and embody the interconnection of health literacy. These skills include decision making, problem solving, goal setting, maintaining healthy relationships with self and others, seeking help and support, and recognizing various influences on health such as social, environmental, media, and genetic. These skills, developed early on and reinforced throughout a student's education, will foster mastery of health concepts. Health class educators are encouraged to partner with school counselors where available to schedule time for them to deliver classroom guidance lessons to help teach these essential competencies.
  (3) In Kindergarten-Grade 3, students gain an understanding of health information and skills through five strands: physical health and hygiene; mental health and wellness; healthy eating and physical activity; injury and violence prevention and safety; and alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
    (A) Physical health and hygiene education helps to prepare students for improved lifelong health outcomes. Learning about body systems lays the foundation for personal health and hygiene. Health literacy and preventative behaviors empower students to make informed choices to support self, family, and community.
    (B) The mental health and wellness strand recognizes that the knowledge and skills necessary to manage emotions, reactions, and relationships are essential to reaching one's full potential. Students gain knowledge about social and emotional health, including developing a healthy self-concept, understanding risk and protective factors, and identifying and managing mental health and wellness concerns. In the early grades, students develop fluency around emotions and self-regulation and understand the relationship between feelings, thoughts, and behavior. In subsequent grades, students learn and practice appropriate ways to solve interpersonal conflicts, work to develop a positive self-image, and develop healthy self-management skills.
    (C) The healthy eating and physical activity strand addresses the importance of nutrition and physical activity to support a healthy lifestyle. Students apply critical-thinking and decision-making skills to make positive health choices. Students learn about essential nutrients, food groups, portion control, government nutritional recommendations, and the health benefits of being physically active. Students evaluate the connection between physical activity and nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases.
    (D) By focusing on injury and violence prevention and safety, the standards promote student well-being and awareness of dangerous situations. Supporting student well-being and providing instruction in digital citizenship, bullying prevention, first aid, and identification of safe and unsafe situations creates empowered and educated students who are able to make decisions that keep themselves and others safe. Beginning in Kindergarten and continuing through high school, students gain knowledge and skills to support safety and wellness at school, at home, online, and in the community.
    (E) The standards under the alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs strand focus on a number of protective factors that develop empowered students who are able to make better-informed decisions, including understanding the impact of substance use on physical, mental, and social health. Through this strand, students learn key concepts about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, including the use, misuse, and physiological effects; short- and long-term impacts on health; treatment; risk and protective factors; and prevention. These concepts introduce healthy alternatives and ways for students to ask for and seek out help from parents and other trusted adults.
  (4) Statements containing the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
  (5) Students should first seek guidance in the area of health from a parent or legal guardian.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) Physical health and hygiene--body systems. The student examines the structure, function, and relationships of body systems and their relevance to personal health. The student is expected to demonstrate use of the five senses.
  (2) Physical health and hygiene--personal health and hygiene. The student understands health literacy, preventative health behaviors, and how to access and evaluate health care information to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify types of health care professionals and describe the services they provide such as medical checkups, dental exams, and vision and hearing screenings;
    (B) describe personal hygiene and health habits that enhance individual health such as personal hygiene, oral hygiene, and getting enough sleep;
    (C) describe ways in which germs are transmitted, methods of preventing the spread of germs, and the importance of immunization; and
    (D) describe where head lice and biting insects that may cause illness, including ticks and mosquitos, are commonly encountered and how to avoid them.
  (3) Mental health and wellness--social and emotional health. The student identifies and applies strategies to develop socio-emotional health, self-regulation, and healthy relationships. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify their own feelings and emotions;
    (B) discuss and explain how emotions can interrupt thinking and the self-management process;
    (C) describe and practice calming and self-management strategies;
    (D) describe ways in which peers and families can work together to build healthy relationships;
    (E) describe ways to build and maintain friendships;
    (F) identify ways to respectfully communicate verbally and nonverbally;
    (G) identify feelings and emotions expressed by others; and
    (H) identify and practice ways to solve conflicts with friends and peers.
  (4) Mental health and wellness--developing a healthy self-concept. The student develops the capacity for self-assessment and evaluation, goal setting, and decision making in order to develop a healthy self-concept. The student is expected to:
    (A) discuss ways to be kind to self and how to identify areas for growth; and
    (B) explain the importance of goal setting and task completion.
  (5) Mental health and wellness--identifying and managing mental health and wellness concerns. The student develops and uses appropriate skills to identify and manage conditions related to mental health and wellness. The student is expected to:
    (A) discuss and demonstrate how to treat peers with different learning needs with dignity and respect;
    (B) identify situations that can create positive stress and positive emotions; and
    (C) discuss the signs and symptoms associated with negative stress such as loss or grief.
  (6) Healthy eating and physical activity--food and beverage daily recommendations. The student identifies and explains healthy eating strategies for enhancing and maintaining personal health throughout the lifespan. The student is expected to:
    (A) explain that fruits, proteins, vegetables, and dairy provide essential vitamins and minerals;
    (B) identify recommended portion sizes by comparing portions to familiar objects such as a golf ball for a cookie or a frisbee for a dinner plate;
    (C) identify the food groups and classify examples of foods into each group; and
    (D) identify ingredients that make foods and drinks unhealthy such as added sugar and other sweeteners.
  (7) Healthy eating and physical activity--nutrition and physical activity literacy. The student obtains, processes, and understands basic physical activity and nutrition information needed to make health-promoting decisions. The student is expected to identify examples of health information provided by various media and how the examples affect nutritional habits and physical activity.
  (8) Healthy eating and physical activity--risk and protective factors. The student identifies and explains risk and protective factors related to healthy eating and physical activity. The student is expected to:
Cont'd...