(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 understanding 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 describe ways to protect the five senses such as wearing sunglasses or using a safe volume setting on audio devices.
  (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) describe the importance of individual health maintenance activities such as regular medical checkups, dental exams, and vision and hearing screenings;
    (B) explain actions an individual should take when not feeling well;
    (C) discuss the importance of practicing personal hygiene and health habits;
    (D) explain ways in which germs are transmitted, methods of preventing the spread of germs, and the importance of immunization;
    (E) identify common illnesses and diseases, including asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy, and their symptoms; and
    (F) discuss the signs and symptoms of illness that may occur after contact with biting insects, including ticks and mosquitos.
  (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) communicate needs, wants, and emotions in healthy ways;
    (B) describe and practice calming and self-management strategies;
    (C) discuss and explain how thoughts and emotions are related;
    (D) explain the effect of peer influence on an individual's social and emotional health;
    (E) describe the qualities of a good friend;
    (F) describe and demonstrate respectful ways to communicate with family members, peers, teachers, and others;
    (G) identify the feelings and perspectives of others by interpreting their verbal and nonverbal cues; and
    (H) identify ways to prevent and repair broken friendships.
  (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 others;
    (B) define personal growth and identify areas for one's personal growth; and
    (C) list the steps and describe 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) identify strategies for managing different learning needs of self and others; and
    (B) identify positive and negative stressors and how they impact emotions and learning.
  (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) identify types of nutrients;
    (B) use familiar objects to identify healthy food portions from different food groups;
    (C) identify healthy and unhealthy choices within the food groups; and
    (D) identify the benefits of making healthy beverage choices, including water and milk, and limiting sweetened beverages such as soda and sports drinks.
  (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 various media that provide health information and how media can influence an individual's health choices such as television advertisements for fast foods and breakfast cereals.
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