(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 the 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 name, locate, and describe the primary functions and major components of body systems, including the skeletal, muscular, circulatory, and respiratory systems.
  (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) explain the importance of seeking assistance in making decisions about health;
    (B) describe methods of accessing information about health;
    (C) identify the benefits of decision making about personal health;
    (D) identify the importance of taking personal responsibility for developing and maintaining personal hygiene and health habits;
    (E) explain ways in which germs are transmitted, methods of preventing the spread of germs, and the importance of immunization;
    (F) identify that there are diseases such as allergies, asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy that are not caused by germs; and
    (G) identify common vectors, including ticks and mosquitos, and explain how and when to perform a self-check for vectors.
  (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 strategies for assessing thoughts and applying calming and self-management practices;
    (C) discuss and explain how the brain develops through maturation;
    (D) distinguish between healthy and harmful influences of friends and others;
    (E) describe the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy friendships;
    (F) describe the value of respectful communication;
    (G) discuss how others may experience situations differently than oneself; and
    (H) demonstrate strategies for resolving conflicts.
  (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) define self-esteem and ways it is formed, including identifying areas for one's personal growth; and
    (B) describe the importance of seeking guidance from a parent or another trusted adult in setting goals.
  (5) Mental health and wellness--identifying and managing mental health and wellness concerns. The student will develop and use appropriate skills to identify and manage conditions related to mental health and wellness. The student is expected to:
    (A) describe methods for managing challenges related to long-term health conditions;
    (B) describe strategies to support others in managing different learning needs;
    (C) describe positive outcomes of stress, including creativity, focus, energy, drive, and purpose;
    (D) describe and practice healthy behaviors that reduce stress; and
    (E) describe the importance of acceptance of oneself and others.
  (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) classify foods by the nutrients they provide;
    (B) plan a balanced meal that follows government nutrition guidelines;
    (C) examine nutrition labels to identify the difference between foods containing natural sugars and foods with added sugars or sweeteners; and
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