th
Authored by: Catherine O’Brien
Reviewed by: Lee Nittel,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Sean Dowling,
Supervisor of Health and Physical Education
Adopted by the Board : January, 2013
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Shade Grahling
Linda Gilbert
Thomas Haralampoudis
James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi

The eighth grade Health cycle is designed to help students acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make responsible choices in the areas of human sexuality and drug abuse prevention. Topics covered include changes that occur to the body during puberty; functions of the male and female reproductive systems; pregnancy, childbirth, and prenatal development; pregnancy prevention; and sexually transmitted diseases.
The difficulties facing teenage parents are emphasized. Additionally, the dangers of drug abuse including alcohol and tobacco, are taught in this course. Students research and present information about various psychoactive drugs. The importance of remaining drug free and the dangers of abuse are emphasized. Students practice decision-making techniques and refusal skills.
II. RATIONALE
Health is a state of physical, mental, and social well being. Our knowledge about various health issues is constantly changing as advances in technology and the medical fields continue to grow. This course is designed to give 8 th grade students appropriate knowledge and skills to make responsible decisions regarding their health.
Students in grade eight will take one cycle of family life education. The nine-week course is divided into two sections: drug education and sex education. Each section of the health curriculum is designed to provide factual information to help students make decisions that will affect their lives in a positive way in these vital areas.
III. STUDENT OUTCOMES (Link to NJ Core Content Standards)
2.1 (Wellness) All students will learn and apply health promotion concepts and skills to support a healthy, active lifestyle.
2.2 (Integrated Skills) All students will use health-enhancing personal, interpersonal, and life skills to support a healthy, active lifestyle.
2.3 (Drugs and Medicines) All students will learn and apply information about alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and medicines to make decisions that support a healthy, active lifestyle.
2.4 (Human Relationships and Sexuality) All students will learn the physical, emotional, and social aspects of human relationships and sexuality and apply these concepts to support a healthy, active lifestyle.
IV. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS & CONTENT
A.
Male and Female Reproduction
• How does your body and that of the opposite sex function in reproduction?
• What is involved in the processes of prenatal development, pregnancy and childbirth?
B. Making Responsible Choices
• How can I use the decision making model to make responsible decisions regarding issues of sexual behavior and drug abuse?
• What are different methods of birth control?
• What are the causes and symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases?
• What behaviors put a person at risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases ?

C. Medicine, Tobacco & Alcohol
• How does tobacco affect a person’s health & well-being?
• What are some examples of tobacco & why are they addictive?
• What are some ways that people can stop using tobacco?
• What effect does alcohol have on your body & your relationships with others?
• What strategies can be used to resist pressures to drink?
• How can drinking alcohol affect one’s ability to safely drive?
D. Drugs, Dependency, & Treatment
• What are the effects of using controlled dangerous substances?
• What are the effects of sudden sniffing syndrome?
• What are characteristics of Psychoactive Drugs?
• What is the treatment for chemical dependency?
V. STRATEGIES
Strategies may include:
• Power Point Presentations
• Teacher-guided class discussions
• Overhead transparencies
• Hand outs
• Teacher lecture
• Web quests
• Small group discussions and activities
• Videos
• Research
VI. TYPES OF EVALUATION
1. Tests and quizzes
2.
3.
4.
5.
Group work
Notebooks
Classwork
Homework
6. Presentations/Projects
VII. REQUIRED RESOURCES
• Textbooks: Decisions for Health. Holt, 2004. and Human Sexuality. Glencoe
VIII. SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
A.
Male and Female Reproduction (2 weeks)
1) Decision Making Skills a) Introduction to the Unit b) Steps in Decision Making
2) Male Reproductive System a) Names and functions of the parts of the male reproductive system
3) Female Reproductive System a) Names and functions of the parts of the female reproductive system b) The Menstrual Cycle
4) Pregnancy and Childbirth a) Becoming Pregnant b) Pregnancy and Birth Highlights

B. Making Responsible Decisions (3 weeks)
1) Four Choices for a Pregnant Teenager a) Abortion b) Adoption c) Raising the baby alone d) Getting married and raising the baby together
2) Preventing Pregnancy a) Abstinence b) Methods of Contraception
3) Sexually Transmitted Diseases a) How to Prevent Getting and Giving a STD b) Five Sexually Transmitted Diseases
C.
Medicine, Tobacco, & Alcohol (2 weeks)
1) Drugs as Medicine a) Over the counter & prescription medicines b) Potential Side effects c) Misuse & abuse
2) Teens & Tobacco a) Tobacco products, disease, & death b) Second Hand Smoke c) Quitting
3) Teens & Alcohol a) Alcohol & your body b) Alcohol, you, & other people c) Alcoholism d) Alternatives to alcohol
D. Teens & Drugs (3 weeks)
1) Steroids a) Effect of steroids on females b) Effect of steroids on males
2) Introduction to Psychoactive Drugs a) Characteristics of Psychoactive Drugs b) Addiction, Withdrawal, Tolerance c) Three classes of drugs d) Designer Drugs
3) Properties of Individual Drugs a) Characteristics and Dangers of Individual Drugs b) Drug and Alcohol Prevention