Healthy Living
7th and 8th
Grade
Mrs. Gail Hannigan
Mr. Markos Tsagas
Healthy Living
“Students will learn to make healthy choices and
develop an understanding of how their decisions
impact their physical, mental, emotional, and social
well-being.”
Program Overview
 Substance
Abuse Prevention
 Refusal Skills
 Sexuality Education
 Stress Management
 Communication Skills
 Keeping the Conversation Going…
Class Discussion Rules
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Listen before you form an opinion
Recognize the difference between fact and opinion
Wait for your turn
Remember that no one’s opinion is right or wrong
You do not have to speak; you may “pass”
DO NOT USE PROPER NAMES DURING
DISCUSSIONS
No put-downs!
We have a right to change our opinions
Health Education
Competencies
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1. Core concepts -accurate complete facts related to health
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2. Accessing information - knowing where to get valid health
information, products and services
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3. Self management - practice health-enhancing behaviors and reduce
health risks
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4. Analyzing influences - thinking about the influence of culture, media,
technology and other factors
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5.Interpersonal communication - use interpersonal communication skills
to enhance health
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6. Decision making - use goal-setting and decision-making skills to
enhance health
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7. Advocacy - stand up for , act on health-enhancing choices
Competence Grid
Regard for
Others
high
HIGH/HIGH
LOW/HIGH
Winner
Star
Natural
leader
Victim
Puppet
Doormat
Regard
for Self
low
high
Social
dropout
Repeat
Offender
Selfcentered
Manipulator
low
LOW/LOW
HIGH/LOW
ASSET Survey
 Search
Institute has identified the following
building blocks of healthy development known as Developmental ASSETS – that
help young children grow up healthy,
caring, and responsible
External ASSETs
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Support
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Empowerment
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Community values, youth as resources, services to
others, safety
Boundaries and Expectations
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Family support, positive family communication,
support from other adults, caring neighborhood,
caring school climate, parent involvement in school
Family boundaries, school boundaries,
neighborhood boundaries, adult role models,
positive peer influence, high expectations
Constructive Use of Time
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Creative activities, youth programs, religious
community, unstructured time at home
Internal ASSETs
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Commitment to Learning
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Positive Values
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Caring, equality and social justice, integrity,
honesty, responsibility, restraint
Social Competencies
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Achievement motivation, school engagement,
homework, bonding to school, reading for pleasure
Planning and decision making, interpersonal
competence, cultural competence, resistance skills,
peaceful conflict resolution
Positive Identity
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Personal power, high self-esteem, sense of
purpose, positive view of personal future
Seventh Grade Drug Research
Project
 Goal:
Know not only what different drugs do,
but why to choose NOT to abuse!
 Students randomly assigned one of fifteen
types of drugs to research and share
information with classmates in informal
presentation.
 Research done in class using books, clipped
articles, and internet sites.
 Unsupervised research prohibited!
Peer Pressure Refusal Skills
/ Techniques
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Make a Joke
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Ignore the Suggestion
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Give a Reason Why It’s
A Bad Idea
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Repeat Yourself
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Leave the Situation
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Thanks, but no Thanks
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The Power of Numbers
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Make an Excuse
Just Say No
Suggest an Alternative
Alcohol Statistics
 More
than 40 percent of those who start
drinking at age 15 or younger develop
alcohol abuse or dependence
 24.5% of those who start drinking at age 17
or younger develop alcohol dependence
 10% of those who start drinking at age 21 or
older develop alcohol dependence
Alcohol Statistics
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In 2009, 51.9% of Americans age 12 and older had
used alcohol at least once in the previous 30 days
of a survey
A 2010 survey found that; 13.8% of 8th graders,
28.9% of 10th graders, and 41.2% of 12th graders
had consumed some sort of alcohol within 30
days of being surveyed
Accordingly; 5.0% of 8th graders, 14.7% of 10th
graders, and 26.8% of 12th graders admitted to
being drunk within those 30 days
Marijuana Statistics
 In
2009, 28.5 million Americans age 12 and
older had abused marijuana at least once in
the year prior to being surveyed
 A 2010 survey showed that; 13.7% if 8th
graders, 27.5% of 10th graders, and 34.8% of
12th graders had abused marijuana at least
once in the year prior to being surveyed
8th Grade Sexual Health
 Biology,
terminology (no slang used)
 STIs
 School
nurses co-teach a class; opportunities
to have anonymous questions answered
 Sexual harassment and assault speakers
 Healthy / unhealthy relationships-speaker
 DVCC
Teen Statistics
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By the time young people graduate high school,
almost 2/3 have had sex
Nearly 40% of sexually active students did not use a
condom the last time they had sex, and 1 in 5 drank
alcohol or took drugs before their last sexual
intercourse
Approximately 18% of all new HIV diagnoses are
among young people aged 13-24
Teens and young adults have the highest rates of
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) of any age
group
3 in 10 young women become pregnant before they
reach the age of 20
What Role Do Schools Play?
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Schools have direct contact with more than 56
million students for at least 6 hours a day and
for 13 critical years of their social, physical, and
intellectual development
The school environment is a key setting in
which students’ behaviors and ideas are shaped
Just as schools are critical in preparing students
academically and socially, they are also vital
partners in helping young people take
responsibility for their health and adopt healthenhancing attitudes and behaviors that can last a
lifetime
According to the CDC…
 Research
shows that well-designed, wellimplemented school based HIV / STD
prevention programs can significantly
reduce sexual risk behaviors among students
 A study found that health education
programs resulted in delay in first sexual
intercourse, a decrease in the number of sex
partners, and an increase in condom or
contraceptive use
Stress Management
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Restorative Yoga
Setting realistic and achievable goals
Time Management
Deep Breathing
Spending time with someone who makes you feel
comfortable
Avoiding Caffeine and Nicotine and sugary foods
Eat Regular Balanced Meals
Regular exercise
Use of available resources
Have fun
Healthy Communication
Skills
 Active
listening
 Brainstorming
 Nonverbal
communication
 Plan time to talk
 Begin
with an
agreement
 Use “and” not “but”
 Use “I” statements
 Avoid “why”
questions
Suggestions for keeping the
conversations going at home…
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“Eating
as a family for at least a few meals a week has
been linked to healthier meal choices, fewer cases of
substance abuse among teens, and kids with a better
sense of well-being.”
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Help your children develop as many ASSETS as
possible….a caring relationship with family and
nonparent adults, boundaries, adult role models, and
positive peer role models.
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Set clear boundaries with clear rules and consequences
and monitor your child's whereabouts . Tell them
clearly what your thoughts and expectations about
drugs and sex are and then model the behaviors for
them.