Health basics and personal well-being
Students start the year learning how daily choices shape physical and mental health. They look at sleep, food, movement, and stress, and pick up the vocabulary used in the rest of the course.
What does a student learn in
This is the year health class shifts from learning healthy habits to making real decisions about them. Students look at what shapes their choices, from friends and family to social media and ads, and they practice finding trustworthy answers when something feels off. They also work on talking through hard moments, setting personal goals, and speaking up for themselves and people around them. By spring, students can walk through a real decision, name who or what influenced it, and explain a healthier next step.
- Healthy decisions
- Media and peer influence
- Finding reliable health info
- Communication skills
- Goal setting
- Speaking up for yourself
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Influences on health choices
Students look at what pushes their decisions: family, friends, social media, advertising, and culture. They practice spotting when an outside pressure is steering a choice that should be theirs.
- 3
Finding trustworthy health information
Students learn where to turn for real answers about their bodies, minds, and relationships. They compare websites, products, and people, and learn how to tell a reliable source from a sales pitch.
- 4
Communication and relationships
Students practice the conversations that come up in real life: setting limits with a friend, asking for help, talking to a doctor, handling conflict. The focus is on being clear, calm, and respectful.
- 5
Decisions and goals
Students walk through a step-by-step way to think before they act, then use the same approach to set a personal health goal and track it. The goals are small and real, not abstract.
- 6
Healthy practices and advocacy
Students put it all together by building habits they can keep after the class ends and by speaking up for the health of people around them. They finish the year ready to make informed choices on their own.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 12.
Health Education
Health Education
- High School
Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of…
Students apply what they know about health, such as how sleep, stress, or nutrition affects the body, to make real decisions that protect their own well-being and help the people around them.
- High School
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others
Students look at what shapes health decisions, including family habits, social media, peer pressure, and advertising, then explain how those forces affect their own choices and the people around them.
- High School
Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice finding trustworthy sources, like a clinic, a government health site, or a school counselor, to answer real health questions for themselves or someone they know.
- High School
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice real conversations around health, like setting a boundary, asking for help, or checking in on a friend. These skills help them protect their own well-being and support the people around them.
- High School
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and…
Students practice a step-by-step process for making choices that affect their own health and the people around them. Think of decisions like whether to seek medical care, handle stress, or support a friend through a hard situation.
- High School
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others
Students pick a health goal, break it into steps, and follow through, applying the same process to support someone else's well-being too.
- High School
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice real health habits, like getting enough sleep, managing stress, and looking out for people around them, not just learning what healthy means but actually doing it.
- High School
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others
Students identify a health issue they care about and take a real step to address it, such as speaking up, writing to someone, or organizing peers to push for change.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of… High School | Students apply what they know about health, such as how sleep, stress, or nutrition affects the body, to make real decisions that protect their own well-being and help the people around them. | CT-HE.1.9-12 |
| Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others High School | Students look at what shapes health decisions, including family habits, social media, peer pressure, and advertising, then explain how those forces affect their own choices and the people around them. | CT-HE.2.9-12 |
| Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self… High School | Students practice finding trustworthy sources, like a clinic, a government health site, or a school counselor, to answer real health questions for themselves or someone they know. | CT-HE.3.9-12 |
| Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self… High School | Students practice real conversations around health, like setting a boundary, asking for help, or checking in on a friend. These skills help them protect their own well-being and support the people around them. | CT-HE.4.9-12 |
| Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and… High School | Students practice a step-by-step process for making choices that affect their own health and the people around them. Think of decisions like whether to seek medical care, handle stress, or support a friend through a hard situation. | CT-HE.5.9-12 |
| Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others High School | Students pick a health goal, break it into steps, and follow through, applying the same process to support someone else's well-being too. | CT-HE.6.9-12 |
| Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self… High School | Students practice real health habits, like getting enough sleep, managing stress, and looking out for people around them, not just learning what healthy means but actually doing it. | CT-HE.7.9-12 |
| Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others High School | Students identify a health issue they care about and take a real step to address it, such as speaking up, writing to someone, or organizing peers to push for change. | CT-HE.8.9-12 |
Common Questions
What does high school health cover in a year?
Students learn how to take care of their bodies and minds across topics like nutrition, sleep, stress, relationships, substance use, and safety. They also practice skills that cut across all of it: making decisions, setting goals, talking through hard situations, and finding trustworthy information.
How can a parent help at home without it feeling like a lecture?
Short conversations work better than long talks. Ask what students think when a health topic comes up in a show, a news story, or a friend group. Listening more than talking keeps the door open for the harder questions later.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should be able to spot a health problem, find a reliable source of information, weigh a few options, and pick one with reasons behind it. They should also be able to set a small goal and say what would get in the way.
How do teachers sequence eight broad skills across one year?
Most teachers anchor each unit in a content area like mental health or substance use, then layer two or three skills onto that unit. Decision-making and accessing reliable information tend to come early. Advocacy and goal-setting work well later, once students have the background to argue a point.
How much should a parent worry about what students see online?
A lot of health misinformation lives on social media, especially about food, fitness, and mental health. Ask students where a claim came from and who benefits if people believe it. That one question does more than blocking apps.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Accessing reliable information and interpersonal communication are the two that students think they already have. Most need direct practice checking sources past the first search result and rehearsing what to actually say in a tense moment with a friend, partner, or adult.
What does mastery of decision-making and goal-setting look like?
A student can name the choice, list real options, think through who is affected, and explain why one option fits their values. For goals, they can set something specific, plan the first step, and name what might trip them up before it does.
How can a parent tell if a student is ready for life after high school?
Ready students can book their own appointments, refill a prescription, read a nutrition label, and tell a friend no without losing the friendship. If any of those still feel shaky, practice them at home before graduation.