Health knowledge for real life
Students start the year building a working understanding of how the body, mind, and daily habits affect health. They learn how sleep, food, stress, and relationships shape how a person feels and functions.
What does a student learn in
This is the year health class shifts from learning the rules to running their own choices. Students weigh real pressures like social media, friend groups, stress, and substances, then figure out where to get trustworthy information when something feels off. They practice the harder conversations: setting limits, asking for help, talking to a doctor. By spring, students can walk through a real decision in their own life and explain what they chose and why.
- Decision making
- Mental health
- Healthy relationships
- Substance use
- Finding trusted information
- Goal setting
- Speaking up for others
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 and trusted sources
Students look at what shapes their choices, from family and friends to social media and advertising. They practice telling solid health information apart from the noise online and learn where to go for real answers.
- 3
Communication and decisions
Students work on talking through tough situations with friends, family, and partners. They practice setting limits, asking for help, and walking through a clear process when a decision has real consequences.
- 4
Goals and daily habits
Students set personal health goals and track what it actually takes to stick with them. They build routines around things like sleep, movement, eating, and managing stress, and adjust when life gets in the way.
- 5
Speaking up for health
Students finish the year by speaking up for healthier choices at home, at school, and in their community. They learn how to share accurate information and stand up for friends or causes they care about.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 9.
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 (nutrition, stress, relationships, and the like) to make real decisions for themselves and the people around them.
- High School
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others
Students examine where health choices come from: friends, family, ads, social media, and cultural norms. They practice spotting which influences push toward healthy decisions and which ones don't.
- High School
Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self…
Students learn to find trustworthy sources, like a doctor's website or a public health hotline, when they have a health question. They also practice helping friends or family find the same kind of reliable information.
- High School
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice the conversation skills that help them set boundaries, ask for help, and support a friend going through something hard.
- 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 real health decisions, like whether to seek help, set a boundary, or support a friend. The goal is choices that hold up under pressure.
- High School
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others
Students pick a personal health goal, map out concrete steps to reach it, and track their own progress. The focus is on making a realistic plan that also considers how their choices affect the people around them.
- High School
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice real habits that protect their own health and look out for the people around them, like choosing nutritious food, managing stress, and stepping in when a friend needs help.
- High School
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others
Students make a case for healthier choices, whether speaking up for themselves or pushing for changes that help their school or community.
| 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 (nutrition, stress, relationships, and the like) to make real decisions for themselves and the people around them. | VT-HE.1.9-12 |
| Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others High School | Students examine where health choices come from: friends, family, ads, social media, and cultural norms. They practice spotting which influences push toward healthy decisions and which ones don't. | VT-HE.2.9-12 |
| Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self… High School | Students learn to find trustworthy sources, like a doctor's website or a public health hotline, when they have a health question. They also practice helping friends or family find the same kind of reliable information. | VT-HE.3.9-12 |
| Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self… High School | Students practice the conversation skills that help them set boundaries, ask for help, and support a friend going through something hard. | VT-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 real health decisions, like whether to seek help, set a boundary, or support a friend. The goal is choices that hold up under pressure. | VT-HE.5.9-12 |
| Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others High School | Students pick a personal health goal, map out concrete steps to reach it, and track their own progress. The focus is on making a realistic plan that also considers how their choices affect the people around them. | VT-HE.6.9-12 |
| Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self… High School | Students practice real habits that protect their own health and look out for the people around them, like choosing nutritious food, managing stress, and stepping in when a friend needs help. | VT-HE.7.9-12 |
| Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others High School | Students make a case for healthier choices, whether speaking up for themselves or pushing for changes that help their school or community. | VT-HE.8.9-12 |
Common Questions
What does health class actually cover in high school?
Students learn how to take care of their bodies and minds across topics like nutrition, sleep, mental health, substance use, relationships, and safety. The bigger goal is learning how to make solid decisions and find trustworthy information when something comes up in real life.
How can families support what students learn in health class at home?
Talk about the choices that come up in daily life: what's for dinner, how much sleep last night, what to do when a friend is struggling. These small conversations matter more than any single lecture, and they give students a safe place to think out loud.
How should the year be sequenced across the eight standards?
Most teachers anchor each unit in a health topic (mental health, nutrition, substance use, relationships, sexual health, safety) and weave the skill standards through every unit. Decision-making and communication tend to repeat across units, while advocacy often lands later once students have built up content knowledge.
What does mastery look like by the end of high school?
Students can explain a health topic accurately, weigh influences on a choice, find a reliable source, talk through a tough conversation, and set a realistic goal. They should be able to do this on a topic they haven't seen before, not just one they practiced in class.
My teen won't talk to me about health topics. What can I do?
Skip the sit-down talks and use side moments: car rides, walking the dog, cooking. Ask what they think about something in a show or the news rather than asking about them directly. Listening without reacting is usually what keeps the door open.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Accessing valid sources and analyzing influences tend to be the hardest. Students can name a healthy choice but struggle to explain why a particular website, ad, or social media post is shaping how they think. Plan to revisit these skills in every unit, not just once.
How is health class graded if it's mostly discussion and personal topics?
Grades come from skill work, not personal choices. Students are assessed on things like analyzing an ad, evaluating a source, role-playing a refusal, or writing a goal plan. Private beliefs and behaviors are not part of the grade.
What should students be ready for after high school health?
By graduation, students should be able to handle real adult situations: scheduling a doctor's appointment, reading a nutrition label, recognizing signs of a mental health crisis in a friend, and knowing where to go for help. The year should build toward that kind of independence.