Grade 8 Health Vermont Standards

Identify effective methods to prevent HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy.

Decision Making - Students demonstrate the ability to make decisions that lead to better health.

Analyze influences on sexual behavior (e.g., family, peers, religion, media, culture, internal factors).

Describe how school, family, and peers influence the choices of individuals related to safety and violence.

Analyze the effect of society (e.g., culture) and science (e.g., technology) on personal health behaviors and use of health services.

Analyze school and community health services available for support and information with problems related to emotional or mental health concerns, including the risk of suicide.

Analyzing Influences - Students will show understanding of how culture, media, peers, family, and other factors influence healthy behaviors.

Accessing Information - Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and/or resources about health issues, services and products.

Analyzing Influences - Students will show understanding of how culture, media, peers, family, and other factors influence healthy behaviors.

Develop strategies and skills for healthy practices and behaviors that will maintain or improve the health of self and others.

Analyze the effect of technology on personal and family relationships.

Self Management - Students will understand how to reduce their health risks through the practice of healthy behaviors.

Analyze how messages from media, school, family, and peers influence eating behaviors, food choices and exercise.

Describe how their decisions impact the health of themselves and others (e.g., poor food handling practices, short-term consequences of unhealthy food choices).

Self Management - Students will understand how to reduce their health risks through the practice of healthy behaviors.

Analyze how messages from the media, friends, family, and culture influence young people to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

Demonstrate individual and collaborative decision-making processes to resolve problems.

Demonstrate the ability to locate health products and services related to personal health issues and concerns.

Describe how school, family, and peers influence the health practices of individuals (e.g., sun safety, immunizations, access to health care).

Describe characteristics and conditions associated with positive self-esteem/image.

Explain the relationship between positive health behaviors and the prevention of disease (e.g., importance of sleep and rest, daily health care practices, healthy diet and physical activity).

Demonstrate the ability to locate appropriate health products and services.

Analyze the validity of health information, products, and services from a variety of sources including the Internet.

Explain how appropriate health care can prevent premature death and disability (e.g., health screenings, self-examinations, immunizations).

Differentiate between situations that require care and concern among friends or require getting the support and help of caring adults (e.g., getting help vs. tattling).

Demonstrate strategies to avoid or prevent fighting, bullying and other forms of violence.

Develop strategies that promote positive health for adolescents (e.g., coping with concerns and stress related to the changes in adolescence; dealing with sexual pressures, relationships).

Demonstrate the ability to use a variety of communication methods for accurately expressing information and ideas about healthy eating and physical activity.

Accessing Information - Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and/or resources about health issues, services and products.

Personal Health and Wellness (PHW)

Demonstrate ways to show respect for diversity (e.g., mental and physical disabilities, culture, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomics).

Demonstrate individual and collaborative decision-making processes to resolve health problems.

Interpersonal Communication - Students will demonstrate use of skillful communication to contribute to better health for themselves, their families, and the community.

Demonstrate the ability to use mediation and negotiation skills to resolve conflict.

Describe how school, family and peers influence the health choices and behaviors of individuals.

Demonstrate ways to respond appropriately to feelings expressed by others.

Interpersonal Communication - Students will demonstrate use of skillful communication to contribute to better health for themselves, their families, and the community.

Demonstrate the ability to analyze and locate valid sources of accurate information and assistance from a variety of places (e.g., school, community, Internet) regarding alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.

Identify the social, emotional, and physical benefits of healthy behaviors (e.g., setting personal limits/boundaries, abstaining from sex).

Analyze school and community health services available for support and information for a variety of health issues.

Analyzing Influences - Students will show understanding of how culture, media, peers, family, and other factors influence healthy behaviors.

Differentiate between communicable, chronic and degenerative disease processes.

Describe safety rules for sports, recreational activities, including the use of helmets and proper use of equipment.

Interpersonal Communication - Students will demonstrate use of skillful communication to contribute to better health for themselves, their families, and the community.

Analyze the validity of health information products, and services from a variety of sources including the Internet.

Identify the benefits of healthy behaviors and the relationship to the prevention of injury and premature death.

Develop injury prevention and response strategies for personal safety (e.g., avoiding or escaping potentially dangerous situations).

Demonstrate individual and collaborative decision-making process to resolve situations related to alcohol, tobacco and drug use (e.g., protecting oneself from alcohol and other drug use, avoid riding with an impaired driver).

Decision Making - Students demonstrate the ability to make decisions that lead to better health.

Analyzing Influences - Students will show understanding of how culture, media, peers, family, and other factors influence healthy behaviors.

Explain the relationship between healthy eating habits, hydration, and physical activity and the prevention of disease.

Set a goal to improve sexual health (e.g., sexual abstinence, setting personal boundaries and limits).

Core Concepts - Students will show an understanding of health promotion and disease prevention concepts.

Analyze how messages from the media influence safety and violence-related behavior.

Apply individual and collaborative decision-making processes to resolve safety and violence-related situations, including responding to witnessing harassment, bullying or other interpersonal violence.

Describe benefits of using non-violence to solve interpersonal conflict.

Analyze the validity of health information, products, and services from a variety of sources including the Internet about the nutritional value of foods, healthy weight management, and eating disorders.

Develop strategies for healthy practices to maintain or improve health (e.g., healthy food preparation techniques, incorporating enjoyable moderate-intensity physical activities into daily routine).

Core Concepts - Students will show an understanding of health promotion and disease prevention concepts.

Explain the process of human reproduction, including conception, prenatal development and birth.

Demonstrate the ability to advocate for a positive, respectful, and violence-free school environment.

Demonstrate how to report situations that could lead to injury or violence.

Demonstrate resistance/refusal and negotiation skills to counter pressure to use tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.

Interpersonal Communication - Students will demonstrate use of skillful communication to contribute to better health for themselves, their families, and the community.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD)

Describe how lifestyle, pathogens, family history and other risk factors are related to the cause and prevention of disease and other health problems.

Self Management - Students will understand how to reduce their health risks through the practice of healthy behaviors.

Demonstrate basic first aid (e.g., calling for assistance, CPR, rescue breathing, care for poisonings, controlling bleeding).

Examine the diversity of family structures and changes that can occur (e.g., birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, death).

Core Concepts - Students will show an understanding of health promotion and disease prevention concepts.

Decision Making - Students demonstrate the ability to make decisions that lead to better health.

Decision Making - Students demonstrate the ability to make decisions that lead to better health.

Decision Making - Students demonstrate the ability to make decisions that lead to better health.

Describe how their decisions impact the health of themselves and others.

Differentiate between hazing, harassment, bullying and respectful interactions and relationships.

Describe the characteristics of healthy and harmful relationships.

Interpersonal Communication - Students will demonstrate use of skillful communication to contribute to better health for themselves, their families, and the community.

Accessing Information - Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and/or resources about health issues, services and products.

Accessing Information - Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and/or resources about health issues, services and products.

Goal Setting - Students will demonstrate the ability to set personal goals to enhance health.

Self Management - Students will understand how to reduce their health risks through the practice of healthy behaviors.

Demonstrate resistance/refusal and negotiation skills to enhance health and interpersonal relationships.

Analyzing Influences - Students will show understanding of how culture, media, peers, family, and other factors influence healthy behaviors.

Self Management - Students will understand how to reduce their health risks through the practice of healthy behaviors.

Analyze the effects that risky behaviors have on personal health (e.g., relationship between using alcohol and other drugs and other risks such as injuries, violence, suicide, sexual risk behaviors).

Analyze how messages from media (e.g., teen magazines, videos, Internet) influence both health behaviors and the selection of health information, products, and services.

Makes a personal plan for improving one's nutrition and incorporating physical activity into daily routines.

Analyze characteristics of restaurant menu items and methods of preparation to identify healthier food choices, including fast food.

Analyzing Influences - Students will show understanding of how culture, media, peers, family, and other factors influence healthy behaviors.

Identify symptoms, risk factors, cause, transmission, treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.

Goal Setting - Students will demonstrate the ability to set personal goals to enhance health.

Differentiating between proper use and abuse of over-the-counter and other drugs.

Core Concepts - Students will show an understanding of health promotion and disease prevention concepts.

Develop strategies for healthy practices and behaviors that will maintain or improve the health of self and others (e.g., finding healthy ways to meet personal needs and manage stress without using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, avoiding riding in vehicles with drug or alcohol impaired drivers).

Demonstrate the ability to use mediation and negotiation skills to resolve conflict.

Analyze the effects that risky behaviors have on personal health.

Demonstrate ways to influence and support others in making positive health choices.

Identify strategies that promote emotional and mental health (e.g., connectiveness, communication).

Describe the warning signs, behaviors, risk factors, and protective factors for depression and suicide.

Self Management - Students will understand how to reduce their health risks through the practice of healthy behaviors.

Identify barriers to effective communication of information, ideas, feelings and opinions about health issues.

Describe the benefits of abstaining from the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (e.g., financial, legal, addiction, emotional health).

Accessing Information - Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and/or resources about health issues, services and products.

Accessing Information - Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and/or resources about health issues, services and products.

Mental and Emotional Health (MEH)

Demonstrate effective communication skills (e.g., assertiveness, refusal, negotiation) to avoid potentially violent or unsafe situations.

Describe the consequences of bullying, cyber-bullying, hazing, harassment and violence (e.g., legal, social, emotional).

Nutrition and Physical Activity (NPA)

Interpersonal Communication - Students will demonstrate use of skillful communication to contribute to better health for themselves, their families, and the community.

Core Concepts - Students will show an understanding of health promotion and disease prevention concepts.

Family, Social and Sexual Health (FSSH)

Demonstrate the ability to advocate for health-promoting opportunities for self and others, including assertive consumerism.

Goal Setting - Students will demonstrate the ability to set personal goals to enhance health.

Develop a plan to attain personal health goals by addressing results of a personal health assessment (e.g., personal strengths, values, beliefs, needs and health risks).

Core Concepts - Students will show an understanding of health promotion and disease prevention concepts.

Analyze appropriate school, community, and Internet resources to access when dealing with problems or situations related to violence and safety.

Analyze the effects that risky behaviors have on personal health (e.g., eating disorders affect on personal health, health-related conditions due to the lack or excess of certain nutrients and food supplements and lack of exercise).

Violence and Injury Prevention (VIP)

Develop healthy stress management techniques for reducing, avoiding or coping with stress.

Decision Making - Students demonstrate the ability to make decisions that lead to better health.

Demonstrate how to ask trusted adults and friends for help with emotional or mental health concerns for oneself or others, including the risk of suicide.

Describe changes that occur during adolescence and their effects on emotions, behaviors, and relationships.