Grade 6 Health

Course Description

The 6th Grade Health course equips students with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to make informed decisions that support their physical, mental, and social well-being. Through interactive lessons and practical activities, students explore the connections between their choices, health, and overall quality of life. By the end of the course, students will be able to make informed, responsible choices about their health, understand the impact of their habits on well-being, and communicate effectively to support themselves and others.

Course Big Ideas

Decisions have both short- and long-term consequences that can affect their health, goals, and relationships.
Confidence, self-control, and refusal skills help them make positive choices even under peer pressure.
Daily food choices impact overall health, energy, and future wellness.
Safe and appropriate ways to seek help for themselves or others experiencing stress, bullying, or mental health challenges.
How communication skills—like active listening, assertiveness, and empathy—help build healthy relationships and prevent conflicts.
Puberty involves physical, social, and emotional changes, and that these changes are a normal part of human growth.

Course Essential Questions

How do the decisions I make about drugs today affect my health, safety, and future goals?
What does it mean to make healthy and informed food choices?
What is mental health, and why is it important for my everyday life?
How do my choices and habits affect my physical and emotional well-being during puberty?

Course Competencies

Describe how healthy choices about drug use can lead to positive outcomes for their body, mind, and goals.
Make informed food and beverage choices that support personal health, energy, and growth.
Apply strategies for managing stress, avoiding conflict, and resolving disagreements peacefully.
Recognize and explain common physical, social, and emotional changes during puberty and how these changes can affect daily life and relationships.

Course Assessments

Check for Understanding
Summative Project Assessment
Affective Self-Reflection
Teacher Checklist

The common factors that influence a young person’s decision to use or avoid drugs (such as peer pressure, media messages, family expectations, and curiosity).
Differences between helpful medicines (over-the-counter) and harmful or illegal drugs.
Making healthy choices about drug use protects their body, brain, and future goals.
Steps of a responsible decision-making process (recognize the problem, think about choices, predict consequences, make a choice, reflect on the result) to utilize when faced with peer pressure or unsafe situations involving drugs, alcohol, or other risky behaviors.

Understanding/Key Learning

Multiple factors—such as peers, media, family, and emotions—influence decisions related to drug use and healthy behaviors.
Difference between safe, appropriate use of medicines and the dangers of misusing or abusing drugs.
Decisions have both short- and long-term consequences that can affect their health, goals, and relationships.
Using a structured decision-making process helps them make responsible and safe choices in difficult situations.
Confidence, self-control, and refusal skills help them make positive choices even under peer pressure.

Do

Identify and explain factors that can influence a child or teen’s choice to use or avoid drugs (such as friends, media, family, and stress).
Distinguish between safe, prescribed, or over-the-counter medicines and harmful or illegal substances.
Describe how healthy choices about drug use can lead to positive outcomes for their body, mind, and goals.
List and explain each step of the decision-making process for health and safety situations.
Apply the decision-making steps to real-life or role-play scenarios involving peer pressure or risky behaviors.

The structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems and how they change during puberty)
Common physical, social, and emotional changes that occur during puberty and how these changes affect daily life and relationships (growth spurts, hormones, organ changes, etc.).
Proper personal hygiene practices that support health during puberty, including care for skin, hair, and private areas.

Understanding/Key Learning

Puberty involves physical, social, and emotional changes, and that these changes are a normal part of human growth.
Understand structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems and how these systems change during puberty (growth spurts, hormones, organ changes, etc.).
Practicing good hygiene supports health, self-confidence, and overall well-being during adolescence.
Adolescents may experience a variety of reproductive health changes, and understanding their own body will help them to identify abnormalities.

Do

Identify and describe the structures and functions of the male and female reproductive systems and the changes that occur during puberty (growth spurts, hormones, organ changes, etc.).
Recognize and explain common physical, social, and emotional changes during puberty and how these changes can affect daily life and relationships.
Demonstrate proper personal hygiene practices that support health during puberty (deodorant, showering, washing face, etc.).
Identify common reproductive health changes and describe strategies to address them, including when to seek help from a trusted adult or healthcare provider.

Unit Essential Questions

Lesson Essential Questions

What are the major structures and functions of the male reproductive system, and how do they change during puberty?
What are the major structures and functions of the female reproductive system, and how do they change during puberty?
How do physical changes during puberty affect emotions, relationships, and daily life?
What hygiene practices are important during puberty, and how do they support health and self-confidence?
What common reproductive health concerns may occur during adolescence, and what steps can be taken to prevent or address them?

Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being, and affects how people think, feel, and act.
How communication skills—like active listening, assertiveness, and empathy—help build healthy relationships and prevent conflicts.
Media and social media can influence self-esteem, body image, emotions, and decision-making.
Safe and appropriate ways (asking for help, counseling, calming strategies) to seek help for themselves or others experiencing stress, bullying, or mental health challenges.
Strategies for managing conflict and emotions in healthy, nonviolent ways—such as using “I” statements, walking away, or finding compromise.

Understanding/Key Learning

Mental health affects how people think, feel, and act—and that taking care of mental health is just as important as taking care of physical health.
Healthy communication—listening, expressing feelings respectfully, and showing empathy—helps build positive relationships and prevent conflicts.
Social media and advertising can shape the way they see themselves and others, and that being aware of these influences helps protect their mental health.
Managing stress and conflict in healthy, nonviolent ways leads to safer and more supportive environments at school and in the community.
Asking for help and supporting others are signs of strength and essential skills for maintaining good mental health.

Do

Describe how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected to overall mental health.
Demonstrate effective communication skills such as active listening, assertive speaking, empathy, and respectful disagreement.
Analyze how media and social media messages can influence self-image, emotions, and personal safety.
Identify trusted adults and resources to seek help when experiencing or witnessing stress, bullying, or unsafe situations.
Apply strategies for managing stress, avoiding conflict, and resolving disagreements peacefully.

Balanced eating means choosing a variety of foods in the right portions.
Food labels and ingredient lists provide important information(nutrient content, serving sizes, and ingredients, etc.) that helps people make healthy and informed food choices.
Advertisements and media messages can influence what people eat and buy.
Daily food choices impact overall health, energy, and future wellness.

Do

Analyze a daily meal or snack and evaluate how well it meets balanced nutrition guidelines.
Read and interpret food labels to compare nutrient content, serving sizes, and ingredients.
Make informed food and beverage choices that support personal health, energy, and growth.
Explain how advertisements, social media, and product packaging can influence food and beverage choices.