Friday, November 3rd 2023

Hello Reader,

As I'm getting used to the new settings in Convertkit, I'm keeping my email templates pretty plain. In this newsletter, I'll discuss key strategies for making informed decisions about what content to include in your health education lessons. Please read on and reply if you have any questions, or if there are specific topics you'd like to see in future newsletters.

Functional Health Content

In undergrad, one of the first unit plans I put together for my health education methods course was a five-lesson unit on alcohol. It was content-heavy, as this was before skills-based health was considered best practice. I don't remember the entire sequence of lessons, but I know I had a lesson on alcohol volume and what is defined as a standard drink. The activity used water and food coloring and was designed to be interactive, almost like a science lab. I thought it was a knockout lesson. When I submitted the first draft, my professor asked me, "Do you really want to spend an entire lesson on alcohol volume?" Looking back on this experience, it's clear now that it was my first time figuring out what functional health content to include in my lessons.

I want to be clear: I'm not saying teaching about standard drink sizes and volume is bad (in fact, I go over it in class), but it probably doesn't need to be the focus of an entire lesson. One of the most common questions from teachers shifting to a skills-based approach is, "What about the content? How do I know which content to keep and which to toss?" Effective lesson planning is the cornerstone of ensuring that our students receive the best possible learning experience. Here are some strategies to consider the next time you're writing lessons and trying to figure out what to fit in for functional health content.

5 Ways to Determine Functional Health Content

1. Start With Your Standards. A solid foundation for your health curriculum begins with aligning your lessons with state or national curriculum standards. These standards offer clear guidelines for what students should learn at each grade level. If you follow the National Health Education Standards, Standard 1 is what you'll use for content.
2. Set Clear Learning Objectives: Define specific learning objectives for each lesson. What do you want your students to know or be able to do by the end of the class? This will help you focus on essential content.
3. Assessment Alignment: By planning your unit backward, you can identify the formative and summative assessments you plan to use throughout the unit. Lessons should prepare students for these assessments and, as a result, should give students what they need to perform well on assignments.
4. Consider Student Interests and Needs: Tailor your lessons to make the content relevant and engaging for your students. Addressing their questions and concerns can foster a more open and effective learning environment. You might have a unit on decision making, with the content area of alcohol written in. Maybe you have a class that's interested in vaping or who wants to learn more about marijuana. Swap out the content to meet their needs.
5. Look Vertically At Your Scope and Sequence: Consider the logical order in which to present information to students, both within a unit and within how you order your units. Health education often builds on foundational concepts, so consider this when designing your curriculum. Knowing what knowledge students bring from previous grade levels and what they'll need in future grade levels may guide your decision.

Conclusion

The skill you're teaching may come into play here, too. Think about one last question: "What content do my students need to know in order to reduce risk behaviors and improve health literacy?" If it doesn't pass that test, consider taking it out of your program in order to focus on more important topics.

That's all for this week! Thanks for reading, and as always, please reply with any questions or suggestions for topics you'd like to see covered in this newsletter.

Jeff B.