Grade 8 Health SOL Standards

Community/Environmental Health

Violence Prevention

Mental Wellness/Social and Emotional Skills

Safety/Injury Prevention

Substance Abuse Prevention

Disease Prevention/Health Promotion

Physical Health

Nutrition

Body Systems

Advocacy and Health Promotion

Community/Environmental Health

Violence Prevention

Mental Wellness/Social and Emotional Skills

Safety/Injury Prevention

Substance Abuse Prevention

Disease Prevention/Health Promotion

Physical Health

Nutrition

Body Systems

Healthy Decisions

Community/Environmental Health

Violence Prevention

Mental Wellness/Social and Emotional Skills

Safety/Injury Prevention

Substance Abuse Prevention

Disease Prevention/Health Promotion

Physical Health

Nutrition

Body Systems

Essential Health Concepts

The student will identify and explain essential health concepts to demonstrate an understanding of personal health.

Identify and describe the major structures and functions of the brain and nervous system and identify brain and nervous system disorders.

Determine the nutrients needed for proper brain function.

Examine the health risks posed by food contaminants during food preparation and food storage.

Identify the nutritional impact of disordered eating.

Compare health benefits and risks associated with trending diets, dietary supplements, and popular beverages, including sugar-sweetened and caffeinated beverages.

Evaluate the physical, mental, and social health benefits of physical activity.

Explain the difference between rest, sleep, sleep deprivation, and sleep debt.

Identify environmental and personal factors that influence the degree of risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, and stroke.

Describe the short- and long-term health issues and effects on the brain related to the use of alcohol, tobacco, nicotine products, and other drugs, including inhalants, marijuana, cocaine, stimulants, methamphetamines, opiates, steroids, and performanceenhancing drugs.

Research the signs, symptoms, and causes of addiction and the impact of substance use disorder on relationships and behavior.

Explain the need for school safety drills and procedures.

Identify risky behaviors associated with Internet use, online gaming, and social media use.

Identify the benefits and risks of social media.

Describe how to assess levels of stress based on physical and psychological responses.

List the skills and strategies for refusal and negotiation.

Describe characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships, including establishing and communicating boundaries.

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

Identify factors that can influence mental health (e.g., family, environment, trauma, genetics, brain chemistry, health behaviors, nutrition, personal values, peers, media, technology, culture, community).

Identify and describe careers associated with mental health care (e.g., social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist).

Differentiate between bullying behaviors, arguments, peer conflict, harassment, teasing, taunting, and joking situations.

Identify the consequences of weapon use, physical violence, and gang involvement.

Define and describe renewable resources and sustainable energy.

The student will apply health concepts and skills to the management of personal and family health.

Describe ways to maintain brain and nervous system health.

Explain how nutrients contribute to brain function.

Describe food safety techniques (e.g., hand washing, food washing, cross contamination, proper handling and storing of foods).

Analyze the impact of society (i.e., media, family, peers) on eating habits and attitudes toward weight and body size.

Evaluate the accuracy of claims about trending diets, dietary supplements, and popular beverages.

Assess the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle.

Identify sleep hygiene strategies to support recommendations for optimal sleep.

Describe preventive health measures, including immunizations, regular health and medical screenings, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and limiting personal technology use, in preventing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, and other chronic diseases.

Analyze the social, economic, and family and peer pressure influences on the use of tobacco, nicotine products (e.g., e-cigarettes), alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs.

Have and express positive norms regarding why most teenagers do not use alcohol, tobacco, prescription opioids, or other drugs (e.g., do not think use and abuse are acceptable or appropriate).

Explain the potential consequences of following and not following safety protocols for school drills.

Explain the role of decision making when faced with potentially harmful situations when using the Internet, online gaming, and social media.

Develop strategies to assess and manage the effects of social media use.

Identify personal stress-management skills that help respond to different kinds of stress.

Explain the benefits of using refusal and negotiation skills for a variety of risk-taking situations.

Explain the importance of developing relationships that are positive and promote wellness.

Explain why mental health issues such as self-harm behaviors, depression, and suicide ideation cannot be managed independently and require support/assistance.

Explain how negative perceptions of mental health promote a stigma about mental illnesses and emotional challenges.

Describe the role of mental health professionals in schools (e.g., school counselors, psychologists, social workers).

Explain the effects of bullying on individuals, including vulnerable populations.

Analyze the risks associated with weapon use, physical violence, and gang-related activities for oneself, the family, and the community.

Explain how humans and the environment are interdependent.

The student will undertake health-promotion activities that demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between nutrition, physical activity, and emotional and physical health.

Design strategies to protect and promote brain and nervous system health.

Create a plan to make healthy food choices, including choosing fruits and vegetables and increasing water and healthy beverage choices in a variety of settings.

Create strategies to promote food safety at home.

Identify and promote resources for help and assistance with disordered eating.

Develop factual advertising to help family and peers evaluate healthy food and beverage choices.

Create environmental design solutions that promote physical and mental health.

Create Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely (S.M.A.R.T.) goals to get optimal sleep to promote cognitive performance and academic success.

Design a plan of action with short- and long-term goals to prevent diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, and other chronic diseases and conditions.

Design persuasive advertising to eliminate drug use.

Create a campaign that emphasizes the importance of prevention and early identification of drug use disorder.

Develop a personal action plan during an emergency situation for a variety of locations outside of school (e.g., shopping areas, recreation areas).

Develop appropriate personal guidelines for online gaming and social media use.

Develop and promote guidelines for using social media.

Practice and promote stress-management skills.

Analyze a variety of situations to determine when to use refusal and negotiation skills to avoid risk.

Ability to develop safe, respectful, and responsible relationships.

Identify and recognize family, school, and community resources for helping oneself and others with mental health needs.

Explain the effects of stigma on accessing help and assistance for mental illnesses and emotional challenges.

Promote the availability of school and community mental health resources.

Recommend strategies to prevent, safely defend oneself and others, or get help with bullying.

Describe ways for students to develop relationships that are positive, promote wellness, and prevent weapon use, physical violence, and gang involvement.

Analyze opportunities for community service and advocacy for policies that promote environmental health.