Author: Amy Smith

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Updated screen time recommendations for kids…

Good news for parents who struggle with guilt over screen time. The American Pediatrics Association is in the process of updating their guidelines. Read the following article and then discuss your thoughts with your table group. What do you think the

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Identifying valid health sites

Hey 6th graders! Did you know that online health searches are now the third most popular activity on the web? While googling symptoms can sometimes be helpful, sometimes it can give us misinformation as well. Read the following article from

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Resources for the sleep advocacy project…

Did you know that 1/3 of all teenagers are sleep deprived? According to the National Sleep Foundation, You need at least 9 hours, and most of you aren’t even clocking in at 7. Why is that? Fear of Missing Out

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Resources for the infographic project

*Infographic created by Esther, Grade 8 Hey 8th graders! Here’s everything you’ll need for our next project. Infographics are used quite a bit in reporting health news, as they’re a visually appealing way to get facts and statistics out to the

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2 Keys to Keeping Content Relevant in Health Ed

When I began teaching health, it was fifteen years ago at a public high school in Southern California. I was keenly aware of the student population and their health concerns, as I was only 24 years old and had graduated

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More Lessons Learned About Teens and Their Phones

This is a follow-up to some lessons my students and I learned about technology while on a school trip. For Part 1, click here. Lessons learned, continued: Don’t always assume they know what’s best. It’s easy to get frustrated with teenagers

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Lessons Learned About Teens and Their Phones

This month’s Choices cover story, “Help! I Can’t Put Down My Phone,” is a must-read for any health class in grades 6-12. I say this as a teacher who has spent the last few years researching and presenting on teens and their

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7th Grade- Advocacy through Art Project

If you’re a teacher interested in this project, click here for instructions. Hey 7th graders! Here are the details for step one of your project. PSA Research: Click on the link to watch these three PSA’s, or maybe find a few on

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Positive Prevention- A New Approach to Health Ed

*This post originally appeared on Choices.Scholastic.Com Students and their health concerns have shifted drastically over the last 20 years, and the previous model of educating via textbooks and scare tactics stopped working long ago. It’s time to shift to a

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The Blue Zones Project!

Hey 6th graders! You just learned about the Wellness Wheel and the four main components of our health: Physical, Social, Emotional and Mental. You also learned that you’re at your best when these areas are in balance. Of course, knowing how to maintain that

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4 ideas for cross-curricular learning

*This post originally appeared on choices.scholastic.com The field of education is currently undergoing a big shift from traditional methods of instruction to project-based learning (PBL). Most teachers are excited to implement PBL in their classrooms, but in subjects like health,

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5 Ways to Reboot your Health Class this Year

This post originally appeared on Choices.Scholastic.com With a new school year about to start, teachers and students are rested and full of energy, ready to take on whatever exciting challenges the year has to offer. Here are five ways to

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Choices- The Family Values Project

Openly defining family values can help teens avoid risky behaviors and make healthy decisions in the face of peer… Posted by Scholastic Teachers on Friday, August 7, 2015

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