D1. Understanding Health Concepts
Specific Expectations
Healthy Eating
D1.1
explain why people need food to have healthy bodies and minds (e.g., food provides energy and nutrients for the healthy growth of teeth, skin, bones, and muscles and the healthy development of the brain) [A1.6 Thinking]
- Teacher prompt: “There are many things that contribute to a healthy body and mind, and healthy eating is one. When we talk about ‘a healthy body and mind’, we’re talking about your whole body, including your brain and your feelings and thoughts. Just as some toys need batteries to run, we need healthy foods to be active, to grow and be well, and to learn. How does eating breakfast every day and eating healthy meals and snacks throughout the day help you learn?”
- Student: “It gives me energy to help me stay alert and concentrate through the day.”
Personal Safety and Injury Prevention
D1.2
demonstrate an understanding of essential knowledge and practices for ensuring their personal safety (e.g., knowing their home phone numbers; knowing how to contact 9-1-1; seeking help from a police officer, teacher, youth worker, or other trusted adult; knowing routines for safe pickup from school or activities) [A1.2 Coping]
- Teacher prompt: “Why is it important to know your phone number and your address?”
- Student: “It is important to know how to contact someone for help in an emergency.”
Human Development and Sexual Health
D1.3
identify body parts, including genitalia (e.g., penis, testicles, vagina, vulva), using correct terminology and body-positive language [A1.5 Self]
- Teacher prompt: We talk about all body parts with respect, and we decide who can touch our body. Why is it important to know about your own body, and use correct names for the parts of your body?
- Student: “All parts of my body are a part of me, and I need to know how to take care of and talk about my own body. If someone touches me anywhere that I don’t want them to, or if I’m hurt or need help, I need to know the right words for the parts of my body, so that when I tell a trusted adult about what’s happened, they will know what I’m talking about.”
D1.4
identify the five senses and describe how each functions (e.g., sight: the eyes give the brain information about the world to help us see colours, shapes, and movement; touch: receptors in the skin tell us how things feel – if they are hot, cold, wet, dry, hard, soft; hearing: the ears pick up vibrations and send messages to the brain to help us hear sounds that are loud or soft, high- or low-pitched; smell and taste: the tongue is covered with thousands of taste buds and the nose has tiny hairs and nerves that send messages to the brain about how things taste and smell)
- Teacher prompt: “How do you use your senses as you explore outside in the natural world? If you close your eyes, what other senses can you use to get information about what is around you? Can you give me an example of a tool that a person with a disability might use when they are exploring the natural world?”
- Students: “I like to smell the air and feel the wind and the textures of leaves and tree trunks.” “People who are blind might use a white cane or a service animal so they can move freely when they are outside. The feel and sound of the cane on the ground, or the movement of the service animal, guides them.”
Mental Health Literacy
D1.5
demonstrate an understanding that mental health is a part of overall health and reflect on the things they can do to appreciate and take care of their body and mind [A1.2 Coping, 1.4 Relationships, 1.5 Self]
- Teacher prompt: “We have talked about our health, ways that we take care of our body to feel well, and how we appreciate what our body can do. Now we are going to talk about our mental health. There are different ways to think about mental health. Some people talk about ways that we can take care of a special part of our body, our brain. Our brain helps us to think, to feel, and to act. When we can think, feel, and act in ways that make us happy most of the time, and help us get along well with others, we have positive mental health. Other people think about mental health as having all parts of yourself in balance – your body, your head, your heart, and your mind. Just as with our physical health, it is important for us to do things to make sure that our mental health stays strong. What are some things that you do that make you feel good and that can also help you take care of your mental health? You might think of things like playing with your friends, taking a deep breath, resting when you feel tired, or spending time with your family or community. What helps you take care of your mental health?”
- Students: “I like to work on puzzles. It makes me feel relaxed to put the pieces together, and I feel good when I finish one.” “I like it when Uncle takes me out on the land. I feel good when I hear the birds and feel the earth.”