This curriculum policy replaces The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Health and Physical Education, Interim Edition, re-issued in 2018. All health and physical education programs for Grades 1–8 are now based on the expectations outlined in this curriculum policy.

elementary

Health and Physical Education (2019)

Version history

Appendices
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Appendix A: Social-Emotional Learning Skills Summary, with References
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Appendix A provides a summary of the social-emotional learning skills in strand A. The expectations in strand A are the same for all grades, and learning related to these expectations occurs in the context of learning related to the other three strands, progressing in depth and complexity within that context through the grades. A list of references on social-emotional learning skills is included in this appendix.

The following information is provided to support program planning and instruction related to the social-emotional learning (SEL) skills outlined in strand A. The chart below provides an “at-a-glance” summary of the skills, and the chart starting on the following page provides information about each of the skills, by specific expectation, A1.1 through A1.6. A list of references for social-emotional learning skills and mental health education is provided after the charts.

Learning and assessment of learning related to SEL skills are woven throughout the health and physical education program.

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING SKILLS AT A GLANCE

Students will learn to:	So that they can:
identify and manage emotions	express their feelings and understand the feelings of others
recognize sources of stress and cope with challenges	develop personal resilience
maintain positive motivation and perseverance	foster a sense of optimism and hope
build relationships and communicate effectively	support healthy relationships and respect diversity
develop self-awareness and self-confidence	develop a sense of identity and belonging
think critically and creatively	make informed decisions and solve problems

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING SKILLS BY SPECIFIC EXPECTATION

Skills What are the skills? How do they help? What do they look like in HPE?	Key Components and Sample Strategies
A1.1 Identification and Management of Emotions Students often experience a range of emotions over the course of their day at school. They may feel happy, sad, angry, frustrated, or excited, or any number of emotions in combination. Students, and especially younger children, may struggle to identify and appropriately express their feelings. Learning to recognize different emotions, and to manage them appropriately, can help students function and interact more effectively. When students uderstand the impact of thoughts and emotions on behaviour, they can improve the quality of their interactions. In health and physical education, as they learn new movement skills, interact with others in physical activities, and learn about their health and well-being, students have many opportunities to develop awareness of their emotions and to use communication skills to express their feelings and to respond constructively when they recognize emotions in others.	Recognizing a range of emotions in self and others Gauging the intensity and/or the level of emotion Understanding connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions Managing strong emotions and using strategies to self-regulate Applying strategies such as: using a “feelings chart” to learn words to express feelings using a “feelings thermometer” or pictures to gauge intensity of emotion
A1.2 Stress Management and Coping Every day, students are exposed to big and small challenges that can contribute to feelings of stress. As they learn stress management and coping skills, they come to recognize that stress is a part of life and that it can be managed. We can learn ways to respond to challenges that enable us to “bounce back” and, in this way, build resilience in the face of life’s obstacles. Over time, with practice, observation, and coaching, students begin to build a personal “coping toolbox” that they can carry with them through life. In health and physical education, students learn the benefits of physical activity for stress management and learn to apply healthy coping strategies to broader life situations.	Managing stress through physical activity Seeking support Problem solving Applying strategies such as: deep breathing guided imagery stretching pausing and reflecting “unplugging” before sleep
A1.3 Positive Motivation and Perseverance Positive motivation and perseverance skills help students to “take a long view” and remain hopeful even when their personal and/or immediate circumstances are difficult. With regular use, practices and habits of mind that promote positive motivation help students approach challenges in life with an optimistic and positive mindset and an understanding that there is struggle in most successes and that repeated effort can lead to success. These practices include noticing strengths and positive aspects of experiences, reframing negative thoughts, expressing gratitude, practising optimism, and practising perseverance – appreciating the value of practice, of making mistakes, and of the learning process. In health and physical education, students have regular opportunities to apply these practices as they learn new physical skills and practise behaviours that support physical and mental health.	Reframing negative thoughts and experiences Practising perseverance Applying a growth mindset Reflecting on things to be grateful for and expressing gratitude Practising optimism Applying strategies such as: sharing positive messages for peers using personal affirmations
A1.4 Healthy Relationships When students interact in positive and meaningful ways with others, mutually respecting diversity of thought and expression, their sense of belonging within the school and community is enhanced. Learning healthy relationship skills helps students establish positive patterns of communication and inspires healthy, cooperative relationships. These skills include the ability to understand and appreciate another person’s perspective, to empathize with others, to listen, to be assertive, and to apply conflict-resolution skills. In health and physical education, students have unique opportunities to develop and practise skills that support positive interaction with others in small-group and team situations and as they navigate decisions that impact their health.	Being cooperative and collaborative Using conflict-resolution skills Listening Being respectful Considering other perspectives Practising kindness and empathy Applying strategies such as: seeking opportunities to help others and “give back” using role play to practise language and actions
A1.5 Self-Awareness and Sense of Identity Knowing who we are and having a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives enables us to function in the world as self-aware individuals. Our sense of identity enables us to make choices that support our well-being and allows us to connect with and have a sense of belonging in various cultural and social communities. Educators should note that for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students, the term “sense of identity and belonging” may also mean belonging to and identifying with a particular community and/or nation. Self-awareness and identity skills help students explore who they are – their strengths, difficulties, references, interests, values, and ambitions – and how their social and cultural contexts have influenced them. In health and physical education, students learn to develop daily self-care routines for mental health that promote a sense of personal confidence and comfort with their developing identities. As they learn new skills, they use self-awareness skills to monitor their progress and identify their strengths. Educators play a key role in reinforcing that each student matters and brings value to the classroom.	Knowing oneself Caring for oneself Having a sense of mattering and of purpose Identifying personal strengths Having a sense of belonging and community Communicating with assertiveness Applying strategies such as: monitoring progress in skill development reflecting on strengths and accomplishments and sharing these with peers or caring adults
A1.6 Critical and Creative Thinking Critical and creative thinking skills enable us to make informed judgements and decisions on the basis of a clear and full understanding of ideas and situations, and their implications, in a variety of settings and contexts. Students learn to question, interpret, predict, analyse, synthesize, detect bias, and distinguish between alternatives. They practise making connections, setting goals, creating plans, making and evaluating decisions, and analysing and solving problems for which there may be no clearly defined answers. Executive functioning skills – the skills and processes that allow us to take initiative, focus, plan, retain and transfer learning, and determine priorities – are part of critical and creative thinking. In all aspects of the health and physical education curriculum, students have opportunities to develop critical and creative thinking skills. Students have opportunities to build on prior learning, go deeper, and make personal connections through real-life applications.	Making connections Making decisions Evaluating choices Communicating effectively Managing time Setting goals Applying organizational skills Applying strategies such as: using webs and diagrams to help identify connections and interrelationships using Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) to develop strategic thinking using organizational strategies and tools, such as planners and goal-setting frameworks

REFERENCES

CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health). (2017). Common elements of school-based social and emotional learning programs: Program review.

CASEL (The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning). (2019). [Website]. https://casel.org/

CASEL. (2019). SEL Impact. Key research studies. Retrieved from https://casel.org/impact/

Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS). (2019). [Website]. https://humanstress.ca/

Harvard Graduate School of Education, Making Caring Common Project. (2018). Social-emotional learning (SEL) hub.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013). Supporting minds: An educator’s guide to promoting students’ mental health and well-being.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (n.d.). Social and emotional skills: Well-being, connectedness and success.

School Mental Health Ontario. (2019). [Website]. https://smh-assist.ca/

Thunderbird Partnership Foundation. (2019). First Nations mental wellness continuum framework.

Appendix B. Active Living Summary: Key Topics
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Appendix B provides a chart that briefly describes the focus of learning in the Active Living strand for every grade, and gives teachers a quick overview of the strand across all grades. Shaded arrows indicate when the topic of an expectation remains essentially the same for several years of study. In these cases, grade-to-grade variations in content are summarized in brief additional phrases. (The shaded box indicates that there is no expectation B2.4 in Grade 1.)

Appendix C. Movement Competence Learning Summary: Skills, Concepts, and Strategies
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The appendix for Strand C: Movement Competence: Skills, Concepts, and Strategies provides a chart that briefly describes the focus of learning in the strand for every grade, and gives teachers a quick overview of the strand across all grades. The chart is organized by skill category (stability, locomotion, manipulation) and grade. Movement concepts (body, space, effort, relationship) are outlined in the body of the chart as they relate to the development of each skill category. Shaded arrows indicate when the topic of an expectation remains essentially the same for several years of study. In these cases, grade-to-grade variations in content are summarized in brief additional phrases. For example, the summary description in the Movement Competence chart for expectation C1.2, at Grade 2, reads “jumping, hopping, and landing – maintaining control, landing safely, using different body actions, jumping for distance/height and from low heights”. Although the focus of the expectation from Grade 2 to Grade 5 remains the same (jumping, hopping, and landing), students in Grade 2 are expected to jump, hop, and land in control; students in Grade 3 learn to jump for distance and height; students in Grade 4 are focusing on landing in control when jumping from a low height; and students in Grade 5 are jumping for height and distance using a variety of body actions. In order to understand when specific requirements are introduced, readers must consult the expectations, examples, and teacher prompts in the body of the curriculum document. There, they will find indications of the specific, age-appropriate content, scope, and depth of coverage of the expectations in particular grades. (Note that shaded boxes indicate a shift in topic in an expectation from one grade to the next.)

Appendix D: Key Topics in Healthy Living
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Appendix D provides a handy reference by combining the learning summary charts, by topic, for the Healthy Living strand from each grade. The charts briefly indicate, for each grade, the topics that support the learning outlined in the overall expectations – i.e., about health concepts, making healthy choices, and making connections for healthy living. Shaded boxes indicate that a given topic is not considered from a particular perspective in that grade (e.g., in Grade 1, the topic Healthy Eating is considered from the perspective of “Understanding Health Concepts” and “Making Healthy Choices”, but not from the perspective of “Making Connections for Healthy Living”, so the cell in the last column is shaded).

Grade 1

Topic	D1. Understanding Health Concepts	D2. Making Healthy Choices	D3. Making Connections for Healthy Living
Healthy Eating	D1.1 Food for healthy bodies and minds	D2.1 Canada’s Food Guide D2.2 Hunger and thirst cues
Personal Safety and Injury Prevention	D1.2 Safe practices – personal safety	D2.3 Caring and exploitative behaviours and feelings D2.4 Safety at school	D3.1 Potential risks at home, in the community, outdoors
Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours			D3.2 Unhealthy habits, healthy alternatives
Human Development and Sexual Health	D1.3 Body parts D1.4 Senses and functions	D2.5 Hygienic procedures
Mental Health Literacy	D1.5 Mental health and overall health		D3.3 Thoughts, emotions, actions

Grade 2

Topic	D1. Understanding Health Concepts	D2. Making Healthy Choices	D3. Making Connections for Healthy Living
Healthy Eating		D2.1 Healthy eating patterns D2.2 Food choices (snacks, meals)
Personal Safety and Injury Prevention	D1.1 Personal safety – home, online, and outdoors D1.2 Food allergies	D2.3 Consent, standing up for yourself and others	D3.1 Relating to others
Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours	D1.3 Prescription / nonprescription medicines		D3.2 Medication, healthy alternatives
Human Development and Sexual Health	D1.4 Stages of development D1.5 Body appreciation	D2.4 Oral health
Mental Health Literacy	D1.6 Body and brain – responses and feelings	D2.5 Knowing when to seek help

Grade 3

Topic	D1. Understanding Health Concepts	D2. Making Healthy Choices	D3. Making Connections for Healthy Living
Healthy Eating	D1.1 Food origins, nutritional value, and environmental impact	D2.1 Oral health, food choices	D3.1 Local and cultural foods, eating choices
Personal Safety and Injury Prevention	D1.2 Concussion awareness	D2.2 Safety guidelines outside of class	D3.2 Real and fictional violence
Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours	D1.3 Impact of use of legal/illegal substances	D2.3 Decision making – substance use / behaviours
Human Development and Sexual Health	D1.4 Healthy relationships, bullying, consent D1.5 Physical and social-emotional development		D3.3 Visible, invisible differences, respect
Mental Health Literacy	D1.6 Brain stress response system		D3.4 External factors that contribute to stressful feelings

Grade 4

Topic	D1. Understanding Health Concepts	D2. Making Healthy Choices	D3. Making Connections for Healthy Living
Healthy Eating	D1.1 Nutrients	D2.1 Personal eating habits	D3.1 Healthier eating in various settings
Personal Safety and Injury Prevention	D1.2 Safe use of technology D1.3 Bullying, abuse, and non-consensual behaviour	D2.2 Decision making – assessing risk
Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours	D1.4 Tobacco and vaping	D2.3 Decisions about smoking and vaping	D3.2 Short- and long-term effects of smoking and vaping
Human Development and Sexual Health	D1.5 Puberty – changes; emotional, social impact	D2.4 Puberty – personal hygiene and care
Mental Health Literacy		D2.5 Healthy choices to support mental health	D3.3 Stress management (cognitive, behavioural)

Grade 5

Topic	D1. Understanding Health Concepts	D2. Making Healthy Choices	D3. Making Connections for Healthy Living
Healthy Eating		D2.1 Nutrition fact tables, food labels	D3.1 Media influences – food choices
Personal Safety and Injury Prevention	D1.1 Supports – injury prevention, emergencies, bullying, violence	D2.2 Strategies – threats to personal safety	D3.2 Actions, self-concept
Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours	D1.2 Short- and long-term effects of alcohol use	D2.3 Refusal skills – alcohol use and other behaviours	D3.3 Decision to drink alcohol, use cannabis; influences
Human Development and Sexual Health	D1.3 Reproductive system D1.4 Menstruation, spermatogenesis	D2.4 Self-concept, sexual orientation D2.5 Emotional, interpersonal stresses – puberty
Mental Health Literacy		D2.6 How to help others, when to seek help	D3.4 Stigma awareness

Grade 6

Topic	D1. Understanding Health Concepts	D2. Making Healthy Choices	D3. Making Connections for Healthy Living
Healthy Eating		D2.1 Influences on healthy eating D2.2 Eating cues and guidelines	D3.1 Benefits of healthy eating / active living
Personal Safety and Injury Prevention	D1.1 Benefits of inclusion, respect, and acceptance	D2.3 Safe and positive social interaction, conflict management	D3.2 Responsibilities, risks –care for self and others, safety practices
Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours	D1.2 Effects of cannabis, drugs	D2.4 Strategies, safe choices, influences, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis
Human Development and Sexual Health	D1.3 Sexually explicit media	D2.5 Understanding of puberty changes, healthy relationships D2.6 Decision making, consent	D3.3 Stereotypes and assumptions – impacts and strategies for responding
Mental Health Literacy	D1.4 Seeking help – professional helpers D1.5 Connecting thoughts, emotions, and actions

Grade 7

Topic	D1. Understanding Health Concepts	D2. Making Healthy Choices	D3. Making Connections for Healthy Living
Healthy Eating		D2.1 Eating patterns and health problems	D3.1 Personal, external factors in food choices
Personal Safety and Injury Prevention	D1.1 Benefits and dangers – technology	D2.2 Impact of bullying/ harassment
Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours	D1.2 Mental health, substances, support	D2.3 Body image, substance use	D3.2 Implications of substance use, addictions, and related behaviours
Human Development and Sexual Health	D1.3 Delaying sexual activity D1.4 Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) D1.5 STBBIs and pregnancy prevention	D2.4 Sexual health and decision making	D3.3 Relationship changes at puberty
Mental Health Literacy	D1.6 Mental health, mental illness

Grade 8

Topic	D1. Understanding Health Concepts	D2. Making Healthy Choices	D3. Making Connections for Healthy Living
Healthy Eating		D2.1 Personal eating behaviours	D3.1 Promoting healthy eating
Personal Safety and Injury Prevention	D1.1 Concussions – signs and symptoms D1.2 Reducing risk of injuries, death	D2.2 Assessing situations for potential danger	D3.2 Impact of violent behaviours; supports
Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours	D1.3 Warning signs, consequences
Human Development and Sexual Health	D1.4 Decisions about sexual activity; supports D1.5 Gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, self-concept	D2.3 Decision making considerations and skills	D3.3 Relationships and intimacy
Mental Health Literacy		D2.4 Routines and habits for mental health	D3.4 Societal views, impact of stigma

On this page

Health and Physical Education (2019)

AppendicesLink

Appendix A: Social-Emotional Learning Skills Summary, with ReferencesLink

Appendix B. Active Living Summary: Key TopicsLink

Appendix C. Movement Competence Learning Summary: Skills, Concepts, and StrategiesLink

Appendix D: Key Topics in Healthy Living Link

Appendices
Link

Appendix A: Social-Emotional Learning Skills Summary, with References
Link

Appendix B. Active Living Summary: Key Topics
Link

Appendix C. Movement Competence Learning Summary: Skills, Concepts, and Strategies
Link

Appendix D: Key Topics in Healthy Living
Link