Comprehensive Health Education in Grade 3

Comprehensive health education standards and performance indicators are integrated throughout the elementary school experience. Grade 3 teachers implement a variety of health education learning activities to promote and practice wellness skills and strategies.

Key Concepts

• Mental and emotional health—investigate verbal and non-verbal methods of communication; examine complex emotions; identify and describe emotional and physical human needs (shelter, food, water, love); discuss positive and negative consequences of making a decision; analyze positive and negative character traits that contribute to one’s uniqueness; principals associated with stress
• Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs—examine safe practices for using prescription and Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs; examine physical, psychological, social, and legal consequences of use of tobacco products; identify caffeine as a drug and identify alternatives
• Personal and consumer health—identify and locate information concerning consumer health issues and services  
• Family life and human sexuality—identify what makes a healthy family; discuss ways to resolve family conflicts
• Safety and injury prevention—identify basic first aid (small cuts and scrapes, blisters, mild burns, choking, sunburn, and nosebleeds); examine the effects of teasing and bullying; demonstrate ability to access emergency services; list situations that do not require emergency services; describe and demonstrate the differences between telling and tattling
• Nutrition and fitness—identify and define the functions of nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, water); name sources of nutrients; explain the relationship among food intake, physical activity, and weight management; explain the importance of physical activity; identify and explain body image (heredity, body changes, appearance, self-respect, physical activity); describe the Nutrition Facts Label; apply information using choosemyplate.gov to choose a healthy breakfast
• Disease prevention and control—identify communicable diseases (common cold, strep throat, flu); identify non-communicable diseases (allergies, asthma); explain how parasites infect the body (lice, ticks)