The Curriculum Guide

The key foundational and learning objectives of the elementary health education curriculum are all mandatory. They are not categorized by grade level: it is intended that these objectives will be attained over the entire period from grade 1 to grade 5.

The objectives are broken down into three categories:

Teachers draw content for their health education program from the framework of topics. Over a year, all four topics (A Healthy Body, Social Relationships, Safety and Self-esteem) need to be addressed and the decision-making process should be incorporated into all units.

It should be noted that sub-topics under each category, as well as the grade level sequencing of these sub-topics, are suggestions only:

• A school might decide to address bicycle safety at the grade 3 level instead of in grade 4, so that classroom instruction coincides with programs already available in the community if these programs are targeted at the grade 3 level.
• Emphasis on specific sub-topics should be decided locally and based on local needs.

Topic in the health education program are addressed through the three-level decision-making process. Once students have extended their knowledge base on the topic being studied, they make informed decisions and develop action plans in order to enhance their health.

Because the decision-making process is a key element of the program, it must be presented to the students early in the school year. A sample unit in the curriculum guide provides various options for doing this at each grade level.

In most units, students will practise making decisions and designing action plans. This is often done in fictitious contexts such a response to literature, a role play or a case study. The expectation is that all students actually make a decision related to a health topic. They should design, carry out and evaluate an action plan with one unit at each of grades one and two, and within two units at the grades three, four, and five levels. Selection of the topic(s) within which all six steps are implemented in a real life context should be guided by the students' individual and/or collective needs.

The curriculum guide contains the following sample units:

• A generic sample unit, for Grades 1 to 5, designed to introduce or review the levels and steps of the decision-making process used in the Health Education program.
• At each grade level, one unit incorporating HIV/AIDS education.
• A Grade One unit entitled "On Your Guard: A Sample Unit on Street Safety"
• A Grade Two unit entitled "Food for Thought: A Sample Unit on Nutrition"
• A Grade Three unit entitled "Let's Talk Things Over: A Sample Unit on Conflict Resolution"
• A Grade Four and Five unit entitled "The Me I Want to Be: A Sample Unit on Self-esteem"
• A Grade Five unit entitled "HIV/AIDS - The Facts and the Myths: A Sample Unit on HIV/AIDS"

Sample units are designed to provide detailed examples of activities and projects for all six steps of the decision-making process.

The curriculum also contains collections of suggested activities that teachers may use for developing units of study. Collections of suggested activities are offered for various sub-topics featured in the framework of topics. These suggestions do not provide detailed lesson plans for all six steps of the decision-making process.

It is suggested that a total of approximately six units be taught during a year. However, this number may vary as some teachers might chose to integrate much content from the four categories of topics within one unit, when others might prefer to address fewer sub-topics at a time. Integration of sub-topics may occur within one topic and across topics.

As a matter of public health policy and in response to concerns about the need to protect the health of our province's youth, the Department of Education requires that HIV/AIDS education be incorporated into the Health Education program for the elementary level in all Saskatchewan schools as of the 1997-98 school year, except where individual parents request exemption for their child. HIV/AIDS education is a very small part of the total Health Education program. It is not a separate topic. Rather, it is taught within broader contexts such as infectious diseases and caring for people who re sick. The intent of this initiative is to ensure that HIV/AIDS is included among other diseases discussed in the program.

The 1997-98 HIV/AIDS Education interim document has been revised and incorporated into the curriculum guide for the elementary level. Please note that the interim document will be in effect only until the year of implementation of the new curriculum guide.

Exemption Policy

Parents may withdraw their child from HIV/AIDS education by advising the school of their intent to do so. A sample request for exemption form is found in the curriculum guide.

It is important that parents make an informed decision regarding the withdrawal of their child(ren) from HIV/AIDS education. A letter to parents or an information bulletin and an information session outlining the purpose and content of HIV/AIDS instruction at the elementary level will help parents make this decision.

In the event of student withdrawal from HIV/AIDS education, it is the teacher's responsibility to ensure that alternate health education instruction is arranged for the duration of the HIV/AIDS lesson(s). Suggested activities for grades 1 to 4 incorporate HIV/AIDS instruction in one or two lessons. At the grade 5 level, students will miss health education classes for the duration of the unit which deals with alternate activities related to infectious diseases other than HIV/AIDS;

Students not participating in HIV/AIDS education might:

• Read and respond to a story on a topic related to the suggested activities for their grade level.
• Listen to a taped story and respond by drawing, if they are nor proficient readers and/or writers.
• Be paired with older students who could read and record responses for them if they are not proficient readers or writers themselves.
• Do an independent study.
• Write about personal experiences related to the topic of the activities suggested for their grade level.
• Complete and appropriate computer-assisted activity.

The framework of topics suggests content related to human sexuality and child abuse prevention. Activities are suggested din the curriculum for addressing these sub-topics. Classroom instruction related to human sexuality and child abuse prevention must be approved each year by the local school administration and the local school board.

The following options are recommended for consideration by the local school board, the school administration, the classroom teacher and the local liaison committee:

• A classroom program for all students
• An elective classroom program fotr those children whose parents wish them to be enrolled "opting-in" to this option, with an alternative health-related program for other students
• A school-based parent-taught program during school time
• A school-home program that would be partly school-taught and partly taught at home, in which activities would be identified for parents and students to study and discuss at home

• Home-taught with school support. Materials and teaching aids could be provided in a special reference section of the school resource centre so parents could examine and borrow materials.
• Parent-taught, at home, with adult resource persons and resource material available to parents through the school, community college or other community resource for those parents who wish assistance. This option might be supported by a program for parents through the community college designed for and by parents to assist them with home teaching.

• Community-based programming where children leave the school to attend various community-sponsored health-related programs. This could involve coordination by the various churches and/or community groups to schedule courses at the same time. Alternative programming for students not enrolled in any of the sessions would be necessary.