Unit Planning
In addition to considering curriculum objectives, instructional approaches, assessment and evaluation, and other Core Curriculum components and initiatives (e.g., C.E.L.s) when planning a unit, it is also important to consider how the development of action plans will be supported and how the strands of wellness will be woven together.
Developing Action Plans
As a result of health education classes in previous grades, grade 10 students should be quite familiar with the decision-making process. The sample semester plans for both Teacher A and Teacher B, indicate that students develop an initial action plan related to Physical Activity and Fitness, and then weave Stress Management into this same action plan. A description of this process, as demonstrated by the sample fall and winter semester plans, follows.
During the first three classes (Orientation Unit) of Teacher B’s winter semester plan, each student begins to prepare an individual Physical Activity and Fitness action plan using the decision-making process. Each student may continue to work on this first draft of the action plan the following week.
In the fall semester, Teacher A introduces Stress Management during the third week of September and uses the decision-making process to help students incorporate this strand into their existing action plans. During the first week of October, students review, and perhaps also revise, their Physical Activity and Fitness action plans and add goals, strategies, etc. pertaining to Stress Management. Thus, each student now has a “two-strand” action plan (Physical Activity and Fitness plus Stress Management) that he or she continues to evaluate regularly and revise/rebalance if necessary.
For example, two students may have implemented a Physical Activity and Fitness plan of rope jumping four times a week for two weeks to which they now add a Stress Management plan of time management (i.e., creating a “to do” list) for two more weeks. Another student may have implemented a Physical Activity and Fitness plan of weight training three times a week for two weeks and then adds a Stress Management plan of Leisure (i.e., dedicating time to a hobby) for an additional two week period. A reasonable guideline for high school students is a two-week time frame for the Physical Activity and Fitness action plan followed by an additional two-week time frame that combines Physical Activity and Fitness, and Stress Management in the action plan.
As other strands are introduced during the fall semester, students are encouraged to add these strands to their action plans. Consequently, some students in the class may eventually have:
