What Do Students Learn In Health Classes?
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Are health classes still relevant? Is there really a need for them? The answer is yes because this subject provides some valuable insights to students in topics such as the following:
They Learn About Food & Nutrition
Health classes should be introducing students about food and nutrition even at a young age so that they carry what they have learned until they grow old. For instance, they should be introduced on how to read food labels that has information not just on the ingredients but on the calorie content as well as other health facts. It is also taught in health classes on how to choose healthy snacks and how to avoid high calorie meals. There are also topics on food contamination that can be included. It can be cited for instance that raw meats have harmful bacteria which could contaminate the surface where they are placed. Thus, the proper precaution should be taken on cleaning the surfaces.
They Learn About Weight Management & Exercise
Another important part of the health class topics is on weight management and exercise. The class will be discussing the proper ways to exercise as well as the benefits on having an active lifestyle. The study materials would also touch on the topic of obesity. There are already national studies in the United States that pinpoint to a growing number of obese children. Students are thus encouraged to stay active in order to prevent obesity. They are taught to exercise regularly and to engage in sports. Students for instance can do some brisk walking or running at least 30 minutes to an hour each day. Students can also engage in sports such as volleyball, basketball, and swimming in order to keep a healthy and fit body.
They Learn About Mental Health Issues
A health class will also delve into mental health issues. This includes topics on how to deal with stress and peer pressure. Stress because of peer pressure may be dismissed by adults as an unimportant issue but for children and teenagers alike, this is a major issue that they are facing in their life. Being bullied by their peers could in fact psychologically damage them so that it results to certain self-image scars which they carry with them until adulthood. Other related topics that can be pointed out could be the way media works to hype images of beauty. The teacher may help the students to debunk how media portrays beauty as perfection by pointing out that some of the celebrity photos that they see in magazines are altered through a computer program. The realty is everyone has some imperfections. This is a valuable lesson that can be learned especially when students reach puberty and experience some awkward changes in their body.
The topic on peer pressure should also be discussed. It should include ways to manage stress through activities that could be as simple as unwinding through reading books or listening to music. It should also be taught to make their family as a support system by talking to their parents or siblings about the stresses or pressures they are going through. The siblings and parents in turn could give out some helpful advice.
They Learn About Safety & First Aid Tips
Students are also taught about the different safety and first aid tips in their health classes. The topic can start to as basic as what should be the contents of their first aid kit. How these contents are going to be used and in what cases It would then be taught to them. There are also personal safety topics in areas such as sports. Students are in fact taught to use the proper protective equipment for their specific sport.