Middle Grade Health Education

Middle Grade Health Education

SFUSD's middle grade health education classes are designed to support students with the knowledge and skills to be critical consumers of their own health and make health-enhancing decisions throughout their lives.

A Closer Look

What's Covered in Middle Grade Health Classes?

SFUSD's Health Education curriculum is designed to meet the guidelines of the California Health Education Standards, the California Health Framework, and related laws and policies like the California Healthy Youth Act. The class focuses on six content areas:

Nutrition; Growth and Development; Injury Prevention and Safety
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs; Mental, Emotional, and Social Health; Personal and Community Health

Healthy Literacy Model

California students need to learn skills (i.e. the standards) to increase their Health Literacy , which has been defined by the World Health Organization as the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand, and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health.

More Details on Middle School Health Education:

SFUSD offers two middle grade health education courses, designed to be taken in sequence. Courses will be implemented as trimester-length classes in both seventh and eighth grades.

Health 101

Students learn and practice the protective skills to make good choices and stay engaged in school despite the pitfalls of substance abuse, bullying, cyber-bullying, unhealthy foods, and peer pressure. They learn how their brain and body changes during their teen years, as well as how to care for and nurture them. Additionally, Puberty and Anatomy classes teach students about reproductive health, body development, positive body image, and healthy relationships while promoting values of diversity and inclusion.

Health 201

Students participate in deeper learning activities that shift the focus on health topics towards community and global health topics. Second year health students will also continue lessons on comprehensive relationship and sexuality curriculum so they have the skills and information they need to make healthy choices around pregnancy prevention, STIs, preventing sexual harassment and assault, and preventing Human Trafficking. Students review and practice healthy eating, goal setting, and how to counteract negative media messages about body image.

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