Do you use a health "curriculum"?

[annettemarie]

I was recently at a homeschool play date and some moms were talking about using an actual health curriculum, with books and tests and pretests. Really? Do people use these? Is it a high school thing (which I kind of could see I guess, for nutrition, human development, stuff like that) or do people do this for elementary school

Cause I've got to say, if my kids are alive at the end of the day, I figure they've passed health. We just kind of deal with concepts as they come along.

[crunchy_mama]

Totally new at all of this but I certainly don't plan on this. Health, nutrition, etc is just things that are talked about naturally over the course of a day, year, life. I cannot imagine using specific time for this- I don't want to overload their schedule w/ something like that.

[*Jessica*]

No, but a lot of other NY homeschoolers seem to. I think for NYers it's a reflection of the strict regulations (which would apply in PA, as well) and the fact that many of them prefer to provide the school district with a list of curriculum used instead of a description of what material they plan to cover.

[annettemarie]

We're in PA and I usually do a summary of each subject. Health is something like "Health topics are covered through doctor visits and checkups, scouting program, and of course, as part of everyday life."

[*Jessica*]

That's the same kind of narrative that I give. My cousin, and many of the other NY homeschoolers I know, find it easier to list the textbooks and photocopy the index. I think the narrative is much easier and more flexible, but I can't convince anyone of it!

[sha_lyn]

I used workbooks and activity books I purchased at School Box along with a 5 sense kit when DD was younger. Now that she is about to be in 7th grade I am looking for a good curriculum that covers sex ed and other health topics. I will probably end up designing my own lessons using American Medical Association Girl's Guide to Becoming a Teen

[Aeress]

We printed our a whole bunch of coloring pages that related to the topic we were covering, as a jumping off point for discussion.
We don't use a specific curriculum, but we are covering First Aid using Kids to the Rescue.

Since the topic was presented- Does anyone know of a drug curriculum that isn't all "all drugs are bad, evil substances"?

[elizawill]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mama

Totally new at all of this but I certainly don't plan on this. Health, nutrition, etc is just things that are talked about naturally over the course of a day, year, life. I cannot imagine using specific time for this- I don't want to overload their schedule w/ something like that.

i barely feel like i have it together enough some days to teach what's required of me, let alone adding in a health curriculum. so nope, never even crossed my noggin

[Momma Aimee]

We do not , noW -- but We plan to folloW a loose one.

human body
5 senses
nutrition

so actually I gues several shorter curriclums -- not jsut one.

I am intrested in the Horizen's Kindy Health.

I am confident that as the boys age -- as long as they school at home -- we will revist the topice and again and again in more depth.

Honestly it is one reason we do homeschool. I never studied ANY nutirion till high school -- then it was a unit in home ec. .. i think there is a lot out there, that if the kids are introduced to it as fun and younger, will less of a buren as they grow (i persaonly hate nutrition and struggle with it now)

[kittywitty]

No? We talk about health stuff every day, so it's really a non-issue. My kids are nutrition savvy, know their herbs for conditions, understand hygiene (though as children, abhor it), and having had babies in front of them, we've talked about birth and anatomy and all that and have read books about it. We had a Singapore health book and my kids thought it was hilariously too young for them.

[lach]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

I never studied ANY nutirion till high school -- then it was a unit in home ec. .. i think there is a lot out there, that if the kids are introduced to it as fun and younger, will less of a buren as they grow (i persaonly hate nutrition and struggle with it now)

I actually agree... I would really like to teach a real health curriculum. I don't know what's out there, but I'd really like to cover nutrition and exercise, human anatomy, as well as sex and drugs. I had a pretty good sex and drug program, at least until we moved when I was in junior high, but my knowledge on the other subjects is woefully inadequate and I'd like my kids to know about all of these things. I don't really think that any if this is stuff that comes up in my normal life, at least in any depth.

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by lach

I actually agree... I would really like to teach a real health curriculum. I don't know what's out there, but I'd really like to cover nutrition and exercise, human anatomy, as well as sex and drugs. I had a pretty good sex and drug program, at least until we moved when I was in junior high, but my knowledge on the other subjects is woefully inadequate and I'd like my kids to know about all of these things. I don't really think that any if this is stuff that comes up in my normal life, at least in any depth.

part of my reasoning is -- uhhh I don't know most of it to "teach it in daily life". we talk about green light or red light foods (thanks Dr Sears) and some of them i can tell you why they are good. Broccli i know has calcium in it. but really -- the boys and i will learn a lot of it together.

as for the human body -- i knew it all once, don't remember it all -- want to be sure i have the correct data for them, yk?

[EviesMom]

We have 1 curriculum book on it, but I intend to roll it into the science curriculum timing wise rather than treat it as a subject unto itself. The "safety" stuff we have to cover-bike safety, fire safety, etc. I intend to roll into social studies in the same way. When we cover civics, we'll talk bike safety too; when we cover community, we're already covering firefighters, etc. so we'll do fire safety; etc.

[elizawill]

a lot of topics mentioned will be covered in elementary science (at least it is weaved into our's). as for other topics, i highly recommend slim goodbody videos. we get them through united streaming, but youtube probably has them too. so, i guess we do cover health through science, it's just not intentionally separate via another curriculum. food, sex, drugs, rock-n-roll (lol, just kidding about the latter), that's all covered through natural conversation. i imagine it will remain that way.

[elizawill]

Originally Posted by EviesMom

but I intend to roll it into the science curriculum timing wise rather than treat it as a subject unto itself.

yep, that's us too.

[sha_lyn]

Originally Posted by elizawill

yep, that's us too.

Same here. I plan on covering in the second 1/2 of 2010-2011 while DD is enrolled in a biolgy lab 1 day a week. While she will probably have some science homework from the co-op it should go down greatly the 2nd 1/2 of the yr when they move from the textbook to the lab work.

[moongazer]

The best thing I did for health with my HSer was have him contact all his grandparents and find out what diseases/conditions run in our family. Then he researched each of them including symptoms, treatments and prevention. I figured he needed to know that stuff, since every doctor form he will fill out will ask about family history.

[ikesmom]

Our hs group decided to do a science camp last year and we followed God's Design for Life http://www.lamppostpublishing.com/go...life.htm..each of us used other various books, guides, ect to add to whatever topic we chose to teach.

We spent 2 weeks covering the skeletal system, respiratory system, circulatory system, nervous system, nutrition and exercise, substance abuse, emotional health..and I cant remember the rest lol..

It was good and I think my ds's learned more about health in those 2 weeks than what they did all year.

[Momma Aimee]

THANKS

your link did not work, but i found this one:

http://www.lamppostpublishing.com/gods-design-life.htm

I can't wait to look at this more carefully later, thanks!!

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

THANKS

your link did not work, but i found this one:

http://www.lamppostpublishing.com/gods-design-life.htm

I can't wait to look at this more carefully later, thanks!!

That's a store near me. The lady who owns it is really nice, but she does sell the Pearls' stuff in her catalog if that makes a difference to you. (Not trying to start an argument; I just know that matters to some people. It does to me)