The Essentials of Teaching Health Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

by Sarah Benes, Holly Alperin

Overview

The Essentials of Teaching Health Education has become the benchmark instructional textbook on developing successful health education programs. Now in a third edition that incorporates the 2024 SHAPE America National Health Education Standards and performance indicators, it sets the foundation for employing a skills-based approach that will teach students to become health literate, develop self-efficacy, and lead health-promoting lifestyles so that they can thrive at school and throughout life.

Written by seasoned and highly credentialed authors with experience in both university and preK-12 settings, The Essentials of Teaching Health Education, Third Edition With HKPropel Access, provides health education teacher education (HETE) students and in-service teachers all they need to build and teach a successful health education program,

• How to teach and develop health-related skills, with a focus on integrating the National Health Education Standards
• Practical strategies for accentuating strengths and skill development in curriculum design
• Real-world examples that demonstrate how the concepts are applied
• Advice and reflections from educators who have implemented a skills-based approach

In addition, the book features learning aids that help readers better understand and apply the content, including chapter summaries, discussion questions, and key points. Related materials delivered online through HKPropel include interactive activities, flash cards, key term quizzes, worksheets, and skill cue posters.

The Essentials of Teaching Health Education is arranged into four parts. Part I delves into the skills-based approach to health education, explaining the importance of the approach and how to understand student motivation. Part II takes an in-depth look at the National Health Education Standards. Each chapter focuses on one standard and provides steps for skill development, suggested cues for each skill, strategies for teaching and modeling the skill, developmentally appropriate skill-based learning activities, activities for skill practice, suggested ways to assess mastery of the skill, and other health topics that could also be taught in conjunction with that skill.

Part III explores how to use data to inform curriculum planning, outlines the eight steps for curriculum development, and shows how to design meaningful assessments. In part IV, readers learn how to create a positive learning environment, implement a skills-based approach, meet the unique needs of elementary health education, grow as a professional, and advocate for skills-based health education in schools.

The Essentials of Teaching Health Education, Third Edition, offers evidence-informed strategies as it guides health educators through the critical process of supplying students with the know-how they need for lifelong health and well-being. With this essential resource, current and future educators are set to deliver a complete, well-rounded, and successful health education curriculum.

Human Kinetics is proud to publish this book in association with SHAPE America, the national organization that defines excellence for school-based health and physical education professionals across the United States.

Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with all new print books.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781718232020
Publisher:	Human Kinetics Publishers
Publication date:	03/07/2025
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Sarah Benes, EdD, MPH, CHES, is an assistant professor and the coordinator of the school health education program at Southern Connecticut State University. She earned a BS in athletic training at University of Connecticut, an EdM in human movement from Boston University in 2006, and an EdD in curriculum and teaching from Boston University in 2010. In 2021, she also completed a master’s degree in public health. She worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer and an assistant athletic trainer at Boston University before transitioning to teaching full time and running the physical and health education programs for six years. Benes then held a position as an associate clinical professor in the School of Health Sciences at Merrimack College.

Benes’ research and scholarship interests include skills-based health education, equity and justice in health education, physical activity in the classroom, and enhancing school-based physical and health education programming. She is a past president of SHAPE America, after serving on the board for three years and as chair of the Health Education Council. She has done curriculum development with many districts in Massachusetts, has conducted skills-based health education professional development in multiple states across the country and internationally, and has written more than a dozen health education presentations and publications. She currently lives in Natick, Massachusetts, with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys yoga and meditation, reading, hiking, and going on adventures with her family.

Holly Alperin, EdM, MCHES, is a clinical associate professor at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) with over 20 years’ experience in both public health and education. As a faculty member and program coordinator of the department of kinesiology’s health and physical education teacher preparation program, she focuses on preparing preservice educators to teach using a skills-based approach. Prior to UNH, she worked at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in a variety of roles that supported schools in their efforts to strengthen policies and increase capacity around school health education and programs, school nutrition programs, and professional learning experiences for educators.

Through her work at the local, state, national, and international levels, Alperin provides guidance to schools as they create a culture of health and well-being for each student—both in the health education classroom and throughout the school. In addition to other volunteer roles, she is the past vice president of health education for New Hampshire Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; served on the task force to revise the National Health Education Standards; and is the past chair of the Health Education Council for SHAPE America.

Alperin received her master’s in education in policy, planning, and administration from Boston University and her bachelor’s degree in health education and health promotion from Central Michigan University. She holds the Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) credential. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two daughters. In her free time, you can likely find her in the mountains or at the beach enjoying the best New England has to offer.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I. Building the Foundation of a Skills-Based Approach

Chapter 1. The Role of Health Education
Health as a Continuum
The Need for Health Education
Using Resources in School-Based Health Education
Designing Health Education
Improving Health Outcomes
Summary

Chapter 2. Understanding a Skills-Based Approach
Components of Skills-Based Health Education
Skills-Based Health Education in Practice
Support for Skills-Based Health Education
Summary

Chapter 3. Equity and Justice in Health Education
Health Disparity and Health Inequity
Factors Contributing to Inequities
Social Justice and Health Equity
Social Justice Practices for Your Classroom
Summary

Chapter 4. Developing Health-Literate Individuals
Components of Health Literacy
Continuum of Health Literacy
Developing Health Literacy as an Asset
Establishing Health Literacy for Life
Summary

Chapter 5. Examining Student Motivation
Theories of Motivation
Developmental Levels and Motivation
General Considerations Across Age Levels
Summary

Chapter 6. Making Cross-Curricular Connections
A Coordinated Approach to Student Success
Shaping Local Wellness Policies
Making Interdisciplinary Connections for School Improvement
Summary

Part II. Teaching to the National Health Education Standards

Chapter 7. Accessing Valid and Reliable Resources
Step 1: Introduce the Skill
Step 2: Present Skill Cues
Step 3: Model the Skill
Step 4: Provide Opportunities for Practice and Feedback
Step 5: Assess the Skill and Support Transfer
Summary

Chapter 8. Analyzing Influences
Step 1: Introduce the Skill
Step 2: Present Skill Cues
Step 3: Model the Skill
Step 4: Provide Opportunities for Practice and Feedback
Step 5: Assess the Skill and Support Transfer
Summary

Chapter 9. Interpersonal Communication
Step 1: Introduce the Skill
Step 2: Present Skill Cues
Step 3: Model the Skill
Step 4: Provide Opportunities for Practice and Feedback
Step 5: Assess the Skill and Support Transfer
Summary

Chapter 10. Decision-Making
Step 1: Introduce the Skill
Step 2: Present Skill Cues
Step 3: Model the Skill
Step 4: Provide Opportunities for Practice and Feedback
Step 5: Assess the Skill and Support Transfer
Summary

Chapter 11. Goal-Setting
Step 1: Introduce the Skill
Step 2: Present Skill Cues
Step 3: Model the Skill
Step 4: Provide Opportunities for Practice and Feedback
Step 5: Assess the Skill and Support Transfer
Summary

Part III. Putting Everything Into Practice

Chapter 14. Using Data to Inform Curriculum Planning
Compiling Functional Information
Gathering and Understanding Data
Interpreting Data to Make Decisions on Curriculum
Using Data to Build Support for Health Education
Summary

Chapter 15. Six Steps for Curriculum Development
Step 1: Get to Know the Students and the Community
Step 2: Use Data to Determine the Health Topics, Functional Information, and Skills
Step 3: Create a Scope and Sequence
Step 4: Develop a Unit Plan, Objectives, and Outcomes
Step 5: Develop Unit Assessments
Step 6: Create Lesson Plans
Summary

Chapter 16. Designing Meaningful Assessments
Purposes of Assessment
Types of Assessment
Authentic Assessment
Rubrics and Grading
Constructive Feedback
Summary

Part IV. Strategies for Effective Instruction

Chapter 17. Creating a Positive Learning Environment
Know Yourself
Build Relationships With Your Students
Have a Plan
Establish Classroom Norms and Group Agreements
Foster Student Leadership and Involvement
Be a Positive Role Model
Summary

Chapter 18. Implementing a Skills-Based Approach
Using Participatory Methods to Support Skill Development and Functional Knowledge
Facilitate Meaningful, Relevant Learning Experiences
Provide Opportunities for Self-Reflection, Internalization, and Personalization
Summary

Chapter 19. Meeting the Unique Needs of Teaching Elementary Health Education
Making Time for Health Education
Considerations for the Elementary Level
Using Children’s Literature to Support Health Education
Engaging Families and the Community
Summary

Chapter 20. Professional Learning and Advocacy
Staying Current and Relevant
Engaging in Professional Development Opportunities
Developing a Personalized Professional Development Plan
Using What You Learn
Action Research in the Classroom
Advocating for Health Education
Summary