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Grade 3
A Healthy Body
A Sample Unit on Controlling Diseases
Unit Introduction: A Healthy Body
Being sick is a reality in a child's life. Yet sickness can
be quite mysterious to children and is often a source of worry
— even when worrying is unwarranted. It is important for students
to learn how sickness may sometimes be prevented, how we can
control diseases, and how we can cope — or help others cope
— with sickness. The strand A Healthy Body teaches students
how nutrition, physical activity, leisure and good hygiene
practises constitute proper body care, helping to prevent,
fight or control diseases. Activities within this strand,
and integration with other strands, help students develop
an understanding of the roles played by family, friends, members
of the community and health professionals in providing support
and medical care to people who are ill. Teaching these topics
through the Decision-making Process enables students to apply
information in daily life, and to take into account positive
and negative pressures which may affect the ways we take care
of ourselves.
Grade Level Perspective
"Gathering Facts for Wellness" is the Grade 3 perspective.
Within this unit, students look at the importance of gathering
factual information in order to make decisions to maintain
or improve their health. The three-level Decision-making Process
is used with that perspective in mind.
HIV/AIDS Education
This sample unit incorporates HIV/AIDS education, a required
part of the Elementary Health Education program. Parents have
the option to withdraw their child from classes which deal
with this component of the program. In this unit, lessons
which incorporate HIV/AIDS education are clearly identified.
Alternate arrangements should be made for students who do
not attend those lessons.
Current Health-related Information
Health-related information changes rapidly and publications
must be updated constantly. For this reason, we do not suggest
specific pamphlets in this unit. Instead, we provide names
and addresses of organizations where accurate, up-to-date
information may be obtained. For information on AIDS and other
infectious and non-infectious diseases, contact the following
organizations and ask for information on specific diseases,
including information on prevention:
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National
AIDS Documentation Centre
1565 Carling Avenue
Suite 400
OTTAWA, ON K1Z 8R1
Fax: (613) 725-9826
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Health Canada
Publications Unit
Communications Branch
13th Floor, Section A
Brooke Claxton Building,
Tunney's Pasture
OTTAWA, ON K1A 0K9
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Posters and pamphlets can also be obtained from Local Health
Districts. Please note that such publications will
provide teachers with up-to-date information. They
should not be used in the classroom unless they match
the age appropriate instruction and objectives of the HIV/AIDS
component in the curriculum.
Gathering Resources
This sample unit suggests the use of fiction and non-fiction
resources on topics such as:
- stress management;
- controlling diseases;
- HIV/AIDS.
Specific titles are suggested in the unit only as examples.
These and other appropriate titles are listed in Health
Education: An Initial List of Implementation Materials for
the Elementary Level, 1998. Additional instructional materials
to support this curriculum will be listed in Health Education:
A Bibliography for the Elementary Level, scheduled to
be published in the spring of 1999.
Teachers are encouraged to investigate possibilities for
using resources suggested in other lists of materials, such
as the bibliographies accompanying the curriculum guides for
all other areas of study.
In addition to the school's resource centre and the public
library, check the following sources for instructional materials:
- children's magazines;
- Internet sites;
- television and radio programming;
- brochures.
It is also important to access local human resources such
as health professionals, parents, or Elders. As in all subject
areas, care is required when arranging for guest speakers
and classroom presenters. It is the responsibility of teachers
to clarify with the speaker the content and objectives of
the presentation.
Unit Overview
Students at this grade level should be fairly independent
in using the steps within Level B of the Decision-making Process.
These correspond to the focus of the grade 2 perspective.
The purpose of the grade three perspective, Gathering Facts
for Wellness, is to help students become increasingly independent
in using the steps within Level A of the Decision-making Process.
The steps within Level C guide instructional planning but
are not formally taught to grade three students.
| Level |
Steps |
Activities |
| Level A:
Stop! |
1.Think
2.Research |
- That scared me! Stress and stress management.
- Good habits, bad habits: Avoiding sources of risk
to healthy living.
- Injuries and infections: Avoiding sources of
risk to healthy living: blood borne pathogens. This
activity incorporates HIV/AIDS education.
- Ways of controlling diseases: a research activity.
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| Level B:
Explore... |
3.Look at options and consequences
4.Choose an option |
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| Level C:
Go! |
5.Design and carry out an action plan
6.Examine the results. Revise as needed. |
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Additional Internet Resources:
Taken
from: Health Education: A Curriculum Guide for the Elementary
Level (Grades 1-5): Sample Units
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