Health Teacher Resources

Healthy bodies and minds make healthy learners! Find a wealth of health-related lesson plans and activities on nutrition, wellness, growth and development, injury prevention, and first aid In Lesson Planet’s collection of reviewed and rated resources.

A good place to start is with a presentation about the primary components of each of the three major areas (physical, social, and mental health) of the health triangle. Introduce early learners to the health triangle and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle with the collaborative activities found in this unit. The activities in another unit plan help middle schoolers develop a broader understanding of the areas of the health triangle.

Good nutrition is a key part of physical health. Get kids thinking about their food choices with a video that compares the nutrients found in fast foods to those in fruits and vegetables. Another video, sure to snare the interest of viewers, suggests world hunger problems could be solved by reviving or expanding the practice of eating bugs, an amazing source of vital nutrients!

Healthy relationships are a key part of social and mental health. A lesson for middle and high schoolers helps them develop the personal and interpersonal skills they need to develop and maintain healthy relationships. Another resource includes a series of lessons that discuss biological, emotional, and social facts about human sexuality.

Regular physical activity is one of the most important ways to maintain and improve physical health, mental health, and well-being. Get your students up and moving with a packet of activities designed to promote active habits and a healthy way of life.

Whether looking for resources for a health unit or materials to enrich a complete course, you’ll find what you need at Lesson Planet.

Showing 169 resources
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Studies: Dating Behaviors

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Upper graders discuss the importance of responsible dating. In addition to a discussion period, the lesson includes Powerpoint presentations, poster designs, and related role-playing activities. In one scenario, students act as parents...
+
Activity
Bethel School District

Health Triangle Self Assessment

For Students 7th - 12th
Measure health as a triangle, with each side representing different aspects of health: physical, emotional/mental, and social. High schoolers complete a self-assessment of their health in all three areas before scoring their progress and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Good Food, Good Health

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars investigate how food provides energy for the human body. In this physical health lesson, students access online resources to identify how certain foods can affect their health. Young scholars discuss how many servings of...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Problem Solving and Decision Making

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Help your teenagers learn to plan ahead before making a decision. With hypothetical examples and an online format, this could be a good addition to a language arts, teen issues, or health class. The format itself is not very...
+
Unit Plan
1
1
Stanford University

A Healthy You

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Go beyond counting calories with a healthy eating unit that focuses on reading nutritional labels, making healthy choices, and incorporating fitness into daily life. After four lessons about the different ways kids can improve their...
+
Lesson Plan
2
2
Nemours KidsHealth

Stress: Grades 9-12

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Everyone feels stress from time to time, but how can you move past it? A seven-page packet of activities guides high schoolers through the process of recognizing and managing their stress. The resource includes discussion topics, a quick...
+
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Extension Activity Building a Healthy Classroom Community

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
Workout buddies aren't just for adults! Learners discuss the benefits of 60 minutes of physical activity each day and generate ideas for how they can accomplish this by working toward a goal with friends.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
PBS

Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Commitment to Recovery

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Recovery from substance addiction is an ongoing process. The final lesson in a series about painkiller abuse and addiction prompts learners to research various recovery options before writing a short story about a character who is going...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Studying STI/HIV

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders describe symptoms, effects, treatments, and prevention for chlamydia, HPV, herpes, gonorrhea, Hepatitis B and C, and HIV. They begin by answering provided background questions and get one's feelings about what they think...
+
Lesson Plan
Bully Free Systems

Bully Free Lesson Plans—Eighth Grade

For Teachers 8th Standards
Middle schoolers are likely very familiar with the concept of bullying and cliques. Discuss their experiences and brainstorm ways to handle peer conflict and feelings of exclusion with a poem that focuses on bullying, and a second lesson...
+
Lesson Plan
Emergency & Community Health Outreach

Breast Cancer: Prevent, Detect, Treat

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Odds are, most of the members of your class know someone who has been affected by breast cancer. Teach them more about prevention through healthy lifestyles, detection with self-testing and mammograms, and the most effective treatments...
+
Lesson Plan
2
2
Advocates for Youth

What Are My Relationships with Others Like?

For Students 7th - 12th
Relationships are often the highest priority for teenagers, but they don't always have the maturity to navigate a healthy connection with peers or family members. A series of group activities prompt class members to interview their...
+
Lesson Plan
NPR

The History of America’s Weed Laws

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
To understand the laws regarding marijuana use in the United States, you can go all the way back to the 1800's to learn about farming hemp, or you can go back to 2018 when California became the sixth state to legalize recreational...
+
Worksheet
Scholastic

Marijuana: Perception of Harm vs. Use

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
Many teenagers don't believe that marijuana is harmful, but if they do, it affects whether they use it or not. Analyze the relationship between what high school seniors believe about marijuana and their tendency to use it with a reading...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Homophobia: What is It? What Can We Do About It?

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
A two-part lesson focuses on the sensitive issues of homophobia, discrimination, sexuality, and gender. Middle schoolers discuss individual and institutional discrimination, personal rights, homosexuality, and bullying.
+
Activity
PBS

Heart to Heart

For Students 3rd - 7th
Study heart health and math in one activity. After measuring their resting heart rates by finding the pulse in their wrists, learners build a stethoscope to listen to their heart rate, and note the differences between the two methods.
+
Activity
National Save

Dating Violence: Are You a Victim?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The teenagers in your class are probably involved in romantic relationships, but are they keeping themselves safe? Guide learners through the warning signs for dating violence with a series of lessons and discussions. 
+
Unit Plan
2
2
Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment

Drugs Awareness

For Teachers 8th
Peer pressure can lead to dangerous activities for the eighth graders in your class. Prepare them for the tough conversations in the years ahead with a set of lessons about drugs and their consequences on users' lives.
+
Organizer
Arizona Department of Education

Be Independent / Life Management Skills

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Living independently is about more than managing money. Learn how to manage time, balance responsibilities, and calculate overtime and income with a set of activities about life management skills.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

My Life—My Relationships

For Students 6th - 8th
How can you tell if your relationship is healthy or unhealthy? When can consent be withdrawn in a sexual encounter? Discuss important aspects of healthy relationships with high schoolers with a lesson plan that includes talk about...
+
Lesson Plan
Advocates for Youth

How Can I Make Good Decisions?

For Students 7th - 12th
Your entire life can change as a result of one decision—for better or for worse. Guide middle and high schoolers through the process of making decisions and weighing the consequences in the midst of peer pressure and other influences.
+
Lesson Plan
Advocates for Youth

Can I Keep Violence out of My Life?

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
Many teenagers in your class have not experienced violence in their lives, much less as a daily occurance. But some pupils are not so lucky. Bring hope to your class that violence is not an inevitable part of life, and that they can...
+
Lesson Plan
Advocates for Youth

What Reduces Sexual Risks?

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
Teens don't have the ability to see around all of the corners of their decisions, some of which can affect the rest of their lives. Help them understand the implications of risky sexual behavior, including sexually transmitted diseases...
+
Lesson Plan
University of Washington

Connecting Youth to Quality Health Information

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Many teenagers don't have adequate access to health and nutrition information beyond a quick Internet search. Guide them into health advocacy and proficiency with a lesson focused on MedlinePlus as a reliable source for health...