10.53.708    HEALTH STANDARDS FOR SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES

(1) The health standards for sixth through eighth grades are that each student will be able to:

(a) comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance personal health by:

(i) discussing the relationship between healthy behaviors and personal health;

(ii) describing the benefits of and barriers to practicing healthy behaviors;

(iii) analyzing behaviors that promote health enhancing strategies for issues such as substance abuse prevention, nutrition, sexual activity, exercise, injury and disease prevention, and stress management, including traditional and contemporary strategies from American Indian cultures;

(iv) analyzing the potential consequences of engaging in risky behaviors;

(v) identifying characteristics of physical, mental, emotional, family, and social health including those of traditional and contemporary American Indian cultures and practices;

(vi) explaining practices used to prevent or reduce the risk of spreading or contracting communicable diseases;

(vii) discussing ways environmental factors affect health;

(viii) analyzing ways in which safe and healthy school and community environments can promote personal health;

(ix) describing ways to reduce or prevent injuries and other adolescent health problems;

(x) explaining how appropriate health care can promote personal health, including the unique issues regarding American Indians and health care benefits;

(xi) defining human body systems, their function, and their interrelationship with one another; and

(xii) identifying basic structures and functions of the male and female reproductive health systems.

(b) analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors by:

(i) explaining how family and culture influence the health of adolescents;

(ii) explaining how the perception of societal norms influence healthy and unhealthy behaviors;

(iii) explaining the influence of personal values and beliefs on individual health practices and behaviors;

(iv) describing how peers influence healthy and unhealthy behaviors;

(v) explaining how the school, tribe, and community can affect personal health practices and behaviors;

(vi) explaining how messages from media influence health behaviors;

(vii) explaining the influence of technology on personal and family health; and

(viii) comparing and contrasting how school, public, and tribal health policies can influence health promotion and disease prevention.

(c) demonstrate the ability to access valid information, products, and services to enhance health by:

(i) analyzing the validity of health information, products, and services;

(ii) accessing valid health information from home, school, tribe, and community;

(iii) determining the accessibility of products that enhance health; and

(iv) describing situations that may require professional health services.

(d) demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks by:

(i) applying effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills to enhance health, including those of traditional and contemporary American Indian cultures and practices;

(ii) using refusal and negotiation skills that avoid or reduce health risks;

(iii) using effective conflict management or resolution strategies; and

(iv) discussing how to ask for assistance to enhance the health and safety of self and others.

(e) demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health and safety by:

(i) identifying circumstances that can help or hinder safe and healthy decision making;

(ii) determining when safety and health-related situations require the application of a thoughtful decision-making process;

(iii) determining when individual or collaborative decision making is appropriate;

(iv) distinguishing between safe, healthy, and unhealthy alternatives to health-related issues or problems;

(v) predicting the potential short-term and long-term impact of health and safety-related options on self and others; and

(vi) analyzing the outcomes of safety and health-related decisions.

(f) demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health by:

(i) developing a goal to adopt, maintain, or improve personal health practices;

(ii) assessing personal health practices;

(iii) applying strategies and skills needed to attain a personal health goal; and

(iv) describing how personal health goals can vary with changing abilities, priorities, and responsibilities.

(g) demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks by:

(i) analyzing healthy practices and behaviors that will maintain or improve the health of self and others;

(ii) explaining the importance of assuming responsibility for personal health behaviors; and

(iii) describing behaviors to avoid or reduce health risks to self and others.

(h) demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health by:

(i) stating a health-enhancing position on a topic and support it with accurate information;

(ii) describing how to influence and support others to make positive health choices;

(iii) working cooperatively to advocate for healthy individuals, families, tribes, and schools; and

(iv) identifying ways in which health-related messages and communication techniques can be altered for different audiences.

History: Mont. Const. Art. X, sec. 9, 20-2-114, MCA; IMP, Mont. Const. Art. X, sec. 9, 20-2-121, 20-3-106, 20-7-101, MCA; NEW, 2016 MAR p. 1389, Eff. 7/1/17.