Health curriculum ~ Anyone tackled this in HS?

[LearningGrace]

I'm trying to shore up any major deficiencies we have and am looking at doing a relatively short and painless study in health.  Any suggestions on curriculum, etc?  Thank you ~

[Hilltopmom]

We used the one at Time4 Learning. Nothing earth shattering, but adequate.

[EKS]

We used Health: Making Life Choices.  He read the book and answered the questions in writing.  I also had him take a first aid/CPR class.

[LearningGrace]

Has anyone used the Switched on Schoolhouse Health?  I've not used AO products for anything thus far and don't really know much about the caliber of academics with that publisher.

[Penguin]

We are using Oak Meadow Integrated Health and Fitness.

[Chrysalis Academy]

We are using Oak Meadow Integrated Health and Fitness.

 

We're using this too. It's starting slowly, and I don't think she is enjoying the a&p part at the beginning very much, but I really like the segments on food choices and exercise and the books that they include on those topics. I'm making her slog through the guts part to get to the interesting part.  :D

[AppleGreen]

We used:

http://www.amazon.com/Health-Student-PRENTICE-HALL/dp/0131905678/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1455285403&sr=8-3&keywords=health+textbook

 

I created a summer class that incorporated workbook pages from the text (we were working on note taking skills in conjunction), TedTalks with written responses, some nonfiction and fiction reading that correlated with the topics and a final project. There was also a movie or two (Food Inc. comes to mind, but I think there may have been another). I still have plans on completing a CPR/first aid class, but that has not happened yet.

[J-rap]

Has anyone used the Switched on Schoolhouse Health?  I've not used AO products for anything thus far and don't really know much about the caliber of academics with that publisher.

That was actually the only SOS product we used.  We used their high school health computer program.  It is very easy to use.  I just wanted a very basic curriculum to fulfill the credit.  We talked about so many health issues in our family regularly that I didn't feel a need to use anything that would take a tremendous amount of time and be a lot of repetition for our kids, but still wanted to make sure I was covering everything.

 

The SOS program allows you to go in and "turn off" anything you don't want to use, whether it be certain sections, regular short quizzes, bigger tests, etc.  I think I turned off all of the extra, busy-activities plus the tests.  We kept the basic daily readings and short quizzes, and that was all.  My kids were able to use it almost completely independently.  I thought it suited our needs well.

[TarynB]

We are using Oak Meadow Integrated Health and Fitness.

 

We're going to use it too! :thumbup1:

 

We're using this too. It's starting slowly, and I don't think she is enjoying the a&p part at the beginning very much, but I really like the segments on food choices and exercise and the books that they include on those topics. I'm making her slog through the guts part to get to the interesting part.  :D

 

That's interesting to me, because my DS thought the A&P parts of the OM guidebook looked really appealing (we haven't officially started it yet but he's looked through it). Does your DD not care for the A&P part of the textbook, or the A&P section in the guidebook, or just A&P in general?     

 

I also have the Miller/Levine biology book on hand for next year, which has several A&P chapters, so I figure we might swap out textbook sections if the OM-recommended textbook isn't to our liking for A&P.

[Mike in SA]

We used the online course from TTUISD. Took about nine weeks, but you have up to a year for the same price (cheap).

[Chrysalis Academy]

We're going to use it too! :thumbup1:

 

 

That's interesting to me, because my DS thought the A&P parts of the OM guidebook looked really appealing (we haven't officially started it yet but he's looked through it). Does your DD not care for the A&P part of the textbook, or the A&P section in the guidebook, or just A&P in general?     

 

I also have the Miller/Levine biology book on hand for next year, which has several A&P chapters, so I figure we might swap out textbook sections if the OM-recommended textbook isn't to our liking for A&P.

 

Just A&P in general. She doesn't like guts.  I think it's well done, I don't think there is anything wrong with the presentation, it's just not her cuppa.  This is a suck it up buttercup moment, you need to understand how the inside of your body works, even if you don't like looking at pictures of it.  ;)

 

ETA: We just talked about this, and she says what she doesn't like is the textbook. It's a very typical high school textbook, with lots of bright primary colors, irrelevant pictures, distracting sidebars, etc.  She hasn't had to deal with many texts like this, and really dislikes them. I feel her pain, actually, it's a pretty busy and distracting text.  She says she really likes the writeups in the OM guidebook. And she is really looking forward to the supplemental books that come later - Spark and In Defense of Food.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy

[TarynB]

Just A&P in general. She doesn't like guts. I think it's well done, I don't think there is anything wrong with the presentation, it's just not her cuppa. This is a suck it up buttercup moment, you need to understand how the inside of your body works, even if you don't like looking at pictures of it. ;)

 

ETA: We just talked about this, and she says what she doesn't like is the textbook. It's a very typical high school textbook, with lots of bright primary colors, irrelevant pictures, distracting sidebars, etc. She hasn't had to deal with many texts like this, and really dislikes them. I feel her pain, actually, it's a pretty busy and distracting text. She says she really likes the writeups in the OM guidebook. And she is really looking forward to the supplemental books that come later - Spark and In Defense of Food.

Ah, yes, that makes sense. I feel your DD's pain on that too. :001_smile:

 

I'm looking forward to those supplemental books also! We often discuss those kinds of topics just as part of life -- media impact on health/diet choices, SAD--Standard American Diet and how it is so different today vs. a generation or two ago, proliferation of diet-related diseases/disorders, vegetarian, paleo, low carb, trends, balance, and all that stuff -- but somehow these 2 books are ones we haven't delved into yet. So, anyway, I'm super-excited about this OM course too! Because for all the modeling and talking I do, I'm still "just Mom" and hearing/reading those same things from an "expert" might make even more of an impact. :lol: And, yes, whoever wrote the guide for OM has really impressed me so far. This is so UNlike any health class I ever took or have seen. I'm glad your DD likes that part. :001_smile: Thanks for taking the time to post her feedback.

Edited February 13, 2016 by TarynB

[Chrysalis Academy]

Ah, yes, that makes sense. I feel your DD's pain on that too.  :001_smile:  

 

I'm looking forward to those supplemental books also! We often discuss those kinds of topics just as part of life -- media impact on health/diet choices, SAD--Standard American Diet and how it is so different today vs. a generation or two ago, proliferation of diet-related diseases/disorders, vegetarian, paleo, low carb, and all that stuff -- but somehow these 2 books are ones we haven't delved into yet. So, anyway, I'm super-excited about this OM course too! Because for all the modeling and talking I do, I'm still "just Mom" and hearing/reading those same things from an "expert" might make even more of an impact.  :lol:   And, yes, whoever wrote the guide for OM has really impressed me so far. This is so UNlike any health class I ever took or have seen. I'm glad your DD likes that part. :001_smile:  Thanks for taking the time to post her feedback.

 

Agreed! Shannon really enjoyed The Omnivore's Dilemma, the Young Reader's edition that she read last year, so when she found out that there was another Michael Pollan book in her future she was very happy.

[Penguin]

We have been very happy with the OM health. I have made a few alternate assignments and added a few films. We are spreading the course out over 1.5 years, and I changed the order around a bit to make sure he got to all of the sexuality topics in 9th and some of those come near the end.

 

I think we did enough human anatomy in this curriculum to justify skipping the human anatomy part of the biology text. The course paired up nicely with biology.

[DebbS]

We used Nutrition 101 - Choose Life for my daughter.  It covered nutrition and a bit of anatomy. She learned some interesting stuff, it wasn't difficult and it didn't take much time.

 

My son used a regular Health textbook. In a nutshell it covered don't drink and drive, don't do illegal drugs, eat your vegetables, don't be a couch potato, take a shower now and then, put a band aid on that, sex causes babies and bad sex choices cause STDs.

 

For my time and money, the first option was the better choice. On the other hand, my son could pass a Health test without doing any of the reading. I guess I already taught him what he needed to know.

Edited February 12, 2016 by DebbS

[Lolly]

Has anyone used the Switched on Schoolhouse Health?  I've not used AO products for anything thus far and don't really know much about the caliber of academics with that publisher.

We used it. It was...my dcs least favorite school thing they ever did. I purchased the computer version. You had to have the answers typed in exactly as they had it in the answer key or it was counted wrong. The content was...stupidly ridiculous. Okay, it might just be the subject matter, but was found it to be downright silly for high school. Honestly, if I had to do it over again, I would just give the the credit and not have them do the work. You would think that by the 4th dc, I would have figured that out... I would have never had them do this as a subject if it wasn't required by our state for high school diploma. Like I said, hindsight I would just write down a book title and give the half credit. Silly class.

[G5052]

NM

Edited February 13, 2016 by G5052

[G5052]

We used Total Health with my oldest, and we're probably not doing that. The My Father's World lesson plans were fine, but the whole thing was a bit dry.

 

My oldest needs to do his P.E. college credit this summer, so we may put the younger one in to do that as well, killing two birds with one stone.

 

Or we may do a book club type thing with the two of us and popular health books. She wants to do 3 months of semi-private training with me at the gym in the summer which requires exercise and food tracking. And we'd add first aid/CPR which my oldest and I need to do anyway for recertification. So that would be a fun way to knock it out.

Edited February 13, 2016 by G5052

[Junie]

We used Total Health with my oldest, and we're probably not doing that. The My Father's World lesson plans were fine, but the whole thing was a bit dry.

 

My oldest needs to do his P.E. college credit this summer, so we may put the younger one in to do that as well, killing two birds with one stone.

 

Or we may do a book club type thing with the two of us and popular health books. She wants to do 3 months of semi-private training with me at the gym in the summer which requires exercise and food tracking. And we'd add first aid/CPR which my oldest and I need to do anyway for recertification. So that would be a fun way to knock it out.

 

Total Health is the curriculum that I've been looking at.  Would you tell me more about it and why you don't want to use it again?  Thanks.

[G5052]

Total Health is the curriculum that I've been looking at.  Would you tell me more about it and why you don't want to use it again?  Thanks.

 

It's fine as it is. It got the job done.

 

But since my youngest took the initiative and figured out her own, we'll go that way if she doesn't do dual enrollment with her brother. She's going into 12th and will be attending the same community college he is, so it's an option on the table.

[EKS]

Just A&P in general. She doesn't like guts.  I think it's well done, I don't think there is anything wrong with the presentation, it's just not her cuppa.  This is a suck it up buttercup moment, you need to understand how the inside of your body works, even if you don't like looking at pictures of it.  ;)

 

ETA: We just talked about this, and she says what she doesn't like is the textbook. It's a very typical high school textbook, with lots of bright primary colors, irrelevant pictures, distracting sidebars, etc.  She hasn't had to deal with many texts like this, and really dislikes them. I feel her pain, actually, it's a pretty busy and distracting text.  She says she really likes the writeups in the OM guidebook. And she is really looking forward to the supplemental books that come later - Spark and In Defense of Food.

 

I'm assuming that Oak Meadow still uses the Making Life Choices book.  My son thought the book was ridiculous too.  It didn't help that it seemed to be written on a 4th grade level.  The reason I chose it was because it was (at least at that time) the only health book that had human sexuality integrated into the main text.  All the other ones had it as a separate booklet.  I didn't think that having it separated like that sent a very good message to the student.

 

I had the OM guide book when we did health, though we ended up not using it.  We did, however, read Spark and In Defense of Food, and they were excellent additions.  

Edited February 13, 2016 by EKS

[TrixieB]

We used it. It was...my dcs least favorite school thing they ever did. I purchased the computer version. You had to have the answers typed in exactly as they had it in the answer key or it was counted wrong. The content was...stupidly ridiculous. Okay, it might just be the subject matter, but was found it to be downright silly for high school. Honestly, if I had to do it over again, I would just give the the credit and not have them do the work. You would think that by the 4th dc, I would have figured that out... I would have never had them do this as a subject if it wasn't required by our state for high school diploma. Like I said, hindsight I would just write down a book title and give the half credit. Silly class.

 

My kid who used SOS Health loathed it.  I "switched off" a lot of busywork & test/quiz questions.

 

For my next kid, I was planning to use Oak Meadow, but they are going to public HS and will take health class there. 

[MerryAtHope]

We used Total Health.

[happycc]

Are there any trade books you would use to replace a Health textbook or supplement? Suggestions?

[happycc]

NM the repeat sorry

Edited March 23, 2016 by happycc

[Mom22ns]

Another vote for Oak Meadow health. However, I don't think its s the quickest easiest approach. In fact, if I did it again, I would reduce some of the assignments I felt were "busy work". The content is excellent though. Dd's favorite part was the anatomy section, but she loves blood and guts. She'll start college as a nursing major next year lol.

[happycc]

Do you need the OM teacher's manual and if you were homeschooling twins do I need two syllabi or just make copies of things?

Edited March 26, 2016 by happycc

[Kassia]

Do you need the OM teacher's manual and if you were homeschooling twins do I need two syllabi or just make copies of things?

 

I have the teacher's manual.  I think it makes things easier, but it's not necessary.  One syllabus would be fine.

 

Erica

[Chrysalis Academy]

We're using OM IHF w/o the TM.

[Roadrunner]

As I was researching our history curriculum, I cam across a very nice IB curriculum on health. 

 

If you are still looking, take a look at this:

 

IB Diploma Sports, Exercise & Health: Course Book: Oxford IB diploma

http://www.amazon.com/IB-Diploma-Sports-Exercise-Health/dp/019912969X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1459244187&sr=8-2&keywords=IB+health

 

[Homeschoolmom3]

We did Total Health as well.  I am not a fan of textbook learning and my son was not a huge fan, however it got the check boxed and I felt that it was pretty thorough and went into many topics that I had not covered with my son.  I think it was a good all in one, with a Christian emphasis which I liked and focused on some issues that our high school kids do need to hear.  Overall, I would probably would use again so I would not have to "come up" with one on my own.  HTH!