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Lesson Plans

Blue Zones: Out With The Old And In With The New
After learning about Blue Zones students will conduct an observational self-study of sleeping, eating and activity habits within a specific period of time attempting to analyze trends and develop goals for improvement.

How Are Vaccines Produced?
Students learn about the immune system, as well as the process and development of creating and distributing vaccines.

AIDS Today
By leading students through NewsHour resources, this activity engages students in learning about the AIDS epidemic and focuses them on the importance of HIV prevention, at home and abroad.
03.16.09

The Uninsured in America
Using activities for the visual learner, students analyze the growing problem of going without health insurance in America.

Bird Flu: The Next Pandemic?
Students participate in a class simulation to learn how viruses spread, discuss what they know about bird flu and check the accuracy of their facts. Finally, students examine the process used for developing disease-fighting vaccines.

Fast Fats: Nutritional Analysis of America's Obsession with Fast Foods
Students understand the ways nutritional food labels are used on common foods, study the detrimental effects of fats and their relationship to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, and increase awareness of healthy food choices.

Medical Marijuana: Legitimate Use or Legalized Abuse?
Students use cooperative learning activities to discuss opinions about medical marijuana use and see both sides of the issue.

Crisis in Sudan: Responding to Medical Emergencies
This lesson addresses the medical nature of the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan and aids students in better understanding the nature of the diseases of major concern to humanitarian aid personnel working in the region.

From the Lab to the Dinner Table
Students discuss the global debate over genetically modified foods, identify foods that contain genetically modified organisms and examine the benefits and potential risks of those foods.

Abstinence Debate
The U.N. debates whether abstinence the best way to prevent teen pregnancies?
08.15.02

"Dirty Bomb"
What students should know about dirty bomb attacks.
08.05.02

"Fit For Life" Strategies
The goal of this lesson plan is to help physical educators provide an avenue for students to participate in and establish lifetime health and fitness habits and goals.
04.25.02

Human Cloning-Decisions to be Made
This lesson uses multiple activities, which engage students in learning about current genetic research and the ethical implications of this research.
04.17.02

Club Drugs
Students will discuss the cultural influences, identify specific drug characteristics, evaluate drug information sources for reliability, and increase community awareness of issues surrounding club drugs.
04.02.02

Anthrax
A webquest that culminates in the creation of a new section for the students' textbooks.
11.05.01

Stem Cell Research
After researching the science and the controversy around stem cell research, students will create brochures to display their knowledge and a point of view.
08.29.01

PBS Lesson Plans
News for Students

Hungry in America: New Food Insecurity Numbers Are A Wake Up Call
A new report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms that almost 50 million Americans had a hard time putting food on the table in 2008 -- one in seven American households, an increase of 13 million people from the year before. 11.24.09

Health Care Reform is Tricky Balancing Act for Obama
Leaders in Congress and the White House are working together to craft a health care reform bill to fix the nation's health care system, one of the most expensive and complicated in the world.
October 15, 2009

HIV Vaccine Trial Shows Positive Gains Via Negative Results
Results released this week from an HIV vaccine trial in the Southeastern Asian country of Thailand suggest for the first time that a vaccine to prevent HIV infection may be possible.
September 25, 2009

H1N1 Heads Back to School
School districts around the nation are prepping for a possible H1N1 pandemic this fall by creating online curriculums, urging sick students to stay home and ordering extra hand sanitizer.
September 11, 2009

Dissent on Display as Congress Debates Health Reform
President Obama and his fellow Democrats in Congress are pushing for a major overhaul in how Americans obtain health insurance, and that effort is exposing a deep division between citizens who think reform is essential and those who think the government has too large a role in their lives.
August 18, 2009

Fixing Health Care Tops President’s Agenda
America is home to some of the best doctors and medical facilities in the world, but the high cost of care and the inequity of health insurance must be fixed, according to President Obama, if the nation is to return to economic health.
June 26, 2009

Swine Flu Sweeps Across Globe, Raising Fears of Flu Pandemic
A strain of the swine flu, a disease in pigs that sometimes infects humans, has spread from Mexico to Europe, Asia and the United States.
April 28, 2009

Gulf War Syndrome Is Real and Caused by Toxins, Report States
Seventeen years after the first Gulf War, a congressionally mandated panel released a report Nov. 17 that concluded an illness suffered by veterans exposed to certain toxins during the war is real. The government previously did not consider the illness a physical condition separate from shell shock or war stress.
November 21, 2008

One in Four American Teenage Girls Has Sexually-Transmitted Infection
A recent study of girls ages 14-19 showed that a large number had one of the four most commonly transmitted infections: chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, and HPV-human papillomavirus. May 22, 2008

Dozens of Pharmaceuticals Detected in Drinking Water
Low concentrations of a range of drugs, including antibiotics, birth control and anti-convulsants, are present in the drinking water supplies of 24 major cities.
March 12, 2008

Autism Diagnosis Rates Rise, But Understanding Lags
New estimates suggest one in 150 eight-year-olds have some form of autism, adding fuel to the debate over the causes of autism and its effect on home, school and workplace environments. March 10, 2008

Schools Fighting Deadly "Superbug"
Schools in the northeastern U.S. are using Lysol and better hygiene to combat outbreaks of a bacteria known as the MRSA "superbug." October 22, 2008

Doping Scandal Tests Cycling's Mettle
Performance-enhancing drug scandals at this year's Tour de France bike race. 08.01.07

Dogs Give Researchers Clues on Cancer
Researchers are finding that purebred dogs may help provide answers about the genetic basis of cancer -- in dogs and humans. 04.04.07

College Players Struggle to Make the Grade
Despite excelling on the court, student athletes on many of the nation's top college basketball teams have an alarmingly low graduation rate. 04.02.07

HIV Tests Become Part of Regular Checkups
Your next doctor's visit may include an HIV test due to new recommendations to increase early diagnosis and help stop the spread of AIDS. 11.20.06

California Debates Use of Lethal Injection
A judge in California will soon decide if lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment, making it a violation of the US Constitution. 10.02.06

Insecticide DDT Now Weapon for Malaria
The World Health Organization has fully endorsed the controversial insecticide DDT to fight malaria, a deadly disease carried by mosquitoes. 09.18.06

Vaccine for Girls Prevents Cervical Cancer
A new vaccine approved for girls aged 11 to 26 can prevent a sexually transmitted disease that sometimes causes cervical cancer. 07.03.06

Motorcycle Accident Revs Helmet Debate
Football star Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident ignites new debate about laws that require riders to wear helmets. 06.19.06

Schools Shop Locally for Better Food
School districts across the country are trying to fight obesity and support local businesses by purchasing food from local farmers. 5.30.06

Rare Disease Spreads in Midwest Colleges
More than 1,500 cases of mumps have been reported in eight states, the largest outbreak in 20 years that shows no signs of slowing. 04.26.06

Massachusetts Tries to Insure All Residents
Massachusetts is the first state to address the growing national health care crisis by making health insurance mandatory for all residents. 04.17.06

Doctors Assess Risks of ADHD Medications
A government panel recommends "black box" safety warnings for attention-deficit disorder medications taken by many teens. 03.13.06

New Jersey to Test Athletes for Steroids
New Jersey plans to test student athletes for steroids, an idea supported by many students, but opposed by privacy rights advocates. 01.04.06

At-Home AIDS Test Raises Health Issues
Some believe an at-home AIDS test will improve detection of the disease while critics say testers need counseling too. 11.30.05

Bird Flu Spreads from Asia to Eastern Europe
Health officials fear a deadly strain of bird flu that has infected humans in Asia could spread to the rest of the world, infecting millions. 10.12.05

Teen Gambling Addiction on the Rise
With more teens gambling, according to a new study, experts warn of an increase in addiction, health and legal problems. 04.25.05

College Athletes Face New Academic Rules
Top student-athletes like Chris Hill will be in greater demand as the NCAA attempts to improve graduation rates with new standards. 03.14.05

Abstinence-Only Education Under Attack
12.13.04

Hunger Costing Millions of Lives and Dollars
12.08.04

Supreme Court Examines Medical Marijuana
12.01.04

Mannequins Reflect Changing Body Images
11.22.04

Contamination Causes Flu Vaccine Shortage
10.11.04

Tobacco Industry Faces Federal Lawsuit
09.20.04

Antidepressants Considered Unsafe in Teens
04.26.04

Eating Ourselves to Death?
03.15.04

Who Pays for Health Care?
01.19.04

College Stress on the Rise
12.22.03

Steroid Scandal Rocks Athletic World
11.05.03

FDA May OK Controversial Breast Implants
10.22.03

Health Officials Respond to Mysterious Illness
04.09.03

Is Ephedra Dangerous?
03.05.03

Fast Food Nation
04.03.01

Cloning: Me, Myself and I
03.28.01

The War on Drugs
05.10.01

Protect Your Hearing: It's a Loud World
04.30.00

 

Student Voices

Americans Need Swine Flu Vaccinations...And Universal Health Care
Lizzie Logan
Communities around the nation are prepping for a possible H1N1 (or swine flu) pandemic this fall. Lizzie, 18, argues that while the federal government is willing to spend money on the swine flu vaccine, it is even more important to provide universal health care to all Americans.

California School Takes on H1N1
Teresa Palkowski
School districts around the nation are prepping for a possible H1N1 pandemic this fall. Teresa, of Granite Bay High School in Granite Bay, California, interviews local health officials about how her community is preparing for the upcoming flu season and talks to students who have been infected with H1N1.

A Cancer Survivor's Take on Health Care Reform
Colette Jaycox
Colette Jaycox, 17-years-old, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last year. An aspiring journalist, Colette visited the NewsHour Studios with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and wrote this essay on how cancer has shaped her view of the health reform debate, and her own career ambitions.

Student Documents Plight of the Uninsured
Chelsea
Chelsea, from Arlington, Texas, looks at the problems of uninsured Americans through the personal account of one woman who lost her health insurance.

Student EMT Gains Real-World Experience
Esha
Esha, a trained secondary emergency medical technician, writes about the experience of helping a depressed teen on one of her first nights on the job.

The Upside of Down Syndrome
Sydney
Sydney writes about the joys, and occasional frustrations, of life with her brother Aaron, who was born with Down syndrome.

Struggling with Obesity and Self Image
Shakura
With obesity at epidemic levels in the United States, Shakura writes about how being overweight has affected her and her social life.

The Battle Against Depression
Caroline
A college student talks about how depression affected her friendships in high school.

Young and HIV Positive in America
Brett
Brett reflects on life as a positive youth and his battle against the stigma of the virus.

Black Markets for ADD Drugs Exist on College Campuses
Michelle
Now that the "Ritalin generation" -- kids who have dealt with Attention Deficit drugs since elementary school-- are in college, ADD drugs have become a hot commodity as a study aid and even a party drug.

Why I Think Teaching Abstinence is Unrealistic
Fiona
An editor for 8-18 Media, shares her views.

Being Gay in High School
Johnathan
A senior in an Illinois high school, shares what he thinks is important about differences -- we all have them and should accept each other.

Fighting Disease Initiates an Aspiring Young Doctor
XingYue
A Chinese medical student tells how SARS has kept her from her family and inspired her with a hope to someday use her skills as a medical volunteer in Beijing.

Party Drugs
04.11.00

Recovering From a Brain Injury
11.17.99

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