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Thematic Teaching
community health: activity ideas
Activity Ideas | Related Resources
- What's Your Town's Prognosis?
Grade Level: 3-5; 6-8
Subject: Social Studies; Health & FitnessBegin by asking students to brainstorm what factors contribute to a thriving community. What kinds of things do citizens in a community need to live well? On chart paper, write the word "needs." Ask students to think about things that all people need and call them out as they come to mind.
Create the same type of brainstorming activity and discussion in class based on the term "public health." Make sure the students think about the type of role that a government plays in the health and welfare of its people and how public health affects the overall well-being of a community.
Write students' responses on the chart, grouping them as you write.
Ask your students how the well-being of individuals is affected by the overall economic health of a community. How can a community keep itself economically healthy? What other factors determine whether a community is "healthy"? Talk about jobs, good public services, a clean environment, affordable health care, etc. How do these factors connect to one another? How do students rank their importance? Have each student (or groups of students) present their ideas to the class. This could be in the form of a skit, a mural or a slideshow.
You might also invite a local government official to come to talk to the class to add another dimension to the discussion of a healthy community. You might also debate what kinds of economic activity make a community healthy from the perspectives of its residents, its business leaders, and its government officials. Discuss how the interests of these three groups differ? What goals do they share?
Discuss with students how individuals can make an impact on the economic health of their community.
Online Resources
Livelyhood:
http://www.pbs.org/livelyhood/NOW: Science and Health:
http://www.pbs.org/now/science/index.htmlNOW: Toxic Communities:
http://www.pbs.org/now/science/enviromap.htmlNewsHour Extra: U.S. Faces Flu Vaccine Shortage:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec04/ ...PBS Lesson Plans/Activities
The Forgetting: Alzheimer's -- A Societal Crisis:
http://www.pbs.org/theforgetting/resources/socialstudies.htmlP.O.V. Borders: Water:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/borders/2004/educators/edu_water.htmlNewsHour: Hazardous Chemicals in Your Neighborhood:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/science/ ...NOW: Rising Costs of Health Care:
http://www.pbs.org/now/classroom/healthcare.htmlThe Democracy Project: How Does Government Affect Me?:
http://pbskids.org/democracy/mygovt/index.htmlLivelyhood: Health Heroes in Your Community:
http://www.pbs.org/livelyhood/classroom/ourtowns/health.htmlThe Forgotten Americans:
More Recommended Resources
http://www.pbs.org/klru/forgottenamericans/classroom/classtownqu.htm
- The Impact of Rising Health Care Costs
Grade Levels: 6-8; 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies; Health & Fitness, Reading & Language Arts; The ArtsHave students brainstorm answers to the question "Who is affected by the rise in health care costs?" Encourage them to come at the question from as many perspectives as possible. For example, what impact does it have on their families, families on welfare, families in high socio-economic areas, health care businesses and professionals such as hospitals and physicians, pharmaceutical companies, senior citizens, those using managed care plans, on Medicaid, etc.
Review some of the lists with the class. Ideally, students have accurately identified some of the differences in how rising health care costs affect people without health insurance, small businesses, health care professionals, etc.
For example, why do some prescription medicines cost so much? Brainstorm a list of possibilities. How do people pay for expensive prescription medicines? If students suggest that health insurance covers these costs, ask what those without insurance would do. Explain that 1/3 of our nation has no health insurance.
Divide your class into several groups and set up a role play. Assign each set of partners one role to take on such as doctor, nurse, lawyer, low socio-economic family, middle socio-economic family, high socio-economic family, a hospital CEO, a small business owner, a CEO of a large corporation, a health insurance agent, a nurse, pharmaceutical company worker, a pharmacist, and a senior citizen.
Using the online resources listed below, guide students to really delve into their role and focus in-depth on the details of how health care costs truly affect their lives, from their paychecks, to their budgets, to accessing the health care system.
Have each group share how the person they represent is affected by rising health care costs and their three possible solutions to controlling costs. List the possible solutions and discuss how other roles would be impacted if the solutions were implemented.
Online Resources
Religious and Ethics Newsweekly: Medically Uninsured:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week709/cover.htmlHealth Care Crisis: The Uninsured:
http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/uninsured.htmlNewsHour Extra: Managing Care:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec02/care_7-22.htmlNOW: U.S. Healthcare Map:
http://www.pbs.org/now/science/healthmap.htmlFrontline: "Dr. Soloman's Dilemma":
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/doctor/NewsHour Extra: Managing Care:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec02/care_7-22.htmlUSA Today: Health Care Costs Rising Faster than Incomes:
http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/USATODAY/2004/09/28/ ...PBS Lesson Plans/Activities
Children's Hospital: Do I Need Insurance?:
http://www.pbs.org/opb/childrenshospital/classroom/index.htmlHealth Care Crisis:
http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/classroom.htmlNewsHour Extra: Uninsured in America:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/health/ ...Print Resources
Critical Condition: How Health Care in America Became Big Business -- and Bad Medicine by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele
More Recommended Resources
- Taking Action
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies; Health & Fitness; Reading & Language Arts; The ArtsHave students choose one of the roles shared and write a persuasive letter to a newspaper editor, public official or organization proposing ways to control health care costs in the United States. They are to recommend solutions that directly impact the perspective they chose. For example, a student may choose to write through the eyes of a small business owner who is struggling to provide health care benefits to his or her employees. The letter would include ideas for how small business owners could offer affordable benefits packages to their employees, possibly including ideas for the U.S. government or the public at large. Letters can then be sent out to actual agencies, legislators, etc.
Students should then work in pairs or groups of three or four to research and report in depth on one of the organizations in their own community that help those in need. Each group should report on one organization, speaking to at least one person there and including, where possible, the organization's promotional literature or Web site.
Have students work as a group to design a written survey that the school population could quickly take that would access the general health, health habits, and health attitudes of the school population.
Distribute the surveys to students within the school. Collect the surveys, and allow responsible students to total and graph answers, and to draw conclusions about the general health and health habits of the school population. Post those results for students to see.
After discovering that many students lack good health habits, have students brainstorm some ideas for living a healthy life. Brainstorm why it is important to all age groups to live healthy lives.
Online Resources
PBS Kids: Zoom!:
http://pbskids.org/zoom/action/PBS Kids: Zoom! -- Service Learning:
http://pbskids.org/zoom/grownups/action/educators.html#whatisReligion and Ethics NewsWeekly: Altruism -- Meeting Society's Needs:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/teachers/lp_altruism2.htmlNational Service-Learning Clearinghouse:
http://www.servicelearning.org/Learn and Serve America:
http://www.learnandserve.org/Idealist: Kids and Teens:
http://www.idealist.org/kt/PBS Lesson Plans/Activities
Children's Hospital: Ryan White Inspires:
http://www.pbs.org/opb/childrenshospital/classroom/index.htmlNewsHour Extra: Design and Implement a Personal Fitness Plan:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/health/ ...Print Resources
Teen Power Politics by Sara Jane Boyers
More Recommended Resources
The Kid's Guide to Service Projects by Barbara Lewis
- The Media and Your Health
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Social Studies; Health & Fitness; Reading & Language ArtsThe media plays a significant role in shaping our views and behaviors on almost everything -- politics, entertainment, and most importantly, our health. Specifically, the media influences how we see ourselves, or our self-image. This is especially true for teenagers.
Have students consider their own views of self-image. Ask them to think about the following questions: Do you feel any pressure to have a body like those portrayed in the media? Do you know anyone who has gone on a diet and lost a lot of weight? Do you know what kind of a diet he/she used to lose weight? Was he/she able to keep the weight off? Explain. Have you ever been on a diet to lose or gain weight? What motivated you to go on the diet? Were you successful? Where did you get information about the diet? If students want to generate a discussion, take responses from volunteers only and be sensitive to the feelings of class members.
Have students bring in advertisements for various food items. Hold a picture in front of the class and ask what is being advertised. Does the picture relate at all to the product being advertised? Does the advertisement accurately depict what is being sold?
Assign each student to bring one article and one advertisement from a newspaper or magazine concerning food or nutrition. Ask the student to evaluate each article, listing the information given and how he/she thinks this article or advertisement will affect the public. Is the influence positive or negative?
Divide the class into six groups. Assign each group to represent one of the following categories: Women, Men, Seniors, Overweight Individuals, Athletes, Individuals with an illness. Have the students look through many different types of magazine (Seventeen, Rolling stone, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Time, People, etc.) and find advertisements and/or testimonials related to their assigned group. Discuss their findings as a class.
Have students write a short essay concerning a personal experience they have had with peer pressure and an issue affecting their health.
Online Resources
It's My Life:
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/parents/lesson_plans/smoking_scavenger_hunt.htmlNewsHour Extra: Mannequins Reflect Changing Body Images:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec04/mannequins_11-22.htmlAmerican Academy of Pediatrics: The Impact of Media on Teen's Health:
http://www.aap.org/family/mediaimpact.htmTeen Health and the Media:
http://depts.washington.edu/thmedia/"PBS Lesson Plans/Activities
Affluenza: Teacher's Guide:
http://www.pbs.org/kcts/affluenza/treat/tguide/tguide4.htmlIn the Mix: Exploring Media Messages:
http://www.pbs.org/inthemix/educators/lessons/selfimage1/index.htmlNova: "Dying to Be Thin":
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/programs/2715_thin.htmlPrint Resources
Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood by Susan Linn
More Recommended Resources
Published: March 2005