State of New Jersey Department of Education
NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Search:
NJPEP Home > Standards > Comprehensive Health and Physical Education (Revised)

STANDARD 2.1 (WELLNESS) by Grade 8

Strands with Cumulative Progress Indicators

A. Personal Health

  1. Describe the appropriate selection and use of healthcare and personal hygiene products.
  2. Evaluate the impact of health behaviors and choices on personal and family wellness.
  3. Interpret health data to make predictions about wellness.
  4. Investigate how technology and medical advances impact wellness.

B. Growth and Development

  1. Discuss how body systems are interdependent and interrelated.
  2. Investigate the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual changes that occur at each life stage and how those changes impact wellness.
  3. Discuss how heredity, physiological changes, environmental influences, and varying social experiences contribute to an individual’s uniqueness.

C. Nutrition

  1. Analyze how culture, health status, age, and eating environment influence personal eating patterns and discuss ways to improve nutritional balance.
  2. Describe healthy ways to lose, gain, or maintain weight.
  3. Describe the impact of nutrients on the functioning of human body systems.
  4. Analyze how healthy eating patterns throughout life can reduce the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol, cancer, osteoporosis, and other health conditions.

D. Diseases and Health Conditions

  1. Investigate current and emerging methods to diagnose and treat diseases and health conditions.
  2. Classify diseases and health conditions as communicable, noncommunicable, acute, chronic, or inherited.
  3. Compare and contrast diseases and health conditions, including hepatitis, STDs, HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and testicular cancer.
  4. Analyze local and state public health efforts to prevent and control diseases and health conditions.
  5. Investigate various forms of mental illness including impulse disorders such as gambling or shopping, depression, eating disorders, and bipolar disorders.

E. Safety

  1. Assess situations in the home, school, and community for perceived vs. actual risk of injuries.
  2. Investigate the short- and long-term impacts of injuries on the individual, the family and the community.
  3. Describe and demonstrate first aid procedures including, situation and victim assessment, Basic Life Support, and the care of bleeding and wounds, burns, fractures, shock, and poisoning.
  4. Discuss the short- and long-term physical, social, and emotional impacts of all forms of abuse.
  5. Describe and demonstrate strategies to increase personal safety while in public places and discuss what to do if one’s safety is compromised.

F. Social and Emotional Health

  1. Analyze how personal assets, resiliency, and protective factors support healthy social and emotional development.
  2. Discuss the developmental tasks of adolescence, including the development of mature relationships, gender identification, a healthy body image, emotional independence, and life skills.
  3. Investigate factors and choices that contribute to the incidence of conflict, harassment, bullying, vandalism, and violence and demonstrate strategies to deal with each.
  4. Analyze the effectiveness of home, school, and community efforts to prevent conflict, harassment, vandalism, and violence.
  5. Debate the consequences of conflict and violence on the individual, the family, and the community.
  6. Describe situations that may produce stress, describe the body’s responses to stress, and demonstrate healthy ways to manage stress.
  7. Analyze how culture influences the ways families and groups cope with crisis and change.