Healthy Lifestyles Basics

Overview

In this first lesson of the unit “Living Healthy: A Balanced Approach,” students explore what a healthy lifestyle means and how different dimensions of health connect. This lesson sets shared language, builds understanding of wellbeing, safety and relationships, and prepares students to apply strategies across the unit.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• describe the dimensions of health and explain what each one means in everyday life
• identify how choices in one health dimension can affect other dimensions
• practise using reliable health information to make thoughtful, safe decisions
• reflect on personal factors that influence healthy behaviours and wellbeing

Success criteria

Students can:

• explain at least three dimensions of health and give an example for each
• describe one interconnection (for example, sleep affects mood; stress affects eating choices)
• contribute to class norms for respectful discussions about health and wellbeing
• use a simple checklist to judge whether a health message is helpful, safe, and credible

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education: AC9HP8P10 — plan and implement strategies, using health resources, to enhance their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing (focus: using resources and strategies to support wellbeing)
• Health and Physical Education: AC9HP8P09 — investigate how media and influential people impact attitudes, beliefs, decisions and behaviours in relation to health, safety, relationships and wellbeing (focus: interpreting health messages and credibility in an age-appropriate way)
• Health and Physical Education: AC9HP8P02 — analyse the impact of changes and transitions, and devise strategies to support themselves and others through these changes (beginning link: recognising factors that influence wellbeing and readiness to cope)

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and purpose

• Teacher explains that the unit will explore habits and actions that support health, safety, relationships and wellbeing.
• Students write one sentence: “A healthy lifestyle is…” and share with a partner using respectful talk.

2. 5–15 min · Hook: “What does health look like?”

• Teacher displays four classroom scenario cards (no personal details):
• feeling stressed at school,
• choosing water over sugary drinks,
• friends encouraging risky behaviour at a party,
• staying active after school.
• Students sort each card under “mind”, “body”, “relationships”, and “safety” (teacher uses simple labels on the board) and give one short reason to a partner.

3. 15–25 min · Direct teach: Dimensions of health

• Teacher briefly teaches the dimensions using examples relevant to Years 7 and 8:
• Physical: movement, food and drink, sleep, hygiene.
• Mental and emotional: thoughts, feelings, stress, coping, confidence.
• Social: friendships, communication, respect, support.
• Safety: risk awareness, protection, safe choices in different settings.
• Students complete a quick “Example–Meaning” table: for each dimension, they write one example from the scenario cards and one meaning in their own words.

4. 25–35 min · Interconnections carousel

• Teacher explains that health dimensions connect: “a change in one area can help or harm another.”
• Students rotate through 4 short stations. At each station they read a prompt and complete:
• “If this happens, it may affect…” (one other dimension)
• “One healthy strategy could be…”
• Station prompts (age appropriate):
• “Poor sleep” → mood/learning/food choices
• “Conflict with a friend” → stress and willingness to seek help
• “Skipping meals” → energy, concentration, and making safe choices
• “Not looking after belongings/devices safely online” → wellbeing and relationships

5. 35–45 min · Health messages: being thoughtful

• Teacher introduces a simple credibility checklist for young people:
• Is it trying to scare, shame, or exaggerate?
• Does it give clear, realistic advice?
• Who is sharing it, and do they seem trustworthy?
• Is the message about helping health, safety and wellbeing?
• Students examine 3 short teacher-provided statements (no brand names needed), e.g.:
• “If you feel stressed, don’t tell anyone—just deal with it alone.”
• “Water helps you feel better and supports your body.”
• “One post can’t affect anyone’s feelings—don’t worry.”
• In pairs, students decide: “Helpful and safe?” and justify using one checklist point.

6. 45–55 min · Class norms + personal reflection

• Teacher facilitates the building of discussion norms for sensitive topics (respect, privacy, no personal disclosure required, listen and challenge ideas not people).
• Students complete a reflection prompt privately (brief, non-personal):
• “A healthy lifestyle includes…”
• “One connection I didn’t think about before is…”
• “A strategy I could use this week is…”
• Volunteers share one idea; teacher affirms and links to strategies used later in the unit.

7. 55–60 min · Exit ticket

• Teacher collects an exit ticket:
• Define two dimensions of health.
• Write one sentence showing an interconnection.

Resources

• Scenario cards (physical, mental/emotional, social, safety)
• “Example–Meaning” table (printed or digital)
• Interconnections carousel station sheets
• Credibility checklist poster and student handout
• Reflection prompt slips
• Exit ticket slips
• Markers, sticky notes, timer
• Projector/board for class headings and norms

Assessment

• Formative: observation during sorting and station carousel (check for understanding of dimensions and interconnections)
• Formative: credibility checklist justifications in pairs (listen for safe, respectful reasoning)
• Summative (light): exit ticket accuracy (definitions + one correct interconnection sentence)

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters for interconnections: “This may affect the dimension of… because…”
• Offer word banks (for example, mood, stress, energy, respect, safe, trusted) and allow oral responses for students who need support with writing
• Extension challenge: ask students to add a second interconnection and a strategy that supports both dimensions
• EAL/SEN support: keep prompts short, model one station together, and allow responses using pictures/labels if needed