Healthy Living Begins

Overview

Lesson 1 of 12 in Healthy Choices, Happy Lives. Students explore health and well-being as a balance of physical, mental, emotional and social needs, then identify one realistic healthy habit to practise.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• Explain what health and well-being can mean in everyday life.
• Identify habits that support physical, mental and social well-being.
• Recognise that healthy choices can look different for different people.
• Create a personal, achievable healthy habit goal.

Success criteria

• I can describe health as more than just not being sick.
• I can name habits that support my well-being.
• I can explain why one healthy habit matters.
• I can make a realistic plan for practising a healthy habit.

Curriculum links

• Understanding the factors that influence health and well-being, including daily habits, relationships, feelings and personal choices.
• Developing strategies to promote physical, mental and social health.
• Setting personal goals and monitoring progress towards healthy choices.
• Core Competencies: communicating ideas, reflecting on personal learning and making responsible decisions.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–3 minutes – Welcome and hook

Display the opening question in the introduction and hook slides: “What does a healthy person look like?” Invite students to think silently, then share with a partner. Clarify that health is not judged by appearance and that people can support their health in many different ways.

2. 3–8 minutes – Build shared understanding

Ask students what the word health means. Record responses under four headings: physical, mental and emotional, social, and daily choices. Explain in age-appropriate language that well-being includes how our bodies feel, how we manage feelings and thoughts, how we connect with others, and whether our everyday routines help us feel ready to learn and live.

Show the Healthy Habits Reference Poster as a visual prompt. Emphasise that healthy living is about patterns of choices, not being perfect.

3. 8–14 minutes – Video and response

Play the provided Healthy Living Basics video using the video prompt slide to focus attention. Students listen for examples of habits that support well-being.

After viewing, ask: “Which habits did you notice?” and “How could one habit help a person feel, think or connect better?” Record several responses. If the video is unavailable, use the four well-being headings and invite students to suggest habits for each.

4. 14–19 minutes – Class discussion: choices and barriers

Present the discussion prompts in the healthy choices discussion slides. In pairs, students discuss one healthy habit they already practise and one habit they would like to improve. Invite examples such as drinking water, eating a variety of foods, moving regularly, sleeping well, taking breaks, talking to a trusted person or including others.

Reinforce that access, family routines, culture, ability, responsibilities and personal needs can affect choices. Students should not be asked to disclose private health information.

5. 19–27 minutes – Personal healthy habit chart

Distribute the personal healthy habit chart. Students choose one small, specific habit and complete the chart:

• My healthy habit
• Why it supports my well-being
• When or where I will practise it
• What might make it difficult
• A helpful solution
• How I will know I tried

Model a realistic example: “I will put my school bag away before screen time on three school days” rather than “I will always be organised.” Circulate, check that goals are safe and achievable, and support students to revise broad goals into clear actions.

6. 27–30 minutes – Share and close

Use the reflection and plenary slides. Students share their goal with a partner, only if comfortable, and complete the sentence: “One healthy choice I can try is… because…”. Collect charts or ask students to keep them in their health portfolios for review in a later lesson.

Resources

• the Healthy Living Basics lesson deck
• the personal healthy habit chart
• the Healthy Habits Reference Poster
• Projector or interactive display
• Whiteboard and markers
• Access to the provided video
• Pencils or coloured pencils
• Timer

Assessment

• Listen to partner and whole-class responses for accurate understanding of health and well-being across more than one area.
• Check each chart for a specific, safe and achievable habit, a reason it matters and a practical plan.
• During the closing share, note whether students can connect a healthy choice with improved well-being.

Differentiation

• Provide the four well-being headings, picture prompts from the Healthy Habits Reference Poster, sentence starters and a completed model chart for students who need support.
• Allow students to draw, dictate or orally explain their goal instead of writing every response. Offer a quiet working space and avoid requiring personal disclosure.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach health, well-being, habit, choice and goal with gestures or simple examples; permit home-language discussion before sharing in English.
• Extend students by asking them to identify a likely barrier, propose two solutions and explain how their habit supports more than one area of well-being.