Lesson Plan: Understanding Cardiovascular Disease

General Information

• Subject: Health Education
• Year Level: Year 10
• Duration: 50 minutes
• Class Size: 20 students
• Curriculum Area: Health and Physical Education
• Curriculum Level: New Zealand Curriculum Level 5

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define cardiovascular disease and identify its common types.
2. Understand and discuss the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.
3. Recognize the impact of cardiovascular disease in New Zealand.
4. Learn preventative measures to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Resources Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector and screen
• Computer with internet access
• Handouts on cardiovascular diseases (provided)
• "Heart Health" information from the New Zealand Heart Foundation

Lesson Plan Outline

Introduction (10 minutes)

Activities:

1. Icebreaker Question: Ask students what they know about the heart's function and its importance to our health.
2. Introduction to Cardiovascular Disease:
   • Briefly explain what cardiovascular diseases are.
   • Show a short video clip from the New Zealand Heart Foundation about cardiovascular health.

Main Activity (30 minutes)

Group Activities:

1. Risk Factors Carousel (15 minutes):

   • Divide students into groups of 4.
   • Each group starts at a station dealing with one risk factor of cardiovascular disease (smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, obesity).
   • Groups rotate every 3-4 minutes.
   • Students note down how each factor contributes to cardiovascular disease.

2. Discussion and Interactive Session (15 minutes):

   • Using the gathered information, debate which risk factor is most prevalent among teenagers in New Zealand.
   • Discuss strategies to mitigate these risks, referencing the Ministry of Health guidelines.

Conclusion and Reflection (10 minutes)

Activities:

1. Reflection Questions:

   • What did you learn today about how lifestyle choices can impact heart health?
   • Which preventive measure could you easily incorporate into your everyday life?

2. Homework Assignment:

   • Students are assigned to track their physical activity and diet for one week and reflect on how their lifestyle aligns with the preventive measures discussed.

Assessment

• Participation in group activities and discussion.
• Completion and insightfulness of the one-week lifestyle tracking homework.

Extensions and Additional Resources

• Encourage students to visit the New Zealand Heart Foundation website for more comprehensive information and personal stories.
• Suggest scheduling a guest speaker from the local health community to discuss heart health and diseases.

Feedback and Evaluation

Please ask students to fill out a quick survey on what they learned and how they plan to use this information. Feedback will be used to improve future lessons.

By integrating interactive activities and critical discussions, this lesson plan aims to engage Year 10 students in a meaningful exploration of cardiovascular health, directly targeting relevant curriculum goals and providing practical, real-world connections.