Standard of Learning

7.4 The student will describe how family and community priorities influence an individual's ability to reduce diseases and other health problems. Key concepts/skills include:

1. the relationship of social and environmental factors to individual and community health;
2. the financial resources in the community dedicated to promoting health;
3. the community's support of health services and partnerships;
4. availability of emergency response systems and services;
5. the community's support of recreational and leisure activities.

<< Back to Index

Understanding the Standard

The student will identify how social and environmental factors affect community health, how community health programs are funded, and how the community supports health services partnerships and recreational and leisure activities.

Essential Knowledge and Skills

The student will:

• define social factors that affect community health:
  • violence (actions or words that hurt people or things they care about)
  • violent behaviors (acting in a way that hurts others)
  • forms of violence (media, family, random)
• identify environmental factors that affect community health:
  • any negative change in the environment affects the health of all living things;
  • increase in the human population places more demands on the earth's resources;
  • natural events, such as tornados, blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, drought, and floods can disturb the balance of the environment;
  • pollution; (harmful wastes in the air, land, or water) and
  • poverty and war.
• identify financial resources in the community dedicated to benefiting health programs.
• list the community's support of health services and partnerships.
• identify the community's support of recreational and leisure activities.

Sample Lessons

Chemicals, the Environment, and You: Explorations in Science and Human Health
Grades 7-8
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health, Curriculum Supplement Series
http://science.education.nih.gov

EnviroMysteries
Grades 5-9
Students investigate the connection between where they live and how they feel.
“Breaking the Mold” http://enviromysteries.thinkport.org/breakingthemold/
“Water + ? = Trouble” http://enviromysteries.thinkport.org/watertrouble.html
Sponsor: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Contact: http://enviromysteries.thinkport.org

Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways (RIPP)
Grades 6-8
Model 3-year violence prevention program. Includes importance of significant friends or adult mentors; relationship between self-image and gang-related behaviors; conflict resolution; and effects of environmental influences on personal health.
Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University
Contact: ameyer@saturn.vcu.edu
Cost

Tox RAP
Grades K-9
Students understand basic environmental health sciences concepts and make informed decisions to reduce their health risks associated with potential environmental pollutants. Lessons use a risk assessment framework.
‘The Case of the Green Feathers’ (air pollution) Grade 3
‘What is Wrong with the Johnson Family?’ (investigate unexplained health problems) Grades 3-6
‘Mystery Illness Strikes the Sanchez Household’ (simulated health hazard) Grades 6-9
Sponsor: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Contact: http://www.eohsi.rutgers.edu/rc/toxrap/index.htm

Additional Instructional Resources

• Health Textbooks
• Local Community Agencies
• Virginia Department of Health - http://www.vdh.state.va.us
• Virginia Department of Social Services - http://www.dss.state.va.us

Assessment Ideas

The student will:

• create a brochure that encourages the community to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
• compile a list of community agencies that provide health services.
• list community agencies that provide recreational and leisure activities.

TOP...