Healthy habits and daily choices
Students start the year learning what keeps a body and mind healthy day to day. They look at sleep, food, exercise, and hygiene, and notice how small choices add up over a week.
What does a student learn in
These are the years health class shifts from following rules to making choices. Students learn how friends, family, and media shape their habits, and they practice talking through problems instead of reacting. They figure out where to find trusted answers about their bodies, feelings, and safety. By spring, students can walk through a real decision, set a small goal like drinking more water, and explain why it matters.
- Healthy choices
- Decision making
- Goal setting
- Trusted information
- Communication skills
- Influences on health
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Spotting what shapes our choices
Students look at the things that nudge their decisions. Family, friends, ads, and screens all send messages, and students start naming which ones help them and which ones do not.
- 3
Finding trustworthy help
Students learn where to go when they have a question about their health or safety. They practice telling a reliable source, like a nurse or a parent, from a random website or a rumor at school.
- 4
Talking through tough moments
Students practice the words for hard conversations. They work on saying no, asking for help, listening to a friend, and resolving a disagreement without making things worse.
- 5
Making decisions and setting goals
Students walk through a simple way to make a decision and a simple way to set a goal. They try it on real situations, like handling a worry, planning a healthier snack, or building a new habit.
- 6
Speaking up for self and others
Students put it all together by acting on what they have learned. They practice safe behaviors at home and school and find ways to speak up for a classmate, a cause, or their own well-being.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 3.
Health Education
Health Education
- Grades 3-5
Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of…
Students learn real health facts, like how sleep, food, and exercise affect the body, and practice using that knowledge to make better choices for themselves and the people around them.
- Grades 3-5
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others
Students look at what shapes their health choices, like family habits, ads, friends, and community. They practice spotting which influences help and which ones get in the way of staying healthy.
- Grades 3-5
Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self…
Students learn to find trustworthy sources of health information, like a doctor, a school nurse, or a reliable website, and use what they find to make smart choices about their own health and the health of people around them.
- Grades 3-5
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice saying no, asking for help, and speaking up for themselves or a friend in everyday situations. These conversations are the building blocks of staying safe and looking out for others.
- Grades 3-5
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and…
Students practice a step-by-step process for making choices that protect their own health and the health of people around them, like deciding what to do when a friend is hurt or feeling pressured to do something unsafe.
- Grades 3-5
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others
Students pick a personal health goal, like getting more sleep or being more active, then make a step-by-step plan to reach it. They also think about how their choices can support the health of people around them.
- Grades 3-5
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self…
Students practice daily habits that protect their own health and the health of people around them, like washing hands, getting enough sleep, or knowing when to ask an adult for help.
- Grades 3-5
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others
Students speak up for healthy choices, for themselves and others. This might mean encouraging a friend to drink water, get enough sleep, or see a doctor.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of… Grades 3-5 | Students learn real health facts, like how sleep, food, and exercise affect the body, and practice using that knowledge to make better choices for themselves and the people around them. | NJ-HE.1.3-5 |
| Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others Grades 3-5 | Students look at what shapes their health choices, like family habits, ads, friends, and community. They practice spotting which influences help and which ones get in the way of staying healthy. | NJ-HE.2.3-5 |
| Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self… Grades 3-5 | Students learn to find trustworthy sources of health information, like a doctor, a school nurse, or a reliable website, and use what they find to make smart choices about their own health and the health of people around them. | NJ-HE.3.3-5 |
| Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self… Grades 3-5 | Students practice saying no, asking for help, and speaking up for themselves or a friend in everyday situations. These conversations are the building blocks of staying safe and looking out for others. | NJ-HE.4.3-5 |
| Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and… Grades 3-5 | Students practice a step-by-step process for making choices that protect their own health and the health of people around them, like deciding what to do when a friend is hurt or feeling pressured to do something unsafe. | NJ-HE.5.3-5 |
| Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others Grades 3-5 | Students pick a personal health goal, like getting more sleep or being more active, then make a step-by-step plan to reach it. They also think about how their choices can support the health of people around them. | NJ-HE.6.3-5 |
| Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self… Grades 3-5 | Students practice daily habits that protect their own health and the health of people around them, like washing hands, getting enough sleep, or knowing when to ask an adult for help. | NJ-HE.7.3-5 |
| Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others Grades 3-5 | Students speak up for healthy choices, for themselves and others. This might mean encouraging a friend to drink water, get enough sleep, or see a doctor. | NJ-HE.8.3-5 |
Common Questions
What does health class cover in these grades?
Students learn how to take care of their bodies and feelings, get along with others, and make safer choices. That includes things like food, sleep, exercise, hygiene, emotions, friendships, and knowing when to ask an adult for help.
How can I support what my child is learning at home?
Talk about everyday choices as they come up: what is on the dinner plate, how much sleep felt right, how a tough moment with a friend went. Five minutes at bedtime or in the car is plenty. Students learn a lot from hearing how adults think through these things.
My child asks hard questions about feelings and friends. What should I say?
Listen first, then name the feeling out loud. Students this age are learning that big feelings are normal and that they can ask for help. A simple response like, that sounds frustrating, who could you talk to at school, is often enough.
Do students learn about online safety and screens?
Yes. Students practice spotting information that may not be true, protecting personal details, and noticing how screens affect mood and sleep. At home, it helps to talk about what feels good and not so good after time on a device.
How should the year be sequenced across these topics?
A common approach is to open with personal wellness habits like sleep, food, and hygiene, then move into emotions and relationships, then decision making and goal setting, and close with advocacy. Returning to each strand in short cycles works better than one long unit per topic.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Decision making and refusal language take the longest to stick. Students can name the steps but freeze in the moment. Short role plays tied to real situations, repeated across the year, move the needle more than a single lesson.
How do I handle sensitive topics with a wide range of maturity in the room?
Set clear group agreements early and keep the language plain and factual. Use a question box so quieter students can ask without putting themselves on the spot. Loop families in before units on bodies, feelings, or substances so home and school stay aligned.
What does mastery look like by the end of fifth grade?
Students can explain basic habits that keep a body and mind healthy, find a trusted adult or reliable source when unsure, talk through a choice using more than one option, and set a small goal and track it. They can also speak up for a friend or themselves in a respectful way.