The Essentials of Teaching Health Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

By Sarah Benes and Holly Alperin

The Essentials of Teaching Health Education has become the benchmark instructional textbook on developing successful health education programs. Now in a third edition that incorporates the 2024 SHAPE America National Health Education Standards and performance indicators, it sets the foundation for employing a skills-based approach that will teach students to become health literate, develop self-efficacy, and lead health-promoting lifestyles so that they can thrive at school and throughout life.

Written by seasoned and highly credentialed authors with experience in both university and preK-12 settings, The Essentials of Teaching Health Education, Third Edition With HKPropel Access, provides health education teacher education (HETE) students and in-service teachers all they need to build and teach a successful health education program, How to teach and develop health-related skills, with a focus on integrating the National Health Education Standards Practical strategies for accentuating strengths and skill development in curriculum design Real-world examples that demonstrate how the concepts are applied Advice and reflections from educators who have implemented a skills-based approach In addition, the book features learning aids that help readers better understand and apply the content, including chapter summaries, discussion questions, and key points. Related materials delivered online through HKPropel include activities, flash cards, key term quizzes, worksheets, and skill cue posters.

The Essentials of Teaching Health Education is arranged into four parts. Part I delves into the skills-based approach to health education, explaining the importance of the approach and how to understand student motivation. Part II takes an in-depth look at the National Health Education Standards. Each chapter focuses on one standard and provides steps for skill development, suggested cues for each skill, strategies for teaching and modeling the skill, developmentally appropriate skill-based learning activities, activities for skill practice, suggested ways to assess mastery of the skill, and other health topics that could also be taught in conjunction with that skill.

Part III explores how to use data to inform curriculum planning, outlines the eight steps for curriculum development, and shows how to design meaningful assessments. In part IV, readers learn how to create a positive learning environment, implement a skills-based approach, meet the unique needs of elementary health education, grow as a professional, and advocate for skills-based health education in schools.

The Essentials of Teaching Health Education, Third Edition, offers evidence-informed strategies as it guides health educators through the critical process of supplying students with the know-how they need for lifelong health and well-being. With this essential resource, current and future educators are set to deliver a complete, well-rounded, and successful health education curriculum.

Human Kinetics is proud to publish this book in association with SHAPE America, the national organization that defines excellence for school-based health and physical education professionals across the United States.

Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with all new print books.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1718232020
• ISBN13: 9781718232020
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Human Kinetics Publishers
• Length: 384 Pages