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Maryland Comprehensive Health Education Framework: Pre-Kindergarten Through High School

K–12 Standards

Grade 8
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Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health, including:1

a
Mental and Emotional Health1a
1. Wellness
  1
  Evaluate one’s personal wellness.1a.8.1
  2
  Identify strategies to improve dimensions of wellness.1a.8.2
2. Emotions, feelings, and relationships
  3
  Explain how the expression of emotions or feelings can help or hurt oneself and others.1a.8.3
3. Self and social awareness
  4
  Demonstrate empathy to others who have different feelings, thoughts, and experiences.1a.8.4
  5
  Reframe a challenge or setback as an opportunity.1a.8.5
4. Self and social awareness
  6
  Describe how personal responsibility for one’s choices is linked to self-worth and growth. 1a.8.6
5. Trusted adults
  7
  Demonstrate communication with a trusted adult about your overall wellness.1a.8.7
6. Stress and anxiety
  8
  Explain the causes and effects of stress. 1a.8.8
  9
  Explain positive and negative ways of dealing with stress.1a.8.9
  10
  Explain the causes, symptoms, and effects of anxiety.1a.8.10
  11
  Analyze the risks of impulsive behaviors. 1a.8.11
7. Depression awareness
8. Suicide prevention
  12
  Explain the signs and symptoms of people who are in danger of hurting themselves or others and demonstrate how to tell a trusted adult.1a.8.12
  13
  Describe the signs and symptoms of people who are in danger of hurting themselves or others.1a.8.13
  14
  Explain the importance of telling an adult if there are people who are in danger of hurting themselves or others.1a.8.14
9. Teasing, bullying, harassment, and violence
  15
  Explain why it is important to understand the perspectives of others in resolving interpersonal conflicts.1a.8.15
  16
  Explain how intolerance can affect others.1a.8.16
  17
  Describe ways to manage interpersonal conflict nonviolently.1a.8.17
10. Social media
  18
  Evaluate how sharing or posting personal information electronically about self or others on social media sites can impact mental and emotional health.1a.8.18
11. Body image
  19
  Analyze strategies to cultivate a positive body image.1a.8.19
12. Disordered eating
  20
  Explain the signs of disordered eating.1a.8.20
  21
  Summarize the potential mental and physical consequences of disordered eating and why it is important to seek professional help. 1a.8.21
13. Loss and grief
  22
  Justify feelings and emotions associated with loss and grief as a normal part of development.1a.8.22
14. Stigma
  23
  Summarize the negative impact of stigma on health-seeking behavior.1a.8.23
15. Addiction
  24
  Identify addiction as long-term compulsive behavior despite negative consequences.1a.8.24
16. Self-harm
b
Substance Abuse Prevention1b
1. Medicines
2. Household products
3. Alcohol, opioids, nicotine products, marijuana products, fentanyl, and other drugs
  1
  Summarize the negative consequences of using alcohol, nicotine products, marijuana products, opioids (including the lethal effects of fentanyl), and other trending drugs or substances.1b.8.1
  2
  Describe the relationship between substance use and health risks including unintentional injuries, violence, suicide, and sexual risk behaviors. 1b.8.2
  3
  Describe the health risks of using performance-enhancing or weight loss drugs.1b.8.3
  4
  Defend the benefits of being free from alcohol, opioids, nicotine products, marijuana products, and other trending drug or substances. 1b.8.4
4. Environmental literacy
  5
  Identify the negative environmental effects of alcohol, opioids, nicotine products, marijuana products, and other drugs. 1b.8.5
c
Family Life and Human Sexuality1c
1. Healthy relationships and consent
  1
  Distinguish healthy relationships from unhealthy ones.1c.8.1
  2
  Analyze how peers, family, media, society, culture, and a person's intersecting identities can influence attitudes, beliefs, and expectations about relationships.1c.8.2
  3
  Describe strategies a student might use to end an unhealthy relationship, including involving a trusted adult who can help.1c.8.3
  4
  Summarize why individuals have the right to refuse sexual contact.1c.8.4
  5
  Analyze factors, including alcohol and other substances that can affect the ability to give or perceive consent to sexual activity.1c.8.5
  6
  Explain the importance of setting personal limits to avoid sexual risk behaviors.1c.8.6
2. Gender identity and expression
  7
  Explain sex assigned at birth and gender identity and explain how they may or may not differ. 1c.8.7
3. Sexual orientation and identity
  8
  Describe sexual identity and explain a range of identities related to sexual orientation.1c.8.8
4. Harassment, teasing, and bullying
  9
  Describe how intolerance can affect others when aspects of their sexuality are different from one’s own.1c.8.9
5. Anatomy and physiology
  10
  Summarize human reproductive systems including medically accurate names for internal and external genitalia and their functions.1c.8.10
  11
  Explain menstruation, fertilization, and implantation.1c.8.11
6. Sexual health
  12
  Describe ways sexually active people can reduce the risk of pregnancy1c.8.12
  13
  Explain ways sexually active people can reduce the risk of HIV, and other STIs including condoms and preventative medications.1c.8.13
  14
  Identify proper steps to using barrier methods correctly.1c.8.14
  15
  Describe the state and federal laws related to minors’ access to sexual healthcare services, including pregnancy and STI/HIV prevention, testing, care, and treatment. 1c.8.15
  16
  Describe the factors that contribute to engaging in sexual risk behaviors including substance use. 1c.8.16
  17
  Identify racism and intersectionality and describe their impacts on sexual health1c.8.17
7. Sexually explicit media
  18
  Describe the state and federal laws that impact young people's sexual health and rights, ability to give and receive sexual consent, and engagement with sexually explicit media. 1c.8.18
  19
  Analyze the negative consequences of sending sexually explicit pictures or messages by e-mail or cell phone or posting sexually explicit pictures on social media sites.1c.8.19
d
Safety and Violence Prevention1d
1. Safety and injuries
  1
  Describe first response procedures needed to treat injuries and other emergencies.1d.8.1
  2
  Identify ways to reduce the risk of injury in a motor vehicle (substance use, distracted driving, seat belts, etc.).1d.8.2
2. Technology safety
  3
  Identify how to use technology and social media safely and respectfully and laws pertaining to the dissemination of intimate images.1d.8.3
3. Boundaries and consent
  4
  Distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate verbal and/or non-verbal interactions.1d.8.4
  5
  Explain the importance of setting and respecting personal limits/boundaries.1d.8.5
  6
  Describe why individuals have the right to refuse sexual contact.1d.8.6
  7
  Define affirmative consent. 1d.8.7
  8
  Explain that no one has the right to touch anyone else in a sexual manner if they do not want to be touched. 1d.8.8
4. Discrimination and violence
  9
  Summarize how participation in gangs and hate groups can lead to violence.1d.8.9
  10
  Explain how intolerance can lead to violence.1d.8.10
5. Abuse and assault
  11
  Identify situations including domestic violence where physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual abuse occurs in a person’s family. 1d.8.11
  12
  Describe situations and behaviors that constitute sexual mistreatment grooming, harassment, abuse, assault, exploitation, and boundary violations.1d.8.12
6. Trusted adults and responding to safety threats
  13
  List qualities of an adult whom a student can rely upon for support. 1d.8.13
  14
  Identify a source of support that a student can go to if they or someone they know is being abused or assaulted.1d.8.14
  15
  Demonstrate the ability to recognize and respond to situations that threaten sexual health safety.1d.8.15
7. Bystander intervention and compassion for victims
  16
  Explain why a person who has been sexually mistreated, groomed, harassed, abused, assaulted, or exploited is not at fault.1d.8.16
  17
  Defend the need to empower and support people who experience racism, harassment, or abuse.1d.8.17
e
Healthy Eating1e
1. Nutritious foods and beverages
  1
  Identify every individual has unique nutrition needs and identify strategies to maximize nutrition.1e.8.1
  2
  Summarize the benefits of consuming nutritious foods and the idea that “all foods fit.”1e.8.2
2. Sugar Sweetened Beverages
  3
  Explain the importance of limiting the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.1e.8.3
3. Food choices
  4
  Practice making balanced choices when choosing a meal.1e.8.4
  5
  Identify food preparation and production methods and their impact on nutrients in foods. 1e.8.5
4. Nutrition facts label
  6
  Compare and contrast fruits, vegetables, and whole grains using a nutrition facts label.1e.8.6
  7
  Summarize the significance of reading a nutrition facts label and the concept of balance or moderation.1e.8.7
  8
  Describe the benefits of limiting the consumption of added sugar, sodium, and processed food. 1e.8.8
f
Disease Prevention and Control1f
1. Disease
  1
  Demonstrate how to seek help and treatment for common infectious diseases and chronic diseases.1f.8.1
2. Chronic diseases
3. Disease Prevention
  2
  Summarize health practices to prevent the spread of infectious diseases that are transmitted by food, air, indirect contact, and person-to-person contact.1f.8.2
  3
  Explain transmission methods of common sexually transmitted infections (STIs).1f.8.3
  4
  Summarize ways to decrease the spread of STIs including HIV through abstinence, using condoms consistently and correctly when having sex, and practicing universal precautions.1f.8.4
  5
  Describe the typical signs, symptoms, consequences, and treatment of STIs including HIV.1f.8.5
4. Hygiene
  6
  Summarize the benefits of good hygiene practices for promoting health.1f.8.6
5. Sleep
  7
  Summarize the benefits of getting adequate rest and sleep.1f.8.7
6. Sun

Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.2

a
Examine how the family influences the health of adolescents.2.MS.8.a
b
Describe the influence of culture on health beliefs, practices, and behaviors.2.MS.8.b
c
Describe how peers influence healthy and unhealthy behaviors.2.MS.8.c
d
Analyze how the school and community can affect personal health practices and behaviors. 2.MS.8.d
e
Analyze how messages from media influence health behaviors. 2.MS.8.e
f
Analyze the influence of technology on personal and family health.2.MS.8.f
g
Explain how the perceptions of norms influence healthy and unhealthy behaviors. 2.MS.8.g
h
Explain the influence of personal values and beliefs on individual health practices and behaviors.2.MS.8.h
i
Describe how some health risk behaviors can influence the likelihood of engaging in unhealthy behaviors.2.MS.8.i
j
Explain how school and public health policies can influence health promotion and disease prevention.2.MS.8.j

Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information, products, and services to enhance health.3

a
Analyze the validity of health information, products, and services.3.MS.8.a
b
Access valid health information from home, school, and community.3.MS.8.b
c
Determine the accessibility of products that enhance health. 3.MS.8.c
d
Describe situations that may require professional health services.3.MS.8.d
e
Locate valid and reliable health products and services.3.MS.8.e

Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks. 4

a
Apply effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills to enhance health. 4.MS.8.a
b
Demonstrate refusal and negotiation skills to avoid or reduce health risks.4.MS.8.b
c
Demonstrate effective conflict management or resolution strategies.4.MS.8.c
d
Demonstrate how to ask for assistance to enhance the health of self and others.4.MS.8.d

Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.5

a
Identify circumstances that can help or hinder healthy decision-making.5.MS.8.a
b
Determine when health-related situations require the application of a thoughtful decision-making process.5.MS.8.b
c
Distinguish when individual or collaborative decision-making is appropriate.5.MS.8.c
d
Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy alternatives to health-related issues or problems.5.MS.8.d
e
Predict the potential short-term impact of each alternative on self and others. 5.MS.8.e
f
Choose healthy alternatives over unhealthy alternatives when making a decision. 5.MS.8.f
g
Analyze the outcomes of a health-related decision.5.MS.8.g

Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health.6

a
Assess personal health practices.6.MS.8.a
b
Develop a goal to adopt, maintain, or improve a personal health practice. 6.MS.8.b
c
Apply strategies and skills needed to attain a personal health goal.6.MS.8.c
d
Describe how personal health goals can vary with changing abilities, priorities, and responsibilities. 6.MS.8.d

Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.7

a
Explain the importance of assuming responsibility for personal health behaviors.7.MS.8.a
b
Demonstrate healthy practices and behaviors that will maintain or improve the health of self and others.7.MS.8.b
c
Demonstrate behaviors that avoid or reduce health risks to self and others.7.MS.8.c

Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.8

a
State a health-enhancing position on a topic and support it with accurate information.8.MS.8.a
b
Demonstrate how to influence and support others to make positive health choices.8.MS.8.b
c
Work cooperatively to advocate for healthy individuals, families, and schools.8.MS.8.c
d
Identify ways that health messages and communication techniques can be altered for different audiences.8.MS.8.d

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?: Grade 8
Where can I read the official document?: Maryland Comprehensive Health Education Framework: Pre-Kindergarten Through High School

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