Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School
Every class is scheduled to go to the health classroom once per week. Each grade receives age-appropriate lessons on the topics mentioned below. I have been teaching Health Education in the Harborfields School District since 1999 and have been teaching elementary health at Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School for twenty years. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. My email address is
[email protected]
Susan Crispino
Elementary Health Curriculum
Third grade
Family Life: What makes your family special, Raising your Self Esteem
Personal Health: Protecting your Skeletal system, Hand washing techniques, Healthy Sun Habits, Benefits of Sleep and Exercise
Substance Abuse Prevention: Using Medicine safely, Harmful effects of Tobacco use, How to make decisions that keep you healthy and safe
Disease Prevention: Keeping Germs away, How the Immune System works, To prevent HIV, don’t touch someone else’s blood
Growth and Development: Hygiene Habits to be clean and healthy
Violence Prevention: Bullying, Conflict resolution. Empathy, Communication skills (“It bugs me when…I wish you would please…”)
Personal Safety: safe/unsafe touch, trusted adults, Risk-taking, Dangerous Objects, Safety rules for Water, bicycle, being home alone
Nutrition: Food groups, Nutrients, Choose my plate, reading food labels
Mental/emotional health: Expressing feelings appropriately, Coping Skills, Mindfulness, Managing Stress
Consumer Health: analyzing tobacco and food advertisements, creating advertisements
Elementary Health Curriculum
Fourth grade
Family Life: Active listening, benefits of being in a family, Developing a Positive Body Image and Self-Esteem
Personal Health: Maintaining a Healthy Digestive System, Dental Care, Preventing Inhalant Abuse, Healthy Sun Habits, personal values and decision making
Substance Abuse Prevention: Effects of Smoking, Vaping, Second hand Smoke, Ways people use drugs, Substance abuse, How Alcohol affects teenagers, Analyzing advertisements
Growth and Development: Intro to changing bodies, hygiene habits to promote a clean and healthy body
Disease Prevention: Germs and preventing diseases, Ways HIV can and cannot spread (blood, breast milk)
Violence Prevention: Social Isolation, Bullying, resolving conflicts,
Personal Safety: Keeping body private, Secret keeping and secret telling, Decisions that impact safety
Nutrition: Importance of Breakfast, healthier snacks, types of fat; saturated, unsaturated
Mental Health: Mindfulness, Handling anger
Elementary Health Curriculum
5th Grade
Personal Health- Respiratory System, Decoding sunscreen labels
Substance Use and Abuse Prevention- Effects of Smoking, Vaping, Alcohol, Prescription Drug Use, Analyzing advertisements
Family Life and Relationships-Healthy/Unhealthy signs in friendships, handling peer pressure
Personal Safety-Risk behaviors, Refusal skills, Assertiveness, appropriate/inappropriate touch, Water Safety
Growth and Development-Puberty video and discussion, hygiene habits
Disease Prevention-Infectious/Non-infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, Food allergies
Violence Prevention-Friendship bullying, role-playing, Communication Skills (I messages), Resolving Conflicts
Nutrition-Hidden sugars, Comparing food labels
Mental and Emotional Health-Mindfulness, Managing stress, Support Systems
Community and Consumer Health-Analyzing advertisements (Drug unit)