Unit Plan 11 (Grade 8 PE): Health, Wellness & Decision-Making
Grade 8 PE wellness unit on sleep, hydration, nutrition, screen time, and activity habits to improve health, performance, and decision-making.
Focus: Use wellness walk & talk and a Wellness Carousel of stations (sleep, nutrition, hydration, activity, screen time, substances) to connect specific lifestyle choices to performance and well-being, and guide students to plan one realistic behavior change.
Grade Level: 8
Subject Area: Physical Education (Health-Related Fitness • Wellness Habits • Decision-Making)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–55 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students examine how their daily choices—sleep, nutrition, hydration, activity level, screen time, and substance decisions—add up to shape their energy, mood, performance, and long-term health. Through wellness walk & talks, carousel stations, and simple self-check tools, they connect concepts like fitness components, training principles, and healthy lifestyle decisions to their own lives. Rather than memorizing facts, students practice evaluating health information, discussing trade-offs, and designing one small, realistic change they are willing to try.
Essential Questions
- How do my choices about sleep, nutrition, hydration, activity, screen time, and substances affect my physical performance, mental health, and relationships?
- How can understanding fitness components and training principles (e.g., FITT, overload, progression) help me design or judge a workout or weekly routine?
- What does it look like to make an informed health decision instead of just following habits, ads, or peers?
- How can I clearly explain the benefits of regular physical activity and use that knowledge to motivate myself and others?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify how key health-related fitness components (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition) connect to everyday activities and sports performance.
- Explain basic training principles (FITT, overload, specificity, progression) and use them to analyze or improve a sample workout or weekly plan.
- Use accurate information about sleep, nutrition, hydration, screen time, and substances to evaluate real-life choices and potential consequences.
- Clearly explain physical, mental, and social benefits of regular activity, including links to stress, sleep, focus, and friendships.
- Design a simple, realistic personal behavior-change plan (e.g., bedtime, water intake, daily movement, screen cutoffs) and explain how it can improve wellness.
Standards Alignment — 8th Grade (SHAPE America-based custom)
- PE:S3.8c – Applying Fitness Components, Principles & Types of Training Explain and apply health-related fitness components and training principles (FITT, overload, specificity, progression) in designing or evaluating workouts.
- Example: Students can explain why a mix of cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises is included in a weekly plan and how increasing sets or time creates progressive overload.
- PE:S3.8e – Making Informed Healthy Lifestyle Decisions Use knowledge about physical activity, nutrition, sleep, hydration, substance use, and screen time to make or plan informed daily health choices and explain their impact.
- Example: A student decides to prioritize consistent sleep and regular activity before big tests or events and explains the expected benefits for mood and performance.
- PE:S5.8b – Explaining Physical, Mental & Social Benefits of Activity Clearly explain how regular physical activity contributes to physical fitness, mental health, academic focus, and positive social connections.
- Example: Students can articulate that consistent movement helps reduce stress, supports better sleep and concentration, and provides chances to build friendships and teamwork skills.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can connect specific habits (like sleep, water, breakfast, and screen time) to how I feel and perform in class, sports, and life.
- I can use fitness components and training principles to tell if a workout or weekly plan is balanced and effective.
- I can explain how regular movement helps my body, brain, and relationships, not just my “fitness level.”
- I can look at health information (about sleep, food, drinks, substances, screens) and make an informed decision, not just copy what others do.
- I can design one realistic behavior change for myself and explain how and why it should help my health and performance.