This document provides a personal wellness curriculum for students with several lesson plans on topics like mental and emotional health, healthy eating, physical activity, and sexual and reproductive health. The first lesson plan outlined is on stress prevention and management. It includes goals of teaching students about stress, various stress prevention and management strategies, and having students track their own stress behaviors over 4 weeks using a worksheet to develop coping skills. The curriculum aims to apply national health standards and use culturally competent, youth-centered teaching methods.

1.
Personal Wellness Curriculum
Prepared by the Health Education and Promotion Intern ­ Mickelder Kercy, MD
From November 4, 2015 ­ April 30, 2016
Master of Science in Community Health Education candidate
Teachers College Columbia University
Mara Minguez, MD, MSc Maria Molina, MS
Medical Director Program Manager
Pediatrics and Population & Family Health at CUMC
Department of Pediatrics and Population & Family Health
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Table of Contents
Classroom Instructions………………….………………………………………………………...3
Lesson Plan Topics…………………………...………………….….……………………………..4
Mental and Emotional Health……………………………………………..…………………….5
Lesson Plan 1­Stress Prevention and Management……...........…..…..……………….6­7
Healthy Eating……………………………………….….……………….…………………………8
Lesson Plan 1­Preparing a Healthy Meal…….………..…..…...………………………..9­10
Preparing a Healthy Meal Worksheet……..…….……..….……...…………………….11
Physical Activity………………………………...……….…………………………….…………12
Lesson Plan 1­Physical Fitness Strategies and Planning……….......……..………....13­15
Sexual and Reproductive Health………….……………………………………………………16
Lesson Plan 1­STI’s Prevention……………..….…...……………….…………………..17­18
Evaluation Tools…………..….................……………...……………………………………….19
Lesson Plans 1 and 2 ­ Assessment Tool (Sample).......................................................20
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3.
General Classroom Instructions
FOR THE ADVISORS:
These lesson plans aim to apply the National Health Education Standards (NHES) from
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Different learning modalities that
are youth­centered have been incorporated to suit the different learning styles of
students.
The advisors should be trained in cultural competency and the strategies and techniques
of motivational interviewing. Using this instructional methodology, the advisors will be
able to effectively and efficiently engage the students based on their socio­cultural
background. In the process, they will optimize the potentiality of the students to
increase their self­efficacy. Ultimately, in the short and long­term, the students will be
able to initiate and maintain behavioral changes in their specific socio­cultural
environments.
Preceding the first lesson plan implementation on each topic, the advisors will
administer a pre­assessment test to evaluate the level of knowledge and skills of the
students on the topic. Following the implementation of the second lesson plan for
knowledge review and more skills acquisition, the advisors will collect the same data
using a post­assessment test. A comparative analysis of the students self­assessments
will reveal their progress level in knowledge and skills acquisition on each topic. These
data will also inform on the modifications that may be needed in the lesson plan
formats and contents, as well as the advisors’ approaches in delivering the lesson plans,
to suit the particular needs of different groups of students, even of one student.
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Lesson Plans Topics
Mental and Emotional Health
1­ Stress Prevention and Management
2­ Empathy and Gratitude
3­ Bullying Prevention and Management
4­ Conflict Prevention and Resolution
5­ Social and Emotional Intelligence learning
6­ Stress Prevention and Management in
College
Physical Activity
1­ Healthy Body Image
2­ Physical Fitness Assessment
3­ Physical Fitness Strategies and Planning
4­ Sleep Hygiene
5­ Safety (Injury prevention)
6­ Physical Fitness in College
Healthy Eating
1­ Healthy Body Weight
2­ Healthy Eating and Hydration
3­ Nutrition Label Literacy
4­ Preparing a Healthy Meal
5­ Healthy Eating Decision­making (media,
family setting, peer­pressure, and food
accessibility)
6­ Healthy Eating in College
Sexual and Reproductive Health
1­ Puberty, Sexual Health, and Media Literacy
2­ Healthy Relationships
3­ Contraception
4­ STI’s Prevention
5­ Substance Abuse and Addiction
6­ Sexual and Reproductive Health in College
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5.
Mental and Emotional Health
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6.
Mental and Emotional Health​ – Lesson #1
TIME:​ 60 min
TOPIC: ​ Stress Prevention and Management
GOAL:​ Students learn the basic knowledge and skills about stress prevention and
management
MATERIALS:
❑ Audio­visual devices with internet access
❑ Blank sheets/electronic note sheets
❑ Pencils or pen
HANDOUTS & TEXTS:
❑ SMART plan worksheet
❑ Instructions on how to complete their personal project
WARM­UP: (10 minutes)
1. Inform the students that they will be learning about stress. The subtopics will
include the different types of stress, causes of stress, body responses to stress;
and strategies to prevent and manage stress. Introduce the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPdGQ­A_yM4​. ​Then, ask them what they
have learned from watching this video.
LESSON / ACTIVITIES:
Activity 1 (30 minutes)
1. Have the students divide themselves into 2 groups. Each group will research and
summarize their findings on half of the subtopics. Share the link to this reliable
website that succinctly and at grade level informs them on the subtopics: The
different types of stress, the causes of stress, the physiological responses of the
body to stress, and the different strategies that can be used to deal with stress.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/stress.html?tracking=81452_A
#​. The students can either read or listen to the audio portion of the article. (20
mn)
2. Invite the students to select 1 student from their group to succinctly report their
main findings. Encourage them to take silent deep breaths before their
presentations. (5 mn per group representative)
Activity 2 (10 minutes)
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7. 1. Form a circle where each student can see each other. Lead the students in
practicing mindful breathing to place themselves into a mentally and emotionally
relaxed frame of mind. Let them know that they will engage in the mindful
breathing exercise with eyes closed. (3 mn)
2. Click on the audio portions entitled “Mindful breathing (Female voice)(3.34 mn)
and or “Mindful breathing (Male voice)(3.34 mn).
http://www.youth.anxietybc.com/mindfulness­exercises
WRAP­UP​ ​(10 minutes)
1. Congratulate the students on their well­done research and expose, and
participation in the activities. Share additional information that they may need to
know. Stress the positive key points to retain. (2 mn)
2. Recommend the students to keep a journal of at least one mental and emotional
behavior (e.g., during interactions with friends, peers, teachers, family members,
social media, and or strangers) they will be working on to achieve good health
outcomes. Provide them with this link as a helpful reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Z­mfzgSyA​. Explain that the journal entry
will constitute their personal activity to do for 4 weeks until the next session.
Hand out 4 SMART plan worksheets to each student to use as their journal
template.
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/YouthGuide/AAPAdolescent
HealthUpdateBMI.pdf​. Advise them that they may use it as reference while using
other writing tools (i.e., electronic). Explain the different components of the
SMART plan worksheet. To reinforce these explanations and role model for the
students how to perform this activity, Illustrate how you will personally use this
worksheet. (4 mn)
3. Encourage the students to start filling the SMART plan worksheet. In the section
“People who can help”, direct them to write down at least 1 person they think
might be able to help facilitate their behavioral change. Instruct them that at the
end of the first week, they will revise their worksheet and place a checkmark
next to the results that they obtained in terms of the “small steps I can take
toward my goals” and “what each person will do”. After evaluating their results
for the first week, they will use a second worksheet to continue planning their
behavioral change. The evaluation process for the second, third, and fourth
worksheet will be the same as for the first one. (3 mn)
4. Remind them to use mindful breathing exercises whenever they encounter any
mental and emotional stressors. Advise them to share what they have learned
with their peers in school and family members at home. (1 mn)
HOMEWORK:​ SMART plan worksheet (fill­in­the­blank)
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8.
Healthy Eating
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9.
Healthy Eating​ – Lesson #1
TIME:​ 60 min
TOPIC: ​ Preparing a Healthy Meal
GOAL:​ Students learn the basic knowledge and skills on how to prepare a healthy
meal
MATERIALS:
❑ Audio­visual devices with internet access
❑ Blank sheets/electronic note sheets
❑ Pencils or pen
❑ Preparing a Healthy Meal Worksheet
HANDOUTS & TEXTS:
❑ Tips on how to prepare a healthy meal
❑ Preparing a Healthy Meal Worksheet
❑ Instructions on how to complete their personal project
WARM­UP: (10 minutes)
1. Inform​ the students that they will be learning how to prepare a healthy meal.
Introduce the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=­J1hmmy1OB4​.​​Then, ask them what they
have learned from watching this video.
LESSON / ACTIVITIES:
Activity 1 (30 minutes)
1. Divide the students into 2 groups. Each group will research and summarize their
findings on half of the subtopics. Share the links to this reliable website that
succinctly and at grade level informs them on the subtopics: How MyPlate works,
the five food groups, how to make it work for you, and exercise matters
too. ​http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/dieting/myplate.html#​. The
students can either read or listen to the audio portion of this article. (20 mn)
2. Invite the students to select 1 student from their group to succinctly report their
main findings. Encourage them to take silent deep breaths before their
presentations. (5 mn per group representative)
Activity 2 (15 minutes)
1. Inform the students that they will be learning individually or in group how to
prepare a healthy meal. Hand out the Preparing a Healthy Meal Worksheet to
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10. each student. Invite each student to recall the meals that they consumed for
breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack the day before. Next to each meal, they will
checkmark each food group that was included in the meal. Ask them to identify
the meals that did not contain at least 3 food groups based on MyPlate. Using
the USDA What’s Cooking: Recipes website, they will look for a recipe they like
that can help them add or focus on the missing food group(s). Guide them in
using the website: ​http://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/search/solr­results​. (8 mn)
2. Invite each student or group representative to share their findings. (7 mn)
WRAP­UP​ ​(5 minutes)
1. Congratulate the students on their well­done research and expose, and
participation in the activities. Share additional information that they may need to
know. Stress the positive key points to retain. (1 mn)
2. Recommend the students to keep a journal of how they are able to prepare or
help a family member prepare their healthy meal at home and subsequently
start modifying their dietary habit to achieve good health outcomes. Explain that
the journal entry will constitute their personal activity to do for 4 weeks until the
next session. Hand out 1 SMART plan worksheet to each student to use as their
journal template.
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/YouthGuide/AAPAdolescent
HealthUpdateBMI.pdf​. The student will document in the SMART plan worksheet
their project goal, steps they intend to take, and the perceived/existing obstacles
to achieving their goals. They will continue filling out the Preparing a Healthy
Meal worksheet and make sure that it reflects at least one change (e.g., include
at least 3 food groups for breakfast) that they made regarding how they prepare
or help their family member(s) prepare their meals. Advise them that they may
use it as reference while using other writing tools (i.e., electronic). To reinforce
these explanations and role model for the students how to perform this activity,
Illustrate how you will document your own findings and corresponding efforts.
Inform them that during the next 4 weeks, you will also engage in this activity. (3
mn)
3. Remind them to use these tips on how to prepare a Healthy Meal:
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/start­small­changes​ and
http://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/search/solr­results​. Advise them to share
what they have learned with their peers in school and family members at home.
(1 mn)
HOMEWORK:​ Recount a day in the week so that I (the student) can demonstrate my
knowledge and ability to prepare a healthy meal.
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Week Meals Grains Vegetables Fruits Dairy Protein
Sunday​ Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snack:
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Monday ​Breakfast:
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Tuesday ​Breakfast:
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Wednesday ​Breakfast:
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Thursday ​Breakfast:
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Friday ​Breakfast:
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Saturday​ Breakfast:
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Notes:
Created by Mickelder Kercy, MD
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12.
Physical Activity
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13.
Physical Activity​ – Lesson #1
TIME:​ 60 min
TOPIC: ​ Physical Fitness Strategies and Planning
GOAL:​ Students learn the basic knowledge and skills on how to effectively and
efficiently plan to start and remain physically active
MATERIALS:
❑ Audio­visual devices with internet access
❑ Blank sheets/electronic note sheets
❑ Pencils or pen
❑ Physical fitness worksheet
HANDOUTS & TEXTS:
❑ Tips on how to be active with friends, outside, and inside every day
❑ Instructions on how to complete their personal project
WARM­UP: (10 minutes)
1. Inform the students that they will be learning how to effectively and efficiently
plan to start and remain physically active. Introduce the following video:
http://www.edutopia.org/practice/fit­lit­how­movement­impacts­learning​. (3
mn)
2. Invite them to engage in a dynamic stretching exercise. Examples of dynamic
stretching exercise can be found in the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xItDXKAPhQw​. Ask them what they have
learned from watching this video while exercising. (7 mn)
LESSON / ACTIVITIES:
Activity 1 (30 minutes)
1. Inform the students that they will be working either individually or in pair. They
will learn how to accumulate up to 60 minutes of physical activity on a daily basis
. Provide them with the following worksheet:
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/YouthGuide/AAPAdolescent
HealthUpdateBMI.pdf​. In the section “Small steps that I will take”, they will list
all the activities that they will additionally perform or spend more time doing to
increase their level of physical fitness. These small steps might include or be a
combination of moderate and or vigorous intensity physical activity,
muscle­strengthening activity, and bone­strengthening activity. As a reference,
provide them with this list of physical activities for youth:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages­stages/teen/fitness/Pages/Physic
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14. al­Activities­for­Teens.aspx​​and their corresponding categories:
http://health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/chapter3.aspx​. Using the same
worksheet, they will justify the “reasons this is important to me”. Then, they will
identify the potential barriers to achieving their goal, how they will overcome
these barriers, and the individuals who will facilitate their behavioral change. (20
mn)
2. Now, encourage the students to work in pairs or individually to plan when they
will participate in these activities for one week. Provide them with a blank
scheduling worksheet modeled after this one:
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/success/children_example_harold.htm​ (10
mn)
Activity 2 (10 minutes)
1. Ask if any student would like to lead a spontaneously choreographed group
dance as a moderate­intensity aerobic physical activity, as exemplified in this
video: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y6bIbr­Hn0​. If time permits, include
in this activity a muscle­strengthening exercise (e.g., ​push­ups​) lasting about 5
minute. Select or have the scholars agree to high energy songs. The advisor can
guide them using the following list:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/dance­tracks​. The songs will be
played using the ​Lang Youth Medical Program Radio Station​.
WRAP­UP​ ​(10 minutes)
1. Congratulate the students on their participation in the activities. Share additional
information that they may need to know. Stress the positive key points to retain.
(1 mn)
2. Recommend the students to keep a journal of how they accumulated up to 60
minutes of physical activity on a daily basis to achieve good health outcomes.
Explain that the journal entry will constitute their personal activity to do for 4
weeks until the next session. Hand out 3 more SMART plan worksheets to each
student to use as their journal template.
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/YouthGuide/AAPAdolescent
HealthUpdateBMI.pdf​. Advise them that they may use it as reference while using
other writing tools (i.e., electronic). (4 mn)
3. Advise them to revise the worksheet that they completed today at the end of
their week­long participation in their programmed physical activities. They will
place a checkmark next to the results that they obtained in terms of the “small
steps I can take toward my goals” and “what each person will do”. After
evaluating their results for the first week, they will use a second worksheet to
continue planning their behavioral change. The evaluation process for the
second, third, and fourth worksheet will be the same as for the first one. Inform
them that during the next 4 weeks, you will also engage in this activity. (4 mn)
14

15.
4. Remind them to use these tips on how to be active with friends, outside, and
inside every day:
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health­information/health­topics/weight­control/tak
e­charge­your­health/Pages/take­charge­your­health.aspx#d​. Advise them to
share what they have learned with their peers in school and family members at
home. (1 mn)
HOMEWORK:​ Recount each day for the next 4 weeks so that I (the student) can
demonstrate my ability to identify my obstacles to engaging in more
physical activity, come up with effective and efficient methods for
overcoming these obstacles, and methodically schedule when to
perform these activities.
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16.
Sexual and Reproductive Health
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17.
Sexual and Reproductive Health​ – Lesson #1
TIME:​ 60 min
TOPIC: ​ STI’s Prevention
GOAL:​ Students learn the basic knowledge and skills on using the best method(s) for
STI’s prevention
MATERIALS:
❑ Audio­visual devices with internet access
❑ Blank sheets/electronic note sheets
❑ Pencils or pen
❑ STI’s prevention worksheet
HANDOUTS & TEXTS:
❑ Tips on ways to talk to partner
❑ Tips on condom negotiation
❑ Instructions on how to complete their personal project
WARM­UP: (10 minutes)
1. Inform​ the students that they will be learning about the best method(s) for STI’s
prevention. Introduce the following videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvM4p5hlnsU​ and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Th­kHctpE​.​​Then, ask them what they
have learned from watching these videos.
LESSON / ACTIVITIES:
Activity 1 (30 minutes)
1. Divide the students into 2 groups. Each group will research and summarize their
findings on half of the subtopics. Share the links to this reliable website that
succinctly and at grade level informs them on the subtopics: How the STDs
spread, preventing and treating STDs, and 5 myths about STD’s
http://teenshealth.org/en/teens/std.html#​ and
http://teenshealth.org/en/teens/std­myths.html?WT.ac=t­ra#​. The students can
either read or listen to the audio portion of these articles. (20 mn)
2. Invite the students to select 1 student from their group to succinctly report their
main findings. Encourage them to take silent deep breaths before their
presentations. (5 mn per group representative)
17

18. Activity 2 (15 minutes)
1. Inform the students that they will be learning individually or in group how to
effectively negotiate their use of the best method(s) of protection if they are
having sex or plan on having sex soon. Each member of each group will try to
come up with the best strategies they can use to protect themselves and their
sexual partner during sexual intimacy. Let them know that they have 5 minutes
to come up with at least 10 ways they can initiate and maintain their use of the
best method(s) of protection. At the end of these 5 minutes encourage them to
add up more items to their list. To guide them in completing their task, provide
them with the hand out on “Condom Negotiation” or the link to this online
document: ​http://www.ippf.org/news/blogs/condom­negotiation​. (8 mn)
2. Invite each student or group representative to share their findings. (7 mn)
WRAP­UP​ ​(5 minutes)
1. Congratulate the students on their well­done research and expose, and
participation in the activities. Share additional information that they may need to
know. Stress the positive key points to retain. (1 mn)
2. Recommend the students to keep a journal of how they are able to or intend to
use the best method(s) for STI’s prevention. Explain that the journal entry will
constitute their personal activity to do for 4 weeks until the next session. Hand
out 1 SMART plan worksheet to each student to use as their journal template.
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/YouthGuide/AAPAdolescent
HealthUpdateBMI.pdf​. Hand out 1 or more “STI’s Prevention Worksheet” to each
student to document their findings on one or more of these Sexually Transmitted
Infections: ​http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/sexual­health/#catstds​. The student
will document in the SMART plan worksheet their project goal (e.g., detect,
prevent, cure, and or manage the STI’s), steps they intend to take, and the
perceived/existing obstacles to achieving their goals. Advise them that they may
use it as reference while using other writing tools (i.e., electronic). To reinforce
these explanations and role model for the students how to perform this activity,
Illustrate how you will document your own findings and corresponding efforts.
Inform them that during the next 4 weeks, you will also engage in this activity. (3
mn)
3. Remind them to use these tips on how to initiate and maintain their use of the
best method(s) for STI’s prevention: ​Tips on ways to talk to partner ​ and ​tips on
condom negotiation​. Share with them this ​APP for clinic location​ for additional
information. Advise them to share what they have learned with their peers in
school and family members at home. (1 mn)
HOMEWORK:​ Recount how I (the student) can demonstrate my knowledge and skills on
how to initiate and maintain the use of the best method(s) for STI’s
prevention
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19.
Evaluation Tools
19
19

20. Scholar Name: ​______________
Grade Level​: _____________________
Age: ​_________​ Sex: ​_________
Knowledge Totally
disagree
Disagree Somewhat
disagree
Neither
disagree
nor agree
Somewhat
agree
Agree Totally
agree
Scholar Comments
I understand the different types,
causes, and body responses to stress
What did you like about this activity?
What did you not like?
Do you think that this activity could help a friend or a family
member?
I understand the different strategies to
prevent and manage stress
I know how to practice mindful
breathing exercise on my own
I know how to better prevent and
manage stress using the SMART plan
worksheet
Skills Totally
disagree
Disagree Somewhat
disagree
Neither
disagree
nor agree
Somewhat
agree
Agree Totally
agree
Scholar Comments
I am able to describe and explain the
different types, causes, and body
responses to stress
What did you like about this activity?
What did you not like?
Do you think that this activity could help a friend or a family
member?
I am able to describe and explain the
different strategies to prevent and
manage stress
I am able to practice mindful breathing
exercise on my own
I am able to better prevent and
manage stress using the SMART plan
worksheet
20