Grade 8 Health Massachusetts standards Standards

Self-Advocacy and Health Promotion. Promote personal, family, and community health and well-being.

Information and resource seeking. Access, evaluate, and use valid and reliable health information, products, services, and related resources.

Self-awareness and Analyzing Influences. Examine how emotions, thoughts, needs, values, beliefs, and other factors (both internal and external) influence behaviors and articulate how these influences impact health behavior and outcomes.

Movement Skills. Demonstrate competence in, and knowledge of, a variety of movement forms, motor skills, physical fitness components, and principles in order to engage in purposeful and health-promoting physical activity, including sports and games.

Social Awareness, Relationship, and Communication Skills. Enhance relationships, personal health, and the health of others through social awareness and effective communication.

Self-management and Goal Setting. Set goals, engage in health-promoting behaviors, and avoid risky behaviors.

Decision-making and Problem-Solving. Make health-promoting, informed, responsible decisions, and solve problems, in a variety of health-related situations.

Healthy Relationships

Analyze the similarities and differences between friendships, romantic relationships, and sexual relationships and discuss various ways to show affection within different relationships (e.g., holding hands, hugging, kind words, acts of kindness, kissing, sexual behaviors). [HE; SE]

Compare and contrast the continuum of relationship behaviors (including identifying healthier and less healthy behaviors, and the potential impacts of power differences such as age, gender, status or position within relationships) and how these impact health and well-being. [HE; SE]

Identify warning signs of potential danger in a relationship and strategies to get help. [HE; SE]

Evaluate options and strategies a person might use to end an unhealthy relationship, including involving a trusted adult who can help. [HE; SE]

Define consent and describe factors, including drugs and alcohol, that may influence one’s capacity to request consent, and to give and receive consent, including sexual consent, in a variety of situations. [HE; SE]

Demonstrate the ability to apply a decision-making process to decisions related to consent in a variety of situations (e.g., friendships, familial, with an intimate partner, in a sexual relationship) and to communicate and respond to consent or non-consent. [HE; SE]

Demonstrate the ability to apply a decision-making model to arrive at a decision that promotes health and safety related to various types of relationships (including sexual relationships). [HPE; SE]

Physical Activity and Fitness

Effectively apply team building and problem-solving strategies, in varied contexts, during various physical activities (e.g., outdoor adventure, cooperative games, team sports, net/wall games). [PE; SE]

Apply strategies for overcoming individual or group challenges or problems in a physical activity setting. [PE; SE]

Implement effective offensive and defensive strategies (i.e., creating open space, reducing space, shot selection, reduce offensive options for opponents using tactics and shots, select and apply appropriate shot and technique, defensive ready position) during game play for a variety of games (including net/wall games, target games, invasion games, fielding and striking games, etc.). [PE]

Seek strategies for minimizing barriers and maximizing facilitators (e.g., time, space, physical abilities, access to equipment, overuse of digital devices) that help maintain a physically active lifestyle. [PE]

Personal Safety

Describe the role of individual versus shared responsibility in staying safe in a variety of situations (e.g., outdoor recreation, motor vehicle safety, digital safety, threats of violence). [HPE]

Evaluate a variety of non-violent responses to address conflict and demonstrate the ability to use these responses to act on health-related decisions. [HPE; SE]

Analyze barriers that may prevent someone from reporting unsafe situations and child maltreatment to adults and identify strategies to overcome these barriers. [HE]

Demonstrate the ability to use a decision-making process to thoughtfully and effectively address personal safety in a variety of situations. [HPE]

Discuss how systemic and other factors (e.g., home rules, school connectedness, environment, available supports, available equipment, weather, gender-based violence, racism, and discrimination) help or hinder an individual’s ability to remain safe in a variety of situations. [HPE]

Evaluate potential options and consequences for decisions related to personal safety in a variety of situations (e.g., motor vehicle safety, physical injury, digital safety, threats of violence, inappropriate touch, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse). [HPE]

Describe laws (e.g., age of consent laws, child abuse, including sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation laws, parental notification laws) that relate to young people’s sexual health and the rights of adolescents to maintain their own health, and how these might impact decisions related to sexual health. [HE]

Define exploitation, human trafficking and sex trafficking, and describe strategies used for and warning sign behaviors of exploitation and recruitment of youth. [HE]

Demonstrate strategies for avoiding situations that may lead to human trafficking and sexual exploitation and for getting help if concerned about self or others. [HE]

Explain the potential consequences of requesting, sending, or digitally posting sexually explicit pictures or messages (e.g., on social media sites, chat groups, e-mail, texting, websites, phone and tablet applications, and other digital forms) and demonstrate the ability to make health-promoting decisions related to safe and legal activity in online and digital spaces. [HE]

Demonstrate strategies for keeping oneself safe online and in digital spaces (including situations that could lead to exploitation or trafficking, and online sexual harassment). [HE]

Describe the characteristics of various forms of abuse (i.e., physical abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, financial abuse, sexual abuse and exploitation), provide examples of how abuse is used to control an individual, and demonstrate strategies for getting help. [HE]

Sexual Health

Apply an effective decision-making process in situations related to sexual health. [HE]

Identify valid and reliable sources of information and resources to inform and support sexual health choices. [HE]

Analyze ways to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including methods that can be taken before becoming sexually active (e.g., communicating with a partner, HPV vaccine, contraception). [HE]

Describe possible short- and long-term consequences (positive and negative) of engaging in sexual activity and identify ways to avoid negative or potentially harmful consequences. [HE]

Articulate the benefits of postponing sexual activity and setting personal limits, including to avoid early or unintended pregnancy and to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections, based on personal beliefs and values. [HE]

Analyze personal beliefs (including level of readiness) and values related to sexual activity and sexual health. [HE]

Explain the importance of, and ways to identify, setting personal limits to avoid unintended outcomes from risky or unwanted sexual behavior and to make sexual health decisions. [HE]

Describe strategies that can be used to make decisions that adhere to personal values, beliefs, and limits. [HE]

Substance Use and Misuse

Thoughtfully apply a decision-making process in situations or to problems related to legal (e.g., prescription drugs prescribed to you, over-the-counter drugs, [at a certain age] nicotine, electronic vapor products, alcohol, and marijuana) and illegal drug (e.g., prescription drugs not prescribed to you, cocaine) use. [HE]

Identify circumstances that enable or encourage the use and misuse of legal and illegal drugs (in regard to age of legal use or type of substance), determine when situations or problems related to illegal drugs might require assistance, and identify possible options in how to respond. [HE]

Access valid and reliable information (from home, school, and community) about legal and illegal drugs (in regard to age of legal use or type of substance) and use it to understand and communicate the risks and dangers of drug use and misuse. [HE]

Analyze factors (e.g., personal beliefs, source of substance, purpose of use) that may affect a decision to use of legal or illegal substances. [HE]

Analyze the potential negative effects of legal and illegal drug use on personal safety, physical activity, relationships with friends and families, school success, brain development, and attainment of present and future goals. [HPE]

Develop positive norms regarding substance use (e.g., most people (including teens) do not use illegal drugs, most teens do not use nicotine or regularly consume alcohol, and most teens refrain from even trying marijuana). [HE]

Mental and Emotional Health

Explain the role of individual and collective responsibility for maintaining and enhancing mental and emotional well-being and describe environmental and contextual factors that affect mental and emotional health and well-being. [HPE; SE]

Create and monitor personal goals to meet identified emotional and mental health needs or wants and identify people or resources to assist in meeting those goals. [HPE; SE]

Analyze and demonstrate strategies for planning, prioritizing, and managing time. [HPE; SE]

Describe and demonstrate strategies to effectively manage changing emotions during adolescence. [HPE; SE]

Describe how emotions can impact one’s behaviors and experiences and how this might vary in differing contexts. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate techniques to independently manage emotions in a variety of settings. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate behaviors that will maintain or improve the mental and emotional well-being of self and others. [HPE; SE]

Explain possible outcomes of expressing or repressing emotions. [HPE; SE]

Examine how various coping strategies may help or harm health. [HPE; SE]

Apply health-promoting coping and stress management strategies. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate strategies to persevere when facing adversity. [HPE; SE]

Physical Activity and Fitness

Analyze areas of strength related to physical activity, fitness and movement skills, identify areas for improvement and demonstrates practice for individual improvement. [PE]

Apply movement concepts to different types of dances, gymnastics, rhythms, and individual performance activities. [PE]

Apply knowledge of aerobic, strength and endurance, and flexibility training exercises through the design and implementation of a short- and long-term health-related fitness program (that includes a warm-up and cool down, addresses all components and principles of fitness) that builds on strengths and addresses areas for improvement in fitness level. [PE]

Describe how self-expression and enjoyment impacts individual engagement in physical activity. [PE; SE]

Recognize and implement safe and appropriate behaviors during physical activity and with exercise equipment. [PE]

Demonstrate the ability to follow game rules in a variety of physical activity situations and applies and respects the importance of etiquette. [PE]

Apply dynamic and static stretching to exercise in warm-up, cool down, flexibility, endurance, and physical activities. [PE]

Discuss various strategies for monitoring workout intensity (e.g., heart rate monitors, rate of perceived exertion [RPE] scale) and describe strategies for adjusting workouts based on results from monitoring to meet goals or targets. [PE]

Compare and contrast health-related and skill-related fitness components (i.e., strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, balance, speed, balance, agility) and principles (i.e., overload, specificity, progression, FITT – frequency, intensity, time, type). [HPE]

Explain connections between fitness and physical activity level and overall physical, emotional, and mental health. [HPE]

Apply knowledge of personal health practices in order to self-select meaningful physical activities. [PE]

Sexual Health

Assess personal health practices and develop short- and long-term goals that support healthy sexual behaviors (e.g., abstinence, delay, use of contraception, use of barriers, giving and obtaining consent). [HE]

Determine strategies that will reduce the risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and early pregnancy. [HE]

Examine reasons and considerations (e.g., cultural and societal norms, personal values and beliefs) for determining emotional readiness for sexual behaviors. [HE]

Describe how sexual health values and priorities may change over time, with varying responsibilities and maturity. [HE]

Healthy Relationships

Identify characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships and ways to seek help in unhealthy or unwanted relationships. [HE; SE]

Describe potential impacts of power and privilege (e.g., associated with age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, immigration status, ability, position of authority) within a variety of relationships and in various settings. [HPE; SE]

Analyze ways that prejudice, discrimination (e.g., sexism), and injustice can impact relationship health and describe ways to address these issues to support health of self and others. [HPE; SE]

Apply conflict resolution strategies in a variety of situations (e.g., interpersonal, intrapersonal, intragroup, intergroup). [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate positive ways to communicate differences of opinion in a variety of relationships (e.g., familial, peer, teacher) and situations (e.g., in class, outside of school, on a team). [HPE; SE]

Compare and contrast bullying, harassment, and abuse and demonstrate ways to support and seek help for someone who is being bullied, harassed, or abused, or who is the target of unhealthy or coercive behaviors. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills (e.g., listening, conflict resolution, negotiation, refusal) that foster healthy relationships, communicate boundaries, and show respect in a variety of situations (e.g., familial relationships, peer relationships, romantic relationships). [HPE; SE]

Articulate how respectful behaviors may vary among populations and how those behaviors contribute to positive social interaction in various settings [HPE; SE].

Explain why consent and respecting a person’s boundaries are important. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate effective approaches to boundary setting (e.g., acknowledge feelings, communicate the boundary, target alternative), maintenance of a variety of boundaries (e.g., related to technology use, emotional, physical). [HPE; SE]

Recognizing when boundaries are being violated and identify tactics used to coerce or pressure someone to change a personal boundary (e.g., to have sex, to share a password, to send an explicit photo, break a rule). [HE; SE]

Demonstrate techniques and assertive responses to counter coercive tactics in order to maintain boundaries. [HE; SE]

Analyze how media and technology can be both a positive and negative influence on beliefs about what constitutes a healthy relationship (including sexual relationships). [HE; SE]

Analyze the impact of technology and social media on relationships (e.g., use of smartphones, sharing relationship information, GPS tracking). [HE; SE]

Mental and Emotional Health

Discuss how adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress as well as resilience and positive childhood experiences can impact mental and emotional health and demonstrate ways to communicate effectively about these factors and ways to support people who have experienced or are experiencing trauma. [HE; SE]

Identify how emotions can influence communication (e.g., anger or anxiety may affect the ability to listen well) and demonstrate strategies (e.g., ask for time to calm down, go to a peace corner, take deep breaths) to communicate effectively when experiencing a range of emotions and in a variety of situations. [HPE; SE]

Accurately recognize and effectively respond to emotions, thoughts, values, and perspectives when communicating with others and when resolving interpersonal conflicts. [HPE; SE]

Analyze how people from diverse groups can learn from each other and how this can enhance emotional well-being. [HPE; SE]

Apply refusal or negotiation skills in ways that support or improve mental health and minimize health risks. [HPE; SE]

Advocate for oneself by creating ‘I’-messages to express feelings and needs in appropriate ways. [HPE; SE]

Identify signs and symptoms of mental and emotional distress, in self and others, that may require assistance from adults. [HE; SE]

Demonstrate how to respond (e.g., calling 9-8-8, telling a trusted adult) when there is a concern about one’s own or someone else’s mental well-being or where someone is considering harming or killing themselves. [HE; SE]

Effectively express needs, wants, emotions, and feelings (including affection, love, friendship, concern, anger) in respectful and health-promoting ways. [HPE; SE]

Physical Activity and Fitness

Understand and accept others’ differences during a variety of physical activities. [PE]

Describe how social interaction impacts individual engagement in physical activity. [PE; SE]

Use communication skills to negotiate strategies and tactics in a physical activity setting. [PE; SE]

Exhibit responsible social behaviors by respectfully interacting with others, including and cooperating with classmates, asking for help when needed for self and others, maintaining positive relationships, and collaborating productively on problem-solving initiatives during adventure activities, large-group initiatives, and/or game play. [HPE; SE]

Provide constructive feedback to a peer, using teacher-generated guidelines, and incorporate appropriate tone and other communication skills (e.g., eye-contact, body language). [HPE; SE]

Collaboratively establish norms and guidelines for resolving conflicts and use those rules/guidelines/agreements to resolve conflict or respond to participants’ ethical and unethical behavior during physical activity. [PE; SE]

Sexual Health

Explain the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity. [HE]

Explain three dimensions of sexual orientation (i.e., identity, attraction, and behavior) and how they are all a part of an individual’s sexual orientation that may or may not align with each other. [HE]

Explain how assigned sex assigned at birth, gender identity, and gender expression are distinct concepts and how they interact with each other. [HE]

Explain that attractions can be romantic, emotional, and/or sexual to an individual of the same gender and/or a different gender(s) and that attractions can change over time. [HE]

Demonstrate the ability to create or maintain positive relationships with people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. [HPE; SE]

Substance Use and Misuse

Analyze social situations in multiple settings (e.g., at home, at school, out with friends, at a party) that could lead to the use of nicotine, electronic vapor products, alcohol, or other illegal (in regard to age, use, or type) and potentially harmful substances. [HE]

Analyze influences (e.g., culture, peers, media, perceptions of norms) that could lead to the use of nicotine, electronic vapor products, alcohol, or other illegal (in regard to age, use, or type) and potentially harmful substances. [HE]

Describe the ways that social characteristics (i.e., socioeconomic status, culture, gender) can impact risk and protective factors for substance use and misuse. [HE]

Summarize and communicate the effects of using legal (e.g., prescription drugs prescribed to you, over-the-counter drugs, and [at a certain age] nicotine, electronic vapor products, alcohol and marijuana) and illegal drugs (e.g., prescription drugs not prescribed to you, cocaine) on brain development and multiple dimensions of health (e.g., physical, social, occupational, mental/emotional). [HE]

Demonstrate effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills (including refusal) to keep self or others safe in substance use- and misuse-related situations (e.g., avoiding riding with a driver who is under the influence, seeking help, leaving a situation) in order to protect individuals from risk or injury. [HE]

Physical Activity and Fitness

Exhibit developmentally-appropriate command of locomotor and non-locomotor skills, rhythm, and timing. [PE]

Demonstrate movement sequences within varied dance forms to music as an individual or in a group. [PE]

Demonstrate developmentally-appropriate manipulative skills (i.e., throwing and catching, striking [with and without implements], volleying, serving [with hands and implements], dribbling with hands and feet, and shooting) in a variety of practice tasks, small sides games and other physical activities (including net/wall games, cooperative games, target games, invasion games, fielding and striking games). [PE]

Effectively combine and apply locomotor, stability/non-locomotor (e.g., weight transfer), and manipulative skills in a variety of athletic and physical activities, and game play (including net/wall games, target games, invasion games, fielding and striking games). [PE]

Demonstrate correct technique for basic skills in at least two self-selected outdoor sports or physical activities (e.g., hiking, skateboarding, cross country or downhill skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking/canoeing, parkour), individual performance activities, or indoor/dance activities (e.g., hip-hop/line/folk dance, swimming, gymnastics, wrestling, self-defense). [PE]

Demonstrate effective techniques related to developing muscular strength and endurance, including appropriate and safe use of exercise machines, free weights, and bodyweight exercises. [PE]

Public, Community and Environmental Health

Analyze how a variety of social determinants of health (e.g., education, social environment, socioeconomic conditions, food availability, public safety, discrimination) may impact health at different levels (e.g., individual, family, and community). [HPE]

Analyze how stigma and public perception can influence access to health and health care (e.g., menstrual health care, mental health services and supports, preventative screenings). [HE]

Explain how public health policies and government regulations influence health promotion and disease prevention in both positive and negative ways. [HE]

Analyze how environmental factors (e.g., air quality, trash and litter, availability of clean drinking water) and types of pollution (e.g., air, noise, chemical, water) affect health. [HPE]

Encourage others to improve health outcomes. [HPE]

Personal Safety

Analyze how various influences (e.g., peers, family, culture, society, school, and community policies) impact the safety of adolescents in a varied of situations (including during physical activity). [HPE]

Analyze laws related to sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence and how the laws impact individual safety. [HE]

Analyze how sharing or posting personal information electronically about self or others (e.g., chat groups, email, texting, sexting, websites, social media, phone and tablet applications) can impact the safety of self or others. [HE]

Sexual Health

Explain how perceptions, social norms, and social environment influence thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors toward sexual orientation, sexual health and sexual activity. [HE; SE]

Analyze external influences (e.g., peers, media, technology, family, society, community, culture, cultural stigmas) that have an impact on an individual’s attitudes, beliefs, and expectations about gender identity, gender roles, and sexual orientation. [HE; SE]

Analyze internal and external influences (e.g., personal values and beliefs, peers, media, technology, family, society, community, culture, stigmas) that have an impact on an individual’s sexual behaviors. [HE; SE]

Mental and Emotional Health

Describe situations where professional health services are necessary to support or improve mental and emotional well-being. [HE]

Demonstrate the ability to access professional health services if needed. [HE; SE]

Locate valid and reliable products and services to enhance mental and emotional well-being, manage stress and emotions, and treat mental health conditions. [HE]

Physical Health and Hygiene

Determine the accessibility of public, community, and environmental products, resources and services that enhance health and identify supports or barriers to accessing the products or services. [HPE]

Locate valid and reliable information on puberty, personal hygiene, menstruation, and personal health products from a variety of resources in one’s home, school, and community and evaluate their validity. [HPE]

Access personal health products (e.g., deodorant, hair care, menstrual products, sunscreen, dental care products) based on individual needs, and evaluate the ease of accessibility and use. [HPE]

Locate a variety of personal health-related digital resources and assess each for reliability and validity. [HPE]

Identify sources of support such as parents or other trusted adults to whom students can go if they or someone they know is being bullied, harassed, abused, assaulted, or exploited. [HPE; SE]

Explain why a person who has been bullied, exploited, sexually harassed, sexually abused, sexually assaulted, or has been a victim of incest, rape, domestic violence, dating violence, or gender-based violence is not at fault. [HPE]

Locate community resources that provide support and resources related to sexual exploitation or for getting help for self or others in situations related to sex trafficking. [HE]

Sexual Health

Analyze the validity of claims for health information, products, and services about human sexual and reproductive health. [HE]

Access credible sources of information about human sexual and reproductive health (including pregnancy and pregnancy options). [HE]

Access credible sources of information about gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and healthy sexuality development. [HE]

Identify parents, guardians, or other supportive and trusted adults to whom students can ask questions about gender, gender-role stereotypes, gender identity, and sexual orientation and demonstrate strategies for engaging in these conversations. [HE; SE]

Mental and Emotional Health

Analyze how stereotyping, bias, prejudice, and discrimination can impact mental and emotional health. [HPE; SE]

Analyze influences on body image and the relationship between body image, disordered eating, and mental health. [HPE; SE]

Analyze the effects of social media on mental and emotional health. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate strategies for supporting healthy body image in youth and adolescents. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate strategies for reducing stigma related to mental health. [HPE; SE]

Utilize positive peer and societal norms when formulating a health-promoting position related to eliminating discrimination, injustice, and challenge negative norms. [HPE; SE]

Evaluate strategies for opposing, reducing, or eliminating stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, and injustice. [HPE; SE]

Encourage others to refrain from teasing or bullying others based on personal characteristics (e.g., race, national origin, disability, body shape or weight), or personal values and beliefs. [HPE; SE]

Nutrition and Balanced Eating

Demonstrate the importance of food to all people and how food is used to keep us healthy, return us to health, and connect us (e.g., soup when you are ill, comfort food, food after major events). [HE]

Analyze a variety of influences (e.g., media, peers, family, culture, stigmas, school, economics, food access, food production and cultivation) on nutrition-related beliefs and behaviors, and today’s society. [HE]

Discuss a variety of perspectives on health-promoting eating practices (e.g., food guidelines from other countries and cultures, USDA Guidelines and Harvard’s Healthy Eating plate, cultural food practices, buying locally grown or produced foods) and describe the health benefits of and strategies for implementing these practices. [HE]

Articulate a health-promoting position on a nutrition-related topic and support the claim with accurate information. [HPE]

Identify personal dietary needs (e.g., dietary allergies, food preferences) and goals, and advocate to address the identified needs and goals. [HPE]

Collaborate effectively to support nutrition-related practices or behaviors that maintain or enhance health. [HPE]

Personal Safety

State a position, supported by accurate information, that encourages peers to adopt or continue practices that maintain or enhance personal safety. [HPE]

Demonstrate how to influence and support others to make choices that maintain or enhance personal safety. [HPE]

Work cooperatively to support the safety of individuals, families, and communities. [HPE; SE]

Identify reasons that harassment is harmful and illegal along with warning signs for when to report it and seek help from a safe/trusted adult or health professional. [HE]

Sexual Health

Demonstrate ways to show courtesy and respect for others when aspects of their sexuality (e.g., sexual activity [including abstinence], sexual orientation) or gender (e.g., gender expression, gender identity) are different from one’s own. [HPE; SE]

Encourage others to refrain from teasing or bullying others based on their sexuality (e.g., sexual activity [including abstinence], sexual orientation) or gender (e.g., gender expression, gender identity). [HPE; SE]

Identify behaviors, policies and practices in the school community that promote or hinder dignity and respect for all individuals, including those of different sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expression. [HPE; SE]