Tiffany+Stommen


 * A unit plan geared towards 7-8 grade students discussing the importance of a healthy lifestyle rather than the push for skinny. Students need to understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how to eat and exercise to, not only feel good but to improve their health.**

__**Why Adolescents and A Healthy Lifestyle?**__
 * Well, it seems like the middle school years are the most important years for teens to develop relationships, in doing this, they are constantly monitoring their own image; how they look physically (athletic or fit), how they appear to their peers and how they are portrayed by others. It's so important that during these years, students understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and that they understand the risks that can take place with choosing an unhealthy lifestyle. We will touch on nutrition, exercise, and the effects of a negative body image (self esteem) in this unit plan. Then students will be asked to write a persuasive letter to a fitness club, local business or restaurant stressing the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the importance of a positive image for teens.**


 * __Overview__: This is a 4 week Unit on adolescents and body image. It will discuss the importance of a healthy lifestyle, including, nutrition, exercise and the importance of self esteem for adolescents.**


 * __Objectives__:**
 * Students will develop an understanding of what a healthy lifestyle looks like.**
 * Students will develop an understanding of a nutritious diet.**
 * Students will develop an understanding of appropriate physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle.**
 * Students will develop an understanding of the health risks of a poor lifestyle.**
 * Based on what students learn about being healthy, they will be able to send out persuasive letters to local businesses and restaurants portraying the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and the need for healthy options and programs for all ages.**

__**Standards:**__
 * 1. Write arguments in which they: a.Introduce a claim about a topic or issue, acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically to support the claim. b.Support the claim with logical reasoning and detailed,**
 * relevant evidence that demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the topic. c.Use words, phrases, and clauses to convey the**
 * relationships among the claims, reasons, and evidence. d.Sustain an objective style and tone. e.Provide a concluding statement or**
 * selection that follows logically from the argument.**
 * 2. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach after rethinking how well questions of purpose have been addressed.**
 * 3. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.**
 * 4. Participate effectively in a range of interactions (one-on-one and in groups), exchanging information to advance a discussion and to build**
 * on the input of others.**


 * Unit Plan: 4 week unit plan, meets Monday-Friday, 50min. class periods.**


 * Writing Assignments:**
 * 1. Journals: Students will be asked to reflect on each of the topics discussed. They will write their feelings about the topic, as well as, new things they learned and how they can incorporate a healthy lifestyle into their future using each topic (nutrition, exercise and health issues).**
 * 2. Eating disorders worksheet**
 * 3. Persuasive letter: Write a letter to a local athletic club, business or restaurant and give them facts about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and persuade them of what they can do to help give adolescents choices and programs that will engage them in a healthy lifestyle and making better choices.**

__**References**__


 * Student at Western Michigan University**
 * t1collia@wmich.edu**
 * Please contact me with any questions or comments!**