Middle School Resources

Lessons on growth and development/puberty education

Recommended Lessons

A curriculum resource provided by Planned Parenthood Northern California.

These five lessons are recommended for 6th grade students:

 6th grade – Planned Parenthood

• Lesson 1: All Bodies
• Lesson 2: Male Bodies
• Lesson 3: Female Bodies
• Lesson 4: Pregnancy, Birth & Safety
• Lesson 5: Healthy Relationships

6 lessons on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs

Curriculum

SECOND STEP

SECOND STEP curriculum helps students learn the protective skills to make good choices and stay engaged in school despite the pitfalls of substance abuse, bullying, cyber bullying, and peer pressure. 

Recommended Lessons

• Lesson 10: Problem Solving: Using The Action Steps
• Lesson 11: Problem Solving: Making a Plan
• Lesson 12: Substance Abuse Prevention: Tobacco and Marijuana
• Lesson 13: Substance Abuse Prevention: Alcohol and Inhalants
• Lesson 14: Substance Abuse Prevention: Identifying Hopes and Plans
• Lesson 15: Substance Abuse Prevention: Making a Commitment

6 lessons on nutrition and physical activity

Curriculum

Health Smart Middle School: Nutrition & Physical Activity

ETR’s Health Smart program gives children and youth the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and establish life-long healthy behaviors.

Recommended Lessons

Lesson 1: What are Nutrients
Lesson 2: What Should I Eat & How Much
Lesson 3: Assessing my Eating Habits
Lesson 9: What Influences My Food Choices?
Lesson 11: Body Image Basics
Lesson 15: Assessing My Physical Activity

3 lessons on injury prevention and safety

Curriculum

Health Smart Middle School: Violence & Injury Prevention

ETR’s Health Smart program gives children and youth the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and establish life-long healthy behaviors.

Recommended Lessons

• Lesson 1: Understanding Risks & Unintentional Injury
• Lesson 3: Safety Rules to Prevent Common Injury
• Lesson 6: Making Safe Decisions

2 lessons on family diversity and LGBTQ awareness

Curriculum

That’s a Family!

That’s a Family! is an entertaining documentary that breaks new ground in helping children in grades K-8 understand the different shapes families take today.

Recommended Lessons

Gay and Lesbian Parents, (Pg. 38 – 41)

Let’s Get Real

Let’s Get Real examines issues that lead to taunting and bullying, including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, religious differences, and sexual harassment.

Recommended Lessons

Chapter 6 – Vocabulary, What are and Why not to use

Anti – Gay Slurs (Pg, 46 – 47)

A Place in the Middle

A Place in the Middle is the true story of a young girl in Hawaiʻi who dreams of leading the boys-only hula group at her school, and a teacher who empowers her through traditional culture. This kid-friendly educational film is a great way to get students thinking and talking about the values of diversity and inclusion, the power of knowing your heritage, and how to prevent bullying by creating a school climate of aloha – from their own point of view! Free video and guide.

Recommended Lessons

View website

1 lesson on other health content areas and relevant health issues based on students’ needs and concerns

Curriculum

Let’s Get Real

Let’s Get Real examines issues that lead to taunting and bullying, including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, religious differences, and sexual harassment.

Recommended Lessons

• Chapter 5 – Sexual Harassment & Standing up as a group (Pg. 44 – 45)
• Activity, Flirting or Hurting (Pg. 76-78)

Common Sense Media’s Digital Life

Common Sense Media’s Digital Life series asks “What is the place of digital media in our lives?” Students are introduced to the 24/7, social nature of digital media and technologies, and gain basic vocabulary and knowledge for discussing the media landscape.

Recommended Lessons

• Online Safety, Digital Life 101
  Students watch the video “Digital Life 101,” which shows the 24/7, social nature of digital media — a change from the media consumption culture of the past. They then make similes about their digital lives and learn that because media connects us in more social and interactive ways than ever before, it is important to carry out online relationships responsibly. This lesson also serves as an assessment baseline for teachers to gain a better understanding of their students’ familiarity with digital media and vocabulary associated with digital life.

6 lessons on growth and development

Curriculum

San Francisco Unified School District’s
Healthy Me. Healthy Us.

Healthy Me. Healthy Us. is SFUSD’s comprehensive relationship and sexuality curriculum for 7h and 8th grade students. It is:

• Science informed
• Skill – based
• LGBTQ-inclusive
• Designed to meet the California Health Education Content Standards
• Designed to meet AB 329: CA Healthy Youth Act

The content of these lessons was created by School Health Programs with the support of community based organizations and classroom teachers. Some lessons were adapted from Advocates for Youth’s – Rights, Respect, Responsibility curriculum.

The T Word

Actress and trans advocate Laverne Cox presents an eye-opening documentary about seven brave transgender youth who are showing the world what it means to defy expectations and live their lives – and truth – as authentically as possible.

Recommended Lessons

Streaming Online

6 lessons on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs

Curriculum

Project ALERT

The Project ALERT curriculum was created and tested by RAND, the nation’s leading think tank on drug policy. Developed over a ten-year period, Project ALERT addresses the pro-drug mindset of today’s teens and effectively increases their likelihood to remain drug-free.

Recommended Lessons

• Lesson 1: Introduction to Project Alert
• Lesson 2: Consequences of Smoking Cigarettes and Marijuana
• Lesson 3: Drinking Consequences and Alternatives
• Lesson 4: Introduction to Pressures
• Lesson 5: Social Pressures to Use Drugs
• Lesson 6: Practicing Resistance Skills

6 lessons on nutrition and physical activity

Curriculum

Health Smart Middle School: Nutrition & Physical Activity

ETR’s Health Smart program gives children and youth the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and establish life-long healthy behaviors.

Recommended Lessons

• Lesson 4: Reading a Food Label
• Lesson 5: Eating Breakfast Every Day
• Lesson 6: Healthy Snacking
• Lesson 13: Dieting Dangers & Healthy Ways to Manage Weight
• Lesson 16: Staying Safe While Getting Fit
• Lesson 17: My Healthy Eating & Physical Activity Goal

3 lessons on injury prevention and safety

Curriculum

Health Smart Middle School: Nutrition & Physical Activity

ETR’s Health Smart program gives children and youth the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and establish life-long healthy behaviors.

• Recommended Lessons
• Lesson 5: Resisting Dares
• Lesson 6: Making Safe Decisions
• Lesson 8: Understanding Violence

2 lessons on family diversity and LGBTQ awareness

Curriculum

Be Ready!

Is SFUSDs 7^th grade comprehensive sexuality curriculum

Recommended Lessons

• Lesson 7: Being an Ally

A Place in the Middle

A Place in the Middle is the true story of a young girl in Hawaiʻi who dreams of leading the boys-only hula group at her school, and a teacher who empowers her through traditional culture. This kid-friendly educational film is a great way to get students thinking and talking about the values of diversity and inclusion, the power of knowing your heritage, and how to prevent bullying by creating a school climate of aloha – from their own point of view! Free video and guide.

Recommended Lessons

View website

1 lesson on other health content areas and relevant health issues based on students’ needs and concerns

Curriculum

Let’s Get Real

Let’s Get Real examines issues that lead to taunting and bullying, including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, religious differences, and sexual harassment.

Recommended Lessons

• Chapter 5 – Sexual Harassment & Standing up as a group (Pg. 44 – 45)
• Activity, Flirting or Hurting (Pg. 76-78)

Common Sense Media’s Digital Life

Common Sense Media’s Digital Life series asks “What is the place of digital media in our lives?” Students are introduced to the 24/7, social nature of digital media and technologies, and gain basic vocabulary and knowledge for discussing the media landscape.

Recommended Lessons

• Online Safety, Digital Life 101
  Students watch the video “Digital Life 101”,  which shows the 24/7, social nature of digital media — a change from the media consumption culture of the past. They then make similes about their digital lives and learn that because media connects us in more social and interactive ways than ever before, it is important to carry out online relationships responsibly. This lesson also serves as an assessment baseline for teachers to gain a better understanding of their students’ familiarity with digital media and vocabulary associated with digital life.

Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media asks “What are gender stereotypes, and can they shape our experiences online? Students are introduced to the concept of gender stereotypes, in both an online and offline context.

Recommended Lessons

• Gender Stereotypes online
  Students first discuss stereotypes about boys and girls: where they come from, how we learn them, and why they can be restrictive. Students then identify and discuss gender stereotypes in the “Dress Up Your Avatar” feature of a virtual world for kids.

6 lessons on growth and development

Curriculum

San Francisco Unified School District’s
Healthy Me. Healthy Us.

Healthy Me. Healthy Us. is SFUSD’s comprehensive relationship and sexuality curriculum for 7h and 8th grade students. It is:

• Science informed
• Skill – based
• LGBTQ-inclusive
• Designed to meet the California Health Education Content Standards
• Designed to meet AB 329: CA Healthy Youth Act

The content of these lessons was created by School Health Programs with the support of community based organizations and classroom teachers. Some lessons were adapted from Advocates for Youth’s – Rights, Respect, Responsibility curriculum.

6 lessons on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs

Curriculum

Health Smart Middle School: Tobacco Alcohol & other Drug Prevention.

Recommended Lessons

• Lesson 1: Alcohol: What’s the Truth?
• Lesson 2: Tobacco: What’s the Truth?
• Lesson 3: Marijuana: What’s the Truth?
• Lesson 4: Consequences of Drugs Use: How Bad Could it Be?
• Lesson 5: Tobacco Companies are they Targeting Youth?
• Lesson 6: Tobacco and Alcohol Ads: What are they Really Saying

6 lessons on nutrition and physical activity

Curriculum

Health Smart Middle School: Nutrition & Physical Activity

ETR’s Health Smart program gives children and youth the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and establish life-long healthy behaviors.

Recommended Lessons

• Lesson 1: Eating Healthy at Fast-Food Restaurants
• Lesson 2: Keeping Food Safe to Eat
• Lesson 3: What influences My Food Choices?
• Lesson 4: Body Image Basics
• Lesson 5: Eating Disorders
• Lesson 6: Tracking My Progress

3 lessons on injury prevention and safety

Curriculum

Health Smart Middle School: Nutrition & Physical Activity

ETR’s Health Smart program gives children and youth the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and establish life-long healthy behaviors.

Recommended Lessons

• Lesson 1: Being Emotionally Healthy
• Lesson 2: Qualities of a Healthy Relationships
• Lesson 3: Building Healthy Relationships through Communication
• Lesson 4: Expressing your Feelings
• Lesson 5: Dealing with Troublesome Feelings
• Lesson 6: Getting Help for Yourself or a Friend

2 lessons on family diversity and LGBTQ awareness

Curriculum

Be Ready!

Is SFUSDs 7^th grade comprehensive sexuality curriculum

Recommended Lessons

• Lesson 7: Being an Ally

A Place in the Middle

A Place in the Middle is the true story of a young girl in Hawaiʻi who dreams of leading the boys-only hula group at her school, and a teacher who empowers her through traditional culture. This kid-friendly educational film is a great way to get students thinking and talking about the values of diversity and inclusion, the power of knowing your heritage, and how to prevent bullying by creating a school climate of aloha – from their own point of view! Free video and guide.

Recommended Lessons

View website

1 lesson on other health content areas and relevant health issues based on students’ needs and concerns

Curriculum

Let’s Get Real

Let’s Get Real examines issues that lead to taunting and bullying, including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, religious differences, and sexual harassment.

Recommended Lessons

• Chapter 5 – Sexual Harassment & Standing up as a group (Pg. 44 – 45)
• Activity, Flirting or Hurting (Pg. 76-78)

Common Sense Media’s Digital Life

Common Sense Media’s Digital Life series asks “What is the place of digital media in our lives?” Students are introduced to the 24/7, social nature of digital media and technologies, and gain basic vocabulary and knowledge for discussing the media landscape.

Recommended Lessons

• Online Safety, Digital Life 101
  Students watch the video “Digital Life 101”, which shows the 24/7, social nature of digital media — a change from the media consumption culture of the past. They then make similes about their digital lives and learn that because media connects us in more social and interactive ways than ever before, it is important to carry out online relationships responsibly. This lesson also serves as an assessment baseline for teachers to gain a better understanding of their students’ familiarity with digital media and vocabulary associated with digital life.

Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media asks “What are gender stereotypes, and can they shape our experiences online? Students are introduced to the concept of gender stereotypes, in both an online and offline context.

Recommended Lessons

• Gender Stereotypes online
  Students first discuss stereotypes about boys and girls: where they come from, how we learn them, and why they can be restrictive. Students then identify and discuss gender stereotypes in the “Dress Up Your Avatar” feature of a virtual world for kids.