Lesson Plan
Healthy Habits Heroes
Students will understand how daily habits like sleep, nutrition, and exercise impact their overall wellbeing and stress levels, and identify healthy choices.
This lesson empowers students to make informed choices that support a balanced and less stressful life, fostering a proactive approach to their personal health.
Audience
4th Grade Students
Time
60 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, direct instruction, and a personal tracking project.
Materials
Smartboard or Projector, Fuel Your Superpowers Slide Deck, Markers or Whiteboard, My Wellbeing Tracker Project, Wellbeing Tracker Rubric, Pencils, and Crayons/Colored Pencils
Prep
Preparation Steps
15 minutes
- Review the Fuel Your Superpowers Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
* Print copies of the My Wellbeing Tracker Project and Wellbeing Tracker Rubric, one for each student.
* Ensure a smartboard or projector is set up and working.
* Gather markers or whiteboard pens, and ensure students have pencils and coloring supplies.
Step 1
Introduction: What Are Habits?
5 minutes
- Begin by asking students: "What is a habit? Can you give an example of a habit you have?" (e.g., brushing teeth, eating breakfast, playing outside).
* Explain that habits are things we do regularly, often without thinking much about them.
* Introduce the idea that some habits help us feel good, and some might make us feel tired or stressed.
Step 2
Introducing Wellbeing and Stress
10 minutes
- Display Slide 2 of the Fuel Your Superpowers Slide Deck: "What is Wellbeing?" and discuss.
* Display Slide 3: "What is Stress?" and discuss. Ask students to share examples of when they might feel stressed (e.g., before a test, moving to a new school). Emphasize that stress is a normal feeling.
* Transition to how habits can affect both wellbeing and stress.
Step 3
Habits and Their Superpowers
20 minutes
- Go through Slides 4-6 covering Sleep, Nutrition, and Exercise.
* Sleep (Slide 4): Discuss why sleep is important (body rests, brain refreshes). Ask: "How do you feel when you don't get enough sleep?"
* Nutrition (Slide 5): Talk about healthy foods as
Step 4
Project Introduction: My Wellbeing Tracker
15 minutes
- Introduce the My Wellbeing Tracker Project. Explain that students will track their own habits related to sleep, nutrition, and exercise for a week.
* Distribute the My Wellbeing Tracker Project and the Wellbeing Tracker Rubric.
* Go over the instructions and expectations for the project, using the Wellbeing Tracker Rubric to clarify grading criteria.
* Answer any student questions about the project.
Step 5
Conclusion: Healthy Habits Heroes
10 minutes
- Revisit the idea of being a "Healthy Habits Hero." Ask students to share one healthy habit they are excited to focus on this week.
* Emphasize that making small changes can have a big impact on their wellbeing and ability to manage stress.
* Collect the My Wellbeing Tracker Project and Wellbeing Tracker Rubric to review initial understanding and distribute for tracking.
use Lenny to create lessons.
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Slide Deck
Fuel Your Superpowers!
Becoming a Healthy Habits Hero!
Welcome students and introduce the exciting journey into becoming a 'Healthy Habits Hero'!
What is Wellbeing?
Wellbeing is how good you feel about your life and yourself!
It's about being:
- Healthy in your body
- Happy in your mind
- Calm in your feelings
Ask students what they think wellbeing means. Guide them to understand it's about feeling good physically, mentally, and emotionally.
What is Stress?
Stress is a feeling of being worried or anxious.
Your body might tell you:
- A fast heartbeat
- Butterflies in your tummy
- Feeling tired or grumpy
It's your body's way of saying: "Something important is happening!"
Ask students when they feel stressed. Validate their feelings and explain that stress is a normal response to challenging situations. Emphasize that we can learn to manage it.
Superpower #1: Sleep!
Sleep helps your body and brain rest and recharge!
Healthy Sleep Habits:
- Go to bed at a similar time each night.
- Make your room dark and quiet.
- Read a book before bed instead of looking at screens.
How it helps with stress: A rested brain can think more clearly and deal with problems better!
Discuss the importance of sleep. Ask: 'How do you feel when you don't get enough sleep?' Connect sleep to having energy and a clear mind.
Superpower #2: Nutrition!
Eating healthy foods gives your body the fuel it needs to play, learn, and grow!
Healthy Eating Habits:
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
- Choose water instead of sugary drinks.
- Have a balanced breakfast.
How it helps with stress: Good food gives you steady energy and helps your body stay strong to handle challenges.
Discuss healthy eating. Ask: 'What are some foods that give you energy?' Talk about 'go foods' and 'slow foods.'
Superpower #3: Exercise!
Moving your body makes you stronger and happier!
Healthy Exercise Habits:
- Play outside every day.
- Try different sports or activities.
- Take a walk with your family.
How it helps with stress: Exercise helps you let out energy and can make you feel calm and focused!
Talk about different ways to be active. Ask: 'What are your favorite ways to move your body?' Emphasize that exercise isn't just sports; it's any movement.
Be a Healthy Habits Hero!
You have the power to make choices that help you feel great!
Let's explore your own habits with the My Wellbeing Tracker Project!
Introduce the project as a way for them to apply what they've learned and see how their own habits affect them. Encourage them to be their own 'Healthy Habits Hero'!
Project Guide
My Wellbeing Tracker Project: Be a Healthy Habits Hero!
Project Goal
To explore how your daily habits affect how you feel (your wellbeing!) and how you handle stress. You will track your sleep, food choices, and exercise for one week and then reflect on what you learned.
Instructions
- Understand Your Superpowers: Think about what we learned about sleep, nutrition, and exercise and how they help you feel your best.
- Get Ready to Track: For the next seven days, you will use the tracker provided below to record your habits.
- Daily Tracking: Each day, at the end of the day (or the next morning), fill in your tracker:
- Sleep: How many hours did you sleep? Did you go to bed around the same time?
- Nutrition: What healthy foods did you eat? Did you drink water?
- Exercise: How did you move your body today? (e.g., played at recess, rode bike, walked dog)
- How I Felt: On a scale of 1 (grumpy) to 5 (super happy!), how did you feel today?
- Weekly Reflection: After seven days, look at your tracker. Answer the reflection questions to think about what you noticed.
My Wellbeing Tracker
Week of: ____________________
| Day | Hours Slept | Healthy Foods Eaten | Exercise/Activity | How I Felt (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | ||||
| Tuesday | ||||
| Wednesday | ||||
| Thursday | ||||
| Friday | ||||
| Saturday | ||||
| Sunday |
Reflection Questions
- What was one healthy habit you did well this week? How did it make you feel?
- What was one habit you want to improve next week? Why?
- Did you notice any connection between your habits (sleep, food, exercise) and how you felt or handled stress? Give an example.
- What is one small change you can make to be an even better Healthy Habits Hero?
Rubric
Wellbeing Tracker Rubric
Project: My Wellbeing Tracker Project
Student Name: ________________________
| Category | 4 - Excellent | 3 - Good | 2 - Developing | 1 - Needs Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Tracking Completion | All 7 days are fully completed with detailed and accurate entries for all habits. | Most days (5-6) are completed with clear entries for most habits. | Some days (3-4) are completed with some missing or unclear entries. | Few (0-2) days are completed, or entries are very minimal/unclear. |
| Reflection Questions | All 4 reflection questions are answered thoughtfully and show deep understanding. | Most reflection questions are answered, showing good understanding. | Some reflection questions are answered, but understanding is limited. | Few or no reflection questions are answered, or answers are irrelevant. |
| Understanding of Habits | Clearly connects healthy habits (sleep, nutrition, exercise) to wellbeing and stress management in reflections. | Connects healthy habits to wellbeing and stress management in reflections. | Shows some understanding of healthy habits, but connections are weak. | Little to no understanding of how habits impact wellbeing/stress. |
| Effort and Neatness | Tracker and reflections are neat, organized, and clearly presented. | Tracker and reflections are mostly neat and organized. | Tracker and reflections are a bit messy or difficult to read. | Tracker and reflections are very messy and hard to understand. |
Total Score: ________ / 16