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Health Quest

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Shannon Pierson

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Health Quest Lesson Plan

Guide 3rd graders through 24 thirty-minute sessions to understand and practice healthy habits across physical, social, mental, and emotional domains through interactive lessons, games, worksheets, and activities.

Building foundational knowledge and skills in all four health areas empowers students to make positive choices, communicate effectively, manage emotions, and maintain overall well‐being.

Audience

3rd Grade

Time

24 sessions × 30 minutes

Approach

Interactive, hands‐on, multisensory learning.

Materials

Physical Health Slide Deck (#physical-health-slide-deck), Physical Health Worksheet (#physical-health-worksheet), Physical Activity Cards (#physical-activity-cards), Social Health Slide Deck (#social-health-slide-deck), Social Skills Roleplay Cards (#social-skills-roleplay-cards), Social Health Worksheet (#social-health-worksheet), Mental Health Slide Deck (#mental-health-slide-deck), Mindfulness Activity Guide (#mindfulness-activity-guide), Mental Health Worksheet (#mental-health-worksheet), Emotional Health Slide Deck (#emotional-health-slide-deck), Emotion Charades Cards (#emotion-charades-cards), and Emotional Health Worksheet (#emotional-health-worksheet)

Prep

Teacher Preparation

1 hour

  • Review all four slide decks (Physical Health Slide Deck, Social Health Slide Deck, Mental Health Slide Deck, Emotional Health Slide Deck)
  • Print and organize session-specific worksheets and activity cards
  • Prepare classroom space for movement and group work
  • Identify students with IEP/504 needs and plan small-group supports or visual aids
  • Familiarize yourself with differentiation strategies for ELLs and students with special needs

Step 1

Session Structure—Warm-Up

5 minutes

  • Greet students and quickly recap prior session
  • Pose a “think-pair-share” question related to today’s health area
  • Activate background knowledge through a brief discussion or quick video clip
  • Materials: none or one slide from the relevant deck

Step 2

Session Structure—Mini-Lesson

10 minutes

  • Present key concepts on Relevant Health Slide Deck (swap deck per theme)
  • Use visuals, stories, or real-life examples
  • Check comprehension with 1–2 quick questions
  • Materials: slide deck, whiteboard or chart paper

Step 3

Session Structure—Activity/Game

10 minutes

  • Conduct a hands-on activity or interactive game tied to the session’s objective
    • Physical: use Physical Activity Cards for movement stations
    • Social: role-play scenarios with Social Skills Roleplay Cards
    • Mental: practice guided breathing from Mindfulness Activity Guide
    • Emotional: play charades with Emotion Charades Cards
  • Differentiate by pairing ELLs with buddies, offering sentence frames, or providing visual cues
  • Materials: activity/game cards, space for movement

Step 4

Session Structure—Worksheet & Reflection

5 minutes

  • Students complete a short worksheet (Physical Health Worksheet, etc.) reinforcing today’s lesson
  • Prompt written or oral reflection: “One thing I learned…” or “One way I can use this at home…”
  • Collect worksheets for formative assessment
  • Materials: session-specific worksheet

Step 5

Assessment & Differentiation Strategies

ongoing

  • Formative: Observe group work, review exit-ticket reflections, and check worksheets
  • Summative: At the end of each health domain (every 6 sessions), administer a brief quiz or project
  • Differentiation:
    • Provide sentence starters or word banks for ELLs
    • Offer one-on-one or small-group reteaching for students with IEP goals
    • Use peer tutoring and flexible grouping for social learners
    • Supply visual schedules and predictability cues for students needing structure
lenny

Slide Deck

Welcome to Physical Health!

What is Physical Health?

  • The well-being of our body
  • How we take care of ourselves every day

Welcome students and introduce today’s topic: physical health. Ask: “What does being healthy mean to you?” Take a few responses. Explain that physical health is all about caring for our bodies so we can play, learn, and feel our best.

Why Physical Health Matters

• Helps us have energy to play and learn
• Keeps our muscles and bones strong
• Protects us from getting sick

Think-Pair-Share: Why is it fun to feel healthy?

Explain why physical health matters. Encourage students to share why they think staying healthy is important. Link to personal experiences like playing sports or feeling energetic.

Nutrition: Fuel Your Body

Eating a variety of foods helps us grow and stay strong.

Food Groups:
• Fruits & Vegetables
• Grains & Proteins
• Dairy

Key Questions:

  • What is your favorite healthy food?
  • How does it help your body?

Introduce nutrition. Show images of fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy. Ask students to name foods in each group.

Exercise: Move Your Body

Physical activity keeps our hearts healthy and builds strong muscles.

Examples:
• Running or hopping
• Dancing or jumping rope
• Riding a bike or playing tag

Key Questions:

  • What activity makes you happiest?
  • How many minutes can you stay active each day?

Discuss exercise. You might demonstrate a quick stretch or jumping jack. Ask students to stand and follow along.

Sleep: Rest for Growth

Sleep helps our bodies rest, repair, and grow.

Healthy Sleep Habits:
• Go to bed at the same time every night
• Limit screen time before bed
• Read a quiet story or listen to calming music

Key Questions:

  • How many hours of sleep do you get?
  • What helps you fall asleep?

Talk about sleep. Emphasize bedtime routines. Ask students how many hours they sleep and what bedtime routine they follow.

Hygiene: Keep Clean

Good hygiene protects us from germs and keeps us healthy.

Daily Habits:
• Wash hands before eating and after bathroom
• Brush teeth twice a day
• Take a bath or shower regularly

Key Questions:

  • When should you wash your hands?
  • Why is brushing your teeth important?

Introduce hygiene. Show visuals of handwashing, brushing teeth, and bathing. You can play a quick handwashing song.

Review & Reflection

Today we learned:

  1. Nutrition: Fuel your body
  2. Exercise: Move your body
  3. Sleep: Rest for growth
  4. Hygiene: Keep clean

Reflection Question:
What is one healthy habit you will practice this week?

Review all four areas briefly: nutrition, exercise, sleep, and hygiene. Ask students to share one thing they will try at home this week. Collect responses on chart paper.

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Worksheet

Domain Health Worksheet

Name: ________________________ Date: ________________________

Which health domain are you exploring today? (Circle one): Physical Social Mental Emotional


  1. In your own words, what does this health domain mean?
    _____________________________________________________________________________________



  2. List three ways you can practice healthy habits in this domain:

a. ________________________________________________________________________________


b. ________________________________________________________________________________


c. ________________________________________________________________________________

  1. Why is this type of health important for you and your friends?
    _____________________________________________________________________________________



  2. Draw a picture below showing you practicing a healthy habit in this domain.











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Activity

Physical Activity Stations Activity

Overview: A circuit-style activity where students rotate through four movement stations focusing on cardio, strength, flexibility, and balance.

Time: 10 minutes

Materials:

  • Physical Activity Cards
  • Timer or stopwatch
  • Cones or floor markers

Setup:

  • Arrange four stations around the room and label each with a cone or marker.
  • Place one deck of Physical Activity Cards at each station.

Instructions:

  1. Divide students into four small groups.
  2. Assign each group to a different station.
  3. Start the timer for 2 minutes. Students perform the activity on the top card (e.g., jumping jacks, squats, stretches, balance poses).
  4. When the timer rings, groups rotate clockwise to the next station.
  5. Repeat until every group has completed all four stations (2 minutes × 4 stations = 8 minutes), then use the remaining time for a quick review or extra practice.

Reflection Questions:

  • Which station got your heart pumping the most?
  • Which activity was your favorite and why?
  • How can you practice these moves at home to keep your body healthy?

Differentiation:

  • Offer modified movements (e.g., step jacks instead of jumping jacks).
  • Demonstrate or model each move for visual learners and ELLs.
  • Pair students for peer support if needed.
  • Provide a word bank with action verbs for students who need language scaffolds.
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lenny

Game

Emotion Charades

Overview: A lively charades game that helps students recognize and express different emotions by acting them out and guessing with classmates.

Time: 10 minutes

Materials:

  • Emotion Charades Cards
  • Timer or stopwatch (optional)

Setup:

  • Place the deck of Emotion Charades Cards face down in the center of the circle or table.
  • Divide students into 2–4 small teams, depending on class size.

Instructions:

  1. One student from Team A draws a card without showing it to others.
  2. The student silently acts out the emotion on the card (e.g., “surprised,” “proud,” “nervous”) using facial expressions and body language—no words or sounds allowed.
  3. Team A has up to 60 seconds (or teacher-set time) to guess the emotion.
    • If they guess correctly, they earn 1 point.
    • If they don’t, other teams have one chance each to guess for a bonus point.
  4. Rotate to the next team and repeat until every student has had a turn or until time runs out.

Reflection & Discussion (5 minutes):

  • Which emotion was easiest to guess? Which was hardest?


  • How can you tell how someone is feeling by looking at their face or body?


  • Share one strategy you can use if you ever feel __________ (choose one emotion from the game).


Differentiation:

  • Provide sentence starters for ELLs: “I think the emotion is ____ because ____.”
  • Offer a “hint” card with a brief definition or scenario for students who need extra support.
  • Pair students with communication challenges with a buddy who can help interpret gestures.
  • For quick finishers or advanced learners, challenge them to act mixed emotions (e.g., “excited but nervous”).
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