Health 7 M1 PDF

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Health and Life Skills 7

Module 1: Wellness Choices
Student Module Booklet
Alberta Education
ISBN 0-7741-2613-2
Alberta Education acknowledges with appreciation the Alberta Distance Learning Centre and Pembina Hills Regional
Division No. 7 for their review of this Student Module Booklet.
This document is intended for You may find the following Internet sites useful:
Students ✓ • Alberta Education, http://education.alberta.ca

• LearnAlberta.ca, http://www.learnalberta.ca
Teachers ✓
Administrators
Exploring the electronic information superhighway can be educational and entertaining. However, be
Home Instructors ✓ aware that these computer networks are not censored. Students may unintentionally or purposely find
articles on the Internet that may be offensive or inappropriate. As well, the sources of information
General Public
are not always cited and the content may not be accurate. Therefore, students may wish to confirm
Other facts with a second source.
Copyright © 2005, Alberta Education. This resource is owned by the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of
Education, Alberta Education, 10155 – 102 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 4L5. All rights reserved.
No part of this courseware may be reproduced in any form, including photocopying (unless otherwise indicated), without the written
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THIS COURSEWARE IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF A LICENCE FROM A COLLECTIVE OR LICENSING
BODY, SUCH AS ACCESS COPYRIGHT.

We hope you enjoy your study of Health and Life Skills 7.
It is recommended that you complete the following modules in their given order.
Module 1 Module 2 Module 3
Wellness Relationship Life-Learning

Choices Choices Choices

6 General Course Information
10 Module Overview
12 Section 1: Your Personal Health

13 Lesson 1: Your Standards
for Health
36 Lesson 2: Personal Grooming

and Cleanliness
45 Lesson 3: Body Image and

Lifestyle Choices
56 Lesson 4: Food Choices
67 Lesson 5: Substance Use

and Avoidance
86 Section 1 Conclusion

87 Section 2: Safety and
Responsibility
88 Lesson 1: Safety
103 Lesson 2: Sources of Support
113 Lesson 3: Resiliency
121 Section 2 Conclusion
122 Module Summary

General Course Information
Health and Life Skills 7 is designed to help you learn about your habits, behaviours, interactions, and
decisions related to healthy daily living. It is about what you do and how you live each day. It is also
about planning for a healthy future.
The Health and Life Skills 7 course focuses on choices. Your ellness Choices
W
health decisions are personal. They involve the choices that
affect both you and others.
Wellness choices maintain your health and promote

safety for yourself and others. You learn to make
L if e - L e a r n i
h oic e s
responsible and informed choices.
Relationship choices establish and maintain healthy
ip C
interactions. You develop effective skills that show
responsibility, respect, and caring.
ng
sh
ho
on
C
Life-learning choices enable you to manage and explore life ic e t i
roles and career choices. You learn to use resources effectively. s R ela
Required Course Components

Health and Life Skills 7 is comprised of three Student Module Booklets with accompanying
Assignment Booklets.
• Module 1: Wellness Choices

• Module 2: Relationship Choices
• Module 3: Life-Learning Choices
You should complete each of these three modules in order because the concepts and skills introduced
in one module will be reinforced, extended, and applied in later modules.
In Health and Life Skills 7 you must also complete either Part A: Human Sexuality or Part B:
Journal Project. These components are not part of your course package. Your parent or guardian
must complete a form in Assignment Booklet 1A to let your teacher know which component
you will be completing. You will submit this form as part of your first Assignment Booklet. Your
teacher will print the appropriate component and forward it to you. You should begin working on
this component as soon as you receive it. You will be asked to submit the Assignment Booklet for
this component with your Module 3 Assignment Booklet 3B for assessment.
6 Health and Life Skills 7

In addition to the Student Module Booklets
and Assignment Booklets, you will need the
following materials to complete this course.
To respond to questions, you will need lined

paper or a notebook. It’s important to keep
your responses together in a notebook or
binder for review purposes later. A binder
is also helpful for organizing the resources
and information you will be collecting from
people in your community.
You will be making journal entries

throughout the course. You can use lined
paper or a notebook for this, but some
people like to have a special book for
recording their thoughts and ideas.
As well as using the CD included with the course, you will have opportunities to search for
information on the Internet or in the library. Therefore, you will need access to a computer with a
CD-ROM drive and an Internet connection. If you don’t have access to such a computer at home or at
school, arrange to use one at the local library or at the home of a friend or relative.
Other Course Components

LearnAlberta.ca
LearnAlberta.ca is a protected digital learning environment for Albertans. This Alberta Education
portal, found at http://www.learnalberta.ca, is a place where you can support your learning by
accessing resources for projects, homework, help, review, or study.
LearnAlberta.ca contains a large Online Reference Centre that includes multimedia encyclopedias,
journals, newspapers, transcripts, images, maps, and more. The National Geographic site contains
many current video clips that have been indexed for Alberta Programs of Study. The content is
organized by grade level, subject, and curriculum objective. Use the search engine to quickly find
key concepts. Check this site often as new interactive multimedia segments are being added all the
time.
If you find a password is required, contact your teacher or school to get one. No fee is required.
Health and Life Skills 7 7

Strategies for Completing Health and Life Skills 7
Following are some suggestions to help you succeed in this course:
• Organize your materials and work area before you begin. Make sure you have a quiet work area.
• Set realistic goals for yourself each day. When you’ve set your goals, stick to them.
• Seek additional information from people and organizations in your community.
• Use your journal to make connections between what you have learned and your personal life and
health choices.
• Read all of the instructions carefully, and work slowly through the material. The work you do in
this Student Module Booklet will prepare you for your assignments.
• Do your assignments regularly.
• Review your work before submitting it for assessment. Careful work habits will greatly increase
your chances for success in Health and Life Skills 7.
Special Course Features

Extend Your Investigation
There will be opportunities throughout the course for you to extend your investigation of topics and
concepts. If a lesson contains something of particular interest to you, you can find out more about it
and even try to apply your knowledge and skills in a practical way. You will not find suggested answers
for these questions in your Student Module Booklet; however, you may want to discuss your answers
with a friend, a parent, or another interested adult. These extend activities are optional, so you choose
to do only those that you think will benefit you personally.
Journal
Throughout this course you will keep a journal. Your journal will be a place where you can explore
ideas, express your thoughts and feelings, and reflect on what you have learned. To help you start
your journal entries, you will be prompted with sentences to complete. Feel free, however, to use
your journal to make connections between what you have learned and your personal life and health
choices. A journal is personal, but you may benefit from sharing some of your ideas with a friend,
parent, or other interested adult. Find what works best for you.

Visual Cues
Throughout your Student Module Booklets, you will notice some visual cues in the left margin. They
will assist you in your study of Health and Life Skills 7. Read the following explanations to discover
what each icon prompts you to do.
Explore career Find resources Access Extend your Use the Write in your
options. in your information on investigation. Internet or journal.
community. the Health and library. Please
Life Skills 7 CD. note that any
websites given
in this course
are subject to
change.
Assessment and Feedback

The Student Module Booklet will show you, step by step, what to do and how to do it. Each module is
divided into sections. Within each section, your work is grouped into lessons. Within each lesson, you
will find readings, explanations, and questions for you to do. Suggested answers to the questions are
provided at the end of each lesson, so you can monitor your own progress through the course.
The Student Module Booklet will also direct you to accompanying Assignment Booklets. If you
have difficulty with any of the assignments, consult your teacher. You will be asked to submit
each Assignment Booklet to your teacher once it is completed. Your teacher will then mark your
Assignment Booklet and provide comments on your progress. Once you get your Assignment Booklet
back, be sure to review your teacher’s comments and to correct any errors you may have made.
Your final mark in this course will be determined by the quality of your work in the Assignment
Booklets. Your teacher may also give you other assignments. You may be required to write a final test.
Your teacher or school will provide information about how your marks will be distributed.

Module Overview
How many times have you heard the question, “How are you today?” The response you generally
hear is “Fine.” The person usually means that he or she is healthy—not sick or injured. Good health,
however, is much broader than this. It means having a feeling of wellness. It involves the physical,
emotional, and intellectual parts of you. It also involves promoting safety for yourself and others.
Wellness can be described as the lifestyle choices you make to be healthy. Achieving health and
wellness is one of the most important goals you will work toward. It is your journey through life. This
journey is not perfect. You will have your ups and downs and your challenges and successes. To make
this journey easier, it is important for you to make healthful living practices and habits part of your
daily lifestyle.
In this module you will examine positive health habits and standards for your physical, emotional,
and intellectual health. You will also explore what being safe means. As you work through this module
you will acquire the information and skills you need to make responsible and informed choices to
maintain your personal health and to promote safety for yourself and others.
Module 1: Wellness Choices
Section 1 Section 2
Your Personal Health Safety and Responsibility

Assessment
Your mark will be determined by your work in the Assignment Booklets. In this module you are
expected to complete two section assignments. The mark distribution is as follows:
Assignment Booklet 1A
Section 1 Assignment 60 marks
Assignment Booklet 1B
Section 2 Assignment 40 marks
Total 100 marks
Be sure to check with your teacher if this mark allocation applies to you. Your teacher may include
other reviews and assignments.
Good luck!

S

ection 1
Your Personal Health
Yuka and her friends exercise, eat nutritious meals, and

avoid using harmful substances such as tobacco.
They are happy and satisfied with themselves
and their lives. They get along with their
parents, brothers and sisters, friends, and
teachers. They are able to accept and deal
with their strengths and weaknesses. Yuka
and her friends are in control of much of their health.
Knowing about positive health habits, grooming and
cleanliness, body image, nutrition, and harmful substance use
and avoidance helps them make responsible health decisions.
In this section you will learn about positive health habits. You will
• focus on the importance of grooming and cleanliness
• discover the ways that body image is influenced by

advertising and the media
• investigate the role nutrition plays in achieving and

maintaining good health
• acquire strategies that are helpful when making choices

about the use and avoidance of substances
12

L esson 1: Your Standards for Health
Have you ever thought about your personal health choices? What are personal health choices? Why
are they important? How do you know if you are making healthy choices?
Personal health choices are decisions you make about physical activity, good nutrition, positive
personal relationships, and positive attitudes toward yourself and others. They are important because
all your daily personal choices affect your health. In this lesson you will examine standards for good
health. It is hoped that the knowledge you gain will help you to make wise decisions about your
personal health and wellness.
Health choices affect you in the following three ways:
• physically
• emotionally
• intellectually
Section 1: Your Personal Health 13

What do you already know about wholesome choices for physical, emotional, and
intellectual health?
Emotional
Health
Physical
Health
Personal Health Choices
Intellectual
Health
physical health: Physical health is your body’s ability to handle your daily activities. Physical health
health that relates to
the state of the body
allows you to do things without getting tired or ill.
emotional health: Emotional health is your ability to deal with the people and events in your daily
health that has to do
with feelings
life. Your emotional health affects your feelings and how you react to others in
different situations.
intellectual health: Intellectual health is your ability to think about what happens to you on a daily
health that deals
with one’s mind and
basis. Your intellectual health involves how you learn. It also involves how you
thoughts solve problems and make decisions. It includes your reflection on what you have
learned from your previous actions and choices.

1. Create a version of the following web in your notebook. Use your web to
brainstorm actions and choices teens should commit to in order to stay
physically, emotionally, and intellectually healthy. Write your ideas in the circles
around the web. Add your own circles if you have more ideas.
Emotional
Health
Physical
Health
Intellectual
Health
Compare your answer with the one at the end of this lesson.
Standards for Health

Everyone makes personal choices about good health. Only you can decide what
choices you will make and what actions you will take to achieve personal wellness.
Many individuals and organizations work

to promote good health. For example,
Canada’s Food Guide Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating
to Healthy Eating: an suggests choices to promote healthy
eating plan consisting
of four food groups eating habits. Many programs encourage
It indicates the
people to stay physically active in their
number of daily daily lives. Health professionals advise
servings needed getting the proper amount of sleep
from each group to
maintain a balanced needed to maintain energy. These
diet. standards become a measure by which
you can make choices about your
personal health and wellness.

Wellness choices are about being active. You are active in making choices about
your physical, emotional, and intellectual health. Wellness can be seen as a scale. At
well-being: a person’s one end of the scale are those choices that promote positive health and well-being.
health and happiness
At the other end of the scale are those choices that result in negative effects on
It results from one’s health.
following a healthy,
positive lifestyle.
Loss of High Level

Health and of Health and
Wellness Wellness
The following practices will ensure that you are promoting positive health and
well-being:
• making wise food choices • taking time for relaxation and reflection
• getting enough sleep • working problems out constructively
• getting regular physical activity • paying attention to safety concerns
The following can have a negative effect on your health and well-being:
• making poor food choices • reacting without thinking

• getting insufficient sleep • taking little time for relaxation or reflection
• getting little physical activity • being inattentive to safety concerns
These practices can lead to a lack of energy and health disorders and illnesses. They
can put you in situations that may be unhealthy or dangerous.

Standards for healthy choices can help you answer the following questions:
• How much sleep is enough?

• What kinds of foods do I need?
• How much water should I drink daily?
• How much time do I need for relaxation and reflection?
• How physically active should I be?
• How can I use problem-solving and decision-making processes?
How am I supposed to know what the

standards for healthy choices are?
There are lots of places where you can

get information about being healthy.
One source is Canada’s Food Guide to
Healthy Eating.
Making Good Food Choices

Did you know that your body needs dozens of nutrients for it to function properly?
Following Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating will provide all those nutrients.
Most foods are divided into the following four food groups:
• grain products
• vegetables and fruit
• milk products
• meat and alternatives
The Food Guide spells out daily dietary requirements from the four food groups. It
tells you about the kinds of foods to choose from each group for healthy eating. As
well, it contains examples of proper serving sizes and sample menus that provide
the right combination of foods for good health. The Food Guide also recommends
• maintaining a healthy weight

• getting regular exercise
• limiting the amount of salt, alcohol, and caffeine consumed
Examine Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating, which appears on the following
pages.


1
1
Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating (Ottawa: Health Canada, 1992) © Reproduced with permission of the Minister of Public Works and
Government Services Canada, 2004.

You will have noticed that the bar side of the Food
Guide helps you decide how much you need from
each group daily. There is a range for servings per
day. Adolescents should choose the higher number
of servings because they are growing.
The Food Guide also shows you serving sizes for

different foods. It also tells you how “other foods” that
are not part of the four food groups can have a role
in your healthy eating. Because some of these “other
foods” are higher in fat or calories, the Food Guide
recommends using these foods in moderation.
2. Think of the foods you generally eat. Then, using the Food Guide, answer the
following questions to see how healthy your eating habits are.
a. Do you choose a variety of foods from each of the four food groups?
b. Are the foods you choose within the suggested number of servings for all
four food groups?
c. Do you select whole grain and enriched grain products?
d. Do you eat dark green and orange vegetables and orange fruit?
e. Do you choose lower-fat milk products?
f. Do you select lean meats, poultry, and fish, as well as peas, beans, and
lentils? If you eat vegetarian, do you ensure your diet includes all of the
necessary nutrients?
g. Do you choose “other foods” wisely?
Compare your answers with those at the end of this lesson.

Getting Regular Physical Activity
Getting regular physical activity reduces the risk of dying of heart disease. It also
helps to control weight, contributes to healthy bones, and reduces symptoms of
anxiety and depression.
One way to get regular exercise is to participate in a sports-related activity such as

cycling, walking, badminton, or archery. There are, of course, many others.
Why is it important to get regular physical activity?
Physical activity helps you develop your

muscles, heart, and lungs. These organs
give you the strength, endurance, and
flexibility to do daily tasks more easily.
To help you further understand the importance of physical activity, read “67 Ways
to Get Physical” on the following page. This article explains the advantages of being
physically active. It also offers ways to get physical if you’re not already. After you’ve
read the article, answer the questions that follow it.

67 W ays to Get Physical
Why get physical? Even though it requires some THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS TO
effort on your part, regular physical activity can GET PHYSICAL . . .
• make your body stronger aerobics orienteering

aqua-fitness racquetball
• allow your body to move more easily badminton rafting
baseball ringette
basketball rock climbing
• allow you to continue an activity for a longer
bowling roller-skating
period of time broomball rowing
calisthenics rugby
• improve your heart’s ability to better respond canoeing running
to sudden bursts of activity cricket sailing
cross-country skiing scuba diving
• help with mass control by balancing the curling skateboarding
amount of energy taken in the amount cycling skating
dancing skipping rope
of energy used and by raising the body’s
diving snowboarding
metabolic rate downhill skiing snowshoeing
exercise class snow shovelling
• lower your blood pressure fencing soccer
field hockey softball
• reduce the loss of bone density through football squash
life and thus fight against osteoporosis, a gardening stair climbing
golf surfing
weakening of bones which are then more
gymnastics swimming
easily broken handball tai chi
hiking tennis
• help you sleep better hopscotch tobogganing
horseback riding treadmills
• reduce feelings of tension, anxiety, and stress ice hockey volleyball
in-line skating walking
jogging water polo
• provide opportunities to spend leisure time
judo water-skiing
with friends lacrosse windsurfing
leaf raking yoga
• in general, make you feel good martial arts
1
Judith Campbell, “67 Ways to Get Physical,” Life Choices Healthy & Well, (Scarborough: Pearson Education Canada, 1996), 88. Reproduced by
permission.

3. a. What have you learned about physical activity?
b.
What three activities do you participate in during the summer? During the
winter?
Getting Enough Sleep

You probably have heard the old adage, “Early
to bed, early to rise makes a person healthy,
wealthy, and wise.” Sleep plays just as
important a role as diet and physical
activity in protecting your health.
Sometimes you may not feel well, and
that could be because you did not get
enough sleep.
To gain more information about

the importance of sufficient sleep
and how to get good sleep, read the selection entitled “Later class start needed for
teens.” Then answer the questions that follow.
Later class start responsibilities and social pressures

that consistently getting a good night’s
needed for teens rest—meaning nine or 10 hours for
their age group—is impossible.
sleep expert says by Jeff Adams He said a typical teen tries getting
away with seven or eight hours a
A sleep disorder specialist says night—so little that they struggle to
schools should delay their start-up by concentrate in school, become irritable
an hour or more each day because most with friends or family, and risk accidents
teens are not alert before 9 a.m. while driving.
That’s the good news. Dr. Adam “It is a significant problem,”
Moscovitch also suggests teens take Moscovitch said in an interview here
after-school naps and start using their after addressing the 13th annual
bedrooms strictly for sleeping rather meeting of the Canadian Academy
than as entertainment centres where of Child Psychiatry. He noted a new
they listen to TV and stereo. report, paid for by the U.S. Congress,
Moscovitch, who runs the university has warned that Americans—including
of Calgary’s sleep disorder clinic, said teens—are trying to get by with 20 per
most teens are confronted with so cent less sleep than their ancestors
much homework, part-time jobs, family did a century ago, and are collectively

on the verge of exhaustion. Their lack school day, assuming it is lengthened
of sleep is producing thousands of to compensate for the late start-up.
motor vehicle accidents and deaths “They’d be better off with a quick
each year, weakening immune systems 30-minute power nap than spending
and making people more prone to the next two hours in a semi-conscious
illnesses, and thereby shortening life twilight zone watching TV,” Moscovitch
expectancies. argued.
Moscovitch said the report’s He’s also a strong advocate of teens
conclusions also apply to Canadians, using their bedrooms almost exclusively
including Canadian teens. for sleeping. By using the same room
And he argued those teens are not as a place to do homework, listen to
only depriving themselves of sleep music, watch TV, talk on the phone with
quantity, but also of quality. friends or simply escape from the world
Everyone knows the best sleep outside, the average teenager builds up
is deep sleep. Yet it takes a while for so many associations with his or her
most people to get to that level. It’s bedroom that its primary purpose—for
especially true of nighthawks—those slumber—can be forgotten, Moscovitch
whose biological clocks make it almost said.
impossible to doze off until midnight He noted the same tendency among
or beyond. Moscovitch said research adults, but widens their acceptable
indicates teenagers are especially purposes for the bedroom to include
prone to this type of biological clock— sex.
meaning their ideal sleeping period is Moscovitch said sleep-deprived
from about midnight to 8 or 9 a.m. teens and adults often try making up
Forcing many youngsters to start the shortfall on weekends by staying
their 40 winks any earlier is simply under the covers until noon. But he
forcing them to stare at the ceiling for warns this disruption from the normal
an hour or two. Similarly, forcing them weekday sleep cycle is tough for their
to crawl out of bed at 7 a.m. is forcing biological clocks to accept. And so
them to abandon sleep just when it is even if they keep snoozing until well
deepest and most valuable. past lunch, they may not be recouping
Hence, Moscovitch’s proposal enough deep sleep for what was lost
to delay school start-up by an hour from Monday to Friday.
or two: “It’s something the school It’s best to establish a regular
system should take into consideration.” bedtime hour and stick to it throughout
But he couples that suggestion the week, Moscovitch said.
with a warning: most teens could use a
late-afternoon nap—one to break up the The Calgary Herald 1
1
Jeff Adams, “Later class start needed for teens,” The Calgary Herald, n.d. Reprinted with permission of The Calgary Herald.
(http://www.calgaryherald.com)

4. a. What have you learned about the need for sleep from the article you have
just read?
b.
In a chart similar to the following one, identify three sleep suggestions
contained in the article, and provide Dr. Moscovitch’s reason for each one.
Suggestions Reasons
5. Use the following keywords to search on the Internet or in the library for
additional information on standards for health:
• food and nutrition

• sleep
• physical activity
• safety
• relationships
• learning
• time management
Note: Be aware that inappropriate sites that you need to avoid may appear
whenever you search on the Internet.
Summarize the information you find in a chart similar to the one that follows.
Area of Personal
Information on
Resources Health Featured
Health Standards
in Site or Resource
To learn more about personal health standards, ask your friends and parents
what kinds of standards they use to make personal health choices. Create a list of
these standards. Then compare them with the choices you make on a daily basis.
You may also do a media search to find examples of health standards that various
organizations and health and fitness facilities promote. Use these examples to
create a collage.

Obtaining Information
The library and the Internet are useful tools for obtaining information to help
you make informed choices about your personal health. You can also get valuable
information about health and well-being from resources in your community or
surrounding area.
6. Investigate the following facilities associated with health and well-being that
are available to you in your community.
• medical offices and clinics—They usually provide brochures and

pamphlets that discuss health issues.
•
gyms or recreation centres—They frequently display information on
positive health choices.
•
community league centres—They often run programs that promote
healthy life choices. You can find out what kinds of programs are offered
and what level of activity they promote.
Collect information from these facilities, and create a reference binder that can
be your guide to positive, personal health choices and standards.

Interviews—A Tool for Obtaining Information
Interviews are a good way to obtain information about health and well-being.
You can interview people who work in health-related areas. If you are prepared,
punctual, and professional, people won’t mind spending some of their time
answering your questions.
Preparing for an Interview

Following are strategies that will help you prepare for an interview:
• Obtain permission to interview the person.
• Explain who you are and your reason for

the interview.
• At the person’s convenience, arrange a time

and place to meet with him or her.
• Prepare your questions ahead of time. You

may even supply the person with a list
of these questions a few days before the
interview. This gives him or her an
opportunity to think about the
answers. It is best to practise
asking the questions by
role-playing your interview with
a friend or family member.
• Be on time. It is inconsiderate to waste another person’s time.
• Focus your interest on the person you are interviewing and not on yourself.
• Be a good listener, and try not to interrupt. Remember that you are there to
receive information, not to give it.
• To show your appreciation, write a thank-you letter to the person after the
interview.
• Prepare a summary of the responses to each question.

7. a. Interview a person who works at a health and wellness facility. To organize
and record your interview information, use a format similar to the “Talking
the Talk—Interview Report” that follows. (You will, of course, need to allow
more space for interview questions, notes, and illustrations than the sample
chart shows.)
Talking the Talk—Interview Report
Topic
Name of Speaker
Occupation
Interview Questions
Notes
Illustrations
b.
Share your interview results with a friend, a parent, or another interested
adult. Have a conversation about what you learned from the interview.
bias: a preference, c.
In your opinion, is the person you interviewed influenced by personal bias?
especially one that
makes it difficult to
judge impartially d. How has this information affected your opinion of the topic you discussed?
e.
What is your position on this topic now? Explain.
Journal Writing
One of the special features of this course is
journal writing. What is a journal? It is a
written record of the experiences, thoughts,
memories, and feelings you have. A journal is a
place where you can take the time to reflect on
experiences and feelings. It is a place where you
can record your comments and impressions
about anything that interests you. These
writings will help you by stimulating your
thoughts about a wide variety of topics. They
will also help you to recall ideas for use in other
writings. It is like a history of your life.

The Mechanics of Journal Writing
There is no right or wrong way to write in your journal. Keeping a journal can be as
simple as writing a date and recording information every once in awhile. The value
of journal writing increases as a person develops the habit of consistently making
journal entries and reviewing them. The recordings then become more complete
and useful in promoting positive health and well-being. Following are suggestions
for keeping a journal:
• Record the date of each entry. That way, you’ll remember when things
happened and how they made you feel.
• Write thoughts down just as they come to you. Try not to censor your ideas
or make corrections. Make your journal entry as soon as possible after you
have experienced the events, thoughts, and feelings you wish to record.
• Write by hand. Lots of people prefer to type, but handwriting can free some
thoughts you never even knew you had! Looking back at your handwriting
can also give you insight to what you were feeling when you wrote.
• Leave some space after each entry. That way you can go back and add
comments or reflections later. Do this about every two or three weeks,
especially if you are feeling thoughtful or are searching for self-understanding.
• Be creative. Not all entries have to be in words. You can incorporate drawings,
pictures, and mementos in your journal.
• Pick an audience. No, you don’t have to read your journal to a group of
people! But it can help you if you imagine you are writing to someone. Some
name their journal and address the entries to the journal itself—you’ve
probably heard of “Dear Diary.” Some people imagine a different audience
depending on what they are experiencing. If you are feeling some strong
emotions toward a particular person, it might help to direct a journal entry to
that person.

Journal Writing as a Private Experience
Some people feel uneasy about writing down feelings. They are afraid that their
written thoughts may be read by others. This is a legitimate concern. It helps when
others with whom you live appreciate the very personal nature of your journal and
do not consider violating your privacy. It is also helpful to have a private place in
which to keep your journal. People often find that as they write in their journals
more and more, they become less concerned about the possibility of someone
unexpectedly reading their work. Those who worry about the privacy of their
thoughts may journalize their feelings and then destroy their journal entries. While
this allows them to release emotions and reflect upon them immediately, it does
not allow for later reflection and learning.
A Career Choice for You

Do you think you might be interested in pursuing a career in an area related to
personal health? Then you might be interested in becoming a dietitian.
Dietitians plan food and nutrition programs, supervise the preparation and serving
of meals, and promote healthy eating habits through education. They evaluate
clients’ diets and suggest diet modifications, such as less salt for those with high
blood pressure or reduced fat and sugar intake for those who are overweight.
Dietitians often run food-service systems for hospitals and schools. They also
conduct research. You can learn more about this career choice at the following
website:
http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/occinfo
Then click on “Search by Title” and enter a keyword search of the career choice you
would like to research.

J ournal Entry
Reflect on what you have learned in this lesson. Everyone makes personal
choices about things such as playing sports, napping in the afternoon, or
watching television. You choose what your favourite foods are, from pizza,
burgers and fries, to salads and granola bars. The choices you make affect
your level of physical, intellectual, and emotional health. It is important
to make informed choices about the things that have an impact on your
personal wellness.
Complete one of the following entries in your journal:
• To stay healthy, I need to be physically active by . . .

• My physical activity is . . .
• To stay healthy, teens need to eat . . .
• My eating habits are . . .
• To relax, teens need to . . .
• I make time for relaxing by . . .
• Teens need to sleep . . .
• My sleep . . .
• Reflection is an important part of good health because . . .
• I reflect by . . .
Be sure to express your own ideas and opinions and support them with
personal examples. Now, assess your journal entry using the scale that
follows.
JOURNAL RESPONSE

0 1 2 3 4
Undeveloped Partial Adequate Interesting Powerful
If you are comfortable doing so, share your journal writing with a friend, a
parent, or another interested adult. Ask this person for his or her reaction.
In this lesson you investigated standards for good health. You reviewed Canada’s
Food Guide to Healthy Eating. You assessed your eating habits by comparing them
to the guidelines laid out in the Food Guide. You also examined the importance of
physical activity and the need for sufficient sleep.
Now open Assignment Booklet 1A and respond to questions 1 to 6.

Remember that the answers you submit in your Assignment Booklet will
contribute to your mark in this course, so be sure to do your best work.

Glossary
bias: a preference, especially one that makes intellectual health: health that deals with
it difficult to judge impartially one’s mind and thoughts
Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating: physical health: health that relates to the
an eating plan consisting of four food state of the body
groups
well-being: a person’s health and happiness
It indicates the number of daily servings
needed from each group to maintain a It results from following a healthy,
balanced diet. positive lifestyle.
emotional health: health that has to do with

feelings
Suggested Answers
1. For physical health, you could have any of the following answers in your web:
•
making healthy food choices
•
regulating the amount of junk food you eat
•
getting enough sleep
•
brushing your teeth at least two or three times a day
•
exercising on a regular basis
•
wearing safety gear when skateboarding
•
washing your hands before handling food
For emotional health, you could have any of the following answers in your web:
•
expressing your feelings
•
dealing with anger constructively
•
maintaining positive relationships with family and friends
•
working to the best of your ability in groups
For intellectual health, you could have any of the following answers in your web:
• using a problem-solving process to deal with problems

• managing time for school and home responsibilities
• making time for fun
• considering others’ viewpoints when making decisions
• identifying ways that you learn most effectively
You may have identified other actions and choices.

2. a.–g. If you answered yes to these questions, your eating habits are very healthy. If you
answered no to some of them, you may want to reconsider your eating habits
and try to improve them.
3. a. Answers will vary. Following are possibilities:
• It makes your body stronger.
• It allows your body to move more easily.
• It allows you to continue an activity for a longer period of time.
• It improves your heart’s ability to respond to sudden bursts of activity.
• It lowers your blood pressure.
• It helps you sleep better.
• It reduces the loss of bone density through life and thus prevents osteoporosis
—a weakening of bones that makes them break more easily.
• It helps reduce tension, anxiety, and stress.
• It provides you with opportunities to spend leisure time with friends.
You may have identified other things that you have learned.
b.
Here are some examples of activities you might participate in during the summer:
• baseball
• canoeing
• cycling
• gardening
• golf
• tennis
During the winter months, you may be involved in the following:
• hockey
• cross-country skiing
• aerobics
• skateboarding
• skating
The physical activities you select depend on your interests and the money, facilities,
and equipment available to you.

4. a. You may have learned that
• a good night’s rest for teenagers means getting nine or ten hours of sleep
• lack of sleep causes one to struggle with concentration, become irritable, and
risk accidents while driving or operating machinery
• teenagers should go to bed when “deep sleep” is most likely

You may have listed other things that you learned from the article.
b.
Charts will vary. Following is one student’s response:
Suggestions Reasons
Schools should delay their start-up Most teens are not alert before 9 a. m.
by an hour or more each day. Teenagers’ ideal sleeping period is from
about midnight to 8 or 9 a.m.
Teens should take after-school naps. A late afternoon nap breaks up the
school day, assuming it is lengthened to
compensate for the late start-up.
Teens should use their bedrooms Teenagers build up so many associations

strictly for sleeping rather than as with their bedrooms that its primary
entertainment centres where they watch purpose for sleep can be forgotten.
television and listen to a stereo.
Establish a regular bedtime hour and Teens may make up for their sleep
stick to it throughout the week. shortfalls on weekends by staying under
the covers until noon. This disruption
from the normal weekday sleep cycle is
tough on their biological clocks, and they
may not be recouping enough deep sleep
to compensate for what was lost from
Monday to Friday.
5. Were you surprised by the information on standards for health that you found using
the Internet or library resources? For example, through the Internet you may have
found the following information:
•
There is no minimum number of hours that people should spend sleeping before
health is endangered.

•
The number of servings a person chooses from the Food Guide depends on his or
her particular needs. The amount of food a person needs each day depends on
– age
– gender
– body size
– activity level
Did you find any information that was of particular interest to you?
6. Were you able to investigate the facilities associated with health and well-being that are
available to you in your community or surrounding area? Hopefully, you were able to
collect information from these facilities and create a reference binder that will become
your own guide to positive, personal health choices and standards.
7. a. Did you find the chart a useful tool for recording and organizing the information
you gathered from your interview?
b.
Were you able to share your interview results with a friend, a parent, or another
interested adult? Hopefully, you learned something that you did not know before
the interview.
c.
In your opinion was the speaker influenced by personal bias? If so, how did this bias
affect the information that was presented?
d.
The information should have affected your opinion in some way. It may have
reinforced your ideas or it may have made you see things differently.
e.
You probably have a new position on the topic. Have you explained clearly why your
position on the topic changed?
Image Credits
All images in this lesson were created by or for Alberta Education with the following noted
exceptions:
Page
13 Photodisc/Getty Images
14 Eyewire/Getty Images
17 both: Photodisc/Getty Images
21 top: Abraham Menashe/Digital Vision/Getty Images
bottom, both: Photodisc/Getty Images
23 © 2004–2005 www.clipart.com
29 Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

L esson 2: Personal Grooming and Cleanliness
What health choices do you make about your grooming and cleanliness? Taking care of yourself
physically can be one of the most important things you do. This means looking after your body in
ways that affect your health as well as your appearance. Grooming and cleanliness are closely related
but they mean different things.
Cleanliness has to do with personal hygiene. Most people learn about cleanliness at a very young age.
Do you remember being taught when you were younger to wash your hands before eating?
Cleanliness includes activities such as brushing your teeth, washing your hair, showering regularly,
and using deodorant. Cleanliness involves paying attention to your skin, hair, nails, teeth, eyes, and
ears. Cleanliness has an effect on your appearance, but it also has an effect on your health. Not paying
attention to cleanliness may result in illness or disease, which then affects your physical health.

Grooming activities are those things you do—on top of being clean—to make
yourself look good, such as styling your hair or using cosmetics. Grooming may not
affect your physical health, but it can affect your intellectual and emotional health.
This lesson will help you understand how cleanliness and grooming affect your
personal health choices. The choices you make affect your well-being physically,
emotionally, and intellectually.
Your physical health can be improved by
• protecting your skin with clothing and sunscreen

• caring for your nails and hair
• taking care of your teeth by brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist
• looking after your sight and hearing by having regular checkups
Your emotional health can be improved by
• having confidence about your appearance

• interacting comfortably and confidently with others
Your intellectual health can be improved by
• understanding how cleanliness and grooming affect your health

• making informed decisions about cleanliness and grooming products

1. Think about your daily personal grooming and cleanliness habits. In your
notebook draw a chart like the one that follows. In the first column, brainstorm
all the activities that relate to your grooming and cleanliness choices. In the
second column, write down the products that you use.
Grooming and
Time of Day Products Used
Cleanliness Activities
Waking Up
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Going to Bed
Compare your chart with the one at the end of this lesson.
Look at the products you listed in your chart. Which products are essential? Which
are non-essential? Essential means that you need it. Examples of essential products
include toothpaste or soap. Non-essential means that it is something that you like
to have, such as cologne or nail polish, rather than something that is necessary.
2. In your notebook create two charts similar to the following ones. Identify
whether the products you listed in the previous question are essential or
non-essential. Record the cost of both the essential and non-essential products.
To do this, you must estimate how much of each product you use. Find out the
cost of each product. Use the cost to estimate how much you spend on each
product in a year. Then add up the total yearly costs for essential and
non-essential products. An example is provided for you.
Essential Non-Essential
Yearly Cost Yearly Cost for
Products for Products for
for Essential Non-Essential
Grooming and Grooming and
Products Products
Cleanliness Cleanliness
12 tubes @ $3.95
hair gel
each
TOTAL TOTAL = $47.40 per year

3. After completing the charts, answer the following questions.
a.
How much do you spend on essential and non-essential products in a year?
b.
What do you think influences teens when they make choices about their
grooming and cleanliness habits and activities?
You have just examined how grooming and cleanliness affect your personal health
choices. You investigated the cost of both essential and non-essential products.
Next, you will explore the impact advertising has on health choices you make about
grooming and cleanliness.
The Impact of Advertising

Have you ever asked yourself what influence advertising has on the choices you
make about your grooming and cleanliness? Perhaps you are already aware of the
impact that it can have on the choices you make about your personal health.
Advertising can occur in many

different ways. You are no doubt
familiar with product advertisements
in magazines that are aimed at
teenagers. Products are also advertised
through billboards and television
commercials. Another type of
advertising, which is not so obvious,
product placement: is product placement. This is the
the prominent using
or showing of a prominent showing of a product
product in a show or with an obvious brand name during
movie
television shows or movies. Usually
a corporation has paid to have its
product there.
Regardless of where advertisements are found, a variety of techniques are used to

persuade you to buy the product. Most advertisements would have you believe that
you absolutely need to buy the brand of shampoo, deodorant, or toothpaste that is
being advertised.

The techniques that advertisers use are found in all types of media, including
television commercials and magazine advertisements. The following are examples
of techniques used to sell products. As you go through this list, think about how
many of these techniques you have noticed.
• sex appeal—This approach implies that others will find you more appealing if
you use the product.
• snob appeal—This approach connects a product to a desirable lifestyle. It is

designed to make people think that the product makes them distinctive.
• appeal to tradition—This technique tries to boost consumer confidence by

emphasizing longevity. For example, the manufacturer says to the consumer,
“We have made the best product for over one hundred years.”
• celebrity testimonial—This method associates a product with a famous or

respected person such as a movie star, athlete, singer, or corporate executive.
Since the celebrity likes the product, you should too.
• appeal to excellence—This gimmick closely relates to snob appeal. You’re

supposed to think that this product is the best and only the best is good
enough for you.
• loaded words—This gimmick uses words such as New! Fantastic! Gorgeous!
• bandwagon—This technique asks that you follow the crowd. Everybody’s

doing it! And no one likes to be different. It is effective with people who don’t
want to stand out.
This one soap is supposed to be good because it has

moisturizing cream, but this other one claims to be
better because it’s 100 percent pure. How am I
supposed to decide which one to use?
Think about what is best for you. Decide

which part of the claim is real information
about the product and which part is just a
tactic to pressure you into making a purchase.

4. Search for additional information
about techniques used to
advertise different products.
If you are using the Internet,
enter the keywords advertising
techniques. Your local library is
another excellent place to find
this information. Summarize the
information you find in a chart
like the one that follows.
Resource What I Learned
5. a. Use the following media sources to find four examples of grooming or

cleanliness advertisements that are aimed at teens:
• magazines
• newspapers
• television
• movies
• radio
• Internet
If you cut out the advertisements from magazines and newspapers, paste
them into your notebook. If you use other media—television, movies, radio,
or the Internet, write a brief description of the commercial.
b.
Write a sentence that explains the message each advertiser is trying to promote.
To learn more about grooming and cleanliness, discuss choices with other people.
Ask your friends and parents what kinds of personal care products they use. Then
compare them with your personal choices.

J ournal Entry
Reflect on what you have learned in this lesson. Grooming and cleanliness
habits and choices affect your health, how you see yourself, and how others
see you. Advertising often influences the choices you make when selecting
products as well as the way you use the products.
• I maintain cleanliness and grooming habits by . . .

• Media promote products that . . .
• Advertisers use strategies to target teens by . . .
personal examples.
Now, assess your journal entry using the scale that follows.
JOURNAL RESPONSE

0 1 2 3 4
In this lesson you accomplished the following:
• You examined personal grooming and cleanliness.
• You learned that advertising has an impact on the health choices you make
about your grooming and cleanliness.
• You investigated some techniques used in advertising.

Glossary
product placement: the prominent using or showing of a product in a show or movie
Suggested Answers
1. Your chart will contain examples of your personal grooming and cleanliness activities
and the products you use. The following chart shows some possibilities:
Grooming and
Time of Day Products Used
Cleanliness Activities
• shower • soap
Waking Up
• wash face • shampoo
• comb and style hair • comb or hairbrush

• brush teeth • hair styling products
• get dressed and ready for • toothbrush
Morning the day • toothpaste
• cologne or perfume
• moisturizing cream or lotion
Afternoon • wash face • soap
• brush teeth • toothbrush

Evening
• toothpaste
• brush teeth • soap

Going to Bed • wash face • toothbrush
• take bath • toothpaste
2. The essential products that you identify in your chart may include soap, toothbrush,
toothpaste, shampoo, and comb or hairbrush.
The non-essential products you identify may include hair-styling products, cologne or
perfume, and moisturizing cream or lotion.
Costs that are indicated in your chart will vary. Check your numbers with an adult.
Make sure you have added the costs accurately by double-checking your addition and
multiplication.
3. a. Were you surprised at how much you spend on essential and non-essential products
in a year? Did you notice any difference between costs related to grooming products
and those related to cleanliness products?

b.
The following could influence teenagers when making choices about their
grooming and cleanliness habits and activities:
• advertising
• peer pressure
• amount of money available
• amount of time required to use these products
• personal preferences
• convenience
4. Probably most of the techniques you identified were similar to those you’ve already
studied. You may, however, have come across some of the following sales promotions
that advertisers use to encourage people to buy their products:
•
coupons—A shampoo bottle may contain a coupon to reduce the price the next
time you buy it.
•
combination packaging—For example, a bottle of shampoo may come with a
comb.
•
contests—Maybe you are asked to save labels and mail them into the company for
a prize.
•
free samples—Free samples of conditioner may be included with a bottle of shampoo.
•
mail-in offers—Products with the shampoo brand name on them may be offered
to you for free if you mail away for them.
5. a. You should not have had any problems selecting two advertisements from the list of
media sources. All these sources generally have many advertisements.
b.
Your answers will reflect your opinions and the specific messages the advertisers
are trying to get across to their audience. Make sure you justify your answers and
opinions with reasons.
Image Credits
exceptions:
Page

L esson 3: Body Image and Lifestyle Choices
Have you looked at yourself in the mirror and seen something about yourself you really liked or didn’t
like? What was it about your body image that you approved or disapproved of? Was it the shape of your
face, the size of your body, or the colour of your hair? Do you ever compare yourself to athletes, rock
stars, or actors?
If you are comfortable with yourself as a person and feel that you are a worthwhile individual, you are
usually also comfortable with your physical appearance. There may still be the odd thing you’d like to
change about yourself, for example, your hair colour. It is important to recognize, however, that some
things cannot be changed. For example, you cannot change something like your height, so you must
learn to accept it and even love it!
Body image, or the picture you have of your physical self, affects all aspects of your personal health
and wellness. It affects your physical, intellectual, and emotional wellness. It also affects the choices
you make about your activities and habits. In this lesson you will analyze how body image affects your
health and lifestyle choices. You will look at how personal health and lifestyle choices are promoted by
the media.

Dealing with Body Image
body image: the way What is body image? It is the intellectual picture you have of your body and your
a person perceives his
or her body
thoughts and feelings about that picture. Body image and feeling good about
yourself are often connected. A healthy body image helps you to
self-concept: how a • have a positive self-concept

person thinks and
feels about himself or
• resist the pressure to strive for the so-called perfect body
herself • feel confident about your appearance
• find lasting and meaningful ways to feel good about yourself
• take care of your body
• recognize your strengths and shortcomings
The way you view your body and your lifestyle is learned, often from the images you
see on television and in newspapers and magazines. Television, magazines, videos,
and movies tend to promote particular body images and health choices. Often,
these images set standards that are unrealistic and even unhealthy.
Both girls and boys learn about what their body image should be at a very young
age. In Western society the current female ideal is to be thin. Their looks and body
shape play a huge role in determining whether or not they are valued or rejected.
As girls enter puberty, they start to gain body fat. This normal and natural change
in body size and shape puts pressure on many girls because it takes them further
away from the thin female ideal. Unlike girls, boys in Western society are valued or
rejected more for what they do and for their physical strength rather than for their
looks. The current male ideal is to be lean and muscular. This places body image
pressure on boys.

I am 13. I am taller than all my friends, and I often get
teased about it. Both my parents are tall, so what am
I supposed to do about it? I am very self-conscious
about my size.
Everyone has his or her own growth rate. Everyone

needs to know that he or she is valued for something
besides physical appearance. It is important to
focus on the positive elements of your life including
things like your honesty, dependability, caring, and
understanding, instead of your height. It’s not always
easy to do this. No one should make comments
or tease anyone about his or her weight, shape, or
height. Heredity has an effect on all of these things.
Many teens worry about their weight and size. This often leads to frequent dieting
or to skipping meals. It is important to know that most diets, especially fad diets,
don’t work. Remember that heredity plays a role in body size.
Young people are often influenced by the body images of people who appear in
advertisements. These images may include models who are underweight or who
have undergone plastic surgery to give them “perfect” features. Keep in mind that
these images are used to sell products, not present realistic body images. In reality,
people come in many shapes and sizes and with many abilities. Success is not the
way you look or the number on the bathroom scale. What you must come to terms
with is that having a healthy body is more important than having a body that looks
a certain way. And, of course, the value of you is who you are on the inside!

My friend Hans is really good at doing computer work. In
fact, Hans is so good at it that he helps the teachers with
their computer problems. At noon, when most students
are in the gym practising basketball, Hans is in the library
working on a computer. He never takes part in team sports.
Each individual is unique and different. Each has

his or her particular interests. For example, some
like to participate in group activities such as soccer,
hockey, and baseball while others prefer individual
activities such as biking, jogging, or swimming. As
long as Hans is getting exercise some way that is
enjoyable to him, it’s no big deal if he spends the
noon hour doing the computer work that he loves.
1. What have you learned about the influences of body image on physical,
emotional, and intellectual health? In your notebook draw a web like the one
that follows. Place your answers in the circles around the web. Add your own
circles if you need to.
Emotional
Health
Physical
Health
Intellectual
Health

Body Image and the Media
What’s the connection between body image and the media? Most people want to
feel fit and look good. Of course, many people form an idea of what looks good
based on the media’s portrayal of male and female models. Media has a powerful
influence on the way people think they should look.
For example, many people enjoy expressing themselves with new clothes or a new
hairstyle. Often, these new clothes or new hairstyles are portrayed in the media—
magazines, websites, television, and movies. Advertisements in the media also
entice people to try new products.
The goal of advertisers is to sell products and services. One way they do this is to
convince people that their bodies are not good enough as they are. Although female
models are generally tall, thin, and young and male models are lean and muscular,
in real life, their bodies have flaws just like everyone else’s. When you see them in
advertisements, however, they appear to be perfect. Keep in mind the appearance of
perfection is an illusion.
Advertisers achieve this illusion by
• enhancing the body with props, lighting angles, and computer techniques
• altering the shapes and sizes of body features
• editing out unwanted body features like blemishes, freckles, and wrinkles
• combining the perfect body features from photos of different people
If you start to believe that your body is not good enough, you may set unrealistic
and unhealthy goals. For example, you could starve yourself to look thin. You could
take steroids that can cause serious health problems such as high blood pressure,
heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and liver damage.

Developing a Positive Body Image
Most people have an image of themselves in their minds. Sometimes it is very
different from the actual picture. By now you know the importance of having a
positive body image. It makes you feel good about how you look. You feel confident
about your appearance.
What can you do to develop a positive body image? You can
• be aware of influences on the choices you make about your body
• make decisions that promote your physical, emotional, and intellectual wellness
• be aware of healthy body types within your circle of family and friends
• look for varieties of body types among television and media personalities
• talk to your parents or older siblings about body image concerns
• be aware that your physical body makes up only a part of who you are
• appreciate your own talents and abilities (scholastic, social, athletic, musical,
and artistic)
2. What do you do to develop a positive body image? List two things.

What the Community Can Do
Community organizations can encourage and provide positive messages about body
image and lifestyle choices by using the following strategies:
• provide positive role models through clubs that promote healthy choices
• support community youth groups that encourage children and teens to view
themselves in positive ways
• encourage appreciation of the ways in which people are different
• select people of all sizes and shapes for community advertising
3. Communities can encourage and provide positive messages about body

image and lifestyle choices. Use this idea to design a questionnaire. Interview
three adults in your community to find out if they think the community or
surrounding area is doing enough to support and encourage positive body
image and lifestyle choices. Use the interview suggestions and format from
Lesson 1 to help you plan and organize your interview. Then record your
results. Share your interview results with a friend, parent, or another interested
adult. Tell him or her what you learned from the interview that you did not
know before.

Do you like to stay fit? If so, you might be interested in becoming a fitness
instructor. What does a fitness instructor do? This person promotes exercise as
a healthy lifestyle choice. A fitness instructor teaches students strengthening,
endurance, aerobic, flexibility, and/or weight training exercises.
If you are interested in a career as a fitness instructor, you may want to do some
research. You can explore this option at the following website:
Volunteering
Involvement in community programs that focus on fitness and physical activity can
be great experience for someone interested in becoming a fitness instructor. Many
communities look for volunteers to coach children’s teams and to co-ordinate and
run community activity programs. You may want to explore your community or
surrounding area for such opportunities.

J ournal Entry
Reflect on what you have learned in this lesson. Understanding how the
media affects your perceptions and views is important. The way you see
yourself measuring up to the standards that media portray as desirable and
normal affects your self-esteem and self-acceptance.
• In general, I feel that my body is . . .

• I am proud of . . .
• I would make healthy choices to improve . . .
• I like my lifestyle because . . .
• I am proud of my participation in . . .
personal examples.
JOURNAL RESPONSE

0 1 2 3 4
In this lesson you did the following:
• You learned how to develop a positive body image.

• You discovered ways to promote a healthy body image and lifestyle choices.
• You also focused on the connection between body image and the media.

Glossary
body image: the way a person perceives his self-concept: how a person thinks and feels
or her body about himself or herself
Suggested Answers
1. Your answers for the physical health part of the web may involve a variety of messages,
including some of the following:
•
Remember that heredity plays a role in body size.
•
Know that neither fad diets nor skipping meals works.
•
Realize that people come in many shapes and sizes and with many abilities.
•
Understand that everybody enjoys different activities and has different interests.
Your answers for the emotional health part of the web may involve a variety of
messages, including some of the following:
•
Realize that everyone needs to know that he or she is a valued individual.
•
Know that success is not about appearance or weight.
•
Know that everybody enjoys different activities and has different interests.
•
Be aware that people should be loved and respected for who they are.
•
Realize that people don’t have to accept teasing or negative messages from others.
•
Know that people can stick up for themselves by using “I” messages.
Your answers for the intellectual health part of the web may involve a variety of
messages, including some of the following:
• Think about your attitudes regarding weight and shape.

• Realize that people come in many shapes and sizes and with many abilities.
2. You may do any two of the following to develop a positive body image:
•
Be aware of influences on the choices you make about your body.
•
Make decisions that promote your physical, emotional, and intellectual wellness.
•
Be aware of healthy body types within your circle of family and friends.
•
Look for varieties of body types among television and media personalities.
•
Talk to your parents or older siblings about body image concerns.
•
Be aware that your physical body makes up only a part of who you are.
•
Appreciate your own talents and abilities (athletic, musical, and artistic).

3. From your interview, did you get the impression that the community or surrounding
area is doing enough to support and encourage positive body image and lifestyle
choices? Perhaps you learned of ways that the community is supporting and
encouraging positive body image and lifestyle choices other than the ones mentioned
in your Student Module Booklet.
Image Credits
exceptions:
Page
47 top, left: Kevin Peterson/Photodisc/Getty Images
top, right; bottom: Photodisc/Getty Images
48 left: Kevin Peterson/Photodisc/Getty Images
right: Photodisc/Getty Images
51 Abraham Menashe/Digital Vision/Getty Images

L esson 4: Food Choices
Everyone has his or her own eating habits. What are yours? Eating habits are influenced by hunger,
by your personal likes and dislikes, and by your level of physical activity. They are influenced by what
you are used to eating with your family and by traditions you have that are associated with food. They
can also be influenced by what your friends eat. As well, eating habits can be affected by concerns you
have with your body image. Advertising and media, too, can be a strong influence on the choices you
make about food.
Understanding what influences your eating habits can help you avoid negative health choices.
Evaluating the way you choose and purchase foods can help you understand why some foods and
beverages are so attractive to you. Strategies to make positive choices about food can help you ensure
that you are healthy. In this lesson you will examine factors that influence individual food choices and
how some of these factors relate to the nutritional needs of teenagers.

Making Food Choices
What and who influences the choices you make about food? Good nutrition
contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Foods are neither good nor bad. It is what you eat
over a long period of time that affects your health.
There are a variety of factors that affect food choices. These factors are shown in the
following web. They influence the choices you make about food and nutrition.
food dietary and

preferences nutritional needs
peer
of teens
food pressure
allergies Emotional
Health
Physical
Health
Intellectual
Health
influence of body
advertising image
1. Read the following five scenarios. What decision do you think the teens in each
scenario made? What factors do you think influenced their decisions about their
food choices?
a.
Vanja is hungry, but he has only $4.25. The vegetarian sandwich he likes
costs $4.75 while french fries and gravy cost $3.50.

b.
Catherine and her brother are doing the grocery shopping for their family.
Next to the box of breakfast cereal they usually eat, Catherine sees a new
cereal that has been advertised on television. She also has seen posters for
the cereal in the bus shelter and in the window of the corner store.
c.
Jeroen and his teammates have just finished playing basketball. He is
looking forward to the post-game ritual of eating at the fast-food outlet in
the mall near the school. To his surprise, instead of ordering their usual
double-cheese chili dogs and large colas, almost all of his buddies order taco
salads and fruit juice.

d.
Marina is a vegetarian. She does not eat meat. She has been invited to her
friend’s home for dinner. When she arrives, she realizes that the menu
includes barbecued hamburgers and chicken breasts.

e.
Alberto and Lucinda have been training for the upcoming provincial track
meet. They are both long distance runners, and both won the event for their
school last year. As they leave the gym, they stop at the vending machines
to get something to snack on. The machines are full of pop, chips, nachos,
gum, chocolate bars, and candy-coated nuts.
You should now be able to recognize the factors that may affect your food choices.
Next, you will examine how your food choices compare to your nutritional needs.
Nutritional Needs
Are you choosing the right foods for your nutritional needs? Earlier in this module,
you looked at Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating as one of the standards for
achieving positive health and wellness. The Food Guide is an eating plan consisting
of the following four food groups:
• grain products
• vegetables and fruit
• milk products
• meat and alternatives
This plan tells you about the number

of servings from each food group that
you need daily to have a balanced diet.
The Food Guide recognizes that different
people have different needs. Those needs are affected by
age, body size, activity level, and gender.
For more guidance in making wise food choices, read the article entitled “Free +
Vice: Food FAQ” that follows. The article provides examples of proper serving sizes
and sample menus that include the right combination of foods for good health.
When you have finished reading the article, answer the question that comes after.

free – choose hot chocolate or a
latte with skim (milk) instead
+ vice of straight coffee or tea

– use yoghurt to make veggie dips or
as a topping for fruit
FOOD FAQ – dine on stir-fries with broccoli
and almonds
• Calcium is needed every day because – when you make salmon
bone is continuously growing and sandwiches, mash the bones in with
resorbing back into the body. That’s the salmon
right—if the body does not take
enough calcium, bone will dissolve • Osteoporosis means “porous bones.”
back into the bloodstream to keep No wonder those bones break so easily.
up the calcium level in the blood.
• Your body has less than 5 mL of iron
• Bones need more than calcium and but it’s a very important 5 mL. Iron
phosphorus to grow and strengthen. is needed to make haemoglobin, the
They also need activity—exercise part of the red blood cell that carries
stimulates the growth of new bone. the oxygen you breathe in to the rest
Walking and cycling are activities that of the body.
are good for bones because they work
the large bones of the body. • Foods with Vitamin C (oranges,
papaya, tomatoes, broccoli) help your
• Milk, yoghurt, cheese, and broccoli body absorb the iron you eat. Think
are good sources of calcium. Choose of a broccoli beef stir-fry, baked beans
low-fat cheese (no-fat or 1% cottage with whole-wheat toast, or a spinach
cheese) and yoghurt along with skim and orange salad.
or 1% milk to limit the amount of fat.
Ice cream, which is higher in fat, can • Fruits contain the same form of
also be a good source of calcium so sugar as many candies but fruit also
treat yourself with this dessert once contains minerals, vitamins and fibre.
in a while.
• The amounts of nutrients in brown
• Build calcium into your daily routine sugar, honey and molasses are so
– top a salad with cubes of cheese small that using these sweeteners
– grate cheese onto soup is basically the same as using white
– order milk, instead of a soft drink, sugar.
with fast food or in a restaurant
– make a canned cream soup
with milk or soyamilk instead
of water


• Increase the fibre in your day – choose whole-wheat buns, bread,
– eat bran cereal for breakfast or pasta, tortillas, pizza crusts and
sprinkle some on a dish of fruit pitas
and yoghurt
– put a handful of bran into meat • Want to find out what’s in that package?
mixed for hamburgers Reading the label can help. Ingredients
– eat the skins of fruits and are listed in descending order, the
vegetables largest amount first. So if the label
– eat the fruit instead of just of a drink reads “Water, invert sugar,
drinking the juice dextrose, fruit concentrate . . .”, what
– take raisins and other dried fruits are you really buying?
for a quick, sweet snack
1
2. Select two strategies for improving your personal food choices. Then write
down the advantages of making each change.
Healthful Snacks
Snacks are as much a part of your daily eating plan as meals are. If you choose
carefully, they can help meet your daily nutrient needs. Since many snack foods are
high in fat, sugar, and calories, you must choose them wisely.
For helpful advice on how to improve your snacking habits, read the article entitled
“Good Eats Guide,” and answer the questions that follow.
1
Judith Campbell, “free + vice FOOD FAQ,” Life Choices Healthy & Well, (Scarborough: Pearson Education Canada, 1996),
52. Reproduced by permission.

Good Eats Guide
A s reality has it, convenience store cuisine is
becoming a staple in many diets these days.
Whether it’s due to dealing with an empty house
diet—it just requires a little extra planning. Eat
less fat at other meals to help “budget” in extra
fat. For example, drinking non-fat milk instead of
after school or trying to fit food into a hectic lowfat milk and using jam on your toast instead of
schedule, many a mini-meal is being made out margarine will make room for two extra teaspoons
of snacks and snack food. of fat. (A fatty snack or meal or a day of eating
The good news is that snacking isn’t so bad excess fat will not make or break your health.
after all. Snacking can help squelch mid-afternoon It’s how you elect to eat the majority of the time
munchies (making you less prone to overdo it at that counts.)
mealtime), and it can even help you meet your
daily nutritional needs.
Just because you’ve been given the green light
4 Satisfy your sweet tooth in a sensible manner.
Some sweets every now and then won’t hurt
your health. These treats are naturally low in
to go grazing doesn’t mean you should go crazy. fat: lowfat puddings, fig bars, graham crackers,
Smart snacking means knowing what to choose frozen fruit bars, vanilla wafers, sorbet and fruit
and how to make snacking a healthful part of your smoothies.
1
diet. Here’s some help:
Choose low-fat and nutrient-rich snacks
that’ll help you meet your daily nutritional
5 Don’t fall into snack traps. Beware of snack
foods that sound nutritious, but offer little
more than fat and calories. Some common culprits:
requirements. A banana will help you meet granola bars, microwave popcorn and trail mix
your fruit requirement for the day. Even items (these are often high in fat), and fruit rolls or fruit
like whole-grain crackers or pretzels can help chews, which rarely have much fruit in them, are
you meet your six to eleven recommended daily often high in sugar.
servings of carbos.
2 Prepare for snack attacks. Don’t give into

the high-fat snack selections in your school’s
6 Fiber fill-ups. Foods that are high in fiber help
to fill you up, and since most of us only meet
half of our fiber needs, it’s wise to choose snack
vending machines. Instead, pack your own snacks, foods that are high in fiber. Some good choices:
such as fruit, yogurt, rice cakes, or pretzels. air-popped popcorn or popcorn cakes, fresh fruit
3 Factor in a little extra fat now and then. You

can fit a few fattening snack foods into your
or vegetables, whole-wheat toast, wheat or bran
cereals, lowfat bran muffins.
making the swap—smart switches

swap . . . for . . .
french fries (360 cal., 18g fat) a baked potato (218 cal., 0g fat)
cheesecake (188 cal., 14g fat) angel food cake (125 cal., 0g fat)
vanilla ice cream (268 cal., 23g fat) lowfat frozen yogurt (200 cal., 4g fat)
a glazed doughnut (192 cal., 13g fat) a bagel (300 cal., 1.4g fat)
chocolate chip cookies (200 cal., 12g fat) fig bars (240 cal., 4g fat)
(CALORIES/FAT FIGURES BASED ON ONE SERVING)

1
1
Reprinted courtesy of Teen Magazine.

3. a. Identify three strategies for developing healthier snacking habits that are
recommended in this article.
b.
Which three strategies can you use to change your snacking habits for the
better? Write them in your notebook as “I” statements.
4. a. Borrow a menu from a restaurant, use a take-out menu, or search the web
for restaurant menus. Create a chart in your notebook like the one that
follows. List eight food items from the menu. Then indicate the food group
to which it belongs.
Menu Item Food Group
b. Identify any foods that do not meet nutritional guidelines. What kinds of
choices should you remind yourself to make about eating these foods?
c.
How would you design a healthy menu that appeals to teens?
5. a. Use the Internet or the library to search for information on a popular

diet plan. It does not necessarily have to be a fad diet. It could include
vegetarian, high-protein, low-fat, or gluten-free diets. Describe the types
of foods that the diet includes. Use a chart, similar to the following one, to
record the information you find.
Resource Name of Diet Foods Included in Diet
b. Compare recommendations for food choices in the diet to Canada’s Food

Guide to Healthy Eating.

J ournal Entry
Reflect on what you have learned in this lesson. Food is often a part of many
activities, celebrations, and special times that are shared with friends and
family. Many factors influence the decisions you make about your daily food
intake. It is important that you understand the factors that influence your
food choices so you can establish healthy eating habits. Think about the
manner in which you make your decisions.
• The factors that influence my food choices include . . .

• My comfort foods are . . .
• I am happy with my eating habits when I . . .
• I know that my nutritional needs include . . .
• I am influenced most in my food choices by . . .
personal examples.
JOURNAL RESPONSE

0 1 2 3 4
In this lesson you learned about factors that affect one’s food choices. You learned
where to find information about your nutritional needs. One of the most important
sources of information is Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. You investigated
strategies for improving your personal food choices including your snacking habits.

Suggested Answers
1. Your answers will reflect some of your opinions about food choices. Following are
possibilities:
a.
Vanja might have made the decision to purchase the french fries and gravy because
he did not have enough money to make a healthier purchase. Or, he may have
decided to look for another place to purchase something healthier that he liked
with the money he had available to him. He may also decide to borrow 50¢ from a
friend and make the healthier purchase.
b.
Catherine may have selected the new cereal because of the influence of the media.
Or, she may have ignored the influence of media advertising and purchased the
cereal they usually eat.
c.
Jeroen may have also ordered a taco salad and fruit juice because he was influenced
by his friends’ choices. Or, he may have decided not to pay attention to what his
friends ordered and selected his usual choice.
d.
Marina may explain that she doesn’t eat meat and ask her friend if there are any
vegetarian foods she can eat. Or, she may make an excuse for not eating the dinner.
In the future she may plan to inform the host of her vegetarianism ahead of time.
e.
Alberto and Lucinda may decide not to purchase anything because of their training
and the need to maintain healthy eating habits. Or, they may decide that one snack
of chips and pop will not hurt their training.
2. Following are strategies for improving your food choices:
•
Increase the calcium intake in your diet by ordering milk instead of soft drinks
when eating out and by making creamed soups with milk instead of water to help
prevent osteoporosis.
•
Increase the fibre in your daily diet by eating bran cereals for breakfast, eating the
skins of fruits and vegetables, and selecting whole-wheat breads, buns, and pasta
to improve digestion and elimination.
•
Increase the vitamin C intake in your diet by eating more oranges, tomatoes,
strawberries, broccoli, and green peppers in order to help your body absorb the
iron you eat. (Vitamin C also increases your resistance to infection, maintains
healthy teeth and gums, and helps heal wounds.)
You may have listed other strategies. Have you indicated the advantages of each of the
choices you make?

3. a. The strategies recommended in the article for developing healthier snacking habits
include the following:
• Choose low-fat and nutrient-rich snacks that help meet your daily nutritional
requirements.
• Prepare for snack attacks by eating snacks such as fruit, yogurt, rice cakes, or
pretzels.
• Allow for a small amount of fat in snack food now and then by substituting
low-fat options into your food choices the rest of the time. For example,
drink skim milk instead of low-fat milk and use jam on your toast instead of
margarine. This will allow you two extra teaspoons of fat.
• Satisfy your sweet tooth sensibly by selecting foods such as low-fat puddings,
frozen fruit bars, and vanilla wafers.
• Beware of snack foods that sound nutritious, but may be high in fat or sugar
such as granola bars, microwave popcorn, and trail mix.
• Choose foods that are high in fibre such as air-popped popcorn, fresh fruit and
vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereals.
b.
Your “I” statements may include any three of the following:
• I will choose low-fat and nutrient-rich snacks such as bananas, whole-grain

crackers, or pretzels.
• I will bring healthy snacks with me to school so that I am not tempted to buy
high-fat snacks.
• I will make sure that I budget my food choices wisely.
• I will satisfy my sweet tooth in a sensible manner with treats such as low-fat
puddings, fig bars, graham crackers, frozen fruit bars, vanilla wafers, sorbet,
and fruit smoothies.
• I will beware of snack foods that sound healthy, but really are not.
• I will choose snack foods that are high in fibre, such as air-popped popcorn
or popcorn cakes, fresh fruit or vegetables, whole-wheat toast, wheat or bran
cereals, and low-fat bran muffins.
4. a. Answers will vary depending on the menu you selected and the foods you chose to
list. Which food group did most of the items belong to?

b.
Foods that do not fit into one of the four food groups may be higher in fat, sugar, or
calories. These foods should be used in moderation.
c.
Your menu should include foods that promote healthy eating habits. Compare
the menu foods with Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Many menu items
may contain foods from more than one food group. Compare the amounts of grain
products, vegetables, and fruit on your menu with the servings recommended
by Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Then compare the amounts of milk
products and the meat and alternatives to the servings recommended by the Food
Guide. You should have three or four times as many grain products, vegetables, and
fruit on your menu as milk products, meat, and meat alternatives.
5. a. Chart information will, of course, depend on the diet that you researched.

b. Your answers will vary depending on the diet that you selected. Make sure that you
compare the recommendations for food choices in the diet to each of the four food
groups in Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Your statements should include
comparisons such as the following:
• This diet recommends—or does not recommend—five to twelve servings of

grain products, such as bread, cereal, bagel, pita, bun, pasta, or rice.
• This diet recommends—or does not recommend—five to ten servings of

vegetables and fruit, including those that are fresh, frozen, or canned.
• This diet recommends—or does not recommend—the proper number of

servings of milk products, such as milk, cheese, or yogurt for different ages.
• This diet recommends—or does not recommend—two to three servings of

meat and alternatives, such as beef, poultry, fish, beans, or peanut butter.
• This diet recommends—or does not recommend—foods that do not fit into
one of the four food groups. If it is a food that is higher in fat, sugar, or
calories, does the diet recommend that it should be used in moderation?
Image Credits
exceptions:
Page
60 Copyright © 2005 Alberta Education and its licensors. All rights reserved.
62 © 2004–2005 www.clipart.com

L esson 5: Substance Use and Avoidance
As you mature, you begin to make more of your own decisions. You also begin to assume
responsibility for the decisions you make, including those you make about substance use and
avoidance. (In this course the word substance refers to alcohol, drugs, or tobacco.) Many of your
decisions form the basis for lifelong habits.
The decisions you make are influenced by friends, family, advertising, culture, and beliefs. These
factors are very powerful in shaping how you feel, what you believe, and how you behave.
In this lesson you will examine factors that can influence your decision making. You will discover
ways to say no and to resist negative peer pressure. Then you will explore what influences the choices
you make about the use and avoidance of substances.

Social Factors and Decision Making
social factors: Social factors influence the
elements that relate
to getting along with
decisions you make. They are
others those factors associated with
getting along with other people.
They also relate to how you fit
in with your family, friends, and
community. Social factors can
pressure you to make a particular
choice. For example, decisions
about whether or not to use
drugs may be influenced by
social factors.
Social factors can be both

positive and negative. They may
include pressures from your
friends or family members,
values: the things values that are influenced by
that a person believes your religious or cultural beliefs,
in and feels are
important and pressures from outside influences such as advertising. It is up to you to decide
They are the guiding
what choices you will make. Social factors affect your physical, emotional, and
principles for living intellectual health.
one’s life.
wanting to
wanting to feel
starting to be popular attractive
become an
adult knowing how
you feel about
Emotional yourself
Health
Physical
Health
interacting
with others
Social Factors Affecting Personal Health
Intellectual
Health
being influenced seeking

by advertising excitement and
and media taking risks

How do social factors affect the decisions I
make?
They can affect the activities you become

involved in, the friends you hang out with,
and the choices you make about substance
use. They can also affect the way you react
to risky situations.
The choice you make when you are faced with a decision that involves some risk
depends on
• the way you feel about yourself

• the values that you hold
• the information you know about the risks involved
• the skills you have learned that enable you to communicate your decision
• the possible alternatives and their consequences
• what you consider to be acceptable
Your decision will depend on what you think is the best answer for you and for your
health and well-being.
1. a. What are social factors?
b.
What are six social factors that influence you?
c.
Create a chart in your notebook like the one that follows. In the first
column of your chart, describe at least three situations in which you have
recently had to say yes or no. These situations can involve activities with
your friends, family members, or classmates. Then, in the second column,
list the social factors that influenced your decision.
Situations Social Factors

Refusal Skills
Everyone wants to get along with their friends.
There will, however, be times when your friends will
make choices that you do not agree with.
Saying no is not always easy, especially when you

want to say it without hurting someone’s feelings.
Saying no may not be easy when you are going
against a group’s wishes. As an individual, you need
to learn to say no without feeling guilty. When you
say no, mean it, and do not feel guilty; you are being
assertive in your communication with others.
The following guidelines will help you say no and

resist negative peer pressure.
• Ask questions to find out more about the activity. Consider how this activity
might have consequences your friends don’t expect or haven’t thought about.
• State your decision firmly. Say no and say it right away. Make eye contact;
don’t look down or away. Communicate the fact that you are sure of what you
want. Use a strong voice.
• Don’t offer long explanations or excuses. This will just give others more
opportunities to argue with your explanations. You can’t lose an argument
that you don’t get into. Don’t apologize for saying no.
• Keep saying no if the pressure continues. This is called the broken record
or scratched CD technique. Continue to say no, without offering excuses or
explanations. Just keep saying, “I understand what you want, but I am not
going to do it.”
• Avoid situations where you know there will be pressure to do things that go
against your values and beliefs.
• Make an excuse such as “I don’t feel well” or “I have to be home.” Work out a
code word with your parents so that if you phone and give the code they will
come and get you right away.
• Suggest doing something else. This is a delaying tactic. Delaying tactics can
help you avoid the pressure when it is difficult for you to say no. Using a
delaying tactic doesn’t mean you will say yes later. It may give you time to get
out of the situation or think of other ways to say no when the situation comes
around again.

• Recruit a friend. Getting a friend in the
group to agree with you reduces the
pressure that the others in the group can
assert.
• Change the subject or pretend you didn’t

hear the request.
• Make a joke of the situation.
Following are some specific ways to say no.
• “No, thanks.”
• “No way. My family would disown me.”
• “I’m allergic.”
• “I like me the way I am now.”
• “My mind is made up, and I don’t want to talk about it any more.”
• “I have plans and goals for my life, and this would interfere with them.”
Use the REFUSE acronym to help you remember some strategies for saying no.
R eally ask questions about the activity.
E xamine all the consequences.
F ind alternatives. Suggest different things to do.
U se persuasion. Be assertive.
S tate all the consequences and problems.
E xit from the situation, and leave doors open if so desired.

It is important to be able to use refusal skills in situations that have the potential to
seriously harm your health and affect your life.

2. a. What specific ways have you used to say no to people?
b.
Write a description in your notebook of a situation that required you to say
no. What refusal strategy did you use?
Making Choices About Substances

Have you ever been approached by someone who offered you marijuana? Have you
ever been at a gathering where you were urged to drink alcohol? Has a friend ever
tried to get you to smoke cigarettes? Have you ever been tempted to say yes?
How can you make wise choices about substance use and avoidance? To help you
make informed decisions, it is important to know some of the terms related to
substance use and avoidance.
What Are Drugs?

Does someone in your family drink coffee in the
morning to get started? Do you smoke? Have you
shared a joint before going to a dance? Have you taken
an antibiotic for an ear infection? Have you drank
beer with your friends? Do you know anyone who
has bought diet pills from the drugstore? You may be
surprised to learn that each one of these substances is
a drug.
drug: any substance What exactly is a drug? A drug is a substance that

that is taken to
change how the mind
changes the way your body or mind works. Examples
or the body works are alcohol, medication that you take for a headache,
antibiotics, caffeine, or nicotine. There are three types
of drugs:
• prescription
• over-the-counter
• illegal or street
Prescription drugs are those prescribed by a doctor, for example, antibiotics. You
purchase them through a pharmacist. Over-the-counter drugs are those that you
can buy without a doctor’s written order. Cough and cold remedies and vitamin
pills are examples of over-the-counter drugs. Illegal, or street, drugs are prohibited
by law. Examples include crystal methamphetamine and marijuana.

Substance Abuse
Drugs are generally used to promote good health.
Some people, however, use substances for the
substance abuse: use wrong reasons. This is known as substance abuse.
of a substance in a
way that is harmful
Substance abuse may involve any one of the three types
and/or illegal of drugs or substances such as alcohol or nicotine. It
occurs when a substance is used by a person
• for any reason than its purpose

• to be accepted by friends
• to rebel or to experiment
• for longer than needed
• to perform better at sports
• to look “cool” with peers
• in larger amounts than is recommended or prescribed by a doctor
• to feel energetic and better able to handle problems and stress
• who has concerns about feeling scared, abandoned, or left out
drug abuse: the Drug abuse, which is a form of substance abuse, is the incorrect use of a drug.
incorrect use of a
drug
(Sometimes these two terms are used interchangeably.) This can include using
too much drug, taking the drug for too long a period, for a reason other than its
intended purpose, or in the wrong combination. Abuse can result when people
think that the drugs will help them to escape their problems. Drug abuse, however,
does not solve problems. It creates them. Drug abuse can ruin your relationships,
your dreams, and your future.
It is up to you to act responsibly when it comes to drug use. Using the REFUSE
strategies is one way to help you make responsible choices and wise decisions about
using drugs.
physical dependence:
the condition that
exists when a body People can become physically or psychologically dependent on drugs. Dependency
needs or depends on
a drug to function exists when a person’s use of a drug results in continued negative consequences.
Physical dependence occurs when the body depends on a drug for functioning.
psychological
dependence: the Without the drug, the body experiences withdrawal symptoms that can be painful.
conditon that exists
when there is a felt
need for a drug and Psychological dependence occurs when a person continually feels the need to
its effects take a drug and experience its effects. It can have negative effects on feelings and
addicted: being emotions. Psychological dependence is brought about by the habitual use of drugs
physically or to avoid withdrawal symptoms once physical dependence has developed.
psychologically
dependent on a
substance such as When there is physical and/or psychological dependence on a drug from habitual
alcohol, tobacco, or
other drug use, one is said to be addicted to the drug. Treatment for the addiction may include
complete or gradual withdrawal. Once withdrawal is complete, the recovered addict
abstain: to practise
total non-use must totally abstain from its use.

Why do people take drugs if they know they might
become addicted?
Other than for medical reasons, people

use drugs for different reasons including
• using them as part of a ceremony or
tradition
• being curious
• lacking knowledge about drugs
• experiencing emotional problems
that cause anger, stress, boredom, or
anxiety
• being influenced by friends or by other people such as
famous singers, musicians, or athletes who are known
to use drugs
3. Use your own words to define the following terms:
a.
drug
b.
abstain
c.
addicted
4. When he left the hospital after having surgery, Greg received a prescription for
painkillers from his doctor. Even though he no longer feels pain, he continues
to use the painkillers. He claims the pills make him feel relaxed and that
everything seems to go more smoothly when he takes them. Greg has nearly
run out of the pills. He is concerned about getting another prescription for
more pills.
Is Greg abusing drugs? Support your answer.
Risks
When people abuse substances, risks are involved. These risks can be physical,
intellectual, and/or emotional. When substances are abused, the body does not
function normally. Movement, hearing, sight, and smell can be affected. When
the body’s functions are affected, dangerous incidents may occur. For example,
automobile accidents are frequently caused by drivers who have abused substances.

Health risks from alcohol abuse can include damage to the liver. Cigarettes can
damage one’s lungs and contribute to cancer. Sniffing solvent or cocaine can affect
the nervous system. Injecting drugs with a needle can lead to deadly infections.
Many drugs that are sold illegally are done so with little regard for human safety.
Often, street drugs are not what they claim to be. Some may contain too high a
dose for safe use. Others may contain chemicals intended to mimic a drug’s action.
The drugs may not be pure.
As well, people caught with illegal drugs risk being fined, placed in jail, or both.
Young offenders could be sent to detention centres. An illegal drug user may end
up with a criminal record that could affect employment opportunities and limit
chances of travelling to other countries.
Sometimes drugs are mixed with other drugs. This can be extremely dangerous.
For example, when alcohol is mixed with barbiturates or inhalants such as nail
polish remover, paint thinner, lighter fluid, or gasoline, a deadly combination
can result. Even taking a cold medication with a small amount of alcohol can be
dangerous. Mixing drugs can have dangerous effects on a person physically and
intellectually. It can impair one’s ability to drive a vehicle or to do other things
requiring skill and attention, such as riding a motorcycle, operating machinery, or
participating in sports.
Substance abuse also involves emotional risks. It can affect relationships with
family and friends. Communication often breaks down and arguments increase.
This can lead to relationships changing or dissolving.

5. AADAC (Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission) is an agency of the
Government of Alberta that provides information on substance use and abuse.
It also provides programs for drug and alcohol treatment as well as education.
Do some of your own research about the type of work that AADAC does. You
can call toll-free 1-866-33AADAC (1-866-332-2322) and ask to speak to an
information officer. You can also use the Internet to access this information.
The website address is as follows:
http://corp.aadac.com/
In your notebook create a list of what you learn about AADAC.
Smoking
Smoking is both physically and psychologically addictive. The physical addiction

to smoking comes from the nicotine in tobacco. The body gets used to the nicotine
and when it is taken away, the body goes into withdrawal. The psychological
addiction is the habit of smoking. This habit is reinforced every time a cigarette
is smoked. Did you know that a person who smokes a pack of cigarettes each day
repeats hand to mouth motion 90 000 times in one year? It is little wonder that
smoking is a difficult habit to break. Are you aware of the following facts about
smoking?
• Tobacco smoke contains about 4000 chemicals, 50 of which are known to

cause cancer.
• In Canada, about 347 non-smokers die each year from lung cancer related
to second-hand smoke and 3470 from heart disease related to second-hand
smoke.
• A person smoking a pack of cigarettes a day will spend about $3300 each year
on cigarettes.

The side effects of smoking include the following:
• bad breath
• yellow teeth
• stained fingers
• loss of sense of smell
• clogged bronchial tubes
• increased heart rate
• increased blood pressure
• damaged lungs or smoker’s cough
Some of these side effects can lead to more serious

health problems, including heart attacks, strokes, lung diseases, cancer (especially
lung cancer), and respiratory infections such as pneumonia.
6. Following are some ways that teens may be influenced to start smoking.
•
Advertising makes smoking look glamorous and attractive.
•
People around teens smoke.
•
Teens are offered cigarettes by friends.
For each point, write a refusal strategy that could be used to prevent a teen
from starting to smoke.
Alcohol
Have you ever drank alcohol? Even though alcohol
is illegal to buy or possess if you are under the age
of 18 in Alberta, it is the most frequently abused
drug by adolescents according to “Alberta Youth
Experience Survey 2002.” Other statistics show
that over 10 percent of Canadian teenagers begin
drinking before the age of 14.
The reasons why teenagers use alcohol include

curiosity, a need to fit in with friends, and a desire
to relax and escape problems.

How does alcohol affect a person?
Alcohol is a depressant, which means it

slows down the brain and central nervous
system. Small amounts of alcohol can
reduce anxiety. But with larger amounts,
reflexes and reactions slow down and
co-ordination becomes poor.
Each person is affected by alcohol differently

depending on body fat, size, mass, tolerance, and
build. Large amounts of alcohol can cause slurred
speech, staggering, double vision, and even unconsciousness,
coma, and death. If you are tired or not feeling well, alcohol has a
greater effect. If you drink a large amount of alcohol, you’re certainly
guaranteed a hangover—a pounding headache, intense thirst,
nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, blurry vision, shakiness, and
exhaustion. The hangover clears up as the body processes the
poisonous effects of alcohol.
Alcohol can also have the following serious long-term effects that have huge
consequences:
• brain and nerve damage

• liver damage
• loss of memory
• ulcers
• heart disease
A heavy drinker’s personal life can

be destroyed by the long-term use of
alcohol. Many family relationships
and working situations have been
ruined by drinking.

You probably have heard the following slogan many times: drinking and driving
blood alcohol level: don’t mix. It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level (BAL) of 0.08 percent or
the percentage of
alcohol in the blood
greater. BAL represents the amount of alcohol in a person’s body. A BAL of 0.08
percent means that a person has more than eight parts of alcohol to 10 000 parts
blood. A BAL of 0.08 can be reached by consuming as little as two drinks. A person
may, however, become impaired and drive illegally even with a BAL less than 0.08
percent.
7. How would you apply the REFUSE strategy to a situation in which you were
offered alcohol? Create a chart in your notebook with each step of the REFUSE
model, and write strategies for saying no when offered alcohol.
Create a comic strip in your notebook that illustrates a situation in which one
student is pressuring another student to try something. In your comic strip show
the pressured student’s refusal strategy.
Design a series of collectible cards that could be also used as binder stickers. Title
your series “Just Say No.” The messages on your cards should encourage good
decision-making skills. Design four cards, one for each week of a month.

Have you ever gone with a parent to a pharmacy to have a prescription filled?
Pharmacists are health-care professionals who sell prescription drugs made by
large drug companies. They tell people how to use the medication correctly.
Sometimes, pharmacists mix the medicine themselves.
Pharmacists most often work in drugstores or stores that have pharmacies.

They can also work in a hospital setting. They may work alone or with other
pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, or pharmacy assistants. They often work
rotating shifts, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. Most pharmacists
work about 40 hours a week, but some work longer hours. If you are interested in a
career as a pharmacist or any other career relating to medications and prescription
drugs, you may want to do some research. You can explore this option at the
following website:
Volunteering
Many community groups offer teen support programs and activities. There can be
opportunities for teenagers to become involved with teen programs and support
groups in their communities. Involvement in community programs that focus
on healthy activities and avoidance of substance use can provide opportunities to
promote positive health choices for yourself.

J ournal Entry
Reflect on what you have learned in this lesson. There are many social
factors that can influence your decision making. The REFUSE strategy can
help you say no and resist negative peer pressure when making decisions
about substance use.
• A situation when I should have said no, but didn’t know how to was . . .
• The next time I will . . .
• The refusal strategy that works best for me is . . .
personal examples.
JOURNAL RESPONSE

0 1 2 3 4
In this lesson you looked at social factors that influence decision making. You
analyzed factors that influence the choices you make about avoiding or using
substances, and you examined the dangers of drug abuse and substance use. You
also were introduced to the REFUSE strategy for saying no.
View the segment “Health Maintenance” on your Health and Life Skills 7 CD to
review information about what a person can do to maintain his or her physical
health. It discusses exercising, eating balanced meals, and avoiding harmful
substances such as cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol.

Glossary
abstain: to practise total non-use psychological dependence: the condition
that exists when there is a felt need for a
addicted: being physically or drug and its effects
psychologically dependent on a
substance such as alcohol, tobacco, or social factors: elements that relate to
other drug getting along with others
blood alcohol level: the percentage of substance abuse: use of a substance in a

alcohol in the blood way that is harmful and/or illegal
drug: any substance that is taken to change values: the things that a person believes in
how the mind or the body works and feels are important
drug abuse: the incorrect use of a drug They are the guiding principles for
living one’s life.
physical dependence: the condition that
exists when a body needs or depends on
a drug to function
Suggested Answers
1. a. Social factors are influences that include how you feel about yourself as a result
of your interactions with others, your relationships, your family, your values, and
media and advertising. They are influences that come from the world around you.
b.
Your list of social factors may include some of the following:
• wanting to be popular
• starting to become an adult
• wanting to feel attractive
• interacting with the opposite gender
• knowing how you feel about yourself
• seeking excitement and taking risks
• being influenced by media and advertising
• following family values
• practising religious or cultural beliefs
• experiencing peer pressure
You may have others.
c. The examples of situations that you provide for your chart will vary. You should,
however, make sure that you have identified social factors that influenced your
decision from your list in question 1.b.

2. a. Answers will vary. Did you use any of the “ways to say no” suggested in this lesson?
b.
Your situation will be unique. Here is one example:
You have finished watching a baseball game with a group of friends. A classmate
suggests going to her home to have a drink because her parents are not home. You
say no and suggest doing something else like going to your house to watch a movie,
going to the mall, or riding your bikes.
You may have suggested other refusal strategies.
3. Compare your definitions to the following:
a. A drug is any chemical that produces some change in a person’s intellectual and/or
physical state.
b. To abstain is to completely avoid or refuse use of a substance.
c. Being addicted means becoming physically or psychologically dependent on a

substance.
4. Yes, Greg is abusing drugs. You may have identified some of the following evidence to
show support for your answer:
•
Greg is using his painkillers for longer than he needs to.
•
He is using the pills for a purpose different from the one intended by his doctor.
•
He is becoming dependent on the way the painkillers make him feel.
•
He is starting to worry about supporting his habit.
5. AADAC provides the following information:
•
services offered
•
where services are available
•
addictions information
•
AADAC resources
•
how to get help
•
how to refer someone to a
– program or agency
– health-care professional
•
how to get facts on
– alcohol
– drugs
– gambling

6. Your refusal strategies may include the following:
•
Advertising makes smoking look glamorous and attractive. Critically analyze
tobacco advertisements, and ignore their messages.
•
People around teens smoke. People should not feel pressured to smoke simply
because people around them are doing it.
•
Teens are offered cigarettes by a friend. Since nicotine is highly addictive, it is
best simply to not take that first cigarette.
7. Your chart should look like the following one:
R eally ask questions about the activity.

What are the effects of drinking
alcohol? What are the risks?
The consequences might involve
getting sick; losing the ability
to walk, talk, and hear; blacking
E xamine all the consequences.

out; acting like a fool; doing
something you might regret
later; not doing well in school;
getting into fights; and/or
having health problems.
Your answers to this step will
F ind alternatives. Suggest different things to do. vary. You could suggest a
physical activity you enjoy.
Be honest with friends. Tell them
U se persuasion. Be assertive.
you don’t like to drink because
it changes the way you feel or
behave.
Getting sick, blacking out,
or losing the ability to walk,
talk, and hear is not worth the
action of drinking alcohol. It
means losing control over your
thoughts and action. Getting
S tate all the consequences and problems.

into fights and acting like a
fool may cause you to lose the
respect of your friends. It might
also result in loss of self-respect.
Not doing well in school and/or
having health problems could
have a negative effect on your
long-term goals.
E A suggested exit is to try to avoid

xit from the situation, and leave doors open if so desired. gatherings where you know
alcohol is going to be present.

Image Credits
exceptions:
Page
67 Photodisc/Getty Images 77 top: © 2004–2005 www.clipart.com
68 Eyewire/Getty Images bottom: Photodisc/Getty Images
69 both: Photodisc/Getty Images 78 top, left: Kevin Peterson/Photodisc/Getty Images
70 Photodisc/Getty Images top, right: Photodisc/Getty Images
71 Photodisc/Getty Images bottom: © 2004–2005 www.clipart.com
72 Photodisc/Getty Images 79 Photodisc/Getty Images
74 left: Kevin Peterson/Photodisc/Getty Images 80 Photodisc/Getty Images
76 Brendan Byrne/Digital Vison/Getty Images

S ection 1 Conclusion
In this section you looked at the personal health choices that can affect you physically, emotionally,
and intellectually. You were able to reflect on things that affect your personal health, including
personal grooming and cleanliness. You analyzed how body image affects your health and lifestyle
choices. In addition, you examined how such factors as finances, media, peer pressure, nutritional
needs, body image, food preferences, and physical activity influence individual food choices. Finally, in
this section you examined social factors that influence decision making. As well, you were given some
strategies to help you say no and to resist negative peer pressure.
Taking care of yourself is important. Think of your family car. It needs to be cleaned, maintained,
and repaired from time to time to be in good running order. Likewise, your body needs cleaning,
maintenance, and repair to be in peak condition and to be healthy. Remember Yuka and her friends at
the beginning of this section? They know about the importance of
• positive health habits

• grooming and cleanliness
• body image
• nutrition
• substance use and avoidance
They also know how this knowledge can help them make wise and responsible health decisions.

S

ection 2
Safety and Responsibility
Ahmed was bicycling home from school. Because he was in a
hurry, he forgot his helmet in his locker. He also did not take
time to put his books in his backpack. Instead, he carried them
in one hand and steered his bike with the other. Unfortunately,
he was struck by a car in an intersection a block from his
home. Ahmed was lucky. He suffered only a broken leg and
a lot of bruises.
If Ahmed had understood the importance of safety

and responsibility, he would not have been riding
his bike without a helmet or with just one
hand. It is important to make responsible and
informed decisions to maintain health and to
promote safety for yourself and others.
In this section you will discover how the

development of safe and responsible
choices leads to positive health
habits. You will focus on safety
issues and the limits that you set
for yourself. You will become
familiar with how issues such
as workplace safety, bullying,
and harassment affect your
health. You will consider how
sources of support can provide strategies for
dealing with safety issues. You will also learn
how the development of resiliency can support
your health.

L esson 1: Safety
What do you think about when you hear the word safety? You have probably had the chance to learn
about many different kinds of safety concerns and practices. You may have learned about bike, traffic,
home, farm, water, and school safety. You may have talked about practising first aid and dealing
with emergencies. In the previous section you learned how you can stay safe from the risks of drug,
alcohol, and tobacco consumption.
It is important to get as much information as you can about how to deal with safety issues. It is
also important to be sensible and careful. All the choices you make about safety require you to
take responsibility. The decisions you make about your activities will affect your health physically,
emotionally, and socially.
In this lesson you will investigate a number of safety issues. You will come to understand how safe and
responsible behaviour affects your total health.

The Meaning of Safety
safety: protection Personal safety involves freedom from the damaging, dangerous, or destructive
from harm
elements in your environment that could affect your personal health. The ways that
others behave toward you, and how you react to their behaviours, is part of what
makes up your sense of personal safety.
An important part of safe and responsible behaviour is the ability to identify and
act on risks. Sometimes, taking risks can be challenging and exciting. Other times,
risks can involve danger to your physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Physical safety involves learning and practising behaviours that keep your body
safe from harm. Wearing the proper safety gear (including a helmet) when you
are inline skating, keeping the doors locked when you are home alone, and
carefully following directions when you take prescription drugs are all examples of
behaviours that promote physical safety.
Emotional safety involves your feelings and sense of self. Verbal assaults, bullying,
and teasing are examples of behaviours that can destroy your emotional safety.
Social safety involves your interactions with others and the relationships you have
in your life. Examples of social safety strategies include saying no to substance use
and resolving conflict.
1. What does being safe physically, emotionally, and socially mean to you?
Section 2: Safety and Responsibility 89

Safe and Responsible Behaviours
How can you take responsibility for safe behaviour? Personal safety involves
• thinking about your physical, emotional, and social health
• taking into account the settings in which you live, work, and play
perspective: • considering different perspectives or viewpoints on safety and finding out

individual point of
view on a topic
your safety limits
2. Brainstorm a list of the settings in which you live, play, and work. For each
place, identify the activities you may do in that setting. For the activities in
each setting, indicate what safety concerns should be addressed.
Respecting Others’ Sense of Safety

Just as there are standards for health, there are
also standards for safety that everyone should
follow. People, however, often have different ideas
about which activities are safe and which ones are
not. For example, adults do not always agree with
teenagers’ perspectives on how safe an activity is.
Some people think a sport like ice climbing is safe

as long as all the safety procedures and practices
are followed. Others think that ice climbing is not
safe, no matter what procedures are put into place.
Some people think that snowboarding poses too
many risks. Others think it is perfectly safe.
These perspectives should be respected. Ask questions and find out as much
information as possible about the safety of a particular activity. Then form your
own opinion about the safety of the activity. Determine whether it is a comfortable
activity for you. It is important to find out what your own limits are. If you are to
take responsibility for safe behaviour, you must consider alternative perspectives so
that you can make informed decisions.

Safety and Sports
What sporting activities do you
participate in? Every day, millions of
Canadians take part in sports. These
activities range from snowboarding
to soccer. Participation in sports
can have both physical and social
benefits. It improves physical fitness,
co-ordination, and self-discipline.
Sports such as baseball and
lacrosse give you a chance to learn
teamwork.
Each year many people suffer from sports injuries. Some injuries are minor and
others more serious. How can sports injuries be avoided? To play safe and prevent
sports injuries, follow these guidelines:
• Be in proper physical condition to play the sport. Develop a routine that helps
you build strength, endurance, and flexibility before the season starts.
• Know and play by the rules of the sport. Study the rules, and review them with
your parents and coaches.
• Wear appropriate protective gear; for example, wear shin guards when playing
soccer, and a helmet and body padding for hockey.
• Know how to use athletic equipment properly, for example, correctly

adjusting the bindings on skis.
warm-up: mild • Do a warm-up before playing and a cool down afterwards. Light stretching of
activity that is done
before strenuous
the arms and legs before and after playing can prevent injury.
exercise to stretch the
muscles gently and to
increase circulation
• Avoid participating in any sport when you are tired or in pain. If you play
while in pain, you can make your injury worse.
dehydration: a deficit • Drink plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration.

in body fluids
• Do not consume any alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can impair your skill,
judgement, and co-ordination.
3. How can athletes reduce their chances of injury?

Basic Workplace Safety
Whether you’re at home, at school, or at your job, your safety is a concern. In each
of these settings, there are rules and expectations for behaviour. These expectations
are developed to maintain or increase your safety. For example, your family home
should have one or more smoke detectors. At school you are cautioned to walk,
not run, in the hallways. In the workplace both the employer and the employee are
concerned with safety.
Did you know that Alberta’s Occupational Health

and Safety Act is a set of laws that helps protect your
health and safety at work? The Act requires you to
work safely and to co-operate with your employer
by following the health and safety rules for the job.
It focuses on keeping the workplace safe for you,
your employer, and others you work with. You have
a right to a safe and healthy workplace. Employers
must do everything they can to ensure your health
and safety. For example, employers have to keep
equipment in safe working order.
As a worker, you are also responsible for your safety.

Following are some questions about safety to ask
your employer before starting work:
• What are the dangers of my job?

• Are there any other hazards, such as noise, chemicals, and radiation that I should
know about?
• Will I receive job-safety training? When?
• Is there any safety gear I’ll be expected to wear? Will I receive training in how to use
it? When?
• Will I be trained in emergency procedures? When?
• Where are fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, and other emergency equipment located?
• What are my health and safety responsibilities?
• Who do I ask if I have a health or safety question?
• Do I need to attend safety meetings?
• What do I do if I get hurt? Who is the first-aid person?
1
1
“Questions to Ask Your Employer,” Workplace Health & Safety, (Edmonton: Alberta Human Resources and Employment,
11 May 2001). <http://www3.gov.ab.ca/hre/whs/workers/tenqs.asp> (22 July 2003). Reproduced by permission.

If you are interested in knowing more about safety in the workplace, you can call
1-866-415-8690, toll-free anywhere in Alberta, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Or, you can visit the Workplace Health and Safety website at
http://www.whs.gov.ab.ca
4. You have just examined some safety questions you could ask before you start a
job. What additional safety questions could you ask an employer?
Bullying
Have you ever been afraid to go to school
because other kids pick on you? Have you
read news stories about teens who have
been seriously injured—or even died—as a
bullying: using result of bullying by other teens? Bullying
strength or power to
intimidate another
is a problem that occurs on and off school
person grounds. Bullying involves overpowering or
ridiculing a person who is more vulnerable.
It can be physical, verbal, or psychological.
Individuals who are constantly bullied may

become depressed, fearful, or disinterested
in school. Their grades may drop. They may
try to avoid going to school. In extreme
cases, people who have been bullied try to
commit suicide or even murder. Many are
too afraid to ask for adult help. They can start by calling Kids Help Phone or joining
a Kids Help Phone online forum. They can call toll-free 1-800-668-6868 or visit the
website at the following address:
http://www.kidshelpphone.ca/en/
This website will also give you some ideas of what you can do to prevent bullying.
It is extremely important that you work to stop any instances of bullying you
encounter.
5. a. Why is bullying a safety issue?

b. What kinds of bullying might a grade 7 student experience?

Harassment
What is harassment? Harassment, which is closely
related to bullying, involves repeated conduct
or comments that intimidate, threaten, and
demean. Harassment can be directed at personal
characteristics, such as a person’s race, appearance,
or religious beliefs. One of the most common forms
sexual harassment: of harassment is sexual harassment.
uninvited sexual
conduct, comments,
or touching What kinds of actions can be considered harassment?
There are a number of behaviours that can be
considered harassment:
• verbal or practical jokes

• invasions of personal space
• physical assault
• insults, threats, or name calling
• rumours
• touching, pinching, or any other unwelcome physical contact
• taunts related to a person’s gender, body, attire, race, religion, or age
• display of pornographic, sexually offensive, or derogatory pictures
• unwelcome sexual invitations or requests, usually of a persistent nature
• comments about sexual orientation
Harassment, whether it occurs subtly or bluntly, can make a person feel put down,
vulnerable, and inadequate. Harassment is hurtful and offensive at any age but at a
time when you are just beginning to make more of your own decisions, harassment
can be devastating to your perception of yourself and others. Individuals who are
bullied or harassed often don’t say anything to others. Why don’t victims tell? Often
it is because of the following:
• They fear adults will overreact or not react.

• They fear revenge.
• They feel embarrassment or shame.
• They believe adults can’t help.
• They have been warned or threatened not to tell.
• They believe there’s nothing anyone can do—adults or students.
• They may believe they are somehow to blame.
• They may be in denial, convincing themselves they are overreacting.
6. a. Why is harassment considered to be a safety issue?

b. What kinds of harassment might a grade 7 student experience?

Dealing with Bullying and Harassment
The consequences of bullying and harassment
affect both the individual who is being bullied or
harassed and the person who uses bullying and
harassing behaviours. For example, someone
who uses harassing behaviours may be labelled
a bully, develop a negative reputation, and
have a difficult time maintaining meaningful
friendships. The individual who is continually
teased and harassed may withdraw socially from
school and community activities and avoid
involvement with others.
Using assertive communication skills can help
you deal with bullying and harassment. There
are steps that you can follow to communicate
your expectations for acceptable and respectful
behaviours from others.
The first step in reducing or eliminating negative

behaviours is to be aware of the problem.
The second step is to identify alternate behaviours that are

appropriate and acceptable.
The third step is to model the behaviours for those with

whom you interact.
You can take action to reduce bullying and harassment in the school and
community or surrounding area by doing the following:
• Find out about organizations or agencies that help youth deal with bullying
or harassment. Contact them for help if you experience or witness these
behaviours.
• Organize a peer education project on bullying.
• Plan and participate in activities that promote building peaceful relationships

and reducing harassment and bullying.

Most people have something to say about bullies—whether they’re the one taking
it or dishing it out. To learn more about the dynamics of bullying, view the segment
“Bullies”1 on your Health and Life Skills 7 CD.
To learn how to put a stop to bullying, visit the website for “Bully-free Alberta” at
the following address:
http://www.teamheroes.ca/website/index.html
Developing a Personal Sense of Safety
You can develop a personal sense of safety by being

aware of behaviours that will protect your physical,
emotional, and social safety. And by taking action to
ensure that you think about your safety in different
situations.
You can do the following to develop a personal sense of safety:
• Use assertiveness skills to set and maintain personal safety limits. For
example, refuse rides from people you do not know.
• Refuse to let strangers enter your home when you are alone.
• Talk to your parents about safety issues.
• Talk about your fears or worries about safety at school or in the community.
• Be aware of Block Parent symbols and where Block Parent houses are located
in your immediate neighbourhood.
• Be aware of your surroundings when walking. For example, be alert near

parked cars and shrubbery.
• Arrange for rides home after dark.
• Carry change for an emergency phone call.
1
“Bullies” (Castle Works Inc., 2002) http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/friends/bullies/video_hi.html (03 December 2003).
Reproduced by permission. www.pbskids.org/itsmylife - It’s My Life website for tweens on PBSkids. org

• Report suspicious activities or situations to proper authorities.
• Walk in groups in unfamiliar areas or after dark.
To discover how some individual students feel about staying home alone, watch the
multimedia segment entitled “Home Alone”1 on the Health and Life Skills 7 CD. In
this video the pros and cons of being home alone are discussed.

People in your community and surrounding area can help promote safe and
responsible behaviours by doing the following:
• supporting Block Parent programs
• supporting the Neighbourhood Watch program or Rural Crime Watch program
• encouraging neighbours to take responsibility for monitoring youth

behaviour in residential and business districts
• sponsoring drama presentations related to harassment and violence prevention
• training leaders of youth groups and clubs, such as Girl Guides, Scouts, or
Cadets, to set appropriate standards for behaviour and to deal consistently
with harassment
1
“Home Alone” (Castle Works Inc., 2002) http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/family/homealone/video_hi.html (03 December 2003).
Reproduced by permission. www.pbskids.org/itsmylife - It’s My Life website for tweens on PBSkids. org

Do you have excellent interpersonal communication and organizational skills? Are
you enthusiastic and positive? Do you have the ability to work independently and
as part of a team? If these personal characteristics fit you, you may be interested in
becoming a recreation therapist.
Recreation therapists help people who have been sick or hurt to get active again.
They use sports, games, arts and crafts, and music to help patients build confidence
and remain active despite their special circumstances.
If you are interested in a career as a recreation therapist or any career relating to

safety, you may want to do some research. To do this, you can visit the following
website:
Volunteering
Involvement in community programs that focus on providing recreational
activities for teens is a great experience for someone interested in becoming a
recreation therapist. Many communities look for volunteers to become involved
with children’s programs. Communities also look for youth to take part in teen
programs that emphasize alternative activities and positive interactions between
groups of teens.

J ournal Entry
Reflect on what you have learned in this lesson. Feeling safe at home, at school,
and in your community is a basic need for everyone. There are strategies you
can use to increase personal safety. These strategies involve learning and using
refusal techniques, avoiding unsafe situations, and being aware of risks.
• Three safety limits I have set for myself are . . .

• Safety limits protect me physically, emotionally, and socially by . . .
• I communicate safety limits to others by . . .
• I honour my own limits by . . .
• I avoid being pressured into doing something I don’t want to do by . . .
• Harassing behaviours I have experienced or witnessed include . . .
• If I need to stand up for myself when being harassed, I could say or do . . .
• I can help a friend who is being harassed by . . .
personal examples.
JOURNAL RESPONSE

0 1 2 3 4
In this lesson you examined things people can do to stay safe physically,
emotionally, and socially. You also studied basic workplace safety, bullying, and
harassment. You should now have an understanding of safe and responsible
behaviours. This will help you to deal responsibly with safety issues in sports, in the
workplace, and with friends.
Now open Assignment Booklet 1B and respond to questions 1 to 6.

Remember that the answers you submit in your Assignment Booklet will
contribute to your mark in this course, so be sure to do your best work.

Glossary
bullying: using strength or power to sexual harassment: uninvited sexual
intimidate another person conduct, comments, or touching
dehydration: a deficit in body fluids warm-up: mild activity that is done

before strenuous exercise to stretch
perspective: individual point of view on a the muscles gently and to increase
topic circulation
safety: protection from harm
Suggested Answers
1. Responses will vary. Your answer should, however, include ideas that reflect physical,
emotional, and social safety. These might include the following:
• Physical safety involves learning and practising behaviours that keep your body
safe from harm. Some examples include wearing the proper safety gear when
participating in sports; keeping the doors locked while you are home alone; and
carefully following directions when you take prescription drugs.

• Emotional safety involves your feelings and sense of self. Emotional safety
includes using assertive communication skills to protect against verbal assaults,
bullying, and teasing.
• Social safety involves your interactions with others and the relationships you have
in your life. Some examples include saying no to substance use and being able to
deal with conflict.
2. Your list of settings and activities will vary, but may include the following:
• home
– playing on the computer (Internet safety)
– helping to cook meals (safe use of appliances and small equipment)
– doing the dishes (safe use of equipment)
• neighbourhood
– riding bikes or inline skating (bike or inline skating safety)
– playing in a field with friends (safety from bullying)
– delivering newspapers or flyers (traffic safety)
– babysitting young children (playground safety)
• malls or other places in the community

– walking or biking to the place (traffic safety)
– hanging out with friends (safety from strangers)

3. Answers will vary depending upon the type of activity you chose to address.
Snowboarders, for example, can reduce their chances of injury by practising the
following safety guidelines:
• Make sure you have proper training, and don’t try jumps and landings beyond
your ability.

• Wear the appropriate protective gear, including wrist supports, kneepads, and
helmet.
• Know how to use your equipment properly. Also, be sure it is approved by an

appropriate certifying organization.
• Be sure the protective equipment is well maintained and safety oriented to ensure
its effectiveness.
• Warm-up before going on the slopes. Warming up before snowboarding prevents

muscle injury.
• Know and abide by the rules, regulations, and proper techniques of the sport. For
example, do not go on the slopes alone. Snowboard with a companion to help you
if you get hurt.
• Take lessons to learn snowboarding techniques if you are new to this sport.
Developing the right techniques reduces the chance of injury.
• Do not drink alcohol. Even one drink will impair your skill, judgement, and
co-ordination.
4. Additional questions will depend on your own ideas and any experiences you might
have had with workplace safety concerns. Following are possibilities:
• Who do I tell about safety concerns or hazardous situations?

• Is there a plan in place for evacuating the building in case of fire?
• Are fire drills held regularly?
5. a. Bullying is a safety issue because it can affect an individual’s physical, emotional,

and social health. It is a behaviour that can affect individuals physically through
threats of bodily harm; emotionally through intimidation, put-downs, and verbal
abuse; and socially through isolating an individual from a group.
b.
A grade 7 student may experience bullying physically in the form of pushing,
shoving, or fighting. He or she may experience bullying verbally or psychologically
through teasing or put-downs. You may have identified other examples.

6. a. Harassment is a safety issue because it can affect an individual’s emotional and
social health. Like bullying, it is a behaviour that can affect individuals emotionally
through intimidation, put-downs, and verbal abuse and socially through isolating
an individual from a group. Because an individual’s emotional health affects
physical health, harassment may also impact physical health.
b.
A grade 7 student may experience sexual harassment or harassment due to his or
her size, race, appearance, or religion. You may have identified other examples.
Image Credits
exceptions:
Page
90 Digital Vision/Getty Images

L esson 2: Sources of Support
In everyone’s life there are times when advice is helpful. There are times when support is needed for
the decisions you are making, the actions you are planning, or the ways you are feeling. Such support
can promote positive health and life choices by providing physical, emotional, and social support.
Sources of support may be external or internal. External sources include people such as your friends
and family; community organizations or government agencies; peer pressure; and the media. Internal
sources are those that involve how you feel about yourself and how you deal with your personal
well-being. They can include your sense of self; your confidence and belief in yourself; your ability
to cope with conflict; your problem-solving skills; and your personal experiences, goals, hopes, and
dreams.
In this lesson you will examine some support sources that are available to you. Support sources have a
major impact upon your health and safety.

Support Systems
What is a support system?
A support system is a network of people in

your life who provide advice and guidance.
support system: a Your support system may consist of your parents, grandparents, other
network of people
who interact with
relatives, teachers, counsellors, religious leaders, friends, neighbours, and local
you and provide businesspeople. Your support system can provide and help you with the following:
assistance
• providing the basic necessities—food, clothing, and shelter

• giving you encouragement, sympathy, and guidance
• finding a job
• continuing your education
• developing your skills, talents, and interests
• reaching your goals
• planning for the future
• identifying your strengths and weaknesses
Each person in your support system plays a different role. For example, your parents
provide you with the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing. Your counsellor
identifies your strengths and encourages you to develop your special skills. Your
close friend helps you develop your ability to get along with other people. Your
neighbour helps you find a part-time job. Some people will help you in more ways
than one. For example, you might learn how to sew from your home economics
teacher as well as talk to him or her about problems you’re having at home.
Because you have many needs, it’s important to have different kinds of people in
your support system. Generally, the more people you have in your support network,
the more likely you are to have your needs met. You can expand your support
system by joining an organization, volunteering, getting a part-time job, or visiting
people and introducing yourself.
1. What is a support system?
2. Who has been influential in helping you build your support system?

Support Sources
Sources of support, as you have already learned, can be both external and internal.
Sources of support can involve people and organizations. They can also involve
how you feel about yourself and the means by which you deal with personal health,
safety, and well-being issues.
External sources of support may include

your parents and other family members, your
friends, your neighbours, or your doctor.
Organizations or agencies in your community,
such as public health offices, fitness centres,
counselling centres, teen or youth groups,
and government agencies such as AADAC are
also external sources of support. To find more
examples of external sources of support, look
through the Yellow Pages of your telephone
directory.
Internal sources of support include the

following:
• your sense of self

• your confidence and belief in yourself
• your ability to cope with conflict
• your problem-solving skills
• your personal experiences, goals, hopes, and dreams
Sources of support can change over time. Young children depend on their families
as their primary source of support. As they grow older, children start to depend on
friends, teachers, and other adults for support.

Finding New People
It is not always easy to meet people and create a strong support system. To develop
a strong support system, you must get involved with others on a regular basis. It’s
hard to form lasting connections with people you meet only occasionally.
Once strong ties have been formed with another person, you don’t have to see him
or her every day for that person to remain a part of your support system. Suppose
you are very close to your cousin who moves to another province. You can maintain
ties through letters, e-mails, or phone calls. A support-system relationship can last
for a long time if the trust and support remains in the relationship.
In learning about support
systems, you probably
have given some thought
to your own support
system. You may have
noticed that your system
consists of many people
your own age. It’s great to
have friends you can talk
to about your problems
and experiences.
Older people are also excellent additions to your support network. With their
experience and knowledge, they can coach, guide, and encourage you. An adult
who provides a young person with this kind of support is sometimes referred to as a
mentor: a trusted mentor.
advisor or counsellor;
an adult who can
provide emotional A mentor is a trusted advisor or guide—someone who encourages, listens, gives
and psychological
support to a young
advice, and shares information and experiences with a young person. A mentor is
person understanding, caring, and non-judgemental.
Now that you know what a mentor is, you might realize that you have had mentors
in your life without even knowing it. For example, there may have been a soccer
referee who had an enormous impact on you because she was fair and honest and
she showed respect to the players, coaches, parents, and spectators. Or, you may
have gained support from someone in youth groups, music, community activities,
or school clubs. Extra-curricular activities can provide you with excellent chances
to find a mentor. Relationships with mentors may be formal or informal. For
instance, you may arrange to meet on a regular basis or just get together whenever
time allows.

I have a mentor from Big Sisters. We have a great
relationship. I’ve even improved my school
work since we met. We just enjoy spending time
together. It means a lot to me just knowing she is
always there when I need her help.
If you are interested in finding out more about the mentoring programs offered
by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, call toll-free 1-800-263-9133 or visit the
following website:
http://www.bbbsc.ca/
3. a. Create a diagram in your notebook that is similar to the one that follows.
Use the diagram to brainstorm sources of support that are available to you.
Think about how these sources provide support in physical, emotional,
and social ways. If you think the person, agency, or organization provides
support for any two or all three areas, write the name in the section where
the circles overlap.
Physical Emotional
Me
Social
b.
Look at your completed diagram and the overlapping areas. Which people,
agencies, or organizations do you depend on the most?
c. Which sources of support are external sources? Which are internal?

If you’d like to learn more about sources of support, you may wish to discuss what
physical, emotional, and social sources of support other people depend on. Ask your
friends and parents what sources of support they use and depend on. Then compare
their support sources with your own.
4. Create a sphere-of-influence chart that shows how your internal and external
supports change over time. Copy the example that follows into your notebook.
Then follow the directions that come after the example to complete your
sphere-of-influence chart.
Me
a. You are at the centre of the chart. In the first ring around you, write the
sources of support that you depended on before you started school.
b.
In the second ring, write the sources of support that you depended on when
you were in elementry school.
c. In the third ring, write the sources of support that you depend on now—as
a teenager.
d.
In the outside ring, write the sources of support that you think you’ll need
as an adult.

There are many careers associated with support networks. One of the most
common is counsellor. Counsellors assist people with personal, family, educational,
mental health, and career decisions and problems. Their duties depend on the
individuals they serve and the settings in which they work. Following are some
possible career choices in the area of counselling:
• addictions counsellor
• career counsellor
• child and youth care worker
• educational counsellor
• geneticist
• life skills coach
• psychologist
• religious leader
• social worker
If you are interested in a career relating to sources of support, you may want to do
some research. To do this, you can visit the following website:
Volunteering
You may wish to become involved
in activities that provide support to
other people. There are a variety of
opportunities to get involved with
agencies, facilities, and organizations
that provide support to others.
Volunteering with young children
and seniors can provide valuable
experience. It can develop your own
abilities to provide support to others.
It may even lead to a career in a field
related to providing support to others.

J ournal Entry
Reflect on what you have learned in this lesson. Part of your responsibility
for your own health means asking for support and help when you need it.
Family, friends, professionals, organizations, or agencies can provide external
support in a variety of areas. They form your external support system. Your
sense of self, confidence, belief in yourself, ability to cope with conflict,
problem-solving skills, personal experience, goals, hopes, and dreams are all
part of your internal support system. These support systems can result in
learning new strategies and using new information to make the best possible
choices for your health.
• I act as a source of support to my friends and family by . . .

• To show support, I say or do . . .
• I am willing to accept support from others by . . .
• Some obstacles I may need to overcome in giving support include . . .
• Some obstacles I may need to overcome in receiving support include . . .
personal examples.
JOURNAL RESPONSE

0 1 2 3 4
In this lesson you examined how to build a support system. You learned of sources
of support and that external and internal sources of support can provide physical,
emotional, and social help.

Glossary
mentor: a trusted advisor or counsellor; an support system: a network of people who
adult who can provide emotional and interact with you and provide assistance
psychological support to a young person
Suggested Answers
1. A support system is a network of individuals or groups in your life who provide advice
and guidance. A support system helps you work toward goals, become more confident,
and learn new skills.
2. You may have listed immediate family members, grandparents, other relatives, friends,
teachers, neighbours, coaches, religious leaders, and local businesspeople. You may
have others.
3. a. The information you record in your overlapping circles will vary, depending on
your personal experiences and ideas. Your diagram may include the following ideas
under each type of support:
• Physical supports may include the following:

– fitness centres
– parents
– friends
– teachers, other adults
– coach and teammates
– government agencies, such as AADAC
– your ability to make positive health decisions
– police or neighbourhood watch, Block Parents
• Emotional supports may include the following:

– your self-esteem and confidence
– parents
– friends, siblings, and cousins
– teachers, counsellors, or other adults
– Block Parents
• Social supports may include the following:

– your social skills
– your group skills
– parents
– friends, siblings, or cousins
– teachers, counsellors, Block Parents, or other adults

b.
The supports that you depend on the most will vary. Identify those supports that
recur more than once in your diagram. Look at the overlapping areas to identify
these important sources of support.
c. External supports include outside people or agencies that provide you with support,
such as parents, family members, neighbours, friends, teachers, and government
agencies. Internal supports include your own sense of self, confidence, and belief in
your own abilities.
4. a. The sources of support that you depended on as a young child may include parents,
siblings, and other relatives.
b. The sources of support that you depended on as a school-age child may include
• parents • friends • Block Parents

• family • teachers • sports groups
• self • neighbours
c. The sources of support that you depend on as a teenager may include
• friends • mentors • siblings

• teachers • teammates • cousins
• parents • coaches
d.
The sources of support that you may need as an adult may include
• self • parents • community organizations

• spouse or partner • counsellors • co-workers and colleagues
• friends, neighbours • family
You may have others.
Image Credits
exceptions:
Page
103 Brendan Byrne/Digital Vision/Getty Images
104 left: Kevin Peterson/Photodisc/Getty Images
105 top: Photodisc/Getty Images
bottom: Eyewire/Getty Images

L esson 3: Resiliency
Rick Hansen was a carefree teenager who enjoyed sports to the fullest. While hitchhiking home from
a fishing trip, the truck he was riding in went out of control and crashed. He became a paraplegic. He
overcame adversity and graduated from high school. He went on to graduate with a degree in physical
education from the University of British Columbia. He became a successful athlete, winning 19
international wheelchair marathons, including three world championships.
COURTESY OF THE RICK HANSEN MAN IN MOTION FOUNDATION
In 1985, Rick Hansen embarked on his legendary Man In Motion World Tour for spinal cord injury
research. In the spirit of that heroic endeavour, he established the Rick Hansen Man In Motion
Foundation with a mission to improve the quality of life of people with spinal cord injury.
In the face of his disability, he was resilient. In other words, he was able to rebound and meet
challenges. Rick Hansen continues to face challenges, but he remains determined to make a
difference in the lives of others.

resiliency: the ability To develop resiliency, you have to develop skills and strategies to solve problems.
to cope in the event
of adversity or risk
You also have to make decisions to maintain positive self-esteem. You will discover
strategies for making these decisions later in this lesson.
self-esteem: a sense
of self-worth and
confidence—feelings 1. In your own words, explain resiliency.
of satisfaction in
oneself
Characteristics of Resiliency
There are some characteristics that are common to resilient people. They include
the following:
• Resilient individuals have social competence. This means they are

empathetic and caring, communicate well, and can find humour in difficult
situations.
• They have problem-solving skills. They can plan, think critically and
creatively, and get help when they need it.
• They are aware of the problems in their family or society. They know that
they are not the cause of these troubles.
• Resilient individuals get support when needed. They get it from friends,
relatives, teachers, and other adults. They join organizations such as 4-H or
the YMCA. They take advantage of educational opportunities at community
colleges, religious institutions, and community service organizations.
• They are independent. This means that they believe in their ability to
influence events around them. They have a strong sense of their own identity,
which does not change in difficult situations.
• Resilient people have a sense of purpose. They believe in a bright future.

They have goals, educational aspirations, optimism, and faith.
• Resilient people use their abilities effectively. They can take advantage of
opportunities that exist in their environment.
2. What resilient characteristics do you have?

Developing Resilient Characteristics
As you enter adolescence, you will have to deal with difficult situations. You will
be better equipped to deal with these situations if you are able to develop resilient
characteristics. Following are strategies that will help you do this.
• Have a positive outlook. People who have a positive outlook are generally
willing to tackle new challenges and changes. They can turn failures and
disappointments into positive opportunities. You should accept the fact that it
is alright if things don’t always go your way.
• Develop strategies to help you cope when things around you aren’t going well:
– Eliminate unnecessary stresses.
– End unhealthy relationships.
– Deal with problems you may have with other people so you can eliminate
those stresses.
– Face your internal issues realistically to eliminate the stresses they may be
causing.
– Prevent anxiety by making a schedule for homework and practices.
– Be flexible and change your plans for unexpected interruptions.
– Take routine breaks from your schoolwork.
– Eat regularly and well.
– Get enough sleep.
• Set yourself realistic goals. Setting goals and achieving them enables you to
goals: plans or become what you want.
objectives

• Develop a logical decision-making process like the one in the following chart.
Decision-Making Process
Identify and understand the problem. What is the decision you have to
Step 1
make?
Step 2 Get information about the possible choices.
Consider all the alternatives by listing the advantages (pros) and

Step 3
disadvantages (cons) for each possible choice.
Make a decision after considering the pros and cons of each possible
Step 4
choice.
Decide on a plan of action. This involves listing the things that you will
Step 5
have to do to carry out your decision.
Be responsible for your decision. Whatever decision you have made, it’s
Step 6
yours! You must live with the consequences—good or bad.
Carry out your plan of action. Once you have decided on the steps
Step 7 necessary to successfully complete your decision, you have to put
those steps into practice. What will you do to carry out your decision?
Evaluate your decision and plan. Do you think you will be happy with
Step 8 your decision? Your evaluation will determine if you will repeat or
change your choice in the future.
Use this decision-making process to make important decisions especially if

you are experiencing strong emotions at that moment. This decision-making
process takes time and careful thought. With the big decisions in your life,
the effort is probably worth it. In those cases, either write down the process
or think it through in your head—whatever works best for you! Often, just
recognizing and making efforts to resolve a problem will remove the stress it
was causing.
• Involve yourself in meaningful tasks such as volunteering. Volunteering

– makes you feel good about yourself
– can help you search for part-time or permanent work
– gives you a chance to explore a career
– provides you with the opportunity to share your skills and to learn new skills
– allows you to develop leadership skills
– is a way to meet new people and expand your horizons

• Have a sense of humour. It brings extra joy and pleasure to people around
you. Enjoying a good laugh produces pleasurable experiences and can help
keep you healthy.
3. Draw an outline of a person, and label your outline with characteristics of

resiliency. Match emotional, social, physical, and intellectual characteristics
with appropriate body parts. Describe what resiliency might look like in people.
I can handle it.

I am the master of my own fate.
I can figure out solutions to my problems.
I am not alone.
People care about me.
I make a difference in the world!

Your community can help promote resiliency skills and strategies for teenagers by
doing the following:
• Use high-expectation messages that tell teens they are valued.
• Build programs that focus on teen strengths as opposed to problems.
• Provide opportunities for meaningful participation and contributions. This

can include opportunities to participate in decision making, to express
opinions and concerns, and to contribute to the community.
• Thank teens for their contributions.
• Promote mentors who work with teens in the community.
Volunteering
There is probably a variety of programs and activities in your community that
involve children younger than you. Consider becoming involved in a program or
activity that allows you to become a mentor to a younger child.
Volunteering in this way can be an enriching experience for you. It will give you the
opportunity to gain some skills, meet people, and make friends. You will also gain
personal satisfaction from helping others.

J ournal Entry
Reflect on what you have learned in this lesson. Developing resiliency is
a process. You may not be able to change some things about yourself, the
harassing comments of bullies, or the environment in which you live. You
can, however, develop skills and strategies that allow you to become a more
resilient person.
• My attitude and outlook is . . .
• I set goals for myself by . . .
• I take care of myself by . . .
• I take time to make thoughtful and informed decisions by . . .
• I consider options and consequences before committing to an action

because . . .
• I share with others through . . .
personal examples. Assess your journal entry using the scale that follows.
JOURNAL RESPONSE

0 1 2 3 4
In Lesson 3 you learned that resiliency is the gradual development of emotional

strength. It gives you the ability to deal with difficult life circumstances. You were
introduced to the characteristics of resilient people, and you were given strategies
for developing resiliency.

Glossary
goals: plans or objectives self-esteem: a sense of self-worth and
confidence—feelings of satisfaction in
resiliency: the ability to cope in the event of oneself
adversity or risk
Suggested Answers
1. Resiliency is the ability of an individual to cope in the event of adversity or risk.
2. Characteristics will vary. People who are resilient
• have a positive self-esteem

• are confident
• have a positive outlook
• have good communication skills
• are independent
• set goals
• have good time-management skills
• know how to find support when they need it
• are in good physical health
• have social competence (empathetic, caring)
• find humour in difficult situations
• have good problem-solving skills
• have a sense of purpose
• use their abilities effectively
You may have listed others.
3. The answers you record in your body outline will vary depending on the characteristics
you choose to focus on. Some examples follow.
• positive self-esteem—head • setting goals—hands

• confidence—mouth/smile • good time management—wrist (watch)
• positive outlook—eyes/smile • good physical health—any body part
• hope—heart • good communication skills—mouth
• independence—feet
Image Credits
exceptions:
Page
117 top: Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
bottom: Copyright © 2005 Alberta Education and its licensors. All rights reserved.

S ection 2 Conclusion
Remember Ahmed? He didn’t make responsible

decisions about riding his bike, and he ended up
suffering an injury. Ahmed learned that being
responsible and making wise decisions about
safety issues are important for maintaining
health and promoting the safety of yourself and
others.
In this section you gained an understanding of

what being safe means physically, emotionally,
and socially. You also learned about taking
personal responsibility for safe behaviour.
You examined sports and workplace safety.
You investigated ways to reduce bullying and
harassment in your school and your community.
You also investigated sources of physical,
emotional, and social support. You examined
building a support system. As well, you gained an
understanding of the term resiliency and of the
characteristics of resilient people.
Sensible and careful decisions about safety,

knowing how to build a support system, and
developing resiliency can help to ensure your
physical, emotional, and social well-being.

Module Summary
Now that you have completed this module you
should be aware of how safe and responsible
choices lead to the development of positive
health habits. You discovered that to be
in charge of your health, you must know
about and understand the importance of
health standards, grooming and cleanliness,
body image, nutrition, substance use and
avoidance, and safety and responsibility. You
also discovered the importance of a support
system, how to build a support system, and
where to look for sources of support that
can provide physical, emotional, and social
help. You learned what resiliency is, explored
the characteristics of resilient people, and
acquired some strategies for developing
resiliency.
With the knowledge and understanding that

you have gained in this module, you should be
equipped to make positive wellness choices.
When someone asks you how you are today,
you should be able to say, “I am a whole, happy, and healthy person.” This answer implies that your
personal wellness means more than being free from disease, illness, and injury. It means that all
aspects of your life—physical, emotional, and intellectual—are in order.
By now you should have received either Part A: Human Sexuality or Part B: Journal Project.
If you haven’t already, ask your teacher for a copy of the component you are to work on.
Although you do not have to submit it until you complete Module 3 Assignment Booklet 3B,
you should begin working on the component as soon as you receive it.

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Health and Life Skills 7

Students ✓ • Alberta Education, http://education.alberta.ca

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Module 1 Module 2 Module 3

Wellness Relationship Life-Learning

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12 Section 1: Your Personal Health

36 Lesson 2: Personal Grooming

45 Lesson 3: Body Image and

56 Lesson 4: Food Choices

67 Lesson 5: Substance Use

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103 Lesson 2: Sources of Support

113 Lesson 3: Resiliency

121 Section 2 Conclusion

122 Module Summary

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Wellness choices maintain your health and promote

Relationship choices establish and maintain healthy

Required Course Components

• Module 1: Wellness Choices

6 Health and Life Skills 7

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To respond to questions, you will need lined

You will be making journal entries

Other Course Components

Health and Life Skills 7 7

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Following are some suggestions to help you succeed in this course:

• Seek additional information from people and organizations in your community.

• Do your assignments regularly.

Special Course Features

8 Health and Life Skills 7

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Assessment and Feedback

Health and Life Skills 7 9

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Module 1: Wellness Choices

10 Health and Life Skills 7

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Health and Life Skills 7 11

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Yuka and her friends exercise, eat nutritious meals, and

• focus on the importance of grooming and cleanliness

• discover the ways that body image is influenced by

• investigate the role nutrition plays in achieving and

• acquire strategies that are helpful when making choices

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Health choices affect you in the following three ways:

Section 1: Your Personal Health 13

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Personal Health Choices

14 Health and Life Skills 7

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Personal Health Choices

Standards for Health