Course Description

Health Education 1 is a single semester course that instructs students on how to develop and sustain health-promoting behaviors through the course of their lives. From understanding health information to the development of skills, students will examine physical and mental health and wellness. In Health Education 1, students will relate health information and skills to physical health and hygiene, mental health and wellness, healthy eating and physical activity, injury and violence prevention and safety, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and reproductive and sexual health.   

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) 

UTHS courses are designed in alignment to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) which define the skills and content to be taught in each course and grade level in the state of Texas.  

Semester Topics

• Unit 1: Physical Health and Hygiene 
• Unit 2: Mental Health and Wellness
• Unit 3: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity 
• Unit 4: Injury, Violence Prevention, and Safety 
• Unit 5: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs 
• Unit 6: Reproductive and Sexual Health 

Course Objectives

Upon completing this course, you will be able to—

• understand health literacy, preventative health behaviors, and how to access and evaluate health care information to make informed decisions; 
• identify and apply strategies to develop socio-emotional health, self-regulation, and healthy relationships and recognize the influence of various factors influencing mental health and wellness while;  
• develop and use and appropriate skills to identify and manage conditions related to mental health and wellness; 
• analyze and apply healthy eating and physical activity strategies for enhancing and maintaining personal health throughout the lifespan, as well as the related risk and protective factors; 
• identify and demonstrate safety and first aid knowledge to prevent and treat injuries, and understand how individual actions can impact safety in environments including digital and online; 
• understand the impact of interpersonal violence and the importance of seeking guidance and help to maintain personal safety;  
• understand the difference between use and misuse of different substances and how the use and misuse of substances impacts health, including short-term and long-term impacts, and recognize options for treatment; 
• understand the characteristics of a healthy relationship and how to set and respect personal boundaries; 
• analyze adolescent development, the process of fertilization, and healthy fetal development; 
• understand that there are risks associated with sexual activity and that abstinence from sexual activity is the only 100% effective method to avoid risks.

Required Course Materials

Please visit the Computer Requirements page to view minimum device, internet, and application requirements for all UT High School courses. Generally, a desktop or laptop device five (5) years or newer with access to an office suite, such as Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, will be adequate to participate in most UTHS courses.

Unless otherwise noted, students are responsible for purchasing or securing all the following course materials:

• Textbook: A textbook is not required for this course.
• Interactive Notebook: A paper or digital composition book is acceptable. For paper composition books, please also have the following items on hand: 
  • Pens or Pencils
  • Tape or Glue

Course Organization

Students must complete the course in sequence: You will not be able to access the next unit until all work in the preceding unit is completed. You may take your final exam only after completing all units and submitting all graded assignments.  

• Units: Each unit includes multiple lessons and graded assignments as well as ungraded practice quizzes to help you check your understanding of the material.
  
  
• Summative Assessments: Each course includes two online, virtually proctored summative assessments testing your understanding of the material presented in the preceding 2-3 Units.
  • Format: Online, Multiple-choice
  • Time Allowed: 1 hr 30 min
    
    
• Final Exam: Each course includes an online, virtually proctored final exam testing your knowledge of all material presented in the course.
  • Format: Online, Multiple-choice 
  • Time Allowed: 3 hrs 20 min

Course Grade Weighting

Your final course grade is calculated by weighting the three assignment groups displayed in the table below:

Online Proctored Exams

All course exams, including both summative assessments and the final exam, must be completed online. Students must test online with Proctorio and are required to add the Proctorio extension to either their Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browser—installation instructions are provided in the student's course. Proctorio uses a student's computer, web camera, and microphone to record video of both the student and their desktop during the exam. Then, UTHS instructors review the student's exam video data collected by Proctorio. Only authorized UTHS staff and instructors can view the exam recordings. Student data is not shared with any persons or organizations outside of UTHS and are deleted after one year. We encourage you to visit Proctorio's Data Security and Privacy site pages to learn more about how we protect student date.