Grade 7/8 Middle School Life Skills

Course Details:

This course allows students to explore their personality type and interests, as well as refine important skills that will benefit them throughout their lives, including personal nutrition and fitness skills, time & stress management, communication & healthy relationships, goal setting, study skills, leadership and service, environmental and consumer health, and personal finances. In addition, students will explore possible colleges and careers that match their needs, interests, and talents.

Required Materials:

Technical Requirements

The multimedia lessons should be viewable on multiple devices and browsers with no additional players. Below the multimedia lessons you will find PDF versions of the lessons. A PDF reader is required to view this. Most devices come equipped with a PDF reader.

Syllabus:

Unit 1: Self Discovery

• 1 Discovering Self

In this section you will be learning how to discover more about yourself. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Discover more about yourself
• Identify your family heritage, personal mission statement, personal values, and personal gifts and talents
• Explain Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
• Analyze your own personality type

• 2 Decision-Making Skills

In this section you will be learning about stages of change, decision making, and goal setting. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Analyze the stages of change model and explain its importance
• Apply the decision-making model to your life
• Compose personal goals by using the action plan model

• 3 Goal Setting

In this section you will be learning about goal setting. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Compose personal goals
• Effectively use the action plan model

 Unit 2: Healthy Relationships

• 1 Healthy Relationships

In this section you will be learning about healthy relationships. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Distinguish between unhealthy and healthy relationships
• Demonstrate the characteristics of healthy relationships with friends and family
• Understand what skills are necessary for parenthood.
• Prepare for a successful marriage by learning how to communicate, trust, and forgive.
• Determine how to practice abstinence

• 2 Communication Skills

In this section you will be learning about communication skills. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Demonstrate effective communication by utilizing proper speaking skills, listening skills, and body language
• Integrate correct conflict resolutions techniques into your life
• Understand how to validate others
• Master effective refusal skills

 Unit 3: Stress & Time Management

 

• 1 Stress Management

In this section you will be learning about stress management. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Classify stress, stressors, and the effects of stress as positive or negative
• Summarize the physical, emotional, mental, and behavioral stress response
• Select effective stress management techniques
• Identify effective ways for managing anger and other strong emotions. 

• 2 Time Management

In this section you will be learning about effective time management. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Assess appropriate time management techniques
• Recognize the importance of balancing each realm of health

• 3 School & Community

In this section you will be learning about effective study skills, citizenship in the community, and environmental awareness. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Implement study skill strategies for before class, during class, and after class
• Evaluate the location, time of day, and duration of effective studying
• Analyze how community service influences me, my community, and my country
• Learn about how to improve the quality of the air, land, and water

 Unit 4: Nutrition & Fitness 

• 1 Nutrition & Weight Management

In this section you will be learning about proper nutrition. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Determine the elements of a proper diet
• Classify food primarily as carbohydrates, proteins, or fats
• Illustrate proper weight management techniques
• Recognize the warning signs of a fad diet

• 2 Fitness Programming

In this section you will be learning about designing an exercise program. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Describe the benefits of physical fitness
• Differentiate between the various components of physical fitness
• Create an exercise program based on the FITT principles
• Be aware of exercise safety and technique

Unit 5: Consumer Skills

• 1 Money Management

In this section you will be learning about effectively managing money. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Identify basic economic principles
• Describe what a checking account is and how it works
• Identify what credit is and how to obtain a good credit history
• Create a personal financial budget 

• 2 Wise Consumerism

In this section you will be learning about becoming a wise consumer. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Recognize when you have received a good deal on a purchase
• Minimize your risk of becoming a victim of fraud
• Identify how the FTC, BBB, and FDA provide safety to consumers
• Identify a variety of advertising techniques

• 3 Medical Management

In this section you will be learning about types of doctors, health insurance, and consumer health. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Apply basic CPR and first aid skills
• Understand what different types of doctors do
• Differentiate between different types of health insurance
• Understand the components of health insurance and how they work
• Identify the warning signs of quackery
• Assess whether health information is valid and from a credible source

Unit 6: College & Career Planning

• 1 College & Career Planning

In this section you will be learning about preparing for college and a career. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Develop a personal career plan
• Distinguish between the different types of higher education schools
• Identify what is required for most college admission applications

• 2 Employability

In this section you will be learning how to create a resume, as well as what characteristics are valued by employers. By the end of this section you should be able to do the following:

• Generate a personal resume
• Develop characteristics and skills that will improve employability
• Identify ways to make a good first impression
• Prepare for, and appropriately follow-up after an interview