Essential Health Skills for High School
Product identity
- Publisher
- The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc.
- Program family
- Essential Health Skills
- Edition
- Fourth Edition, ©2023
Instructional fit
- Courses
- High school health education
- Role explanation
- Core high school health education combining knowledge with practice and assessment of personal, interpersonal, and community health skills.
- Learner and support context
- High school health learners practicing personal wellness, health literacy, communication, and decision-making. Reading support, differentiated instruction, and discussion guidance help teachers address varied learner needs.
- Subjects covered
- Supported instructional roles
Materials and delivery
- Format description
- Student and instructor texts with online learning resources in eligible packages; separate supplementary texts cover additional human development and sexual-health content.
- Included components
- Student text; instructor edition; case studies and applied health-skill activities; chapter reviews and skills assessments; pacing guidance; rubrics; reading, language, and differentiation support; licensed online resources.
- Languages and support
- English.
Links and notes
- Vendor product URL
- Visit publisher product page
A skills-based high school health program covering physical, mental, and social health, responsible decisions, and lifelong wellness.
Essential Health Skills for High School is a skills-based health education program from The Goodheart-Willcox Company. The fourth edition, ©2023, is authored by Catherine Sanderson, Diane Farthing, Mark Zelman, Melanie Lynch, and Melissa Munsell. It connects health knowledge with practical skills for making decisions, setting goals, finding reliable information, communicating, and promoting personal and community wellness.
Instruction addresses mental and emotional well-being, nutrition, physical activity, substance use, relationships, and other contemporary health topics. Students encounter case studies, media examples, research connections, and opportunities to apply health skills. The teacher materials support both content-focused planning and instruction organized around the skills students are expected to demonstrate.
Key features
• Health decision-making: lessons develop goal-setting, use of health information and services, and advocacy for community health.
• Interpersonal skills: communication, conflict resolution, and resistance to pressure connect health learning with everyday situations.
• Mental and emotional health: topics include identity, emotions, resilience, positive thinking, stress management, and seeking help.
• Applied learning: case studies, health-in-the-media features, research examples, and management plans support discussion and application.
• Assessment: chapter reviews, knowledge checks, skills assessments, and rubric guidance support evaluation of understanding and performance.
• Teacher support: pacing charts, reading and language-acquisition strategies, differentiation, and guidance for sensitive classroom topics support implementation.
Edition and access
Fourth Edition, ©2023. Student and instructor resources are available in print and online configurations. Human development and sexual-health supplements are separate products and vary by package.
Instruction addresses mental and emotional well-being, nutrition, physical activity, substance use, relationships, and other contemporary health topics. Students encounter case studies, media examples, research connections, and opportunities to apply health skills. The teacher materials support both content-focused planning and instruction organized around the skills students are expected to demonstrate.
Key features
• Health decision-making: lessons develop goal-setting, use of health information and services, and advocacy for community health.
• Interpersonal skills: communication, conflict resolution, and resistance to pressure connect health learning with everyday situations.
• Mental and emotional health: topics include identity, emotions, resilience, positive thinking, stress management, and seeking help.
• Applied learning: case studies, health-in-the-media features, research examples, and management plans support discussion and application.
• Assessment: chapter reviews, knowledge checks, skills assessments, and rubric guidance support evaluation of understanding and performance.
• Teacher support: pacing charts, reading and language-acquisition strategies, differentiation, and guidance for sensitive classroom topics support implementation.
Edition and access
Fourth Edition, ©2023. Student and instructor resources are available in print and online configurations. Human development and sexual-health supplements are separate products and vary by package.
Note: SDLA does not endorse or resell any products listed on the site. They are listed simply to aid in the development of integration resources for school district ed-data leaders.