Resources for Comprehensive Health Topics

The online instructional resource page is intended to provide curriculum support for teachers.  The Comprehensive Health resources cover concepts and skills to support instruction that aligns with the Colorado Academic Standards for grades K- 12. Many of these online resources can also be found within the Comprehensive Health instructional units of the District Sample Curriculum project. 

The resources provided on this website are intended to provide a quick access list for educators to use in a way that supports their instructional planning. Provided resources should be previewed and used with teacher discretion. Because this page contains resources outside of the CDE website, CDE cannot control changes in outside content and listing these resources does not indicate an endorsement by the Colorado Department of Education.  

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Topical Resources: 

Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco

Drugs and Alcohol

• Above the Influence This is the official website of Above the Influence. This site and many of the Above the Influence ads that you see were originally created as a part of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, a program of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
• Colorado adolescent drug abuse facts Data collected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ - Office of Adolescent Health
• Commonly Abused Drugs  Information on the most commonly abused drugs - National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Teen Drug Prevention Resources Teen drug information National Institute of Drug Addition” – NIDA for Teens
• Drugs & Alcohol Health resources site for teen – Teens Health
• Children, Adolescents, Substance Abuse, and the Media The Council on Communications and Media – Pediatrics 
• How Mainstream Media Glamorizes Drug and Alcohol Use   Article on media glamorizing of drugs – Narconon Reviews
• How To Analyze a Television Commercial This article provides a number of guiding questions for analyzing commercials – Understand Media
• Public Service Announcements  Drug prevention public service announcements (English and Spanish) - National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Resources for Alcohol Use Disorder Comprehensive guide to getting help and understanding the disease
• Role playing scenarios Rx Abuse  Training to “Maximizing Your Role as a Teen Influencer: What You Can Do To Help Prevent Teen Prescription Drug Abuse”
• Shutter Stock Alcohol Effects  Alcohol abuse images
• Teen Abuse of Cough and Cold Medicine Peer pressure, warning signs, real stories, role play, etc.
• Teen Drug Addiction dangers associated with substance abuse and risky behaviors you can watch out for to identify teen drug addiction, “Substance abuse and risky behaviors”
• The Glamorization of Alcohol Article that looks at how alcohol is advertised. – Educate Before You Medicate – TalkAboutRX.org
• Alcohol, tobacco and other drug videos   –  Human Relations Media
• Drug Addiction Treatment Resources Addiction resources for Colorado – Addiction Resources
• Fake and Fatal Resources and lessons from Beaverton School District in Oregon that explore the dangers of fake prescription drugs. 

Tobacco

• Anti-smoking video  Anti-tobacco campaign from thetruth.com
• Blowing Smoke: Can Media Literacy Impact Youth Smoking?  To help youth recognize and analyze the media messages that normalize and glamorize tobacco use, prevention efforts have begun to incorporate media literacy in the prevention strategies. – Center for Media Literacy
• No Thanks, But I'd Love to Dance: Choosing to Live Smoke Free  Read4Health Book Conveying a positive, nonjudgmental message to children, this tale provides techniques for empowering them to refuse offers of tobacco in pursuit of a healthy, active lifestyle. Belle, an exuberant six-year-old, and her beloved Grandma Bee share a great love for dancing. As a result of tobacco use earlier in her life, Grandma Bee must now use an oxygen tank to assist in her breathing. Observant Belle, who cannot imagine life without dancing, consciously makes the lifelong choice to dance instead of smoke. – RMC Health
• Tobacco Effects  Tobacco/tobacco use images - ShutterStock
• Tips from Former Smokers  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the first-ever paid national tobacco education campaign—Tips From Former Smokers (Tips) in March 2012. The Tips campaign, which profiles real people—not actors—who are living with serious long-term health effects from smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, has continued through 2015.
• Tobacco & Inhalants  Investigate how the use of tobacco and inhalants hurts our body. The cross-curricular activities below follow educational standards, and are sure to keep your students engaged. Detailed lesson plans make implementation a snap. - 
• Tobacco  Information from Drugwatch.com regarding tobacco prevention.

Vaping

• Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit (Vaping)  Stanford University School of Medicine has developed theory-based and evidence-informed resources created by educators, parents, and researchers aimed at preventing middle and high school students’ use of tobacco and nicotine.
• Colorado School Safety Resource Center  Vaping prevention resources.

Marijuana 

• Marijuana Use Prevention Resource Bank - CDE

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Bullying Prevention

• Colorado Department of Education Bully Prevention Program  Overview links to model policies
• Buddy Learns About Teasing Cartoon on teasing – YouTube video
• Bullying Prevention Resources Anti-bullying resources – Kid Power.org
• Anti-Bullying Educator Toolkits and Activities The End Begins with You – Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center - Pacers.org
• To This Day Project Animated video on kid & teen bullying – You Tube
• What Can You Do Resource tool for bullying prevention – Stopbullying.gov
•  USC Rossier Bullying Prevention Unit USC Bully Prevention Unts

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Diversity and Respect

• Appreciating and Valuing Diversity  Diversity education for teens – NDT Resource Center
• Creating a Climate of Respect  Positive school climate – ASCD Educational Leadership
• Diversity Education for Teens  Websites for kids and teens – Respect Diversity

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Healthy Relationships

• Strategies for resistance to risky behaviors Teenshealth.org articles
• Sexual health Articles for teens related to sexual health Kidshealth.org (Teen Health)
• Teen Talk: Relationship Rules and Dating  Video with teen’s perspectives on relationships

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Human Growth and Development

• Ages & Stages www.healthychildren.org   Article – Ages & Stages/Puberty/Physical Development of School Age Children
• Human Anatomy and Physiology Video of the female reproductive system structures
• Human Anatomy and Physiology  Video of the male reproductive system structures
• Kids Health   Article-For Kids-Puberty & Growing Up-Male specific
• Kids Health  Article-For Kids-Puberty & Growing Up-All About Menstruation

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Nutrition

• Eat Right Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics  Good nutrition for teens – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Interpreting Food Labels:  Health Literacy Resource for Reading Food Labels
• Teens’ nutritional needs  Ages and Stages healthychildren.org
• How Eating Habits Affect Your Health  How Eating Habits Affect Your Health – Livestrong.com
• Helping Your Immune System  How diet & sleep affect your health – everydayhealth.com
• Healthy Food Healthy food images – shutterstock.com
• Unhealthy Food   Unhealthy food images – shutterstock.com
• Dietary guidelines, nutrition tips and videos – USDA ChooseMyPlate.gov
• The Dairy Connection Dietary guidelines, child nutrition and health & wellness – National Dairy Council
• Food Label Images of food labels – shutterstock.com
• Food Fight  How the Food Industry Influences Food Choices – nutritioncrashcourse.com
• Are Fast-Food advertisers Playing you?   Fast food advertising – Fit Sanford WebMD
• The Risks of Poor Nutrition  The risks of poor nutrition – sahealth.sa.gov.au
• Dove Self-Esteem Project  Body image self esteem and adolescents –  dove-self-esteem-project.html
• Eating disorders Teen Health – kidshealth.org
• Food Labels Quiz
• Creating an Affordable Healthy Diet that Works for you - Money Geek

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Suicide Prevention

• Signs & symptoms of teen self-harm Cutting and Self- Harm – helpguide.org
• Characteristics of anxiety and depression Depression – Anxiety and Depression Association of America
• Is it Really Depression Anxiety and panic disorders – webMD.com
• Adolescent depression and self-harm - parkhurstexchange.com
• Articles on mental health depression, anxiety, cutting, & eating disorders TeensHealth.org
• Look for “What’s Going On” stories Suicide Prevention - pbs.org
• Suicide Warning Signs  Teen suicide warning signs – suicide.org
• A Parent's Guide to Suicide Prevention
• Suicide Prevention in College
• Michael Phelps Discussion Regarding Struggle with Depression
• Youth suicide prevention - Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

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For content specific questions, please contact Jamie Hurley, Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Principal Consultant