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Course Description — Grade 2

This is the Grade 2 section of the Health Education intelligent textbook. It is one of 8 parallel grade-band sections (see the site-wide Course Description); each band has its own concept list, learning graph, chapters, quizzes, MicroSims, and infographics at a matching reading level. Source: 2025 Minnesota K-12 Health Academic Standards, Commissioner Approved (see references.md). Benchmark codes below (e.g. 2.1.1.1) are <grade>.<strand>.<anchor>.<seq>.

Reading Level & Cognitive Demand

Early elementary, independent reading of short passages expected. Benchmarks introduce comparison ("compare the sugar and caffeine in various drinks") and simple cause-effect explanation, alongside continued identify/describe work.

Audience

Grade 2 students (age ~7-8) and their teachers.

Prerequisites

Grade 1 benchmarks across all 5 content strands, plus the Grade 1 skill benchmarks (identifying influences, seeking help, communicating feelings, recognizing decision points, tracking a health practice).

Bridging Concepts for Students New to This Band

A student arriving directly at Grade 2 without the K-1 sections should be briefly introduced to these ideas first:

  • Food groups exist and different foods serve different purposes; some drinks are healthier choices than others.
  • Feelings can be talked about, and different situations affect how people feel.
  • Trusted adults can be asked for help, and simple I-statements ("I feel...") are one way to share a feeling.
  • Basic hygiene habits (handwashing, covering coughs) prevent germs from spreading.
  • Technology use has safety rules, including asking permission.
  • "No" is an acceptable response to unwanted or unsafe touch, and there are known safe places and routines for school emergencies.

Topics

Food and Nutrition

  • What each food group does for the body; how trying varied foods supports growth (2.1.1.1)
  • Comparing sugar/caffeine across drinks and their health impact (2.1.1.2)
  • How food provides energy and supports growth (2.1.1.3)
  • Why safe practices matter for storing, preparing, and handling food (2.1.1.4)

Human Growth and Development

  • Different types of peer relationships (2.2.1.1)

Mental and Emotional Health

  • Coping strategies and cultural practices (e.g., storytelling, ceremony) for well-being (2.3.1.1)
  • Recognizing needs helps understand personal space and boundaries (2.3.1.2)
  • Healthy ways to handle conflict, manage/express struggling emotions or stress, and share feelings with trusted adults (2.3.1.3)
  • Playful and kind interaction; how different types of teasing affect feelings and community (2.3.1.4)

Personal Health and Wellness

  • Protecting the body from environmental health risks: sun exposure, loud noise, unsafe chemicals, unsafe water (2.4.1.1)
  • Types of physical activity, including cultural/traditional games or dances, and how they support health (2.4.1.2)
  • How germs spread through air, food, water, and personal contact; illness prevention through hygiene, clean environments, and cultural traditions (2.4.1.3)

Personal Safety and Violence Prevention

  • Unsafe or uncomfortable technology situations and getting help from a trusted adult (2.5.1.1)
  • Encouraging others toward safe choices, drawing on community values and cultural traditions (2.5.1.2)
  • Strategies for staying safe during drills away from the classroom/teacher (2.5.1.3)
  • Saying no or exiting a situation involving inappropriate touch (2.5.1.4)

Skill Standards

  • How family, school, and media/technology influence health practices and behaviors (2.7.2.1)
  • How to locate and use school and community health helpers (2.7.3.1)
  • Using simple I-statements to share feelings (2.7.4.1)
  • Demonstrating active listening in a variety of situations (2.7.4.2)
  • Describing options and potential outcomes for a health-related decision (2.7.5.1)
  • Determining actions that support a personal health-related goal and reflecting on results (2.7.6.1)
  • Recognizing how current practices/behaviors make you feel (2.7.7.1)
  • Modeling positive health choices for others (2.7.8.1)

Key Vocabulary

food group, energy, food safety, peer relationship, coping, personal space, boundary, conflict, teasing, environmental health risk, physical activity, germs, hygiene, technology safety, active listening, I-statement, goal setting

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes below are grouped by Bloom's Taxonomy level and traced to their source benchmark codes.

1. Remember

By the end of Grade 2, the student will be able to:

  1. Recall different types of peer relationships (2.2.1.1).
  2. Recall ways to protect the body from environmental health risks such as sun exposure, loud noise, unsafe chemicals, and unsafe water (2.4.1.1).
  3. Recall unsafe or uncomfortable technology situations (2.5.1.1).
  4. Recall strategies for staying safe during drills away from the classroom (2.5.1.3).

2. Understand

  1. Describe what each food group does for the body and how trying a variety of foods supports growth (2.1.1.1).
  2. Explain how food gives energy and helps the body grow (2.1.1.3).
  3. Describe why safe practices matter for storing, preparing, and handling food (2.1.1.4).
  4. Describe strategies to cope with challenges, including cultural practices such as storytelling and ceremony (2.3.1.1).
  5. Explain how recognizing your needs helps you understand personal space and boundaries (2.3.1.2).
  6. Describe healthy ways to handle conflict and manage or express struggling emotions (2.3.1.3).
  7. Describe playful, kind ways to interact and how different types of teasing affect feelings and community (2.3.1.4).
  8. Describe types of physical activity, including cultural/traditional games or dances, and how they support health (2.4.1.2).
  9. Describe how germs spread through air, food, water, and personal contact, and ways to prevent illness (2.4.1.3).
  10. Describe ways to encourage others toward safe choices, drawing on community values and cultural traditions (2.5.1.2).
  11. Explain how family, school, and media/technology influence health practices and behaviors (2.7.2.1).
  12. Explain how to locate and use school and community health helpers (2.7.3.1).
  13. Describe options and potential outcomes for a health-related decision (2.7.5.1).
  14. Recognize how current practices and behaviors make you feel (2.7.7.1).

3. Apply

  1. Demonstrate saying no or exiting a situation involving inappropriate touch (2.5.1.4).
  2. Use simple I-statements to share feelings with others (2.7.4.1).
  3. Demonstrate active listening skills in a variety of situations (2.7.4.2).
  4. Model positive health choices to encourage the health, safety, and wellbeing of others (2.7.8.1).

4. Analyze

  1. Compare the sugar and caffeine content of various drinks and analyze their impact on health (2.1.1.2).
  2. Determine actions that support achieving a personal health-related goal (2.7.6.1).

5. Evaluate

  1. Reflect on the results of working toward a personal health-related goal (2.7.6.1).

6. Create

Grade 2 benchmarks do not yet include a design/construct task. Determining actions toward a goal (2.7.6.1, listed under Analyze above) is the closest precursor — true goal-plan construction (resources, barriers, progress-tracking) begins at Grade 4.