Course Description — Grade 4¶

This is the Grade 4 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. 4.1.1.1) are <grade>.<strand>.<anchor>.<seq>.

Reading Level & Cognitive Demand¶

Upper elementary. Benchmarks lean into plan, explain, analyze, and demonstrate refusal skills — the first appearance of refusal-skill language and of constructing a position from research. Per state requirements, mental health instruction becomes a required component starting at this band (2026-2027 school year, per references.md).

Audience¶

Grade 4 students (age ~9-10) and their teachers.

Prerequisites¶

Grade 3 benchmarks across all 5 content strands, plus the Grade 3 skill benchmarks (identifying influences, judging information validity, using I-statements, setting a goal with a help/no-help decision).

Bridging Concepts for Students New to This Band¶

A student arriving directly at Grade 4 without the K-3 sections should be briefly introduced to these ideas first:

Nutrition labels list carbohydrates, protein, fat, and other nutrients; hydration and limiting sugary/caffeinated drinks matter.
Puberty is a stage of physical/emotional change that different people experience at different times, and it's normal to ask for help with it.
Emotions can be identified, they influence behavior, and mental health can be discussed openly with trusted adults.
Regular physical activity and basic hygiene/illness-prevention practices support long-term health.
Personal boundaries exist, sharing personal information online carries risk, and safety procedures/drills exist for real emergencies.
Health information should be checked for validity/reliability before it's trusted, and personal health goals can be set and pursued with or without help.

Topics¶

Food and Nutrition¶

Planning a balanced meal; how carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water support the body; locating them on food labels (4.1.1.1)
Benefits of drinking enough water and limiting caffeinated/sugary drinks (4.1.1.2)
Effects of sugary and salty foods on health (4.1.1.3)
Safety practices for keeping food at safe temperatures (4.1.1.4)

Human Growth and Development¶

Managing conflicts respectfully across individuals and cultures (4.2.1.1)
Changes during puberty as a life stage observed across cultures, including Indigenous communities (4.2.1.2)

Mental and Emotional Health (required instruction begins this band)¶

How cultural practices and self-regulation benefit mental health (4.3.1.1)
Cultural practices and various methods for self-regulation (4.3.1.2)
How emotions affect behavior and strategies to manage them in healthy ways (4.3.1.3)
Healthy/safe ways to respond to teasing, exclusion, disagreements, bullying, unfair treatment, bias, and prejudice — witnessed or experienced (4.3.1.4)
Mental health can change over time like physical health; culturally appropriate and professional help is available (4.3.1.5)

Personal Health and Wellness¶

Common causes of allergic reactions and prevention/management strategies (4.4.1.1)
Cultural traditions (dance, community sports) as physical activity and their benefits to health, mood, and learning (4.4.1.2)
Infectious vs. non-infectious disease; how germs spread; prevention strategies, including cultural perspectives on wellness/caregiving (4.4.1.3)

Personal Safety and Violence Prevention¶

Harmful technology behavior and its impact on safety and mental health (4.5.1.1)
Situational awareness, recognizing harmful situations and exiting safely, and setting boundaries, including cultural/community perspectives (4.5.1.2)
Behaviors and warning signs that indicate someone/something is unsafe or dangerous (4.5.1.3)
Recognizing pressure from others and practicing strategies to assert choices safely (4.5.1.4)

Skill Standards¶

How family, peers, groups, culture, and media/technology influence practices and behaviors (4.7.2.1)
Characteristics of valid and reliable health information, products, and services (4.7.3.1)
Demonstrating refusal skills for a variety of situations and knowing when help is needed (4.7.4.1)
Developing a plan (actions, resources, progress tracking) toward a health-related goal, identifying supports and barriers (4.7.6.1)
Demonstrating and tracking practices/behaviors that support health and wellbeing (4.7.7.1)
Using research to construct a position on a relevant/meaningful health topic (4.7.8.1)

Key Vocabulary¶

macronutrient, vitamin, mineral, food temperature safety, puberty, conflict management, self-regulation, mental health, bias, prejudice, allergy, infectious disease, non-infectious disease, situational awareness, warning sign, peer pressure, refusal skill, valid/reliable information, goal plan

Learning Outcomes¶

Outcomes below are grouped by Bloom's Taxonomy level and traced to their source benchmark codes. Grade 4 is the first band with genuine Create-level benchmarks (planning, developing, constructing).

1. Remember¶

By the end of Grade 4, the student will be able to:

Recall cultural practices and methods for self-regulation (4.3.1.2).
Recall common causes of allergic reactions (4.4.1.1).
Recall behaviors and warning signs that could indicate someone is unsafe or that a situation could become dangerous (4.5.1.3).

2. Understand¶

Explain how carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water support the body (4.1.1.1).
Summarize the benefits of drinking enough water and limiting caffeinated/sugary drinks (4.1.1.2).
Describe the effects of sugary and salty foods on health (4.1.1.3).
Explain safety practices for keeping food at safe temperatures (4.1.1.4).
Explain how to manage conflicts respectfully across individuals and cultures (4.2.1.1).
Describe the changes that occur during puberty as a life stage observed across cultures, including Indigenous communities (4.2.1.2).
Explain how emotions affect behavior and identify strategies to manage them in healthy ways (4.3.1.3).
Describe that mental health, like physical health, can change over time, and that culturally appropriate and professional help is available (4.3.1.5).
Describe strategies to prevent or manage allergic reactions (4.4.1.1).
Explain how engaging in cultural traditions such as dance and community sports provides physical-activity benefits (4.4.1.2).
Explain the difference between infectious and non-infectious diseases and how prevention strategies reduce illness (4.4.1.3).
Explain how family, peers, groups, culture, and media/technology influence practices and behaviors (4.7.2.1).
Describe characteristics of valid and reliable health information, products, and services (4.7.3.1).

3. Apply¶

Demonstrate healthy and safe ways to respond when experiencing or witnessing teasing, exclusion, bullying, unfair treatment, bias, or prejudice (4.3.1.4).
Practice strategies to assert personal choices safely when pressured by others (4.5.1.4).
Demonstrate refusal skills in a variety of situations (4.7.4.1).
Demonstrate and track practices and behaviors that support health and wellbeing (4.7.7.1).

4. Analyze¶

Analyze examples of harmful behavior when using technology and explain the impact on safety and mental health (4.5.1.1).
Analyze strategies for developing situational awareness, recognizing harmful situations, safely exiting them, and setting boundaries (4.5.1.2).

5. Evaluate¶

Describe and evaluate how cultural practices and self-regulation benefit mental health (4.3.1.1).

6. Create¶

Plan a balanced meal using foods from different food groups and locate nutrients on food labels (4.1.1.1).
Develop a goal plan that includes actions, resources, and progress-tracking, and identify supports and barriers (4.7.6.1).
Use research to construct a position on a relevant, meaningful health topic (4.7.8.1).