Abstract
Statement of Problem
The curriculum guide will be aligned with newly adopted California health content standards. The target population for this project will be students that attend continuation high schools. These students exhibit the usual characteristics of being atrisk of not completing high school graduation requirements including, learning disabilities, language barriers, and educational level of parents. However, this population of students can have additional risk factors through involvement with various social institutions such as, child protective services, foster care, psychiatric services, and the criminal justice system.
Project based learning in this curriculum guide will make a connection between the classroom, environment, and student experiences. Giving students the ability to identify negative health behaviors and their impact will be a main objective of this curriculum guide. These learning outcomes may be utilized to (a) help students decrease their chances of dropping out of high school, (b) make healthier and more informed decisions, and ( c) become advocates for themselves and their environment.
Sources of Data
The journals, books, and government agencies investigated for this research pertains to at-risk students, continuation high schools, project based learning, and health education. Journal of School Health. Educational Leadership, Journal of Drug Education, and Journal of At-Risk Issues were peer-reviewed journals studied. The books researched in the study included Last Chance High by Deirdre M. Kelly and Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives, and Practice by Catherine Twomey Fosnot. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and California Office of Education, were researched governmental agencies.
Conclusions Reached
This curriculum guide can be a tool for teachers in similar environments where students are personally experiencing serious and controversial public and societal issues including, influence of family and culture on health behaviors, access to health products and services, and impacts of violence on social, mental, physical, and emotional health.