The Arts, Health, and Wellness Study Guide for the GACE

Health Education

The health of a person impacts many aspects of life, including development, fitness, and general well-being. Health education, therefore, has many facets.

Nutrition

Elementary students in Georgia are taught to relate their bodies to cars that need fuel. They learn why certain foods are “good” fuel for them, and some are not. The following are the four main nutritional emphases of this instruction.

Making Healthy Choices

Teaching elementary students to make healthy food choices begins with turning nutrition into an interactive and positive experience. At this stage, children learn best through hands-on engagement—such as creating colorful meal plates, tasting new fruits and vegetables, and learning to identify whole foods. Framing healthy options around what they enable, like having more energy to play, focus, and grow strong, helps foster an encouraging mindset rather than one focused on strict restrictions. When educators and parents consistently model balanced habits and encourage food curiosity, young learners build the confidence and foundational knowledge needed to make nourishing choices for a lifetime.

Controlling Portions

Teaching elementary students about portion control is most effective when abstract measurements are translated into simple, visual cues they can easily understand. Rather than focusing on ounces or calories, educators and parents can use relatable comparisons, such as equating a serving of fruit to the size of a fist, a protein portion to the palm of their hand, or cheese to a pair of dice. Encouraging children to use smaller, appropriately sized plates and bowls also naturally helps guide portion limits while keeping meals visually appealing. By framing portion awareness as a fun way to give their bodies “just the right amount” of energy to play and grow, young learners build intuitive, healthy eating habits without feeling restricted or overwhelmed.

Food Groups

Teaching elementary students about food groups works best when grounded in colorful, hands-on activities that turn nutrition into a visual game. Introducing the primary categories—fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy—helps children easily visualize how a balanced meal comes together. Interactive lessons, such as sorting toy foods into their respective groups or creating colorful food collages, make the concepts memorable and age appropriate. By explaining what each group does for their bodies—like how grains provide energy for recess and protein helps build strong muscles—educators empower students to recognize variety in their meals and understand why eating a wide range of foods keeps them feeling their best.

Setting Goals

Teaching elementary students to set healthy eating goals works best when goals are kept simple, specific, and positive. Instead of focusing on vague or restrictive targets, educators and parents can guide children toward actionable, bite-sized achievements—such as trying one new vegetable each week, choosing water over sugary drinks at lunch, or filling half their dinner plate with colorful fruits and veggies. Using visual goal trackers, like sticker charts or colorful journals, helps young learners see their progress and build a sense of pride in their accomplishments. By framing goal setting around curiosity and self-improvement rather than perfection, children learn how small, consistent choices can help them feel energized and strong.

The Human Body

Learning about the human body begins in elementary school with teaching about simple body parts, like the five senses, and moves on through the grades through basic organs and their functions to simple cell information.

Basic Structures and Functions

Even at an elementary level, students can understand what the basic organs (heart, lungs, stomach, etc.) do for them. They learn about the location of these organs and their basic functions.

Common Diseases and How to Prevent Them

Preventing disease is a main theme found in the health standards. It largely focuses on communication skills and the ability of students to seek help from adults when needed, identify healthy and unhealthy food choices, explain the benefits of healthy choices, assess risks associated with unhealthy choices (like smoking), and more. These skills and understandings should be connected with the long-term benefits of preventing disease. Here are some of the most common diseases and illnesses of which students should be aware and what they can do to minimize their occurrence:

Common Childhood Illnesses

common cold—This is a mild, contagious viral infection that affects the upper respiratory tract, primarily the nose and throat. It usually causes symptoms like a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, a mild sore throat, and a cough.
flu—Short for “influenza,” this is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. Unlike a mild cold, it usually comes on suddenly and causes more severe symptoms, including a high fever, body aches, fatigue, headache, cough, and sore throat.
stomach flu—Also called gastroenteritis, this is an infection and inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Despite its common name, it is not caused by the influenza virus; instead, it is usually caused by viruses like norovirus or rotavirus. It typically leads to symptoms like watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes a low-grade fever.

Prevention Strategies

Many childhood illnesses are passed from child to child during normal daily activities. It is impossible to prevent all sicknesses, but there are things children can learn to do that will minimize their need for sick days. Some of the following are dependent on parent responsibility, but students can be taught their importance, which should make the experience easier for everyone and more likely to occur.

handwashing—Emphasize handwashing as part of the classroom routine and help them identify when this is needed, both at school and at home.
covering coughs and sneezes—If all children are expected to shield others from germs contained in bodily fluids, the spread of illness will be reduced. Help children understand why this is important both at home and at school.
avoiding contact with sick people—Exposure to illness is not totally avoidable, but children can learn to avoid close contact with people who are obviously sick. This should also be encouraged in the home environment, and children who become ill in the classroom should be sent home, according to school policies. This will model the avoidance concept, while making it easier to maintain in the classroom.
healthy eating—Teach what good food choices are and what they do to help the body defend itself against illness. Encourage making these good choices both at school and at home.
dressing for the weather—Most authorities agree that exposure to cold and heat will not make a person sick, but it does put extra stress on the body’s immune system, reducing resistance to illness. Talk about the weather in class and how to protect one’s body from the elements.
attending doctor checkups—It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to arrange regular doctor visits, but if children understand why they are important, there will likely be less resistance on their part. This may make these appointments more likely to happen.
vaccinations—Like doctor appointments, vaccinations are the responsibility of a parent/guardian, but understanding the reasons for them may enlighten the child enough to cooperate to a greater degree. Explain what the required and optional shots are for, as well as why all children need to have them.

In Georgia public schools, teachers address social and emotional health using lessons about these five concepts:

self-awareness—identifying emotions they feel, as well as the strengths they have, while matching feelings with behaviors
self-management—using strategies they learn to regulate emotions, deal with stress, manage their impulses, and set personal goals
social awareness—developing respect for others and seeing their point of view, and developing empathy
relationship skills—learning how to listen actively, cooperate with others, and resolve conflicts
responsible decision-making—using knowledge of a situation to solve problems and then evaluating their choices

Safety Rules

Certain rules are necessary for safety in the classroom and within the entire school campus. Students will pay more attention to the stated rules if the reason for each rule is included in the rule presentation. You will often find it necessary to have special rules for certain locations and situations. Georgia mandates safety rules in these categories:

Emergency Preparedness and Drills
- intruder alerts
- natural disasters
- strict directives to be followed in emergencies
STEM Lab Safety
- protective equipment
- material handling
Bullying Prevention and Mental Health Safety
- bullying policy
- anonymous reporting
- positive behavioral interventions

Influences on Health Behaviors

There are many things that influence health behaviors, and these influences can be positive or negative. Children need to have an understanding of what might influence their own health behaviors, and they should assess what they need to do personally to achieve a healthy lifestyle and prevent disease.

Family

One of the most powerful influencers of health behaviors on children is the family. The decisions that parents make in terms of diet, lifestyle, tobacco and alcohol use, and more have major influences on a child. Children are likely to follow in the footsteps of their parents. Teaching this to children in school and providing them with knowledge and understanding of healthy habits can help them live a healthy lifestyle regardless of their family influence.

Peers

Peers are another powerful influencer of health behavior. A good health teacher will discuss the pros and cons of peer pressure and how to discern the best course of action when faced with difficult health decisions. For example, if students understand the risks of smoking and the importance of not smoking in preventing disease, then they might be able to stand up to negative peer pressure to smoke. Their decision to abstain from smoking may in turn act as a positive influence on their peers to prevent/stop them from smoking too.

Culture

Culture is yet another influencer of health behavior and one that should be discussed with students. The culture of an area, or even the United States as a whole, can influence health decisions. For example, the cultural standard for body image can be a positive or negative influence on a child or adolescent. Teachers and schools should work to create a positive culture where students feel safe and confident in who they are and how they treat others.

Media

The media can influence health decisions through advertisements, movies, TV shows, and more. Students should be taught how to discern what is a good health decision concerning these influences by evaluating media and applying their knowledge of good health. For example, there have been many programs that stress the negative impacts of smoking and the positive impacts of healthy eating.

Technology

Technology impacts health and wellness in many ways from television advertisements, accessibility of information online, and quick access to emergency services via telephone. Technology consistently provides us with access to the latest research and an understanding of healthy habits. Furthermore, students should understand the benefits of limiting screen time and making time to be active daily.

Other Factors

Aside from these main influencers, there may be other factors that influence health behaviors. As questions arise from students, be sure to listen to their concerns and work to find good solutions for a healthy lifestyle.