Grade 2 Health Massachusetts standards Standards

Self-Advocacy and Health Promotion. Promote personal, family, and community health and well-being.

Information and Resource Seeking. Access, evaluate, and use valid and reliable health information, products, services, and related resources.

Self-awareness and Analyzing Influences. Examine how emotions, thoughts, needs, values, beliefs, and other factors (both internal and external) influence behaviors and articulate how these influences impact health behavior and outcomes.

Movement Skills. Demonstrate competence in, and knowledge of, a variety of movement forms, motor skills, physical fitness components, and principles in order to engage in purposeful and health-promoting physical activity, including sports and games.

Social Awareness, Relationship, and Communication Skills. Enhance relationships, personal health, and the health of others through social awareness and effective communication.

Self-management and Goal Setting. Set goals, engage in health-promoting behaviors, and avoid risky behaviors.

Decision-making and Problem-solving. Make health-promoting, informed, responsible decisions and solve problems in a variety of health-related situations.

Nutrition and Balanced Eating

Identify situations when a nutrition-related decision needs to be made (e.g., when trying new foods, choosing snacks and beverages, eating breakfast). [HPE]

Articulate, with adult guidance, nutrition options in common situations, and identify decisions that can be made independently (e.g., asking for healthier options) or when assistance is needed (e.g., managing a food allergy). [HPE]

Identify that food is the preferred way of obtaining nutrients (as opposed to supplements) and provides energy for the body, identify the primary contribution of each food group to the body, and provide examples of foods within food groups to support informed decision-making. [HPE]

Explain food and health-promoting eating habits in equitable terms (e.g., all people need food access, clean water is necessary, grocery stores are important to communities and their health, access, needs, and preferences vary). [HPE]

Explain benefits of health-promoting eating choices and habits (e.g., balanced eating, staying hydrated, eating fruits and vegetables, eating nutrient-rich foods, eating a variety of foods, limiting foods high in added sugar, awareness of hunger and thirst signals). [HPE]

Describe how the foods students eat may reflect the area in which they live and/or their cultural backgrounds, ways students’ families use or produce food, how family meals and food traditions benefit them, different dietary needs (e.g., food allergies, dietary restrictions) and how they contribute to nutrition-related decisions. [HPE]

Recognize that media (e.g., cartoons, characters, advertisements, product placement) can impact food-related decisions. [HPE]

Mental and Emotional Health

Demonstrate self-control (e.g., delay gratification, wait your turn) alone or with the support of adults in a variety of typical settings (e.g., on the playground, in the classroom, during physical education, at an assembly). [HPE; SE]

Define stress and demonstrate strategies for managing stress (e.g., positive self-talk, belly breathing, talking with a trusted adult, listening to calming music, play, physical activity) alone or with the support of adults. [HPE; SE]

Identify what it means to be responsible and list personal responsibilities. [HPE; SE]

Utilize simple positive self-talk for the purpose of self-motivation and behavior modification. [HPE; SE]

Identify simple goals for health, physical activity, academic success, and classroom behavior. [HPE; SE]

Physical Activity and Fitness

Exhibit positive self-concept, self-esteem, and confidence in abilities in a variety of settings, including practicing new movement skills, demonstrating skills to peers, and participating in cooperative and competitive games and activities. [PE]

Recognize body responses, physiological changes in their bodies, and emotions during movement and physical activity. [HPE]

Identify and describe strengths and interests related to physical activity and movement skills, and those for which extra effort and practice is needed to experience success. [PE; SE]

Exhibit prosocial behavior and contribute to the creation and maintenance of safe, supportive learning environments. [PE; SE]

Participate safely in a variety of physical education situations, including independent, partner and group activities, with and without equipment. [PE]

Identify physical activity as a health-promoting habit that contributes to overall health and wellbeing, and list the benefits of these habits on physical well-being (e.g., activities that strengthen the heart and cardiovascular system, contribute to fitness, muscle-building) and mental health (e.g., stress management). [HPE]

Identify opportunities, in and out of the school setting, for safe, active play, and physical activity for self-expression, social interaction, personal enjoyment and challenge. [PE]

Set a short-term physical activity goal relevant to specific needs and abilities, take meaningful action toward achieving the goal, and identify people at home or at school who can help when assistance is needed to achieve the goal. [PE]

Physical Health and Hygiene

Identify a variety of habits that can promote children’s health (e.g., brushing teeth, proper nutrition, going to the doctor, getting enough sleep, being physically active, limiting screen time, washing hands, etc.). [HPE]

Explain how a young person can maintain or enhance the health of both their body and mind. [HPE, SE]

Use medically accurate names for body parts, including genitals when communicating about their body and physical health. [HPE]

Demonstrate independence in health-promoting practices such as hand washing, appropriate teeth brushing motions, sneezing and coughing into elbow, engaging in physical activity, and appropriate use and disposal of tissues. [HPE]

Set a simple goal related to physical health habits and monitor progress toward the goal with assistance from an adult. [HPE]

Personal Safety

Apply strategies for staying safe in a variety of situations (e.g., on the playground, during physical education, around water, when using wheeled recreation, as a pedestrian, around cooking elements or fire, on the bus, when online, around weapons or in situations of gun violence) and determine when to report unsafe situations to an adult. [HPE]

Provide examples of how rules can keep children safe and identify rules to help children stay safe in various situations (e.g., related to medicines, playground safety, physical education, threats of violence, personal space, and boundaries). [HPE]

Demonstrate how to respond (e.g., yell, get away, tell an adult, seek help) and get help in a variety of emergency situations including when and how to call 9-1-1. [HE]

Identify safe adults to confide in and places to go if feeling personally threatened (e.g., someone says they will hurt or harm you). [HE]

Demonstrate the ability to ask a trusted adult for help (including for problem-solving) in a variety of situations. [HPE; SE]

Recognize safe, unsafe, and inappropriate touching and demonstrate how to tell a trusted adult if this happens. [HE]

Identify and practice behaviors for personal safety: say no, get away, tell a grown-up. [HE]

Healthy Relationships

Define bullying and teasing, explain similarities and differences, and how both can be harmful. [HPE; SE]

Predict how someone else may feel in a variety of situations and display compassionate and empathetic behaviors. [HPE; SE]

Define and demonstrate simple ways to communicate personal boundaries and respect the boundaries of others, including physical, verbal, sexual, and emotional boundaries (e.g., explain why it is important to tell others not to touch their body when they do not want to be touched and why it is important to stop touching someone when they indicate the touch is unwelcome). [HPE]

Explain how no one has a right to violate personal boundaries, and demonstrate an appropriate refusal (e.g., tell a trusted adult, say NO, leave the situation) when someone says or does something that does not respect personal boundaries. [HPE]

Identify groups to which one belongs and reflect on similarities and differences with others. [HPE; SE]

Recognize the benefits of and strategies for cooperation in a variety of settings (including physical education). [HPE; SE]

Discuss stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, equality, and inequality and how these can affect relationships and situations. [HE; SE]

Discuss gender-role stereotypes and their potential impacts on people of all genders. [HPE]

Acknowledge diversity, including (but not limited to) racial, ethnic, religious, dis/ability and cultural differences and traditions, and demonstrate respect for others, and demonstrate empathy and ways to treat all people with dignity and respect. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate awareness of, and ways to show respect for, different family structures (e.g., families with heterosexual parents, families with same-gender parents, single parent families, intergenerational families, adoptive families, foster families). [HE; SE]

Mental and Emotional Health

Identify reasons why it is important to have positive social relationships (e.g., positive emotions, support and help, someone to play with). [HPE; SE]

Identify and practice strategies to make and keep friends, and develop positive peer relationships (e.g., identify and acknowledge other people’s feelings, communicate effectively, ask for help). [HPE; SE]

Identify and practice talking to trusted adults, parents/guardians, and/or family members about feelings. [HPE; SE]

Effectively express needs, wants, and feelings through both verbal and non-verbal actions. [HPE; SE]

Show respect for the feelings, rights, and property of others. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate effective listening and communication skills, including giving and accepting a compliment and feedback, individually and in group settings. [HPE; SE]

Recognize and appreciate individual differences in others. [HPE; SE]

Describe positive qualities in self and others. [HPE; SE]

Identify reasons conflict and disagreements may arise in various situations and strategies for resolving misunderstandings and managing conflict. [HPE; SE]

Physical Activity and Fitness

Demonstrate developmentally-appropriate locomotor movements (i.e., hop, gallop, jog, slide, skip, roll, and run) and movement concepts (i.e., traveling in various pathways, showing differentiation of speed) in dynamic environments (e.g., incorporated in a dance or rhythm activity, applied during a game or activity). [PE]

Demonstrate different levels (low, middle and high), a variety of relationships with objects (i.e., over, under, around, through), and ability to vary speed and force while traveling. [PE]

Demonstrate the ability to engage in rhythmic movement activities (e.g., move in self-space and general space in response to designated beats or rhythms, drumball, dance). [PE]

Demonstrate developmentally-appropriate jumping and landing (i.e., using a variety of one- and two-foot take-offs and landings, and jump roping skills). [PE]

Demonstrate stability skills by maintaining balance and transferring weight (one body part to another) on different bases of support and combining levels and shapes. [PE]

Demonstrate developmentally-appropriate stationary body actions in non-dynamic environments. [PE]

Demonstrate developmentally-appropriate manipulative skills in varying environments (i.e., underhand and overhand throwing in a non-dynamic environment, catching, dribbling with hands and feet, bouncing a ball, volleying, striking, rolling a ball in non-dynamic or dynamic environments, and kicking). [PE]

Mental and Emotional Health

Recognize and accurately label simple emotions (e.g., happy, sad, mad, worried, lonely). [HPE; SE]

Explain that emotions are information and that personal emotions may be the same or different from the emotions of others. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate emotional regulation strategies to support mental and emotional health alone or with support from adults. [HPE; SE]

Accept failure and demonstrate the ability to persevere despite real or perceived failures. [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate growth-oriented practices by attempting, repeating, and experimenting with a variety of experiences and activities. [HPE; SE]

Describe personal strengths and the ways that those strengths support mental health. [HPE; SE]

Articulate and celebrate the individual characteristics that make a person unique, and explain that how a person views themselves can be influenced by different factors (e.g., peers, media, culture, family, phase of life). [HPE; SE]

Demonstrate strategies that help all students feel welcome and valued as a part of the school community (e.g., cooperative playing, listening, showing you care, sharing). [HPE; SE]

Physical Health and Hygiene

Demonstrate the ability to access help for self or others (e.g., school nurse, counselors, health and physical educators) to support physical health and hygiene. [HPE; SE]

Identify school and community health helpers and community resources. [HPE; SE]

Identify individuals who can assist with health-related issues and potentially life-threatening health conditions (e.g., asthma episodes, allergic reactions, seizures, concussions). [HPE]

Substance Use and Misuse

Explain why it is important to use prescription and over-the-counter medicines correctly and safely, and the risks of ingesting household poisons (e.g., bleach, laundry detergent) and incorrectly using household products. [HE]

Identify trusted adults at home and school (e.g., school nurse, guidance counselor) who can discuss rules and practices related to medicine use (e.g., only taking medicine with an adult’s help, only taking prescriptions that are prescribed to you). [HE]

Public, Community, and Environmental Health

Identify the impact of personal activities that contribute, positively or negatively, to the environment. [HE]

Identify ways that the communities people live in can impact their health and well-being. [HPE]

Identify strategies to minimize impact on the environment (e.g., reduce, reuse, recycle). [HE]

Encourage peers and family members to make choices to help protect the environment (e.g., recycling, using less water, turning off the lights). [HE]

Encourage peers and family to help in the community (e.g., donate food to a food pantry, clean up litter). [HE]

Physical Health and Hygiene

Demonstrate personal hygiene habits and other behaviors that prevent the spread of illness (including foodborne illness) and infection. [HPE]

Describe personal health habits (i.e., brushing and flossing teeth, hygiene, hand washing, sufficient sleep, sun safety, physical activity, limiting screen time) that can prevent illness and promote self-care and overall health. [HPE]

Self-advocate in order to have personal health needs met (e.g., needing to wash hands, asking for sun protection, access to bathrooms). [HPE]

Recognize how the actions of others can impact physical health (e.g., spreading germs) and encourage peers to make positive choices about physical health habits and prevention strategies. [HPE]