Topics Students Are Interested In

Some educators worry that students will miss out on important health learning if the focus is only on topics they choose. However, the history of the health work has shown that students are interested in the great health issues of day including such areas as:

1. stress and depression (the largest area of interest),
2. healthy eating and exercise for weight control, disease prevention and general well being,
3. the various cancers, and
4. sexually transmitted diseases.

The more input students have about the health topics, the more likely they are to actively engage with the teaching and learning in that health area. Teachers, health teams, and community health organizations can bring in additional health information at any time and previously active engagement with health is likely to have built a receptive environment for continued health learning.

Below are some ways to find out what health topics your learners might be interested in.

• Do a brainstorm with students about possible health topics and then use stick dots to vote for the three topic choices.
• Use a written survey that is done either in pairs or individually. Once the results are compiled, share the results with students
• If you use dialogue journals, have students write to you about the health issues that interest them and/or health issues that are present in their lives or the lives of their families.