A Simple Filter for What we Teach in Health Education

Knowing what we should teach in our health and PE classes can be a challenge. There is so much information out there. Should we teach just the standards? Should we do sports? Weight lifting? And how do we add a solid Biblical worldview to what we are teaching? There are all questions we are asked all the time. In this article, I will give you a very simple framework that can help you have confidence in your health and PE programs.

Many schools we work with felt like in the past they had to sift through their curriculum or go on youtube to find content they could show students so that the class materials were more than just a boring book. So as we develop resources for our F.O.R.M. curriculum we wanted to have a simple filter to run all of the content we were asked by teachers to make to ensure we are getting the best information to students so they can put that information into practice immediately. Let’s dive into that framework.

We must look at the topic through three main lenses: historical evidence, Biblical principles, and current evidence-based research. Without all 3 of these filters, we only get a partial picture of how to understand a particular topic in health. It is only when we look through all three of these lenses that we see the full picture.

Biblical- What are the motives and mindsets behind the topic? How does it line up with biblical principles? Is this topic consistent with the Word of God and/or the proven character of God? Are we helping students THINK rightly about the topic?

Historical- When and where did a topic originate? What are its results throughout history? Looking at the past reputation of a topic is crucial in determining its validity today. Many times we get so stuck in our current day and culture and we don't look back to see what people have done over the years and how that has changed into practices today. 

Current Research- Do current scholarly studies provide evidence to support the topic? What are the cold, hard, objective facts about the topic and its effects? What is the truth about how the body is made and how we can partner with our body to steward it well?

I would also add these 2 other things to consider when teaching any particular topic. One, It must be engaging. It has to keep the student's attention. That's why we created animated videos, lesson guides, challenges, devotional guides, etc so they are getting different modalities of information so that it sticks. Two, it MUST be about the application. If students aren't applying what they are learning outside of class I don't believe the program is working to its fullest.

Take a look at your PE and health program. Does it check all the boxes in this filter? If it doesn't, that's ok! Now that you have this filter you can find resources that check all of these boxes to your students build a lasting foundation in their health.