* See below for links to the Teaching Centers for previous issues, including February 2012 and January's special theme issue on bullying *
Welcome! Here you'll find all the information from your monthly Current Health teacher's guide. Click the tabs above to access key points, classroom discussion questions, extension activities, resources, and more for each feature article in this issue. At right you'll find links to our Digital Edition (which makes it easy to use the magazine on computers, interactive whiteboards, and projectors), a printable teacher's guide, our 2011-12 Planning Calendar, our blogs, and archives.
This month's issue helps you get the scoop on dietary fiber, examine the health effects of video games, and learn more about some common microbes, the drug Ecstasy, and more.
In This Issue
Your Energy: "Fiber Facts"
Your Body: "Uninvited Guests"
Your Mind: "Gaming the Console"
Your Relationships: "Animal Influence"
Your Choices: "Bitter Pill"
Online Exclusives
• Our 2011-12 planning calendar can help you plan lessons for the rest of the school year.
• Our 2010-11 index can help you keep track of your favorite past Current Health Teens articles or find a useful article you missed.
• Don't forget! All the reproducible worksheets for each issue—including the bonus reading comprehension worksheets, one for each feature article—are together in one place, within your Teacher's Guide. Access these worksheets and more online at right under "Printable Teacher's Guide." You can also access just the student worksheets under "Printable Activities."
Do you have a question or suggestion? Let us know! Write to us at chteens@weeklyreader.com.
Thanks so much for choosing Current Health!
Erin R. King
Senior Editor, Current Health Teens
Past Teaching Centers
September 2011
October 2011
November 2011
December 2011
January 2012
February 2012
Fiber Facts (p. 6) 1190L
Key Points
• Soluble dietary fiber dissolves in water and helps a person feel full. It can also help lower cholesterol and keep blood sugar at a healthy level.
• Insoluble fiber is not digested, but it helps keep the digestive system working properly.
• Girls ages 14 to 18 should eat about 26 grams of whole grains a day, and boys the same age should eat about 38 grams.
Think and Discuss
What are some reasons teens might not get enough fiber in their diets? How might you overcome those obstacles?
Extension Activity
Have students learn more about resistant starches, independently or with your guidance. Those starches resist digestion and pass through the body much the way fiber does. Help students find reliable sources and claims on the Web. This tutorial on Web literacy from the University of Pennsylvania may help: gethelp.library.upenn.edu/guides/tutorials/webliteracy.
Resources
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: www.eatright.org
• The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition: www.gastrokids.org
Uninvited Guests (p. 10) 950L
Key Points
• Microbes are everywhere, including on (and in) us. Your body contains an estimated 100 trillion microbial cells.
• Bacteria aren’t the only living things humans are host to. Tiny parasites such as lice and worms live in and on people.
• There’s no need to worry, however. Most of the living things that make our bodies their homes are not only harmless but actually good for us. Some bacteria help keep us safe from dangerous microbes, for instance.
Think and Discuss
Pretend you are a biologist and you need a new subject to study. Which of the things mentioned in the article interest you the most? Make a list of questions you’d like to answer with your upcoming research.
Extension Activities
• Have students create an ad campaign to encourage people to wash their hands. The ads should mention the health benefits of hand washing and how to do it right.
• Instruct students to learn more about the hygiene hypothesis.
Resources
• The Belly Button Biodiversity Project: www.wildlifeofyourbody.org
• The radio program Radiolab produced a fascinating episode on parasites: www.radiolab.org/2009/sep/07
Gaming the Console (p. 13) 1160L
Key Points
• Scientists say playing video games can affect the body and the mind, but the evidence indicates the effects are, for the most part, not bad. Some people who play video games excessively show signs of addiction, however.
• Experts suspect that when teens spend more time playing games, they spend less time reading, interacting with friends and family, and getting healthy physical activity.
• Many experts believe that video games have a number of valuable educational uses.
Think and Discuss
What are some ways to combat the problem of teens’ video game use taking the place of, healthy activities such as exercise or educational pursuits such as reading? Can you implement any of your ideas in your own life?
Extension Activity
Show students (or ask them to view on their own) this news program that examines how multitasking may be good for young brains: www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/01/miles-obrien-teen-brains-on-technology.html. Then ask students to examine the ways that their own media use or that of their peers is a positive experience, both educationally and socially.
Resources
• The Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston: www.cmch.tv
• Screen-Free Week, April 30–May 6: www.screenfree.org
Animal Influence (p. 16) 1050L
Key Points
• Relationships with animals can benefit human health by helping people relax, build confidence, and even get more exercise.
• Relationships with therapy animals enable people to obtain some benefits of the human-animal bond without having pets of their own.
• Teens can learn more about the healthy benefits of animals firsthand in a number of ways, such as training pets to become therapy animals or volunteering to help therapeutic animals do their jobs.
Think and Discuss
The article mentions research that indicates a young child just learning to read can benefit from reading aloud to a dog because it is less stressful than reading to a teacher. What are some other reasons the method might work? Can you think of other ways in which animals can help people learn? ways in which animals help people’s health?
Extension Activity
The American Pet Products Association’s 2011–2012 National Pet Owners Survey found that 58 percent of small-animal owners said teaching children responsibility is a key bene-fit to owning a pet. Ask students to produce posters, brochures, or lessons for younger children on the key points of caring for common pets. Then ask a local animal shelter to share your students’ materials with children and families who become new pet owners.
Resources
• Delta Society: www.deltasociety.org
• Bunky the Buffalo with the group Train a Dog, Save a Warrior: www.tadsaw.org/bunky-therapy-buffalo.htm
Bitter Pill (p. 20) 1100L
Key Points
• The drug 3,4-methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine (also known as MDMA or Ecstasy) is synthetic and usually made in people’s homes. As a result, it’s impossible to know what is really in each pill.
• MDMA affects the body in part by increasing blood pressure, overworking the heart and kidneys, and altering the body’s temperature-regulation system.
• It can also cause jaw and dental problems, reduce feelings of fear, and lead to mental health or memory problems.
• MDMA also increases a person’s risk for serious illness or death, especially when combined with other drugs such as alcohol or certain common medications.
Think and Discuss
What facts from this article about the dangers of Ecstasy can you share with friends or classmates? In what ways can you use those facts to combat peer pressure to use the drug or persuade a friend to avoid using it?
Extension Activity
Ecstasy has been linked to some electronic music and music events for years. Have students collaborate on a dance, a song, or a music video with an anti-Ecstasy message.
Resources
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) research report on MDMA: www.nida.nih.gov/researchreports/mdma
• NIDA for Teens page about Ecstasy: teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_xtc1.php
