In teaching Core Concepts an instructor can follow the lessons as outlined in the book or take an approach that is more suited to the needs and interests of the students. For example, I began with the first chapter, “Taking Charge of Your Health” because I believe that the most important thing to teach students is that they are the person most responsible for their health, that by their own behaviors they will largely determine their health. I then moved to chapter 10 (Exercise for Health and Fitness) because my course included an exercise component as well as a lecture class. I followed with Chapter 9 (Nutrition Basics) and chapter 3 (psychological health) because I believe that these three topics (exercise, diet and stress management) make up the core of healthy living. The next topic I chose is chapter 4 which has to do with Intimate Relationships and Communication because this issue is particularly important to university students. At Stanford cigarette smoking was not a problem, while alcohol use was, thus I covered these topics accordingly. If I were teaching there now I would also put Environmental Health high on the list. Weight Management can be included in the dietary component. Finally chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer are important topics because young people need to realize that these diseases begin early in life. Depending on time, other topics can be covered as well. For example, The Use and Abuse of Psychoactive Drugs may be a topic of interest and concern on some campuses.
The book covers all the key aspects of health, with a special focus on university students. It is well designed and colorful with numerous photographs and explanatory notes. In addition to the textbook there are a number of aids for the teacher, including the Course Integrator Guide which provides learning objectives, classroom activities, internet resources, and other teaching tools. More than 150 transparency masters and handouts are also provided as well as a Test Bank of some 2000 questions. Finally, a set of Wellness Worksheets, which is a student learning aid, is also provided.
If you want to buy this book, you can visit here: Core Concepts in Health, Brief Update
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