Assignment 1
Create a public service announcement to be played on the radio. The main idea of the announcement is to get teenagers more active. The announcements target audience is the teens of Florida. The announcement needs to be 90 seconds long when read aloud. Be sure that your announcement isn't boring, teens need a grabber to catch and keep their attention. Be creative and have fun with it.
Assignment 2
Complete the Wellness Assessment. Write you answers on your own paper. After completing the assessment, answer the following questions about your Wellness Assessment. Be sure to answer each question completely and in complete sentences.
1. Analyzing your results, which area of wellness did you score the highest?
2. What changes could you make in your life to improve your lowest score?
3. Which question did you have the most trouble answering and why?
4. Describe in one paragraph what this assessment taught you about yourself.
This Wellness Assessment will allow you to find out your level of wellness by rating each of the following dimensions of wellness.
To complete this Wellness Assessment please write down, on your own paper, the number for each of the following statements that best describes you.
Now answer the following set of questions regarding each dimension of wellness. Indicate how often you think the statements describe you.
Physical Wellness
Rarely, if Ever (1) Sometimes (2) Most of the Time (3) Always (4)
1. I maintain a desirable weight.
2. I engage in vigorous exercises such as brisk walking.
3. I do exercises designed to strengthen my muscles and joints.
4. I warm up and cool down by stretching before and after vigorous exercise.
5. I feel good about the condition of my body.
6. I get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
7. My immune system is strong and I am able to avoid most infectious diseases.
8. My body heals itself quickly when I get sick or injured.
9. I have lots of energy and can get through the day without being overly tired.
10. I listen to my body; when there is something wrong, I seek professional advice.
Social Wellness
Rarely, if Ever (1) Sometimes (2) Most of the Time (3) Always (4)
1. When I meet people, I feel good about the impression I make on them.
2. I am open, honest, and get along well with other people.
3. I participate in a wide variety of social activities and enjoy being with people who are different than me.
4. I try to be a “better person” and work on behaviors that have caused problems in my interactions with others.
5. I get along well with the members of my family.
6. I am a good listener.
7. I am open and accessible to a loving and responsible relationship.
8. I have someone I can talk to about my private feelings.
9. I consider the feelings of others and do not act in hurtful or selfish ways.
10. I consider how what I say, might be perceived by others before I speak.
Emotional Wellness
Rarely, if Ever (1) Sometimes (2) Most of the Time (3) Always (4)
1. I find it easy to laugh about things that happen in my life.
2. I avoid using alcohol as a means of helping me forget my problems.
3. I can express my feelings without feeling silly.
4. When I am angry, I try to let others know in non-confrontational and non-hurtful ways.
5. I am a chronic worrier and tend to be suspicious of others.
6. I recognize when I am stressed and take steps to relax through exercise, quiet time, or other activities.
7. I feel good about myself and believe others like me for who I am.
8. When I am upset, I talk to others and actively try to work through my problems.
9. I am flexible and adapt or adjust to change in a positive way.
10. My friends regard me as a stable, emotionally well-adjusted person.
Environmental Wellness
Rarely, if Ever (1) Sometimes (2) Most of the Time (3) Always (4)
1. I am concerned about environmental pollution and actively try to preserve and protect natural resources.
2. I report people who intentionally hurt the environment.
3. I recycle my garbage.
4. I reuse plastic and paper bags and tin foil.
5. I vote for pro-environmental candidates in elections.
6. I write my elected leaders about environmental concerns.
7. I consider the amount of packaging covering a product when I buy groceries.
8. I try to buy products that are recyclable.
9. I use both sides of the paper when taking class notes or doing assignments.
10. I try not to leave the faucet running too long when I brush my teeth, shave, or bathe.
Spiritual Wellness
Rarely, if Ever (1) Sometimes (2) Most of the Time (3) Always (4)
1. I believe life is a precious gift that should be nurtured.
2. I take time to enjoy nature and the beauty around me.
3. I take time alone to think about what’s important in life – who I am, what I value, where I fit in, and where I’m going.
4. I have faith in a greater power.
5. I engage in acts of caring and good will without expecting something in return.
6. I feel sorrow for those who are suffering and try to help them through difficult times.
7. I feel confident that I have touched the lives of others in a positive way.
8. I work for peace in my interpersonal relationships, in my community, and in the world at large.
9. I am content with who I am.
10. I go for the gusto and experience life to the fullest.
Mental Wellness
Rarely, if Ever (1) Sometimes (2) Most of the Time (3) Always (4)
1. I tend to act impulsively without thinking about the consequences.
2. I learn from my mistakes and try to act differently the next time.
3. I follow directions or recommended guidelines and act in ways likely to keep others and myself safe.
4. I consider the alternatives before making decisions.
5. I am alert and ready to respond to life’s challenges in ways that reflect thought and sound judgment.
6. I tend to let my emotions get the better of me and I act without thinking.
7. I actively try to learn all I can about products and services before making decisions.
8. I manage my time well, rather than time managing me.
9. My friends and family trust my judgment.
10. I think about my self-talk (the things I tell myself) and then examine the real evidence for my perceptions and feelings.
Personal Wellness Checklist
Now, total your scores in each of the dimensions and compare it to the ideal score. Which areas do you need to work on? How does your score compare with how you rated yourself in the first part of the questionnaire?
What Your Score Means
Scores of 35-40: Outstanding! Your answers show that you are aware of the importance of this area to your overall wellness. More importantly, you are putting your knowledge to work for you by practicing good health habits. As long as you continue to do so, this area should not pose a serious health risk. It’s likely that you are setting an example for your family and friends to follow. Although you received a very high score on this part of the test, you may want to consider other areas where your scores could be improved.
Scores of 30-35: Your health practices in this area are good, but there is room for improvement. Look again at the items you answered that scored one or two points. What changes could you make to improve your score? Even a small change in behavior can often help you achieve better health.
Scores of 20-30: Your health risks are showing! Would you like more information about the risks you are facing and why it is important for you to change these behaviors? Perhaps you need help in deciding how to make the changes you desire.
Scores below 20: You may be taking serious and unnecessary risks with your health. Perhaps you are not aware of the risks and what to do about them.
Assignment 3
After reading the article about the basketball team in Indiana, choose a side. Do you think the team displayed bad sportsmanship or was it just part of the game? Write a one page opinion column to the newspaper defending your stance.
Bad Sportsmanship? Indiana Girls Basketball Team Blows Out Opponent 107-2
A brutal blowout in an Indiana girl’s basketball game has sparked a sportsmanship controversy. On Tuesday night, Bloomington South High School demolished Arlington High School 107-2.
The Indianapolis Star reports that Arlington made two single free throws in the second and third period — that was the extent of the school’s scoring. The rest of the night’s points went to Bloomington South as the team continued to pile on even after they had the game well in hand.
“I didn’t tell my girls to stop shooting because that would have been more embarrassing,” Bloomington South coach Larry Winters told the Star. “We were not trying to embarrass them or run up the score.”
Arlington head coach Ebony Jackson said Winters should have shown more sportsmanship and limited the scoring late in the game.
“No it’s not OK but he will have to live with that…If that’s how they want to carry themselves, that’s fine. I’m focused on me and mine and we’ll just keep going,” she told the Star.
In the meantime, the criticism for Winters has been both fast and furious. As soon as the score was released on Twitter on Tuesday night by the Star’s high school sports scores feed it elicited a series of critiques. Some questioned how a score like 107-2 was even possible within the confines of a high school game. Others were more caustic toward the Bloomington South team and staff.
One Twitter user even offered the following assessment: “This is disgraceful & a blow 2the integrity of [Indiana high school basketball].”
Still, Jackson told the Star that she wasn’t upset with Winters for the sheer reason that she was more focused on helping her team move forward, which will be all the more difficult in the aftermath of such a crushing loss.
Was Bloomington South unsportsmanlike for running up the score 107-2 or were they just playing the game?
Assignment 4
A very controversial issue in the media today involves schools screening children for obesity and notifying parents. Watch video of a debate on Fox News arguing both sides of this argument and read the article.
Choose a side. Do you agree that schools should be involved or do you think that it is the parents responsibility?
Create an argument for your side. Site the video, article or other sources of information that you can locate. Your argument needs to have at least 5 points and be 1-2 pages in length.
Assignment 5
Everyone gets stressed out now and then. A lot of teens get stressed over the pressures and demands of trying to fit so many things into one day. But people have to remember that they’re not alone when it comes to dealing with stress and that there are ways to manage and ease stressful situations. Identifying stressful situations and being able to dial down stressful feelings are important skills that can help teens for the rest of their lives.
Do you ever feel like there are too many pressures and demands on you? Do you ever lose sleep worrying about tryouts or a school project? Everyone gets stressed now and then. Good stress helps you rise to a challenge and prepare to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness. Bad stress -– like coping with a divorce or moving to a new neighborhood or school can leave a person feeling overwhelmed and unable to meet challenges. But there are many ways to ease stress.
After reading the attached articles make a list of three stress relieving strategies that you think will work for you when you find yourself in a stressful situation and why you think they will be effective. Also make a list of two strategies that you would not try and explain why you would not consider trying them but why you think they may work for someone else.
Stress
Feeling like there are too many pressures and demands on you? Losing sleep worrying about tests and schoolwork? Eating on the run because your schedule is just too busy? You're not alone. Everyone experiences stress at times — adults, teens, and even kids. But there are ways to minimize stress and manage the stress that's unavoidable.
What Is Stress?
Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness.
Positive thoughts can reduce stress. What inspirational words help you feel better?
Advice from family, Inspirational quotes, Song lyrics, Words from a prayer, Telling myself everything will be OK
The events that provoke stress are called stressors, and they cover a whole range of situations — everything from outright physical danger to making a class presentation or taking a semester's worth of your toughest subject.
The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups, putting our muscles on alert. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases some of its stored glucose to increase the body's energy. And sweat is produced to cool the body. All of these physical changes prepare a person to react quickly and effectively to handle the pressure of the moment.
This natural reaction is known as the stress response. Working properly, the body's stress response enhances a person's ability to perform well under pressure. But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts or fails to turn off and reset itself properly.
Good Stress and Bad Stress
The stress response (also called the fight or flight response) is critical during emergency situations, such as when a driver has to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. It can also be activated in a milder form at a time when the pressure's on but there's no actual danger — like stepping up to take the foul shot that could win the game, getting ready to go to a big dance, or sitting down for a final exam. A little of this stress can help keep you on your toes, ready to rise to a challenge. And the nervous system quickly returns to its normal state, standing by to respond again when needed.
But stress doesn't always happen in response to things that are immediate or that are over quickly. Ongoing or long-term events, like coping with a divorce or moving to a new neighborhood or school, can cause stress, too.
Long-term stressful situations can produce a lasting, low-level stress that's hard on people. The nervous system senses continued pressure and may remain slightly activated and continue to pump out extra stress hormones over an extended period. This can wear out the body's reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed, weaken the body's immune system, and cause other problems.
What Causes Stress Overload?
Although just enough stress can be a good thing, stress overload is a different story — too much stress isn't good for anyone. For example, feeling a little stress about a test that's coming up can motivate you to study hard. But stressing out too much over the test can make it hard to concentrate on the material you need to learn.
Pressures that are too intense or last too long, or troubles that are shouldered alone, can cause people to feel stress overload. Here are some of the things that can overwhelm the body's ability to cope if they continue for a long time:
•being bullied or exposed to violence or injury
•relationship stress, family conflicts, or the heavy emotions that can accompany a broken heart or the death of a loved one
•ongoing problems with schoolwork related to a learning disability or other problems, such as ADHD (usually once the problem is recognized and the person is given the right learning support the stress disappears)
•crammed schedules, not having enough time to rest and relax, and always being on the go
Some stressful situations can be extreme and may require special attention and care. Posttraumatic stress disorder is a very strong stress reaction that can develop in people who have lived through an extremely traumatic event, such as a serious car accident, a natural disaster like an earthquake, or an assault like rape.
Some people have anxiety problems that can cause them to overreact to stress, making even small difficulties seem like crises. If a person frequently feels tense, upset, worried, or stressed, it may be a sign of anxiety. Anxiety problems usually need attention, and many people turn to professional counselors for help in overcoming them.
Signs of Stress Overload
People who are experiencing stress overload may notice some of the following signs: