Incorporating a healthy lifestyle component into the teaching and learning process at school is one of the priority tasks of the education system of the Republic of Belarus. Healthy lifestyle implies not only aspects related to physiology, such as prevention of bad habits and protection from infections, but also the formation of knowledge, skills, behavioural habits and values necessary for the development of interpersonal relations without violence and bullying, understanding of oneself and others, effective communication, development of self-confidence, setting meaningful goals and making responsible decisions.
However, it is often difficult to incorporate the healthy lifestyle education component into the teaching process due to the lack of experience of teachers, as well as shortage of quality materials that make the learning process exciting for both students and teachers.
To address these problems, the State Educational Institution “Academy of Education” of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian Association of UNESCO Clubs and UNESCO IITE have developed a series of training materials that enable teachers to introduce healthy lifestyles into the teaching of basic school subjects, class hours, elective and other classes for pupils in grades 6-7 and 8-10.
The materials include:
- 20 video lessons that succinctly introduce key concepts and demonstrate reliable and relevant information in an engaging and interactive way. The videos are available for viewing on the UNESCO IITE YouTube channel and for downloading as MP4 files.
- Download the video lessons
6-7 grades
Why people become friends and what kind of friends there are
How to understand yourself and others and manage emotions
How to communicate effectively and resolve conflicts
Acceptance of others and tolerance
How to develop self-confidence
8-9 grades
Love and relationships: what it is
Family and marriage. What brings happiness and what prevents it
Family planning: what it is and why it is important
Responsible behaviour and STI prevention
HIV. What you need to know about it
Violence and bullying. How to prevent and protect yourself
Bullying on the Internet. How to prevent and protect yourself
- Manual for educators “Using video lessons on healthy lifestyle, socially safe and responsible behaviour”: this document provides detailed descriptions of all the videos and offers educators practical advice on how to use them.
The manual is available via the following link.
- “Guide to conducting interactive trainings on healthy lifestyle using video clips: 8 lesson plans”: this material offers detailed lesson plans in an interactive form for a more in-depth discussion of selected topics covered in the videos.
The guide is available via the following link.
This guide is unique in that it offers detailed lesson scenarios, in-depth analysis of the issues raised in the videos, and encourages student reflection. This material offers a different approach from the traditional lesson where the teacher acts as an expert. First, the emphasis is not on factual knowledge, but on the ability to apply it. Secondly, the goal of the teacher is to facilitate, help, organize interaction between the participants of the lessons, which contributes to the development of their communication skills. Trainings do not imply correct answers but offer students to analyze different situations and choose the most appropriate solutions.
A set of presentations has also been developed for the “Guide to conducting interactive trainings on healthy lifestyle using video clips: 8 lesson plans” to help teachers organize interactive lessons, although all lessons still can be conducted independently.
All of the above materials will be a valuable resource for all those who work with the younger generation and seek to develop healthy and safe lifestyle skills. They will be useful for:
- Form masters: for conducting informative class hours on health, safety and social-emotional development of students.
- Social workers and educational psychologists: for individual and group consultations aimed at preventing risky behaviour, developing self-regulation skills and successful socialization.
- Public organizations: to expand the methodological base and introduce effective practices in working with children and youth to promote healthy lifestyles and responsible behaviour.
Conducting classes or trainings using video lessons will allow young people to grow and develop as self-confident individuals, able to understand and control their emotions, build healthy relationships and find a common language with others. These essential life skills will help them overcome challenges, make informed decisions and create a happy future.