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Health Information Squad: Building Your Trusted Network ✨ cross-curricular

Teacher: TeacherAI | Grade: 4 | Subject: Health Education, Reading/ELA | Duration: 45 minutes

📝 Description: Students identify trusted adults and reliable health resources, conduct interviews, take notes, and create a reference guide.

Standards

  • HE.4.3.3 (Discuss which trusted adults and community resources can provide health information)
  • HE.4.3.4 (Document interactive health literacy by talking with trusted adults about health)
  • HE.4.3.5 (Read a variety of print material from valid health resources)
  • 4.W.8 (Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources)
  • 4.SL.1c (Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others)

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Identify at least 3 trusted adults and 2 community resources for reliable health information
  • Conduct an interview with a trusted adult about health topics using prepared questions
  • Take organized notes during health conversations and cite sources appropriately
  • Evaluate print and digital health materials for credibility and usefulness
  • Create a personal reference guide of trusted health information sources

Supplies Needed

  • Research notebook
  • Tablets or Chromebooks
  • Chart paper
  • Markers
  • White paper

Lesson Structure

Opening (5 minutes)

Begin with a quick scenario: "Your friend tells you that drinking soda helps cure stomachaches. How would you know if this is true?" Discuss briefly, then explain that today students will build their own network of trusted health information sources.

Main Activity (35 minutes)

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. Brainstorm Trusted Adults (7 minutes): Have students work in pairs to list trusted adults who could provide health information. Create a class chart with categories: Family Members, School Staff, Medical Professionals, Community Helpers. Guide students to include specific examples like school nurse, family doctor, parent/guardian, PE teacher.
  2. Explore Community Resources (8 minutes): Using tablets, have students research local health resources. Provide specific websites to explore: local hospital websites, health department, pediatric clinics. Students record 2-3 community resources in their research notebooks with contact information.
  3. Interview Preparation (5 minutes): Distribute the Interview Planning Sheet. Students choose one trusted adult they can contact and prepare 3-4 health-related questions. Model examples: "What should I do if I have a headache?" or "How much water should I drink each day?"
  4. Practice Interview Skills (8 minutes): Students pair up and practice interviewing each other using their prepared questions. Emphasize taking clear notes, asking follow-up questions, and being respectful listeners. Rotate pairs once.
  5. Evaluate Health Materials (7 minutes): Provide access to various health websites and materials through tablets. Students use the Source Evaluation Checklist to assess 2 different sources, noting author credentials, publication date, and website credibility markers (.gov, .edu, medical organizations).

Closing (5 minutes)

Students share one trusted adult and one reliable source they identified. Create a class "Health Help Hotline" poster with everyone's contributions.

Quick Check: Ask students: "Name two ways to tell if a health website is trustworthy" and "Who is one adult you could ask about nutrition questions?"

Formative Assessment

During the lesson, look for:

  • Students distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate sources during brainstorming
  • Quality of interview questions showing understanding of health topics
  • Accurate completion of source evaluation checklists with specific evidence

Differentiation Strategies

Support for Struggling Students:

  • Provide sentence starters for interview questions and note-taking templates
  • Pair with strong readers during website evaluation activities
  • Offer verbal processing time before written responses

Challenge for Advanced Learners:

  • Research and compare health information across multiple sources for accuracy
  • Create interview questions that address current health topics or myths
  • Design a mini-presentation teaching classmates about evaluating health sources

ELL/ELD Support:

  • Provide visual vocabulary cards for health-related terms and community helpers
  • Allow native language resources for initial brainstorming before translating to English
  • Use partner support for reading and interpreting website information

Printable Materials

Interview Planning Sheet

Name: _________________ Date: _________________

Trusted Adult I Will Interview: _________________________________

Their Job/Role: _________________________________

Contact Information: _________________________________

My Interview Questions:

  1. _________________________________________________
  2. _________________________________________________
  3. _________________________________________________
  4. _________________________________________________

Notes from Interview:

Question 1 Answer: ________________________________

_________________________________________________

Question 2 Answer: ________________________________

_________________________________________________

Question 3 Answer: ________________________________

_________________________________________________

Source Citation: Interview with _________________ on _______ (date)

Source Evaluation Checklist

Website/Source: _________________________________

Student Name: _________________

Check each item that applies:

  • ☐ Author is a doctor, nurse, or health expert
  • ☐ Website ends in .gov, .edu, or is from a hospital/medical group
  • ☐ Information was updated within the last 2 years
  • ☐ The website looks professional and well-organized
  • ☐ Information matches what I've learned from trusted adults
  • ☐ No spelling or grammar errors

This source is:

  • ☐ Very Trustworthy (5-6 checks)
  • ☐ Somewhat Trustworthy (3-4 checks)
  • ☐ Not Trustworthy (0-2 checks)

One important health fact I learned:

_________________________________________________

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