Health Science Assignments

Orientation for the spring 2008 course is on January 14, 2008 from 6:00-7:00 pm on the Folsom Lake College campus at Folsom in room FL1-204. Attendance is required.

A second orientation is Thursday, January 24, 2008 from 7:00-8:00 pm in the back of the Folsom Lake College Library. Come if you could not come January 14 or if you have any questions on the assignments. If you are registered and listed in the class, start your first assignment now and submit it.

One of the first things to do: update your email address on Blackboard. Otherwise you will not receive my emails. Do that now.

Students may volunteer for Teaching Assistants to serve as Discussion Coordinators. Teaching Assistants, instead of participating in the class discussion, respond helpfully to 5-10 student submissions a week. For that part, they get full marks on the discussion assignment and a certificate. If you are interested, email the professor.

1. Every assignment submission needs to give the following in the subject line or the heading: 1) your first and last name, and 2) the module number (A1, A2 etc) that you are submitting, in that order. Example: Joe Dow, A1.1. Check the Blackboard Announcements weekly on in order to get the detailed up-to-date instructions for your next weekly assignment. The Blackboard Announcement is the professor's weekly letter to you.

2. The assignments must be submitted the professor's Digital Drop Box (DDB) via Blackboard by Mondays. The professor comments and grades the work usually within 24 hours. There may be times that the response may take longer. The dates given below are due dates after which the work will be counted as late and be discounted. You are encouraged to submit the assignment anytime in the preceding week. Students need one year of extensive internet experience to take this course. Students who do not submit assignments for three consecutive weeks may be dropped from the class.

3. Submit modules via DDS. Answer the 5 listed questions for each written assignment. The questions should be labeled. Keep a copy for your own records. Use 100-200 words for each of the five parts. Carefully edit your submission to meet the course requirements. Be specific, using data and numbers where possible. Assignments deal mainly with your own health, and in some cases, with the health of someone close to you. You need to start each module at least one or two weeks before it is due in order to be able to report meaningfully. The verbs in each assignments are italicized, respond to each in carefully designed sections or paragraphs. When the answer includes a number of parts, write each in a separate paragraph.

4. Each answer needs to consist of 1-3 carefully designed paragraphs, each with an topic sentence and 3-7 well-reasoned supporting sentences that enlarge on or explain the topic sentence. Some of the supporting sentences may refer to supporting research or information and need to include documentation as to author, title and year. Give data when ever possible. Do not cut and past from other sources. When an assignment has a number of parts, present each part in a paragraph.

5. Postings of 60-100 words are to be made on the designated Blackboard bulleting board every week. Keep track of your postings and email a list of submission topics, a summary of them, and conclusion to the instructor at the designated dates.

6. You need to do two postings weekly by Thursdays on the Blackboard Discussion Board, in the category of your choice. One posting shall be a new one as described below, the other a response to posting by someone else in the course. Make your own posting relevant to the issues of the current module as a QA, CC, TS or CT as explained below. Always indicate which approach you use at the beginning of each posting. Make each posting meaningful, not just a general line or so. This is the class-discussion portion of the course. Do not give just your opinion, all postings need to be backed up by evidence or references to source materials.

QA. QUESTIONS on the topic under study that you personally want to have answered and that grows out of your experience, text-book reading or module web-site. If you can, give tentative answers to the above question, or suggestions on how one could arrive at an answer.

CC. COMMENTS on the topic under study and the behavioral changes in your lifestyle that you are considering or that you are making in light of this new insight or knowledge.

CT. CRITICAL THINKING responses to the issues presented at the end of each textbook chapter.

TS. TRUE STATEMENTS on the topic that for you highlights the central issue under study. That statement should be your own or from a source other than the textbook or module website. Give source and explain the statement.

7. Grades given are A (excellent, 91-100%), B (good, 81-90), C (satisfactory, 71-80), D (passing, 61-70), F (failing, 0-60). To receive an A or "excellent", students must include in their answers unique and insightful components that show a deeper grasp of the assignment. The normal or minimum fulfillment of the assignment will be graded as a B or C.

8. The grades of late assignments may be lowered 10% a day for a maximum of 3 days, which means that a 3-day-or-more late assignment will receive a 30% lower grade. Students who turn nothing in for 3 weeks may be dropped from the course. In this course there are no contracts for grades, no make-up exams, no open-book tests, no re-taking of exams, and no extra credit for extra work. Grades are posted on Blackboard weekly, usually by Friday. If for some good reason you cannot submit things on time, request and obtain an excuse from the instructor ahead of time by email. We update this page periodically. If email fails, phone me at 530-644-2123 in my office hours, MWF 8-10 am.

Specific Educational Outcomes

The primary goal of this course is to increase your understanding of health and your ability to make lifestyle decisions that will improve your health and quality of life.

In doing this, you should also develop knowledge of challenges to health and the critical-thinking, problem-solving skills to cope with these in your lives. The numbers in front of the statement refer to the text-book chapter associated with the statement. Some assignments like that may be part of the final examination.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• 1. Explain the five dimensions of health, the impact of lifestyle on health, and the importance of health goals.

• 4. Explain stress, its physiological and psychological effects, the impact of stress on the individual, and the most common stress management techniques.

• 3. Explain the physiology and psychology of emotions, characteristics of emotionally healthy people, defense mechanisms, common emotional disorders, and suicide.

• X. Explain intellect and learning, memory and cognition; including discussion of the various learning theories and the problem solving process, and the role of self-concept and self esteem.

• 5. Describe the benefits and principles of exercise, the components of fitness, and explain the components and modifications of an exercise program.

• 6. Discuss nutrition, and components of food, and the principles, strategies, and food choices involved in achieving a healthy diet.

• 7. Discuss body composition, body composition problems, and the successful control of body composition.

• 8. Discuss the characteristics and importance of intimate relationships, problems that may develop in intimate relationships, and the components necessary to developing and sustaining intimate relationships.

• 9. Discuss the issues of human sexuality and responsible sexual expression.

• 10. Explain the reproductive process, contraception, pregnancy, and childbirth.

• Describe the role and responsibilities of parenthood in the health growth and development of the child.

• 14. Analyze the nature and patterns of disease, how diseases are contracted, the various agents of infection, the ways in which the body fights disease, and how to enhance resistance to infectious, communicable disease.

• 9. Explain AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and responsible sexual behavior that prevents the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

• 15. Explain the cardiovascular diseases, the development of the diseases over time, and the risk factors associated with these diseases.

• 15. Identify and discuss methods of treatment of cardiovascular diseases and lifestyle behaviors that lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

• 16. Describe cancer, its various types, metastasis growth, the importance of early detection, treatment of cancer, and lifestyle behaviors that decrease the risk of cancer.

• 11.Describe the various aspects of drug use, the agent-host-environment model in relationship to drug use, risks of drug abuse, and positive alternatives to drug use.

• 12. Explain the significance of alcohol use in this country, the factors that influence alcohol use, the health and behavior consequences of alcohol use, the responsible use of alcohol.

• 13. Discuss the significance of tobacco use, the health consequences of tobacco use for the smoker and non-smoker, and ways in which problems associated with tobacco use are being combated.

• 19. Explain reasons injuries happen, types of injuries most frequent in various situations, principles of injury prevention, and basic principles of emergency care.

• 18. Compare normal aging with pathological aging, discuss Erickson’s stages of growth and development, theories of aging, illnesses and injuries most common in the elderly, and ways that individuals maintain their health as they age.

• 18. Discuss differing views of death, the stages of acceptance of death, and the grieving process.

• X. Explain the importance of being health- activated, the importance of physical exams and other health measurements, and the value and some components of the home medicine chest.

• X. Describe current trends in health care providers and delivery systems, compare and contrast various types of health insurance and discuss ways the individual can help control health care costs.

• 20. Discuss the cyclical nature of the impact of the environment on the individual’s health and the impact of the individual on the environment, the extent to which pollution affects the world, various environmental health problems and important individual and cooperative actions necessary to help solve these.

• 1. Apply the concept of health in the five dimensions, physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual to your own life and describe aspects of your own lifestyle that support your health and well being in the five dimensions.

Based on source at: http://www.harpercollege.edu/whp/ped/203/ped203-050.htm

All weekly Assignments (A1-15) are due Mondays, at midnight at the latest. The Discussion Postings can be done anytime but are due weekly by Thursdays.

Each week you will start your assignment on the Tuesday following the submission of your assignment and deal with the health lifestyle issues that you exhibit the next four days.

Assignments A1-A14 carry 50 points each, or 70% of the grade. Each weekly assignment will consist of at least five paragraphs of 4-7 complete sentences .

Due January 22, 2008. Study Chapter 1-2 of the text book. Read Wellness.
A1.1 Do and report on the Wellness Inventory in the text-book.
A1.2 List and analyze the 3 sections in your Wellness Inventory in which you did the poorest.
A1.3 Suggest reasons for your above low performance.
A1.4 Write out your Contract for Change (Textbook Section A-1) and explain each item clearly.
A1.5 Describe the 6 components of your personal health and evaluate each on a 10-point scale, with 10 the best.

BX2. Describe your lowest 2 areas, give reasons for it being lowest, (2 paragraphs)

Due January 28, 2008. Study chapter 3. Read Improving my mental health and preventing depression.
A2.1 Take a depression/mental health evaluation, give results.
A2.2 Discuss your strengths and weaknesses on A2.1 in detail.
A2.3 Describe in some detail a major mental health situation that challenged you.
A2.4 Evaluate the way you dealt with A2.3, and discuss what more you could have done.
A2.5 Discuss four ways (list them as a,b,c,d) how you personally tap and/or plan to tap into your spiritual strength.

Due February 4, 2008. Study chapter 4. Read Improving my stress resistance.
A3.1 Write a 4-day stress journal (days a,b,c,d) in which you deal in some detail with the stress causes and effects.
A3.2 In your above stress journal, consider, analyze and evaluate your coping reactions.
A3.3 Describe and evaluate three ways you have used to reduce stress built-up. Give an example each.
A3.4 Give an example in your life of how the General Adaptation Syndrome works in your life.
A3.5 Describe and evaluate your time management plan. Present ideas for improving the plan.

Due February 11, 2008. Study chapter 5. Read Improving my fitness level.
A4.1 Take, give results, and interpret 2 strength tests.
A4.2 Take, give results, and interpret 2 endurance tests.
A4.3 Take, give results, and interpret 2 flexibility tests.
A4.4 Discuss and evaluate 6 ways how physical activities have benefited you.
A4.5 Describe the three parts (a,b,c,) of your long-term basic fitness plan in terms of frequency, intensity, time and types of activities.

Due February 19, 2008. Study chapters 6 and 7. Read Improving my nutrition and weight control.
A5.1 Describe your food intake for a day by weight.
A5.2 Analyze your food intake for that day by weight.
A5.3 Evaluate each food item above in light of % of calories of carbohydrates, fats, protein. Summarize.
A5.4 Read, describe in detail and compare the food values of 3 cereals (a,b,c) based on their Nutrition Fact labels.
A5.5 Discuss and compare 3 diets: Mediterranean, Vegetarian and American. Describe how you could fit each into your life.

Write a short title and objective for your project and select one of the groups, namely Fitness, Food, or Smoking. In your project posting, be specific, using data where possible. Be sure to use data and numbers that can serve as a data-base for evaluation. A data-base is usually a set of measurements that can serve in a comparison as the project goes along. There should be some data to support a change from the beginning assessment to the report of the final documented results. Follow the VeryFit Clinic Plan at www.learnwell.org/veryfit.htm. Actually do what is asked. Go out and walk/run the two miles, time yourself, report your foods, etc.

Due March 3, 2008. Study chapters 8-10. Read Improving my relationships and sex life.
A7.1 Prioritize and discuss the main issues related to your long-term reproductive choices.
A7.2 List 4 issues (a,b,c,d) you personally confront with the opposite sex.
A7.3 Describe strategies for dealing with the above 4 issues.
A7.4 Describe and evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in communicating with the opposite sex.
A7.5 Describe and evaluate why people abstain from sex for a short or long period.

Due March 10, 2008. Study chapter 11. Read Drug abuse.
A8.1 Considering your whole lifespan, describe and evaluate your use and/or misuse of legal drugs.
A8.2 Considering your whole lifespan, describe and evaluate your use and/or misuse of illegal drugs.
A8.3 How would you help someone with a drug problem? Describe the steps you would follow.
A8.4 Describe, give examples, and signs of use of stimulants and depressants. A8.5 Describe, give examples, and signs of use of hallucinogens and inhalants.

Due March 24, 2008. Study chapter 12-13. Read Alcohol abuse, Tobacco and SmokeFreed.
A9.1 Describe and evaluate the effect and impact has alcohol use had on your life? Be specific.
A9.2 Give and evaluate 4 arguments for alcohol abstinence.
A9.3 Describe and evaluate 4 alcoholism treatments.
A9.4 Discuss in detail 4 reasons (a,b,c,d) you would give a friend to stop smoking.
A9.5 From your perspective, describe and evaluate 4 stop-smoking programs that could help you or a friend quit smoking.

Due March 31, 2008. Study chapter 14, 17. Read on Infectious Diseases and Heath Care Consumerism.
A10.1 Discuss the agents of infection that infect you and the major related vectors.
A10.2 Discuss the infectious diseases that you had, and your immunity.
A10.3 List and discuss all your immunizations and what they were for.
A10.4 Describe what an MD would look for and most likely find in your medical examination.
A10.5 State and evaluate your self-care, including your vital signs.

Due April 7, 2008. Study chapters 15. Read on Heart Health and Improving my disease resistance,
A11.1 Evaluate yourself with evidence, as to 5 risk of factors for heart diseases that you can control.
A11.2 Describe the risk, detection and treatment of two heart diseases that may affect you.
A11.3 Describe the paths of blood flow. . A11.4 Discuss hypertension and how it may affect you.
A11.5 Discuss stroke and how to recognize it.

Due April 14, 2008. Study chapters 16. Read on Cancer and Diabetes.
A12.1 Consider the 7 warning signs of cancer as they relate to you.
A12.2 Evaluate yourself with evidence, as to 5 risk of factors for cancer that you can control.
A12.3 Describe the risk, detection and treatment of 2 cancers that may affect you.
A12.4 Describe the risk, detection and treatment of 2 other cancers that may affect you.
A12.5 Evaluate yourself as to the risks of diabetes.

Due April 21, 2008. Study chapters 18 - 20. Read Health care access,
A13.1 Evaluate with data your risk factors of 2 types of accidents (a,b). Give risk-data (like 1/65)
A13.2 Using specific cases, describe the strengths and weaknesses of your present access to health care. Give financial matters.
A13.3 Define pollution, its acute and its chronic effects,
A13.4 Describe what you do to reduce pollution.
A13.5 Relate the 5 stages of facing death or loss to an incident in your life.

Due April 28, 2008. Final Report of the project you started under A6. Take the VeryFit Clinic Plan again. This is a final report of your progress on the VeryFit Clinic Plan and your objectives. Compare your results to your data-base in the VeryFit Clinic Plan. Give dates, data, numbers, outcomes. Follow the instruction of the VeryFit Clinic. Present a clear summary and conclusion.

Due May 5, 2008. Keep track of your postings and post on DDB 1) a list of submissions, 2) the type of submissions, 3) a summary of each of them, and 4) conclusion with insights and learnings. (100 points or 10% of the grade)

About May 12 or May 17, 2008 from 5:30-6:30 pm on campus. The final examination, covering the whole course, is closed-book, and is based on the text-book. Review all the chapter objectives (found on the second page of each chapter on yellow background) and be prepared to respond to them. It consists generally of short answer and essay questions. Just bring a pencil with an eraser. (200 points or 20% of the grade)

Textbook: Dianne Hales, An Invitation to Health, 12th edition, www.wadsworth.com , 2007.

Part I: TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH.
1. An Invitation to Health. 2. Changing for life, 3. Psychological Health. 4. Personal Stress Management.

Part II: HEALTHY LIFESTYLES.
5. The Joy of Fitness. 6. Personal Nutrition. 7. Taking Control of your Weight.

Part III: RESPONSIBLE SEXUALITY.
8. Communication and Relationships. 9. Personal Sexuality. 10. Reproductive Choices.

Part IV: AVOIDING HEALTH RISKS.
11. Drug Use, Misuse, and Abuse. 12. Alcohol Use, Misuse, and Abuse. 13. Tobacco Use, Misuse, and Abuse.

Part V: PROTECTING YOUR HEALTH.
14. Protecting Infectious Diseases. 15. Keeping Your Heart Healthy. 16. Lowering Your Risk of Cancer and Other Major Diseases. 17. Health-Care Consumerism and Complimentary/Alternative Medicine.

Part VI: HEALTH IN CONTEXT.
18. Healthy Aging and the Circle of Life. 19. Staying Safe: Preventing Injury, Violence, and Victimization. 20. Working Toward a Healthy Environment.