Special Education

Teaching Students with Mental Health Disorders:
Resources for Teachers: Volume 1 - Eating Disorders

The following charts provide suggested instructional strategies designed to achieve the specific learning outcomes described in the provincially mandated curriculum of a number of Grade 11 and 12 subjects.

Applied Skills 11

The Applied Skills 11 curriculum contains learning outcomes organized around the theme of Self and Society. Through activities in this organizer, students develop an understanding of the fundamental principles of motivation and personal meaning, attitude and empowerment, and individual and group learning as they relate to lifestyle and career choices.

Curriculum Organizer	Learning Outcomes	Suggested Instructional Strategies
Design and Produc-tion: A Healthy Living Program for Young Children (p. 26).	Demonstrate a positive attitude toward lifelong health and well-being.	Create an ad/jingle/poster/video to promote snack and/or healthy eating habits and/or physical activity.
Design and Produc-tion: A Nutrition and Exercise Program (p. 30).	Demonstrate an ability to assess the impact that acquired skills can have on personal and career choices.	Research, discuss, and debate issues related to poor nutritional habits and good health (e.g., eating disorders, fad diets, weight loss programs, controversies around dietary fat, protein, and calcium).

Cafeteria Training 11

The Cafeteria Training 11 curriculum contains learning outcomes organized around the theme of Principles of Food Preparation. Through activities in this organizer, students develop the skills necessary for commercial food preparation as they participate in activities related to receiving, storing, and presenting nutritious foods.

Curriculum Organizer	Learning Outcomes	Suggested Instructional Strategies
Principles of Food Preparation (p.18)	Describe how principles of nutrition can be used in food preparation.	Lead a class discussion on healthy food choices available in the school cafeteria. Have students create and display collages of foods, contrasting healthy and unhealthy food choices.

Career and Personal Planning 8 to 12

The Career and Personal Planning 8-12 curriculum contains learning outcomes organized around the theme of Personal Development. Sub-organizers for this component of the curriculum include Healthy Living, Mental Well-being, and Family Life Education. Through activities in these sub-organizers, students are provided opportunities to value and adopt balanced, healthy lifestyles, to develop an appropriate sense of personal worth, potential and autonomy, and to develop an understanding of the role of their families and their own capacity for responsible decision making in their personal relationships.

Curriculum Organizer	Learning Outcomes	Suggested Instructional Strategies
Healthy Living (Gr. 9, p.36)	Demonstrate an awareness of eating disorders.	Invite a community dietitian to discuss with students the incidence, consequences, and causes of common eating disorders (e.g., bulimia, anorexia nervosa).
Family Life Education (Gr. 9, p.40)	Evaluate the impact on themselves and others of the physical, social, and emotional changes associated with puberty.	As a class, brainstorm changes that occur during puberty and have students classify these as physical, social or emotional.
Mental Well-being (Gr. 10, p. 58)	Propose strategies for enhancing and maintaining emotional health and well-being.	Ask students to describe the importance of a sense of belonging to an individual’s mental well-being. Brainstorm situations in which an individual might feel left out, alienated, or discriminated against (e.g., because of race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation). Have each student propose a strategy to create a sense of inclusion within the school or community.

English Language Arts K-12

The English Language Arts K-12 curriculum contains learning outcomes organized around the theme of Comprehend and Respond (Critical Analysis). Through activities in this organizer, students are encouraged to think critically, creatively and reflectively.

Curriculum Organizer	Learning Outcomes	Suggested Instructional Strategies
Comprehend and Respond (Critical Analysis) (Gr. 5, p.84)	Categorize roles and describe stereotypes portrayed by characters in various print and non-print works.	Have students collect visual images of roles commonly portrayed in mass media (e.g., roles of women or men in advertisements). Ask them to categorize these roles by appearance, occupation or lifestyle. Discuss in groups the messages being portrayed, the benefits and contributions of advertising, and the harm that can result from it. Have students create visual displays using sentences or illustrations capturing the messages mass media are sending about particular roles or groups. Encourage students to portray both obvious and subtle messages.

Family Studies 11 and 12

The Family Studies 11 and 12 curriculum contains learning outcomes organized around the themes of Needs and Wants of Individuals and Families, and Human Growth and Development. Through activities in these organizers, students increase their knowledge of how families function in society and develop skills in interpersonal communication through activities such as interviews, research, visual and oral presentations, case studies, role plays, and community involvement.

Curriculum Organizer	Learning Outcomes	Suggested Instructional Strategies
Needs and Wants of Individuals and Families (Gr. 11, p.38)	Analyze adolescent mental and physical health issues that can affect individual and family functioning.	Form pairs and have each pair investigate a challenge created by mental or physical health factors (e.g., depression, physical disability, cancer, eating disorder, sexually transmitted disease). Ask each pair to make a class presentation describing the nature of the challenge, its potential effect on adolescents and their families, and the support services available.
Human Growth and Development (Gr. 11, p. 40)	Analyze influences that have an impact on growth and development during adolescence.	Have each student create a visual or a story illustrating the changes that a developing adolescent may expect. Ask them to consider aspects of intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical growth. Invite students to display their visuals and share their stories with the class.