Home›Lesson Plans›PE & Health›Health · Grade 8

Setting Health Goals

Eighth graders learn to set and reach personal health goals using a clear process — assess, set a SMART goal, plan, act, and check — turning good intentions about sleep, activity, or nutrition into real habits.

Grade 8Goal-Setting45 minutes1 class periodSHAPE / Skills-BasedExplicit teaching4 StandardsSHAPE
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain health goal-setting.
  • ✓Set a SMART goal.
  • ✓Order the goal steps.
  • ✓Track your progress.
Essential Question

“I should be healthier” is a wish. “I’ll walk 20 minutes after school three days a week” is a goal you can reach. How do you set and achieve a real health goal?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Health-Goal Steps

Project this and have students put the health-goal-setting steps in order — from assessing to checking your progress.

🎯 Put the health-goal steps in order!Try it
Tap the first step!
The Lesson · Health & PE Flow (Warm-Up · Learn · Practice · Apply · Cool-Down)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Wish vs. Goal

5 min

“Be healthier” is a wish — how do you make it a goal you can reach?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Contrast wish and goal.
  • Ask what makes a goal work.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Reflect.
  • Consider.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — The Goal Process

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Health-Goal Steps.
  • Note SMART goals.
  • Note tracking.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Note SMART.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Turn a wish into a SMART goal.
  • Plan the steps.
  • Name obstacles + supports.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Write it.
  • Plan it.
  • Name them.
4

Apply — Apply

11 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Set a real health goal.
  • Make an action plan.
  • Decide how to track it.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Set it.
  • Plan it.
  • Track it.
5

Cool-Down — Cool-Down

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a goal step.
  • Explain SMART goals.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to SHAPE America National Health Education Standards.

SHAPE
HE.6

Use goal-setting skills to enhance health.

SHAPE
HE.7

Practice behaviors that support health goals.

SHAPE
HE.5

Use decision-making for health.

SHAPE
HE.1

Comprehend concepts of healthy habits.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Goal-step cards.
  • Sentence frame: “My goal is ___ by ___.”
  • Use a goal template.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with assess and set.
  • Order two at a time.
  • Use a template.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Set a semester health goal.
  • Break it into milestones.
  • Track weekly progress.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🎯A goal template
  • 💻Order the Health-Goal Steps
  • 📅Planners
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

goalsomething you aim to achieveSMART goalspecific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timedassessto look honestly at where you areplanthe steps you’ll taketrackto record your progresshabita regular behaviorobstaclesomething in your waysupporthelp that keeps you going
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a good FIRST step in setting a health goal?
Assess — look honestly at a health habit you want to improve.
QUESTION 2
Turn this wish into a SMART goal: “I want to be more active.”
Sample: “I’ll walk 20 minutes after school 3 days a week for a month.”
QUESTION 3
Why should you track your progress?
To see how you’re doing and adjust your plan if needed.

Cool-Down: your health goal.

Have students write one SMART health goal with a clear plan and a way to track their progress. A printable health-goals sheet is in the PE & Health library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Setting Health GoalsFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Setting Health GoalsQuiz
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Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Setting Health GoalsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: assess, goal, habit, obstacle, plan, SMART goal, support, track
  1. to look honestly at where you are
  2. a regular behavior
  3. something you aim to achieve
  4. help that keeps you going
  5. something in your way
  6. specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timed
  7. to record your progress
  8. the steps you’ll take

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a good FIRST step in setting a health goal?
  2. Turn this wish into a SMART goal: “I want to be more active.”
  3. Why should you track your progress?
Answer key — Part A: 1) assess · 2) habit · 3) goal · 4) support · 5) obstacle · 6) SMART goal · 7) track · 8) plan
Part B: 1) Assess — look honestly at a health habit you want to improve. 2) Sample: “I’ll walk 20 minutes after school 3 days a week for a month.” 3) To see how you’re doing and adjust your plan if needed.