LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify common headache causes for teens, including genetics; identify ways to avoid headaches as well as ways to start feeling better after getting a headache.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 1: Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention.

CASEL: Self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making

KEY VOCAB

nutrients

trigger

Lesson Plan: A User’s Guide to Headaches

They’re a pain in the, well, head. But asking yourself a few simple questions could help.

PREPARING TO READ

Before you read the article “A User’s Guide to Headaches,” ask your students the following pre-reading questions:

What are some common causes of headaches for teens, and how can you feel better if you get one?

READING AND DISCUSSION

  • Have your students read the article “A User’s Guide to Headaches” independently; read the article out loud to them; or have students partner-read the article out loud.
  • After they’ve read the article, revisit the pre-reading questions. Have their answers changed?

BUILDING COMPREHENSION

Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:

  • Comprehension Quiz and Vocabulary Review

EXPANDING SEL OPPORTUNITIES

Continue the learning journey with the following extension activity:

In HEADACHE HELP, have students work in pairs to perform a skit where a teen speaks to a parent or school nurse about headaches they’ve been having. In their skits, the teen might complain that they have been having headaches all week. From there, the parent or nurse could ask questions similar to the ones in the article to determine how to help the teen. The skit should end with the parent or nurse giving the teen advice on what to do to feel better, or recommending that they go see their pediatrician. For a creative twist, they might also stop the performance and ask their “audience” (the class) to give the teen advice.

Print the Lesson Plan

Text-to-Speech