Curriculum Map -- Health Systems Literacy

Note: The health_literacy_for_kids repository already contains a curriculum-map.md file. This file provides a simplified version for quick reference.

Week	Lesson	Core Question	Primary Skill	Key Vocabulary	Check for Understanding	Extension
1	Your Body's Autopilot	What does my body do automatically?	Homeostasis observation	homeostasis, automatic, body signal, stability	Name three things your body does automatically to keep itself stable	Notice one homeostasis signal today and describe it
2	Steadying Loops and Fast-Building Loops	How do feedback loops work?	Feedback loop identification	feedback loop, balancing loop, amplifying loop	Describe one balancing loop in your body	Find one example of a balancing loop and one amplifying loop outside the body
3	How Fast Does My Heart Calm Down?	How do I measure a simple body pattern?	Basic body measurement	heart rate, baseline, recovery, observation	Describe what you observed about heart rate recovery	Track one simple body measurement for three days
4	The Journey of One Bite	How does food become energy?	Digestion tracing	digestion, nutrient, energy, absorption	Trace food from mouth to energy in 4 steps	Map the digestion journey for one specific food you ate today
5	Different Foods Do Different Jobs	What do different nutrients do?	Nutrient function analysis	protein, carbohydrate, fat, nutrient, function	Name one job that each major nutrient does	Find one food that provides more than one type of nutrient
6	Fast Up / Fast Down Fuel Patterns	How do blood sugar patterns differ?	Fuel pattern analysis	glucose, insulin, fuel pattern, energy level	Describe the difference between a fast-rising fuel source and a slow one	Observe your energy level at regular intervals for one day
7	Body Pattern Detective	What body patterns can I notice safely?	Gentle self-observation	pattern, observation, clue, body signal	What is one pattern you noticed? What might it tell you?	Collect three gentle body observations and look for one pattern
8	Your Body's Security Team	How does the immune system work?	Immune system analysis	immune system, pathogen, barrier, antibody, memory	Name three layers of the immune system	Compare the immune system to one other security system (digital, physical)
9	Body Alarm Timeline	What happens when the body detects a threat?	Threat response analysis	fever, inflammation, immune response, timeline	Describe one immune response and whether it is a symptom or a defense	Use a fictional illness story to map a body alarm timeline
10	Illness Story Map	How do I separate what I know from what I am guessing?	Observation vs. inference	observation, inference, known, uncertain	Separate three observations from three guesses about an illness story	Practice "what I know vs. what I'm guessing" on any topic this week
11	Your Body Clock	How does a circadian rhythm work?	Circadian rhythm analysis	circadian rhythm, light, alertness, sleepiness	Describe what light does to your body clock	Notice your natural alertness and sleepiness patterns for one day
12	The Night Cleanup Crew	What does the body do during sleep?	Sleep function analysis	sleep stage, memory consolidation, repair, cleanup	Name two things that happen during sleep that cannot happen while awake	Research one health benefit of sleep that surprised you
13	Tiny Helpers in Your Gut	What is the microbiome?	Microbiome introduction	microbiome, gut, bacteria, symbiosis, diversity	Describe the microbiome relationship using the city or garden model	Research one thing that supports microbiome diversity
14	How Movement Tells Your Body What to Build	How does movement affect the body over time?	Movement adaptation analysis	adaptation, strength, bone density, habit, maintenance	What is one thing the body does differently in response to regular movement?	Observe one way movement affects how you feel after doing it
15	Pick a Body Question	How do I choose a good observation question?	Research question design	question, observable, privacy-protecting, feasible	What makes your question safe, specific, and doable?	Refine your question so it is answerable without needing special equipment
16	Set Up Your Space	What in my environment affects my Body Mystery Project?	Environment mapping	environment, support, obstacle, change	What is one environment change that would make your project easier?	Map the factors in your environment that affect your body question
17	Collect Your Clues	How do I gather simple observations over time?	Data collection	observation, clue, midpoint check, simplify	What did you collect at the midpoint? Do you need to simplify?	Review your clues so far and note one pattern you see forming
18	Share What You Discovered	What did I learn from my Body Mystery Project?	Synthesis and reflection	discovery, format, share, reflection	What is one thing you noticed that surprised you?	Choose one format (private, partial, or shared) and present your findings
Opt. 1	Deeper Dive: Gut-Brain Questions	How do the gut and brain communicate?	Gut-brain axis introduction	gut-brain axis, neurotransmitter, bidirectional, careful science	Describe one thing the gut and brain send each other	Research one study about gut-brain communication and evaluate its confidence
Opt. 2	Deeper Dive: Stress and Recovery	What happens in the body during and after stress?	Stress physiology analysis	cortisol, alert mode, recovery, nervous system	What is one cost of staying in alert mode too long?	Map your own stress-recovery cycles over one day (fictional or general)