Health Systems Literacy Glossary
This glossary puts child-friendly language first and technical language second.
Use the kid phrase when introducing a new idea. Add the technical phrase when the learner is ready.
Some terms have more technical meanings in medicine, media studies, or education. These are simplified learning definitions for ages 8-12.
| Kid phrase | Technical phrase | Kid-friendly definition | Technical definition | Introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| body action part | actuator | The part that does something after the body notices a change. | A body structure that takes action after a signal, such as a muscle, gland, or organ. | Week 1 |
| wanted posters | antibodies | Tiny matching markers that help the body recognize a target again. | Proteins made by the immune system that bind to a specific target and help tag it. | Week 8 |
| starting number | baseline | The number or clue you begin with before the next thing happens. | A reference measurement taken before a change or comparison. | Week 3 |
| Body Clues Notebook | Bio-Telemetry Log | A private notebook for body clues, drawings, measurements, and questions. | A learner's private record of observations and measurements across the curriculum. | Week 1 |
| body clue | system alert | A message from the body that something is changing. | A body signal that a variable has moved outside its usual workable range. | Week 1 |
| body clock | circadian rhythm | The body's built-in day-and-night timing system. | The body's internal 24-hour timing system that helps coordinate sleep, alertness, temperature, and hormones. | Week 11 |
| body detector | sensor | A part that notices a change inside or outside the body. | A structure that detects a variable such as temperature, stretch, or chemical level. | Week 1 |
| body mystery project | protocol / observation project | A small safe project for noticing one body clue. | A written observation plan that states what will be tracked, when, and how. | Week 15 |
| body autopilot | homeostasis | The body's steady-inside job. | The regulation of internal conditions within workable ranges. | Week 1 |
| keeping-things-steady loop | control loop / feedback loop | A pattern where the body notices, responds, and checks again. | A self-regulating loop that detects change, compares it to a target, acts, and rechecks. | Week 1 |
| food label Calories | kilocalories / food Calories | A way food labels show energy, not worth. | A unit of energy used on nutrition labels. | Week 4 |
| quick fuel | carbohydrate-rich fuel | Food that can become usable energy fairly quickly. | Carbohydrate that can be broken down into glucose for energy. | Week 5 |
| things that show up together | correlation | Two clues seem to appear around the same time. | A relationship in which two variables change together without proving one caused the other. | Week 7 |
| message signals | cytokines | Signals body cells use to spread the word during a response. | Immune signaling molecules that help coordinate inflammation and other responses. | Week 9 |
| food journey / food workshop | digestion / metabolism | The body breaks food into tiny pieces and uses them. | Digestion breaks food down; metabolism includes the chemical processes that use, store, and transform those pieces. | Week 4 |
| space and routine around you | environment / context | The room, timing, tools, and routines around an activity. | External conditions and surrounding factors that shape what happens in a system. | Week 16 |
| fever | fever | Feeling hotter because the body has turned up its temperature target for a reason. | A regulated increase in body temperature during a response to illness or inflammation. | Week 9 |
| body fuel in the blood | glucose | One important fuel the body carries in the blood. | A simple sugar used by many cells and tightly regulated in the bloodstream. | Week 6 |
| night cleanup crew | glymphatic system and sleep-related cleanup | A kid-friendly picture for some of the brain's nighttime cleanup work. | Research-backed brain cleanup processes linked to sleep, including glymphatic activity. | Week 12 |
| memory book | immune memory | The part of the body's protection system that remembers a target for later. | The learned part of immunity that helps future responses become faster and more specific. | Week 8 |
| body security team | immune system | The body's protection team. | The network of barriers, cells, signals, and memory systems that protect the body. | Week 8 |
| body fuel helper | insulin | A helper that helps move blood fuel into cells. | A hormone released by the pancreas that helps cells take in glucose and lowers blood glucose toward baseline. | Week 6 |
| food groups by big jobs | macronutrients | The biggest food-job groups: carbs, fats, and proteins. | Nutrients needed in larger amounts that provide energy, structure, or both. | Week 5 |
| memory librarian | memory consolidation | A kid-friendly picture for how sleep helps sort and keep memories. | Sleep-linked processes that help stabilize and organize memory. | Week 12 |
| tiny helpers | micronutrients | Vitamins and minerals that help many body jobs work well. | Nutrients needed in small amounts that support enzymes, signaling, and regulation. | Week 5 |
| tiny helper community | microbiome | The living community of tiny helpers in and on the body, especially in the gut. | The collection of microbes that live in and on the body and influence many body processes. | Week 13 |
| night dream sleep | REM sleep | One kind of sleep often linked with vivid dreaming. | Rapid Eye Movement sleep, a sleep stage tied to dreaming and aspects of memory and emotion processing. | Week 12 |
| building blocks | protein | Food pieces the body uses to build and repair. | Large molecules made of amino acids that help build tissues and make enzymes, antibodies, and other structures. | Week 5 |
| private body information | privacy / body data | Notes, numbers, or observations about a person's own body that they do not have to share. | Personal health-related data that belongs to the learner and should only be shared with consent. | Week 1 |
| calming-down pattern | recovery rate | How the body settles after activity or stress. | The rate at which the body returns toward baseline after exertion or challenge. | Week 3 |
| repair and grow | tissue adaptation / tissue repair | The body's way of responding to practice, support, movement, and rest over time. | Biological repair and adaptation processes in tissues such as muscle, bone, and connective tissue. | Week 14 |
| slow fuel | slower-delivery fuel / fats and mixed meals | Fuel that often lasts longer or arrives more gradually. | Fuel sources that may digest or deliver energy more slowly depending on composition and context. | Week 5 |
| steadying loop | negative feedback | A loop that pushes things back toward steady. | A feedback loop that counters a change and helps return a variable toward a target. | Week 2 |
| fast-building loop | positive feedback | A loop that builds quickly for a short time. | A feedback loop that amplifies a change and can accelerate a process. | Week 2 |
| clue pattern | dataset / observation record | The clues a learner collected over time. | A set of recorded observations or measurements used for comparison or interpretation. | Week 17 |
| what I will notice | metric | The clue or number used in a project. | The specific thing measured or recorded in a project. | Week 15 |
| clue question | hypothesis | A first guess about what the learner may notice. | A testable prediction made before collecting data. | Week 15 |
| what got in the way | friction point | Something that made the plan harder to do. | A barrier in the setup or routine that reduces consistency or ease. | Week 17 |
| did the plan happen? | adherence | Whether the learner was able to follow the plan as written. | The degree to which a planned routine or protocol was followed. | Week 17 |
| what changes to stay okay in a changing situation | allostasis | The body's ability to adjust to meet new demands. | The process of achieving stability through change across shifting conditions. | Week 18 |
| what thing am I studying? | variable | The one clue or condition chosen for a project. | The factor being observed or measured in a study or project. | Week 15 |
| wall | barrier defense | A first protective layer that keeps many threats from getting in. | Physical and chemical barriers such as skin and mucus that block entry. | Week 8 |
| health | health | Taking care of body, mind, relationships, safety, and environment. | A broad state of physical, mental, social, and environmental well-being. | Coursewide |
| wellness | wellness / well-being | The everyday habits, supports, and conditions that can help someone feel and function as well as they can. | A broad term for ongoing well-being shaped by routines, environment, support, and context. | Coursewide |
| health literacy | health literacy | Knowing how to ask health questions, find help, and check whether a health message makes sense. | The ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use health information with support when needed. | Coursewide |
| body signal | body cue / body clue | A sign the body gives, like tired, thirsty, sick, hurt, or needing a break. | A body sensation or clue that can provide information about what the body may need. | Coursewide |
| trusted adult | trusted adult | A grown-up who listens, takes safety seriously, and helps with important questions. | A reliable adult support person a learner can go to for guidance, safety, or help-seeking. | Coursewide |
| qualified helper | qualified helper | A person with training or a clear helping role for a certain kind of question. | A trained or responsible support person, such as a nurse, counselor, pharmacist, coach, or emergency helper. | Coursewide |
| qualified health professional | qualified health professional | A trained health worker such as a doctor, nurse, dentist, pharmacist, therapist, or other licensed professional. | A professional with recognized healthcare training, credentials, or scope of practice. | Coursewide |
| source | source | Where information came from. | The person, organization, document, site, or media item that provides information. | Coursewide |
| reliable source | reliable source | A source that gives careful, checkable information and is not just guessing or selling. | A source that shows evidence, expertise, transparency, and trustworthy methods. | Coursewide |
| health information | health information | Facts, questions, messages, labels, advice, or stories about health. | Information related to health, health systems, safety, prevention, or care. | Coursewide |
| claim | claim | Something a message says is true or says a product, routine, or idea can do. | A statement that can be checked against evidence or other sources. | Coursewide |
| evidence | evidence | The facts, examples, research, observations, or expert support that help back up a claim. | The information used to support or test whether a claim is accurate or reasonable. | Coursewide |
| fact | fact | Something that can be checked and supported by good evidence. | A statement that can be verified with reliable information. | Coursewide |
| opinion | opinion | What someone thinks or prefers. | A belief, judgment, or viewpoint that may not be provable as fact. | Coursewide |
| advice | advice | A suggestion about what someone could do. | Guidance or recommendation offered to help with a choice or action. | Coursewide |
| advertisement | advertisement / ad | A message that tries to sell, promote, or persuade. | Paid or promotional communication meant to influence attention, belief, or buying decisions. | Coursewide |
| sponsorship | sponsorship | When a brand, company, or group helps pay for something and may shape the message around it. | Financial or promotional support that can influence content, events, or recommendations. | Coursewide |
| affiliate link | affiliate link | A special link that can earn money or rewards for the person sharing it. | A tracked link that gives a creator or seller a commission when someone buys through it. | Coursewide |
| creator code | creator code | A code that supports a creator when someone buys a product or signs up. | A promotional code connected to sales tracking or sponsorship rewards. | Coursewide |
| misinformation | misinformation | Wrong or misleading information shared by mistake. | False or inaccurate information spread without a clear goal to deceive. | Coursewide |
| disinformation | disinformation | Wrong information shared on purpose to trick people. | False information deliberately created or spread to mislead. | Coursewide |
| AI-generated | AI-generated | Made by a computer tool that creates words, pictures, sounds, or video from patterns it learned. | Content produced by an artificial intelligence system rather than directly created by a person alone. | Coursewide |
| AI-edited | AI-edited | Changed with a computer tool that can rewrite, retouch, or remix what was there before. | Existing content modified with artificial intelligence assistance. | Coursewide |
| deepfake | deepfake | A very realistic fake picture, voice, or video that makes it look like someone said or did something they did not. | Synthetic media designed to imitate real people or events convincingly. | Coursewide |
| filter | filter | An effect that changes how a picture or video looks. | A digital editing layer that alters image or video appearance. | Coursewide |
| digital wellness | digital wellness | Paying attention to how screens, apps, feeds, and messages affect feelings, focus, sleep, body image, and choices. | Mindful, healthy use of digital tools and media in ways that support well-being and safety. | Coursewide |
| body image | body image | How someone thinks or feels about their body. | A person's thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about their body and appearance. | Coursewide |
| privacy | privacy | The right to keep personal information from being shared when it does not need to be shared. | Protection of personal information and control over who can access it. | Coursewide |
| personal health information | personal health information | Private information about a person's body, health, medicine, diagnosis, or care. | Identifying health-related information that should be handled carefully and shared only when needed. | Coursewide |
| emergency | emergency | A dangerous or urgent situation that needs adult help right away. | A serious situation requiring immediate action, emergency help, or urgent medical care. | Coursewide |
| first aid | first aid | The first safe help given after someone is hurt or suddenly sick, usually by a trained adult. | Immediate basic care given before professional medical treatment is available. | Coursewide |
| medicine | medicine | A product used to help prevent, manage, or treat health problems when used the right way. | A drug or therapeutic product used under appropriate instructions or professional guidance. | Coursewide |
| medicine safety | medicine safety | The rules that help people use medicine carefully and avoid mix-ups or harm. | Safe handling, dosing, storage, and use of medicines to reduce risk. | Coursewide |
| dose | dose | How much medicine is taken at one time. | A measured amount of medicine to be taken or given. | Coursewide |
| label | label | The words and pictures on a package that tell what something is and how it should be used. | Packaging information that can include ingredients, directions, warnings, and claims. | Coursewide |
| allergy | allergy | When a body reacts strongly to something that is usually harmless to most people. | An immune response to a substance called an allergen. | Coursewide |
| hygiene | hygiene | Everyday care that helps with comfort, health, and respect for shared spaces. | Health-related cleaning and care practices such as handwashing, tooth brushing, and bathing. | Coursewide |
| nutrient | nutrient | A useful part of food that the body can use. | A substance in food that supports energy, growth, repair, or body regulation. | Coursewide |
| movement | movement | Ways a body can move, stretch, play, work, practice, or rest in motion. | Physical activity ranging from gentle daily movement to more structured exercise. | Coursewide |
| rest | rest | Time when the body or mind slows down, recovers, or takes a break. | A period of reduced demand that supports recovery and regulation. | Coursewide |
| sleep routine | sleep routine | The usual pattern around getting ready to sleep and resting at night. | Repeated habits and conditions around sleep timing and bedtime. | Coursewide |
| stress | stress | What the body and mind may feel when something feels hard, demanding, unsafe, or overwhelming. | The physical and mental response to challenge, change, pressure, or threat. | Coursewide |
| coping strategy | coping strategy | A safe way to handle a hard feeling or stressful moment. | A strategy used to manage stress, emotions, or challenge. | Coursewide |
| mental health | mental health | How people think, feel, cope, connect, and get support. | Emotional, psychological, and social well-being. | Coursewide |
| public health | public health | The work communities do to help many people stay safer and healthier. | Organized efforts to protect and improve the health of groups and communities. | Coursewide |
| food access | food access | Whether people can get food that works for their needs, culture, budget, and situation. | The availability and affordability of food within a person's environment and circumstances. | Coursewide |
| accessibility | accessibility | Making information, spaces, and activities easier for different people to use. | Designing materials and environments so people with different needs can participate. | Coursewide |
| attribution | attribution | Giving credit for facts, images, ideas, quotes, data, or help you used. | Acknowledging the source of information, media, ideas, or assistance. | Coursewide |
| reflection | reflection | Looking back at what you noticed, learned, or might do differently. | Thoughtful review of learning, actions, or outcomes. | Coursewide |
| revision | revision | Changing work after feedback or new learning to make it clearer or stronger. | Improving work by rethinking, editing, or updating it. | Coursewide |
| Health Checkpoint | Health Checkpoint | A short set of questions to help you slow down before trusting or acting on a health message. | A repeatable inquiry routine for evaluating health messages, claims, sources, and next steps. | Coursewide |
| health literacy project | health literacy project | A project that explains a health question, message, routine, or safety idea honestly and carefully. | A learner-created product that uses evidence, audience awareness, safety, and attribution to communicate health information. | Weeks 15-18 |
| capstone project | capstone project | The final project that brings together the course's noticing, source-checking, and communication skills. | A culminating project showing integrated understanding across the curriculum. | Weeks 15-18 |
How to Use This Glossary
- Start with the kid phrase.
- Add the technical phrase when it helps.
- Keep both phrases visible for older learners.
- When in doubt, ask: "Which version helps this learner picture the idea?"