Chronic Illness Lesson Plan

Subject: Health

Grade: 9

Time: 30 minutes

Outcome:
Assess the ways self, family, and community facilitate health living for people with chronic
illness.
Indicators:
Evaluate and respond to a variety of sources of, and information about, chronic illness.
Discuss the causes, symptoms, treatment, and prognosis of student-identified chronic illnesses
(including physical and mental illnesses).
*This lesson will focus on the symptoms of chronic illnesses.
Activities:
Before lesson:
1. Explain that as a classroom we must be respectful to any opinions or experiences that may be
shared. We also must be sensitive to those around us and be aware of the types of language we are
using (no negatives).
2. If someone is hesitant to share their experience or wants to ask a question they can by using the
question box. It is completely anonymous.
During lesson:
1. Put the words chronic and illness on the board. Tell the students that a great way to understand
something is to take a phrase apart.
2. Ask students what they think chronic means. Write these under chronic. Give hints if necessary.You
my want to have them think-pair-share this.
3. Ask students what they think an illness is. Write these under illness. Give hints if necessary.
4. Read out definition of chronic illness. *Ask if there are any questions.
5. Ask students if they have any ideas as to what kinds of chronic illnesses there are. Write on the
board. Remind them that chronic illnesses can be both physical or mental.
6. Hand out chronic illness cards. Tell students to find the person with the matching chronic illness.
7. Hand out definition sheet. Tell the students to read the definition of their chronic illness. Discuss
with partners what part of the body these chronic illnesses affect.
8. Have each pair place their chronic illness on the human body picture.
9. Discuss if they were correct in their placing. Further explain and read out definitions.
After lesson:
Ask if there are any additional questions. Explain that we will be discussing the causes of these
illnesses in the next lesson.

Resources:
Before Lesson
Paper
Question box

Lesson
Envelopes
Chronic illness cards
Hand out on chronic illness definitions
Human body picture

Adaptations:
EAL Students/Student who are hard of hearing
- Write chronic illness cards and handout in large font and/or given copy of definitions in
advance.
- Remind students to talk slowly and loudly.
- Read all chronic illness definitions out loud to the class instead of asking them to read it
themselves.
Evaluation:
Formative
Students must participate in beginning discussion and body placement activity to show
understanding.
Students should listen actively and ask questions, if there are any, about what a chronic illness
is.
Students should acknowledgement that there are many types of chronic illnesses and specific
symptoms of each illness.
An exit slip or entrance slip for the next class may be appropriate before moving onto the
causes of these illnesses.

CHRONIC ILLNESSES
DEFINITIONS
CHRONIC ILLNESS DEFINITION:
Chronic illnesses are illnesses of long duration and generally slow
progression. Chronic illnesses are by far the leading cause of mortality in
the world, representing 63% of all deaths.
TYPES OF CHRONIC ILLNESSES:
DIABETES
Characterized by inadequate production or utilization of insulin and resulting
in excessive amounts of glucose in the blood and urine, excessive thirst,
and weight loss.
ARTHRITIS
Inflammation of a joint, often accompanied by pain and having diverse
causes, as infection, or injury.
HEPATITIS
Inflammation of the liver, caused by a virus or a toxin and characterized by
jaundice, liver enlargement, and fever.
DEPRESSION
A common mental disorder that has characteristics of depressed mood, loss
of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or
appetite, low energy, and poor concentration.
HEART DISEASE
An abnormality of the heart, or of the blood vessels supplying the heart,
that impairs its normal functioning.