This summer, the PHS team, in partnership with U-M experts from the Tobacco Consultation Service, Michigan Medicine, the School of Public Health, and the Medical School, developed two new lesson modules on vaping and infectious disease prevention. Based on feedback from teachers and wellness champions, both of these subjects are highly relevant for middle school students.


In the two-lesson vaping module, students learn to recognize different types of electronic nicotine delivery systems, the short- and long-term effects of vaping and the benefits of remaining tobacco free, common myths about vaping, refusal skills, and how vaping advertisements target young people.


The infectious disease module includes two lessons. The first lesson covers the difference between viruses and bacteria, the ways pathogens are transmitted, and three key factors of community spread. The second lesson identifies the purpose and function of the immune system; signs and symptoms of infectious disease; and prevention strategies for infectious disease, including COVID-19. Like all PHS lessons, these lessons include hands-on activities. Many of the activities can easily be adapted for use in a remote-learning environment. These new lesson modules are available to teachers and wellness champions on the PHS Portal, a password protected website for schools in the PHS program.

Students at first-year schools will receive a calendar with pages based on the PHS lessons. Above is the calendar page based on information in the new PHS lessons on infectious disease.