7.PCH.3

What does this standard mean a child will know and be able to do?

7.PCH.3.1 Recognize health quackery as a false claim for a cure and the ploys quacks use to promote unproven products and services.
Quackery is a false claim for a cure. The most common types are nutrition, drug, and device quackery. Quackery is recognizable because it is usually for an incurable condition, it sounds too good to be true, and there is no scientific proof that it is effective.

Consumers may be vulnerable to quackery if they do not have good health information, they are desperate, they are restless and impatient, or they believe in miracles. Many misconceptions are believed about health. There are also exploitive individuals who promote a false claim for a cure and make a profit from the suffering of others.

There are reliable resources that provide medically accurate information. The consumer must distinguish between medically accurate information and information that is misleading and intended to fool them into purchasing products and services that are not valid.
 * The student will be able to define and give examples of quackery.
 * The student will be able to recognize characteristics of quackery.
 * The student will make decisions about health products and services based on medically accurate information from reliable sources.

7.PCH.3.2 Critique misconceptions about health and the efficacy of health products and services.
There are reliable resources that provide medically accurate information. Good sources of health information are one’s health care provider, teachers, the .gov and most .org websites, and health textbooks. The consumer must distinguish between medically accurate information and information that is misleading and intended to fool them into purchasing products and services that are not valid.

Misconceptions about health come from misleading advertising, from word of mouth, from “old science,” and from the media. They are often believed because they sound logical, because they have been heard repeatedly, or they come from a source that is thought to be legitimate. It is important to learn to dispel misconceptions by seeking accurate information. Some practices in the area of alternative healing are quackery and others may have some effectiveness. Misconceptions, if believed and acted on, may result in wasted money, delay of effective treatment, and even further injury or death.
 * The student will be able to dispel common misconceptions about health.
 * The student will seek reliable sources of health information and base decisions on the efficacy of health products and services.