Project 6: Family Health Handbook – Class 7 Vocational Education Chapter 6 Notes & NCERT PDF

About the Project

Family Health Handbook is Project 6 in Kaushal Bodh Grade 7, under Part 3: Work in Human Services. You will identify factors affecting health, visit a health centre, create a first-aid kit, record and analyse health data, and develop a plan to improve your family's health — all written up in a family health handbook.

Family health is the overall physical, mental and emotional well-being of all members of a family. The health of individuals and of the family as a whole are interconnected.

The book names the essential factors for health: a well-balanced, nutritious diet, physical fitness, sleep, positive attitude and mental well-being, and environmental factors. People of different ages have different needs, and even careful people fall ill — so timely vaccination, preventing infections, clean surroundings, no stagnant water for mosquitoes, and knowing when to see a doctor all matter.

What You Will Learn

Materials & Tools

What Experts Recommend (from the book)

Step-by-Step Activities

Activity 1 – Factors affecting health

Give examples for: lack of personal hygiene; pollution (noise, air, soil, water); unclean environment; lack of nutritious, balanced diet; loneliness; lack of sleep; lack of exercise; excessive TV/mobile use. Decide which you can control and which you can't.

Activity 2 – Framing questions

Write questions about your family's health in the handbook, e.g., Why does my 4-year-old sister catch colds often? What do I do if someone gets a fever? Why shouldn't I watch TV before sleeping? Why does my grandmother refuse to eat? Some answers come from family and teachers; others need doctors, nurses, ASHA workers and Anganwadi workers.

Activity 3 – Visit a hospital / PHC / CHC

Observe a day in a health expert's life — how patients are treated, equipment used and comfort ensured. Ask them to demonstrate the first-aid kit. Record the date, centre, experts met and emergency contacts:

National emergency number (police, ambulance, fire): 112

National number for ambulance: 108

Also note facilities, services (vaccination, outpatient, diagnosis, in-hospital care), common local illnesses and prevention, what to do in emergencies or at night/holidays, fees and concessions (e.g., senior citizens, military personnel), and precautions while taking medicines.

Activity 4 – Creating a first-aid kit

First-aid is only emergency treatment before you take the patient to the doctor.

Practise with an expert in a school workshop:

Workshop steps: discuss why a kit matters → decide contents based on likely school injuries → organise and label components → pack in a wide metal box or pocketed bag labelled 'first-aid kit' → demonstration and practice → place it where it is easy to reach but out of reach of younger students.

Activity 5 – Health at different ages

Collect data for six age groups: below 5, 6–18, 19–30, 31–45, 46–60, and above 60 (from relatives or neighbours if needed; for under-5s, ask parents). Table 6.1 asks about meals, fruits and vegetables, lentils and grains, dairy/meat, junk food and sugary drinks, water intake; exercise type and frequency; sleep hours, bed/wake time, naps and screen use before bed; stress, relaxation, hobbies and asking for help; and special needs like vaccinations or regular medicines. Table 6.2 covers the environment — open drains, stagnant water, garbage collection, nearby rivers, waste dumps, air quality and noise.

Noise is measured in decibels (dB); sound above 85 dB is harmful. You can check the Air Quality Index on the MAUSAM website of the IMD.

Testing drinking water – H₂S strip test: fill the bottle to the 20 ml mark, cap and mix (water turns golden brown), keep at about 25–35 °C undisturbed for 24 hours or more, then read the result within 24–48 hours. Stays golden brown = safe; turns black = contaminated with harmful bacteria. If unsafe, warn users (e.g., a poster near the source).

Activity 6 – Analysing the data

For each member and factor, record in Table 6.3 any cause of concern, who can address it and who is responsible (society, self, doctor, family). Keep in mind special needs of elders (e.g., sleep lost to noise), babies (special food) and persons with disabilities (Divyang).

Activity 7 – Plan to improve health

Table 6.4 lists each concern, who is responsible, how to inform them and what you can do. Example action — a soak pit to stop stagnant water:

Activity 8 – Preventive actions

Prevention is better than cure.

Plan actions for diet, sleep, fitness, mental well-being (e.g., eating dinner together), environment (mosquito nets, waste disposal) and special needs; choose five key actions and track them monthly (Table 6.5). Malaria is caused by the bite of an infected *female Anopheles* mosquito; mosquito nets** reduce cases. The book closes with the prayer "सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः" — may all be happy, may no one suffer from illness.

Safety First

Key Terms

Think and Answer – Hints

Career & Community Connections

Health professionals, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, sanitation staff and municipal authorities all protect community health. Your survey, soak pit and first-aid kit are real services to your school and neighbourhood.

Common Mistakes