Your health class isn’t complete without bringing parents or other trusted adults into the conversation! This POTA (Parent or Trusted Adult) interview assignment helps teens spark meaningful connections with their parents or guardians by talking about family health, ancestry, genetics, and how to make informed decisions for prevention.
 
Some of these topics can be sensitive, so the interview includes four parts:
 
A medical background discussion about family members (this is a conversation only and does not require written answers.)
A family health reflection section where students write about family health in a more meaningful, holistic way. For example:
“What’s something you wish you had known about health when you were my age?”
A family stories section where students call or visit a member of their extended family to learn not only about health but also family wisdom and funny stories.
A building healthy habits section, where students plan positive choices for the next 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, and beyond.
This homework activity includes both playful and serious questions, all designed to build deeper connections and open up honest conversations about how history shapes our health.
 
Topics covered:
Family diseases and illnesses
Prevention and management plans
Family habits, traditions, and shared wisdom
Family mental health
This resource is editable (Google Doc).