U.S. health experts declared obesity an epidemic over a decade ago. Schools have tried to implement prevention programs for students, but as budgets shrink, educating students about obesity is increasingly falling to classroom instructors, including science teachers. The good news is that obesity-related classroom activities can be engaging, and…

Menu planning as a class activity is described as a means of teaching good nutrition. (JD)

The brain gets fed first! That is an important idea that directly relates to the nutrition/cognition connection in schools. As the education community faces the challenges of childhood obesity, malnutrition of the brain, food allergies, disorders of metal metabolism and biochemical imbalances, educators are eager to learn about how to guide…

Six major concepts form the framework for this third grade nutrition education curriculum: (1) Food is essential for all living things (identifying basic food groups, classifying processed foods into basic food groups, and identifying food varieties produced locally); (2) Nutrition is the food you eat and how the body uses it (recognizing how food…

This guide to nutrition education can be used as a basis for curriculum development at the school district level, as well as a basis for daily lesson planning by teachers. It is arranged by topic, subtopic, terminal and enabling objectives, learner activities, and teacher information. The topics and subtopics identify the broad areas of nutrition.…

The American diet has undergone substantial changes, a fact that has negatively impacted the dental health of children. Primary prevention is the ideal method to address the current increased incidence of tooth decay. Educating kids, and their parents, about the qualities of snacks as well as the role of frequency of snacking could help to reduce…

Classroom games involving choices of nutritious foods can develop a child's concept of good eating habits. (JD)

This integrated unit focuses on healthy hearts and how to use exercise and nutrition to be "heart smart" for life. The unit includes activities on heart function, exercise, workouts, family activities, nutrition, cholesterol, and food labels. The activities help develop research techniques, thinking skills, and cooperative learning…

This manual is designed to teach nutrition concepts to young children. The information is centered around three principles: (1) nutrients are inside foods; (2) nutrients perform specific functions in the body; and (3) behavior modification is effective in strengthening individual and family eating patterns. At the beginning of each unit, an…

Six major concepts form the framework for this kindergarten nutrition education curriculum: (1) Food is essential for all living things (learning to identify foods and food sources); (2) Nutrition is the food you eat and how the body uses it (recognizing the relationship between body growth and the ingestion of food); (3) Food is made up of…

Six major concepts form the framework for this second grade nutrition education curriculum: (1) Food is essential for all living things (identifying basic food groups, classifying processed foods into basic food groups, and identifying food varieties produced locally); (2) Nutrition is the food you eat and how the body uses it (recognizing how…

This booklet presents basic nutrition background information and class activities for teachers of kindergarten through sixth grade. It is divided into five units. In the first unit, the six nutrient groups (carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and water) are listed with descriptions of their functions and sources. A discussion is…

"Wheat for Kids" contains information at the elementary school level about: the structure of the wheat kernel; varieties of wheat and their uses; growing wheat; making wheat dough; the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Guide Pyramid and nutrition; Idaho's part of the international wheat market; recipes; and word games based on the…

Six major concepts form the framework for this first grade nutrition education curriculum: (1) Food is essential for all living things (identifying basic food groups and classifying processed foods into basic food groups); (2) Nutrition is the food you eat and how the body uses it (recognizing how food choices are related to a healthy body,…

This guide to nutrition education can be used as a basis for curriculum development at the school district level, as well as a basis for daily lesson planning by teachers. Designed to involve high school students in gathering information from school and community resources, the guide covers the following topics: (1) meal planning; (2) food…