Classroom Instruction
In the classroom, students not only learn why it is important to eat properly, they learn how to make healthy choices while sampling healthy snacks, all in an environment that supports healthy living. Physical activity is also included via activity breaks in the classroom. This all happens within a school culture where teachers, physical educators, administrators and other partners (such as the food service director) teach and reinforce the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition with consistent language and messages.
PE-Nut program materials are linked to Michigan GLCEs, so when you teach with these materials, you are also covering required content expectations. Many of the PE-Nut materials also have core curriculum links, so you can reinforce instruction in math, science, social studies, and language arts.
Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools (HCHS)
Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools helps teachers transform first their classroom and, ultimately, their school to be environments that promote healthy eating and physical activity.
One HCHS set is for grades K-2, the other for grades 3-5. Both can be ordered with companion books tailored to a specific grade. Both also include activities for teachers and students that introduce and reinforce healthy messages.
Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools touches on all areas defined by the Centers for Disease Control as part of a Coordinated School Health program. To view the Michigan GLCEs covered by each of the HCHS activities, select a grade-level chart below:
HCHS GLCE Chart for Kindergarten (PDF)
HCHS GLCE Chart for First Grade (PDF)
HCHS GLCE Chart for Second Grade (PDF)
HCHS GLCE Chart for Third Grade (PDF)
HCHS GLCE Chart for Fourth Grade (PDF)
HCHS GLCE Chart for Fifth Grade (PDF)
Health Through Literacy
The book sets that make up Health Through Literacy include five to six books, age-appropriate for each grade K-5, with nutrition or physical activity themes.
Each book also comes with a tip sheet to enhance the health messages within the books. These tip sheets help teachers to discuss the books with their classes, incorporate physical activity into the reading of the book, provide a food tasting opportunity for students, and integrate health messages with other areas of the program. Michigan GLCE correlations are included right on the tip sheets.
Fit Bits
Studies have indicated that classroom physical activity breaks improve on-task behaviors in students, thereby increasing the learning experience of the child. Teachers can use Fit Bits to offer students a physical activity break lasting 7-10 minutes while simultaneously teaching nutrition concepts in the classroom. Fit Bits also promote the character traits identified by the Michigan Partnership for Character Education.
Each book has forty activities targeted at a single grade. Twenty activities focus on nutrition messages; twenty focus on character education skills. Nutrition activities cover food variety, fruits and vegetables, healthy snacks, and food safety.
Each book also includes a CD with music to play during the physical activity component, if desired, and animations that demonstrate many of the activities. More information about Fit Bits can be found at www.epec4kids.com
The goal of PE-Nut is to affect healthy behavior change, including:
- Increase participation in a physically active lifestyle.
- Increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and non-fat or low-fat milk or dairy products.
- Balance caloric intake from food and beverages with calories expended (upper grades).
- Try new foods.
- Choose healthy snacks.
- Wash hands before eating.
The components of coordinated school health (CSH) directly addressed through PE-Nut are:
- Quality physical education through the nutrition-enhanced Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum (EPEC); Health Through Literacy (HTL); the HTL take-home book bag; and PE-Nut newsletters.
- Quality nutrition education through EPEC nutrition-themed reinforcing activities; Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools; Health Through Literacy (HTL); the HTL take-home book bag; and the PE-Nut newsletters.
- Nutrition services, through a unit in Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools.
- Healthy school environment, through all components of PE-Nut.
- Health Promotion for staff, indirectly through all components.
- Family/community involvement, through the PE-Nut newsletter, the Healh Through Literacy (HTL) take-home book bag, the family letter in each unit of Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools, newsletter articles in the school�s monthly or bi-weekly newsletter, taken from the Building Leadership Guide, and school-wide events.
The cost of PE-Nut for schools can vary. Each component can be purchased individually, so you can decide which pieces to implement. Also, if your school qualifies as a low-income school you may qualify for reduced pricing on materials. Other funding opportunities may also exist. To find out more, please contact us at pe-nut@michiganfitness.org.
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