Taking The First Steps Presentation by: Susan Magrann, MS, RD Nutrition Education Consultant Network for a Healthy California Valerie Parsons, MA, M.Ed Program Coordinator Network for a Healthy California Monrovia Unified School District Funded by USDA SNAP, known in California as CalFresh. California Department of Public Health

Action Plan Step 1: Review School Wellness Policy Determine the requirements for nutrition education. Assess the nutrition components of the wellness policy and make appropriate recommendations to strengthen policy. Identify key partners. Webinar on June 2, :30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Action Plan Step 2: Nutrition Instructional Guidance Documents Review California Health Education Content Standards (CHECS) for Nutrition and Physical Activity Review the Nutrition Competencies (NC)

Question In what way is learning how to eat healthy similar to learning how to safely drive a car?

Teacher Training Basic Nutrition California Health Education Content Standards (CHECS) and Nutrition Competencies (NC)

Impact Evaluation Results Impact of Knowledge-based Nutrition Education vs. Standards-based Nutrition Education Aproach Units of Change Legend: Pre-post mean difference Pre-post mean difference Source: Monrovia Unified School District

California Health Education Content Standards Content Areas: Nutrition and Physical Activity Growth, Development, and Sexual Health Injury Prevention and Safety Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs Mental, Emotional, and Social Health Personal and Community Health

Overarching Health Education Content Standards Knowledge: Essential Health Concepts Skills: Analyzing Health Influences Accessing Valid Health Information Interpersonal Communication Decision Making Goal Setting Practicing Health-Enhancing Behaviors Health Promotion

Nutrition Competencies Aligned with the California Health Education Content Standards

Relationship Between Standards, Frameworks & Competencies Standards – provide a clear description of what students should know and be able to do in health education Frameworks – provide the “how to” (instruction, assessment, environment, and instructional resources) Nutrition Competencies – go beyond the minimum standards to outline comprehensive, sequential, and grade-level expectations and intended to supplement Standards

Overarching Nutrition Competencies Refer to page 2 of the Nutrition Competencies

Grade Level Standards Span all levels of thinking (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). Developmentally appropriate at each grade level. Build sequentially by higher level of cognitive demand or complexity of the content area.

Essential Concepts Nutrition and Physical Activity Kindergarten - Name a variety of healthy foods and explain why they are necessary for good health (1.1.N) Grade 2 - Classify various foods into appropriate food groups (1.1.N) Grade 4 - Identify and define key nutrients and their functions (1.1.N) Grade 5 - Describe the food groups, including recommended portions to eat from each food group (1.1.N)

Components of Health Education

Essential Nutrition Concepts a)Know the six nutrients and their functions. b)Know nutrition and health guidelines. c)Know factors affecting energy balance. d)Describe how nutritional needs vary throughout the life cycle. e)Identify the physiological processes for digestion, absorption, and metabolism of nutrients.

Essential Concepts (continued) f)Explain the influence of nutrition and physical activity on health. g)Know principles of handling (growing, harvesting, processing, storing, and preparing) foods for optimal food quality and safety. h)Consider the interactions among nutrition science, ecosystems, agriculture, and social systems that affect health including local, national, and global perspectives.

How are Skills Acquired? Knowledge + Skills + Practice + Reinforcement = Success

California Health Education Content Standards and Nutrition Competencies Hands-On Activity

Name the Nutrition Competency Students will explain to their parents the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and ask their parents to purchase the HOTM fruit or vegetable.

Name the Nutrition Competency Students are able to identify if a fruit or vegetable is an excellent source of vitamin C using the food label found in the HOTM Educator Newsletter.

Name the Nutrition Competency Students will compare the nutritional value of popular snack foods, including fruits and vegetables, and decide which snacks are healthier choices.

Name the Nutrition Competency The students plan a healthy end of the school year classroom party featuring HOTM fruits and vegetables.

Name the Nutrition Competency Students learn about the nutritional value of the HOTM fruit or vegetable, how it grows, how to store it to maintain optimal food quality, how to safely prepare it and why it is better to eat California grown produce.

Name the Nutrition Competency After completing a HOTM taste testing, the students write down how many times they plan to eat the HOTM fruit or vegetable in one week. One week later the students share if they followed their plan.

Name the Nutrition Competency Students describe why people snack on high fat, high sugar snacks that are promoted in commercials instead of fruits and vegetables.

Name the Nutrition Competency As a result of monthly HOTM lessons, a student selects and eats fruit for lunch in the cafeteria everyday.

Nutrition Competencies for Grades Three through Six

Standards-based Health Instruction helps students engage in healthy behaviors

Healthy Students, Ready to Learn The End