Local Wellness Policies

Growing Healthy Habits is a gardening and nutrition education curriculum for elementary aged kids. This resource focuses on integrating nutrition into the classroom through gardening and scripted lessons that meet science, language arts, social studies, health, and math objectives. Growing Healthy Habits uses gardening as a tool for encouraging students to consume more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and increase physical activity.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Units can be taught in any order and each lesson within each unit can be taught in any order, but all units of the curriculum must be taught.                                                                                 

Health Through Literacy is a book set of five to six books, age-appropriate for each grade K–5. Each set includes books with nutrition or physical activity themes. Every book comes with a tip sheet to enhance the health messages in the book. The tip sheets help teachers discuss the books with their classes, incorporate physical activity into the reading of the book, provide ideas for a food tasting for students, and integrate health messages with other areas of the curriculum.

Curriculum Description

The 2016 revised Junior Master Gardener (JMG) Level 1 curriculum provides elementary teachers with the tools to teach the world of gardening with eight chapters of novel, hands-on and proven lessons. The curriculum also helps develops life skills, includes career exploration and provides opportunities for students to culminate the JMG experience with service-learning projects. As students complete areas of study, they can earn different recognition certifications including designation as Certified Junior Master Gardeners. Each chapter is divided into sections called teaching concepts. Then, there are multiple activities within each teaching concept.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Lessons may be used individually as stand-alone lessons. The program can be implemented in schools, after-school programs, or other groups interested in young gardeners. Teaching multiple activities within a teaching concept is recommended.

Media Smarty Youth is an interactive after-school education program for young people ages 11–13. It is designed to help teach children about the complex media world around them and how it can affect their health-especially in the areas of nutrition and physical activity.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Curriculum offers structured lessons and a suggested time length, but can be flexible with time and audience. This program allows you to choose how often your group wants to meet to do the lessons.

***Note: Uses brand names, contractors are responsible for follow branding guidelines while using this curriculum.***

MyPlate for My Family: SNAP Nutrition Education is a MyPlate resource that supports SNAP-Ed nutrition education and obesity prevention efforts, and is based on recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It is targeted to parents and caregivers who are SNAP participants or eligible for SNAP, and play a key role in planning, purchasing, and preparing food for their families.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Lesson can be taught as stand-alone sessions. This curriculum is designed to be taught to parents with children ages 2-18 years old.

The USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, in conjunction with Team Nutrition, developed lesson plans for high school students using the engaging, interactive SuperTracker tool to help students think critically about their food and physical activity choices. SuperTracker is a visually appealing, comprehensive, state-of-the-art diet and physical activity tracking tool. Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, this tool is designed to assist individuals as they make lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of chronic disease and maintain a healthy weight. Using this free, online tool, students can choose a variety of features to support nutrition and physical activity goals.

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Lessons can be taught as stand-alone lessons. The lesson plans are designed for high school Health, Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Science teachers; however, the resources provided allow any teacher to promote health and wellness in their classrooms, with or without experience in nutrition education.

Discover which fruits and vegetables are sweetest, crunchiest, and juiciest through a series of investigations and fun experiences connecting the school garden to the classroom, school cafeteria, and home. This eleven-lesson curriculum for 3rd and 4th grades includes bulletin board materials, veggie dice, fruit and vegetable flash cards, and ten issues of Garden Detective News for parents/caregivers.   

Curriculum Implementation Guidelines

Lessons are part of a series and taught in order. Curriculum flexibility based on garden type and size of garden.

First comes shopping, then comes putting food away — but where? You may be surprised to learn the best places to store your groceries! Here's a helpful guide from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

This handout focuses on the importance of washing hands and surfaces often.