a nutritious field trip

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GEM NO. 440 A Nutritious Field Trip Christina Siry, MS*; Jillian Famiglietti Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY ( J Nutr Educ Behav. 2007;39:175-176) *Address for correspondence: Christina Siry, MS, Manhattanville College, 2900 Purchase Street, Purchase, NY 10577; Tel: (914) 323- 5131; E-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2006.11.008 INTRODUCTION A class trip to the local grocery store is an engaging way to reinforce a unit on nutrition as students make connec- tions between a real-life experience and their classroom learning. Re- search shows that students often re- member a field trip well into adult- hood and even recall specific exhibits and facts. 1,2 Field trips generally bring to mind a trip to a museum, zoo, or nature center, but a field trip to a grocery store provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their un- derstanding of nutrition science and food choices. Research has shown that nutrition education programs can effectively improve the dietary behavior of chil- dren. 3,4 Nutrition education in stu- dents’ elementary school experiences should focus on lessons that teach about the importance of choosing healthful food. This field trip can be connected to a unit in which students learn about food groups and ulti- mately work together to create a list of nutritious and healthful meal choices. It has been written for grade 3, but it can be adapted to meet the needs of older students. OBJECTIVES The main objective of the supermar- ket trip is that students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of food groups by recording data regard- ing food items found in various aisles of the supermarket. PROCEDURE Before the Trip A picture book to introduce a study of nutrition is Eat Healthy, Feel Great, 5 which presents food items that are in either the “green light,” “yellow light,” or “red light” catego- ries. This book provides students with an understanding of how differ- ent foods they eat can affect their bodies and encourages them to make healthful food choices. If your stu- dents need additional knowledge be- fore exploring the grocery store, How to Teach Nutrition to Kids is a resource book that provides lessons that teach about nutrition and food choices. Out-of-classroom learning can be increased by preparing stu- dents in advance for field trips. 1 One suggestion is to provide children with the Food Discovery sheet (Fig- ure 1, Figure 2) in the classroom to explain the activities that will occur at the grocery store. By simulating the visit to the store, you can pro- vide students with an understanding of the expectations for the trip. Contact the store in advance. A manager might be able to tell you which times of the day, or days of the week, are most appropriate for a large group of children to visit. Check school policies for field trips, as many schools have specific permission slips or require a specific ratio of children to chaperones. Provide permission slips to families, and recruit as many chaperones as necessary. This experi- ence will work best with several adults to guide small groups of children through the aisles. Communicate with adult chaperones before the trip so that you can explain the logistics of the visit and your expectations. This communication can also provide the opportunity to summarize what has been taught and outline your objec- tives for the field trip. Let’s discover some new foods together! As you travel through the store, stop at these aisles and find a food for each box—write its name and describe it in words and drawings. Produce section Produce section Find a fresh fruit that you have never seen before. Find a vegetable that is dark green and one that is orange. Did you know that eating a whole fruit is better and more nutritious than drinking a fruit juice? Did you know that the darker green the vegetable, the more nutritious it is for you? Dairy case Pasta (aisle 4) Find 3 foods that are lowfat or nonfat. Find a pasta that is made of whole grains. Did you know that calcium helps build strong bones and teeth? Did you know that whole grain pasta is a healthy choice? BONUS! Find at least three different dried beans. They give us protein (like lean meat does) Figure 1. Food discover sheet for grocery store exploration (front).

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Page 1: A Nutritious Field Trip

GEM NO. 440

A Nutritious Field Trip

Christina Siry, MS*; Jillian FamigliettiManhattanville College, Purchase, NY

(J Nutr Educ Behav. 2007;39:175-176)

*Address for correspondence: Christina Siry,MS, Manhattanville College, 2900 PurchaseStreet, Purchase, NY 10577; Tel: (914) 323-5131; E-mail: [email protected]: 10.1016/j.jneb.2006.11.008

INTRODUCTION

A class trip to the local grocery storeis an engaging way to reinforce a uniton nutrition as students make connec-tions between a real-life experienceand their classroom learning. Re-search shows that students often re-member a field trip well into adult-hood and even recall specific exhibitsand facts.1,2 Field trips generally bringto mind a trip to a museum, zoo, ornature center, but a field trip to agrocery store provides an opportunityfor students to demonstrate their un-derstanding of nutrition science andfood choices.

Research has shown that nutritioneducation programs can effectivelyimprove the dietary behavior of chil-dren.3,4 Nutrition education in stu-dents’ elementary school experiencesshould focus on lessons that teachabout the importance of choosinghealthful food. This field trip can beconnected to a unit in which studentslearn about food groups and ulti-mately work together to create a list ofnutritious and healthful meal choices.It has been written for grade 3, but itcan be adapted to meet the needs ofolder students.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the supermar-ket trip is that students will be able todemonstrate their understanding offood groups by recording data regard-ing food items found in various aisles

of the supermarket. F

PROCEDUREBefore the Trip

A picture book to introduce a studyof nutrition is Eat Healthy, FeelGreat,5 which presents food itemsthat are in either the “green light,”“yellow light,” or “red light” catego-ries. This book provides studentswith an understanding of how differ-ent foods they eat can affect theirbodies and encourages them to makehealthful food choices. If your stu-dents need additional knowledge be-fore exploring the grocery store,How to Teach Nutrition to Kids is aresource book that provides lessonsthat teach about nutrition and foodchoices. Out-of-classroom learningcan be increased by preparing stu-dents in advance for field trips.1 Onesuggestion is to provide childrenwith the Food Discovery sheet (Fig-ure 1, Figure 2) in the classroom toexplain the activities that will occur

Let’s discover somAs you travel through the store, s

each box—write its name and

Produce sectionFind a fresh fruit that you have

never seen before.

Did you know that eating a wholfruit is better and more nutritiou

than drinking a fruit juice?

Dairy caseFind 3 foods that are lowfat or

nonfat.

Did you know that calcium helpbuild strong bones and teeth?

BONUS! Find at least three differ(like

igure 1. Food discover sheet for grocery store explor

at the grocery store. By simulatingthe visit to the store, you can pro-vide students with an understandingof the expectations for the trip.

Contact the store in advance. Amanager might be able to tell youwhich times of the day, or days of theweek, are most appropriate for a largegroup of children to visit. Checkschool policies for field trips, as manyschools have specific permission slipsor require a specific ratio of childrento chaperones. Provide permissionslips to families, and recruit as manychaperones as necessary. This experi-ence will work best with several adultsto guide small groups of childrenthrough the aisles. Communicatewith adult chaperones before the tripso that you can explain the logistics ofthe visit and your expectations. Thiscommunication can also provide theopportunity to summarize what hasbeen taught and outline your objec-tives for the field trip.

foods together!t these aisles and find a food foribe it in words and drawings.

Produce sectionnd a vegetable that is dark green

and one that is orange.

Did you know that the darkergreen the vegetable, the more

nutritious it is for you?

Pasta (aisle 4)nd a pasta that is made of whole

grains.

id you know that whole grainpasta is a healthy choice?

ried beans. They give us proteineat does)

e newtop adescr

Fi

es

Fi

s D

ent dlean m

ation (front).

Page 2: A Nutritious Field Trip

explor

176 Famiglietti and Siry/A NUTRITIOUS FIELD TRIP

The Trip

Be prepared on the day of the trip byhaving selected in advance the aisleson which students should focus. Asuggestion for carrying out the grocerystore discovery is to have studentswork in groups to rotate through “sta-tions” in different sections of the storethat represent each food they havelearned about. Students can movethrough these selected parts of thestore guided by a data sheet to use forrecording their findings (such as theone in Figure 1 and Figure 2, FoodDiscovery). This type of scavengerhunt will add to their exploration.Students will need to have a penciland a board to write on, and adultswill need to know the specific placesin the store where they should bestopping. In addition, you may wantto include some fun facts to engagethe children as they stop at each sta-tion in the store.

Depending on the age of your stu-

Cereal (aisle 7)Find one oatmeal and a cereal

made out of rice.

Did you know that oatmeal andrice are grains?

Meat caseFind a meat that is labeled “lean

Did you know meat contains ironwhich helps transport oxygen

throughout our body?

Figure 2. Food discover sheet for grocery store

dents, this learning can be extended

with specific tasks that directly relateto classroom learning. If you havestudied nutritional labels, the studentscan find a type of bread that theythink would be a good dietary choice.If you have discussed leafy green veg-etables, students in the vegetable aislecan search for the darkest greens andrelate this information to their les-sons. By the end of the visit, eachstudent will have explored the grocerystore and encountered food productsin each food group that will provide acontext for healthful food choices.This experience connects their class-room learning to the real world andbrings the study of nutrition to life.

Back in the Classroom

Begin summarizing each child’s expe-rience by creating a store diagram onchart paper with the key aisles listedso that children can add their discov-eries. Students can connect the infor-mation they have discovered to their

Bread (aisle 10)nd 2 breads that are whole-grain

or whole-wheat.

Did you know that whole grainbreads provide you with longer-asting energy than white bread?

Dried fruit (aisle 2)Find a fruit that looks very

different when it is dried fromwhen it is fresh.

Did you know fruits andvegetables can be fresh, frozen,

canned, or dried?

ation (back).

own lives by visually representing the

food they found on the trip, perhapsthrough a poster or a mini-booklet toshare with others. To extend thelearning further, students can researchhow to cook a new type of food, inwhat part of the world it is eaten, andhow it grows. If your budget permits,choose a variety of unusual fruit for afruit salad that children can enjoy inthe classroom.

CONCLUSION

Well-planned trips out of the class-room can be accessible and engagingexperiences for learning. A simplevisit to the grocery store can be a greattool to teach about food groups andfood choices. A student’s next trip tothe supermarket with his or her familycan be a nutritional exploration thatbuilds on the classroom lessons andfield trip and encourages a morehealthful diet for the children andtheir families.5,6

REFERENCES

1. Falk J, Dierking L. The Museum Experience.Washington, DC: Whalesback Books; 1992.

2. Pace S, Tesi R. Adults’ perception of fieldtrips taken within grades K-12: Eight casestudies in the New York metropolitan area.Education. 2004;125:30-40.

3. Powers AR, Struempler BJ, Guarino A,Parmer SM. Effects of a nutrition educationprogram on the dietary behavior and nutri-tion knowledge of second-grade and third-grade students. J Sch Health. 2005;75:129-133.

4. Shannon B, Graves K, Hart M. Food behav-ior of elementary school students after re-ceiving nutrition education. J Am Diet As-soc. 1982;81:428-434.

5. Sears W, Sears M, Kelly CW. Eat Healthy,Feel Great (1st ed.). Singapore: Library ofCongress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data;2002.

6. Evers LC. How to Teach Nutrition to Kids.

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Ore: 24 Carrot Press; 2003.