healthy habits! · this guide focuses on four theme areas designed to build and enhance the health...

4-H Youth DevelopmentChildren, Youth and Family ProgramsMichigan State University Extension

Department of Family and Child EcologyCollege of Human EcologyMichigan State University

Institute for Managed CareCollege of Human MedicineMichigan State University

Outreach PartnershipsUniversity OutreachMichigan State University

HealthyHabits!A Leader’s Guideto Helping ChildrenReduce the Risk of Cancer

H HH H

4-H 1597

Contents PageWelcome to Healthy Habits! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The Themes of Healthy Habits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Children, Health and Learning: Things to Consider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Developmental Tasks for School-Aged Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3What We Know About How Children Learn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3What We Know About Children and Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Guiding Principles for Positive Youth Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Making Learning Experiential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Using the Healthy Habits Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7The Components of Healthy Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Don’t Forget the Snacks!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Using Healthy Habits in a Variety of Youth Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Celebrating the Group’s Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Other Helpful Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Healthy Habits for Good Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Leader Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Nutrition “Key Ideas” Poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Activity: Food Groups Superstars!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Activity: Crazy Combos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Family Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Healthy Habits for Good Physical Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Leader Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Physical Activity “Key Ideas” Poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Activity: Moving to Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Family Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Healthy Habits for Tobacco Use Prevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Leader Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Tobacco Use Prevention “Key Ideas” Poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Activity: Going With the (Air) Flow! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Activity: Don’t Let Your Health Go Up in Smoke! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Activity: Say NOPE to Smoke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Family Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Healthy Habits for Sun Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Leader Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Sun Protection “Key Ideas” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Activity: The Case of the Invisible Rays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Activity: Slip, Slap, Slop!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Family Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Snackin’ Healthy Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Strawberry Yogurt Swirl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Magical Fruit Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Delightful Dip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Crunchy Munchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Cabbage and Carrot Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

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A Leader’s Guide to Helping ChildrenReduce the Risk of Cancer

Healthy Habits!

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AcknowledgmentsThe following people provided input into the development of this guide:

Barbara Ames, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Family and Child Ecology, Michigan State University

Patricia Farrell, Ph.D., Specialist, University Outreach, Michigan State University

John Haubenstricker, Ph.D., Professor, Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, Michigan State University

Natasha Kendal, M.A., Graduate Assistant, Wexford Community School Project, Michigan State University

Grace Kreulen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Michigan State University

Cynthia B. Mark, Ph.D., Program Leader, 4-H Youth Development

Rebecca McKee, Editor, 4-H Youth Development

Ann Mellen, M.S., R.D., Health Educator, Wexford Community School Project, Michigan State University

Janet R. Olsen, Associate Program Leader for Curriculum Development, 4-H Youth Development

Helen Truchan, M.S., Health Consultant

The research for this project was supported by a grant from the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Web production costs were generously supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and BlueCare Network.

A 4-H Youth Development Book

The name “4-H” and the emblem consisting of a four-leaf clover with stem and the letter “H” on each leafletare protected under Title 18 U.S.C. 707.

HEALTHY HABITS! A LEADER’S GUIDE TO HELPING CHILDREN REDUCE THE RISK OF CANCER.Copyright © 2003 by the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. These materials may be copiedfor purposes of 4-H programs and other nonprofit educational groups. The handouts in this publicationare designed to be photocopied for nonprofit educational purposes only. 4-H Youth Development grantspermission to 4-H programs and other nonprofit educational groups to reproduce these masters.Printed in the United States of America on recycled paper. For information, address 4-H Youth Development,Michigan State University Extension, 160 Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1039.

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. The name 4-H and the emblem consisting of a four-leaf clover with stem and the "H" on each leaflet are protected under Title 18 U.S.C. 707.

People who work with andcare about children are con-

cerned about the positive devel-opment of these young people.Our goal is to help kids to behealthy, happy and productive interms of their physical develop-ment, cognitive (or thinking)development, emotional develop-ment and social development.

Healthy Habits! A Leader’s Guideto Helping Children Reduce theRisk of Cancer is designed foradults to work with children aged

safety. These include eating morefruits, vegetables and grains; lim-iting high-fat foods; increasingphysical activity; avoidingtobacco products and second-hand smoke; and reducingexcessive exposure to the sun.These areas are importantbecause they represent lifestylebehaviors where changes canreduce cancer risk!

Kids often hear the term “cancer,”but they don’t necessarily linktheir day-to-day behaviors with a

both improve their overall healthand reduce their risks of develop-ing cancer at later ages.

While cancer risk reduction andthe development of healthy habitsare the goals of the Healthy Habitsprogram, each lesson focuses ondeveloping a healthy lifestyle thatwill result in immediate improve-ments in children’s health and alsoreduce their long-term cancerrisk. For this reason, the activitiesstress a variety of benefits that willresult if children understand andadopt these practices.

This guide features learning activi-ties that are designed for parents,volunteers, professionals andothers to use with children in edu-cational settings and programsthat take place outside of schooltime. These nonformal educa-tional programs can include after-school programs, 4-H clubs, Boysand Girls Clubs, or sports teams.These kinds of settings ofteninclude children of varying agesand grade levels learning andplaying together. The HealthyHabits activities are designedprimarily for children aged 7 to9, but they can easily be adaptedfor younger children (aged 5 and6) and older kids (aged 10 to 12).While the activities work best withgroups of five to ten children andone leader, they can also be usedwith larger groups.

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Welcome to

Healthy Habits!

5 to 12 to help them develophealthier lifestyles that willimprove their overall health andreduce their risk of developingvarious kinds of cancers in thefuture. Studies have shown thatmany cancer deaths can be pre-vented through simple lifestylechanges related to nutrition,physical activity, tobacco use andsecondhand smoke, and sun

greater risk of developing cancerin the future. It’s important tokeep in mind that habits—bothhealthy and otherwise—areestablished early in life, and re-learning behaviors is much harderthan learning them properly thefirst time. Young children canbenefit tremendously from learn-ing accurate health informationand practices early on that will

Young children can benefit tremendouslyfrom learning accurate health information

and practices early on that will bothimprove their overall health and

reduce their risks of developing cancerat later ages.

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The Themes of Healthy HabitsThis guide focuses on four theme areas designed to build and enhance the health habits of children.

Each of these themes includes several healthy awareness focuses that can lead to healthy actions:

Theme Concepts for BuildingHealthy Awareness

Concepts for BuildingHealthy Actions

Healthy Habits forGood Nutrition

• Foods fuel growth and health.• People need to eat a variety

of foods every day from thedifferent food groups.

• Fruits and vegetables aresuperstars in the food world.

• Fruits and vegetablescontain vitamins, mineralsand fiber that help keeppeople healthy.

To stay healthy, I will eat avariety of fruits and vegetablesevery day.

Healthy Habitsfor Physical Fitness

• Physical activity keepspeople strong and healthy.

• Physical activity buildsstrength and increasesflexibility.

• Physical activity increasesendurance and helps theheart and lungs work better.

To stay healthy, I will do avariety of physical activitiesat least three times a week.

Healthy Habits forTobacco Use Prevention

• Tobacco products containtars and other substancesthat are harmful to lungs.

• People can say “no”if someone offers thema cigarette or othertobacco product.

• People can take steps toavoid secondhand smoke.

To stay healthy, I will notsmoke or use tobaccoproducts, and I will avoidsecondhand smoke.

Healthy Habits forSun Protection

• Ultraviolet (UV) light from thesun has a strong effect onthe body.

• During the sun’s peak hoursof 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., peoplecan protect their skin by:– Playing in shaded areas.– Wearing sunglasses and

wide-brim hats andcovering up with clothing.

– Using sunscreen with anSPF (Sun ProtectionFactor) of 15 or more.

To stay healthy, I will protectmyself when I am in the sunfrom 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. bywearing sunscreen, along-sleeved shirt, a hatand sunglasses.

Healthy Habits was designedwith children’s develop-

mental characteristics in mind.When you use the Healthy Habitsactivities, you’ll be helping thekids develop good health habitsand practice skills related totheir development.

Developmental Tasksfor School-Aged ChildrenWhat does it mean for childrento move successfully through theages of 5 to 12? Child develop-ment experts agree that thereare certain developmental tasksor “jobs” that children shouldaccomplish for optimal develop-ment. All of these tasks relate tothe different areas in which kidsare developing: physical, cogni-tive, social and emotional. Whenwe see that they are doing well atthese tasks, we consider them tobe developing successfully.

To develop successfully in theyears between 5 and 12, childrenneed to learn to:

• Gather information about whothey are and what they can do.

• Develop a better understandingof how to get along with others.

• Understand that rules are nec-essary to make groups work.

• Act in ways that respect them-selves and others.

• Improve their physical abilities.

• Use language to share ideasand influence others.

• Find new ways to get informa-tion and to solve problems.

• Read, write and use numbers.

While these are general state-ments about children in this agegroup, it’s important to rememberthat children don’t all develop atthe same rate. What’s “normal”for one child may not describeanother child’s behavior.Individual differences play a bigrole in how children behave andwhat they like to do. Sometimeschildren’s development is uneven.For example, while physicallythey may look older than otherswho are the same age, they maybe behind their peers in theirsocial skills. Furthermore, kidsare influenced by the peoplewith whom they spend their time(their family, their friends, peopleat their school and others withintheir community) and the varioussettings where these peopleare found.

If you’d like to learn more aboutchildren’s development, refer tosources such as Ages andStages of Child and YouthDevelopment: A Guide for 4-HLeaders (NCR292), by JeanneKarns and Judith A. Myers-Walls,Department of Child Develop-ment and Family Studies,Lafayette, IN: Purdue University.You can find this bulletin on theWorld Wide Web at:http://www.agcom.purdue.edu/AgCom/Pubs/NCR/NCR-292.html.

What We Know AboutHow Children LearnLearning and having fun areimportant elements for effectiveout-of-school activities for chil-dren. Although we often think oflearning as a cognitive or thinkingskill, it really involves the wholechild. As you work with yourgroup on Healthy Habits activi-ties, keep these ideas in mind:

• Children are active learners.This means they’re both physi-cally active and active in seek-ing out experiences. They learnfrom hands-on experiencesthat involve all their senses. TheHealthy Habits activities aredesigned around an experien-tial learning model that encour-ages active learning. (Seepages 5–6 for more informationon experiential learning.)

• Children’s learning is influ-enced by development andmaturation. Kids in this agerange (especially those aged5 to 8) are concrete, here-and-now thinkers, and they enjoyactivities that are within theirability to master. They wantchallenge, but don’t want to feelfrustrated because the task istoo difficult. Try to simplify,maintain or expand your activi-ties in response to the level ofunderstanding the childrendemonstrate. To help you adaptthe Healthy Habits activities,each activity contains sugges-tions for simplifying and

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Children, Health and Learning:

Things to Consider

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extending it to meet the needsof your group.

• Children’s learning is affectedby the environment. The envi-ronment where your groupmeets can either enhance ordetract from a child’s ability tolearn. Create a setting in whichkids feel safe and secure, andwhere you treat them withwarmth, respect and caring.

• Children learn through physi-cal experience, social inter-action and reflection. Fromtheir direct experiences (seeing,listening, smelling, tasting andtouching), children find outwhat things are like, how theywork and how they relate toone another. They combinethese observations with morecomplex thinking, like seeingpatterns, interpreting and draw-ing conclusions about what

receive. They decide if theirthinking and actions are “right”or “wrong” and adjust theiractions accordingly.

It is also important for kids (andadults, too) to “think about theirthinking”—to reflect on whatthey know and how they fig-ured it out. You can guide thechildren to make connectionsbetween what they know nowand where they want to go.This helps them to make con-nections between ideas andgives them clues for doing simi-lar things in the future.

• Children’s learning stylesdiffer. Everyone has a preferredway of taking in information andprocessing it. The HealthyHabits activities offer experi-ences related to different waysof learning by developing chil-dren’s problem-solving and

ones. When they play, childrenare learning to develop rulesand get along with others. It’simportant to offer time forrecreation and play when yourgroup meets.

• Children’s learning is influ-enced by early attitudes andperceptions. When childrenare learning new information,they’re also developing atti-tudes toward learning. Attitudesare the ways of reacting thatpeople develop toward varioussituations in their lives, and thisis especially relevant for thetopic of health.

What We Know AboutChildren and Health• Children learn health-related

behaviors by watching adultsand by observing the worldaround them. The media havea tremendous influence onchildren’s thinking about whatis healthy and what is not.Children watch thousands ofcommercials every year, and avast majority of these spotsadvertise foods that are high infat, sugar or salt. In magazineads, tobacco companies pre-sent images of smoking ascool and fun. As a concernedadult, you can teach kids criti-cal thinking skills and helpthem avoid both media andpeer pressure.

• Parents and care givers arepowerful role models for chil-dren. Involving them in a health-related program will increasethe chance of the program’ssuccess. For example, by age7 or 8, most children makesnack choices, and parents andothers can support children’shealthy choices.

• It’s very important to be sensi-tive to the fact that some of the

…kids are influenced by the peoplewith whom they spend their time

(their family, their friends, people at theirschool and others within their community)

and the various settingswhere these people are found.

happens. These conclusionseither add to kids’ existingideas or cause them to adjusttheir thinking.

Children are also influenced bythe people in their lives—espe-cially the adults who are impor-tant to them such as parents,relatives, teachers and youthleaders. As children interactwith other people in their lives,they make decisions aboutthemselves and their actionsbased on the reactions they

thinking skills, by providingopportunities to gain self-knowledge, and by having chil-dren work in groups to developsocial interaction skills.

• Children learn through play.Play is so important that it hasbeen described as children’swork. All areas of developmentare enhanced through children’splay activities. Play is the pri-mary way children gather andprocess new information, learnnew skills and practice old

adults in children’s lives willhave habits that are not healthyand are actually harmful tothemselves and others. Let kidsknow that many people devel-oped habits such as smokingbefore they knew the habitswere harmful. Changing thesebehaviors as an adult is noteasy. All adults want children tobe healthy, and that is why weare so concerned about themdeveloping healthy behaviorsright from the start.

• Cigarettes and other tobaccoproducts contain tars and othersubstances that are harmful tolungs. More than 4,000 chemi-cal compounds have beenidentified in tobacco smoke,and at least 43 are known tocause cancer in humans or ani-mals (Cancer Facts andFigures, American CancerSociety, 1999).

• The earlier a smoker begins tosmoke, the less success he orshe will have in quitting (CancerFacts and Figures, AmericanCancer Society, 1999).

• Early exposure to harmful envi-ronmental elements has seriouslifelong implications. Did youknow that most of a person’sexposure to the sun’s harmfulrays occurs before the age of18? (Sun Safety for Kids, TheSun Wise School Program,United States EnvironmentalProtection Agency, 2000).Similarly, exposure to second-hand smoke can increase chil-dren’s risk of chronic cough,asthma, allergies, middle-eardisease and reduced lung func-tion (First Hand Facts onSecondhand Smoke, MichiganDepartment of CommunityHealth). Thus, the earlier weteach children how to protectthemselves, the healthier theycan be.

Guiding Principlesfor Positive Youth Development

As you work with your group, strive to build the followingprinciples into the learning environment and experiences thatyou create:

• Give your group members opportunities to developpositive relationships with adults and peers. These kindsof sustained relationships play a critical role in nurturing thepositive development of young people.

• Help the children in your group feel physically andemotionally safe. They will learn more and participatemore fully when they feel both physically and emotionallysafe. Help provide a structured yet flexible environment thatencourages honesty, trust and respect within the group.

• Help children be actively engaged in their own develop-ment. Give them opportunities to think about their “selves”both now and in the future.

• Help children actively participate in their own learning.Provide opportunities for your children to choose learningtopics they’re interested in. Try to include activities thattake into account a variety of learning styles.

• Help children develop skills that will help them succeed.Provide “hands-on” educational opportunities that relate toa variety of life skills, including decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking and many more.

• Help children recognize, understand and appreciatemulticulturalism. Provide opportunities for the group toexplore their own cultural backgrounds and to interact withothers from diverse backgrounds.

• Help children grow and contribute as citizens throughservice and leadership. Allow them opportunities to createsignificant roles to play so they can carry out and recognizetheir contributions to the group and their community.

5

• Some of the hardest habits tobreak are those of the seden-tary lifestyle and consumptionof less-than-nutritious food on aregular basis. The food groupsmost frequently missed byAmerican children are fruits andvegetables. Children need ourknowledgeable and consistentguidance to grow into strongand healthy adults (Feel the GetUp and Glow, U.S. Departmentof Health and Human Services,

National Cancer Institute, PBHPublication No. 44050).

Making LearningExperientialThe Healthy Habits materials aredesigned to help children “learnby doing.” The activities givethem the opportunity to thinkabout and practice healthy lifeskills. This is accomplished byhaving the children go through

6

the “Do—Reflect—Apply” stepsof experiential learning:

Do:• The children do or experience

an activity. This could involvemaking something, playing agame or solving a problem.

Reflect:• Next, the children share what

they think happened in theexperience. They think aboutwhat they did, how it felt,

whether it was easy or difficult,and more.

• They also process or analyzethe experience by reflecting onthe problems or issues thatcame up for them.

Apply:• Next, they generalize the expe-

rience by connecting it to real-world examples. This is the“so what?” portion of experien-tial learning.

• And finally, they apply whatthey’ve learned by thinkingabout it in terms of new situa-tions that might happen nowor in the future.

Each Healthy Habits activityis designed around this expe-riential learning model. The“Talking It Over” section of eachactivity suggests questions youcan ask to help the children com-plete the learning cycle for a par-ticular activity.

Help Kids “Learn By Doing”: The Experiential Learning Model

Experience the activity; “Do it”

Share whathappened

Processwhat’s important

Generalize—the “so what”

Apply—the “now what”

DO

APPLYREFLECT

5

4

2

3

1

Make something • Play a gameSolve a problem

What did you do?How did it feel? Was it fun?Was it easy? Difficult?Did any problems come up?

Why did we do this?Why does it matter?

How will this affect what I mightdo in the future?

What does this have to dowith my life?

The Componentsof Healthy HabitsEach of the four Healthy Habitstheme areas includes the follow-ing components:

• Leader BackgroundInformation—This sectionincludes any background infor-mation related to the theme’scontent (such as nutrition) thatwould be helpful for you toknow as you use the activitieswith children. The sectionsometimes includes definitionsof words that the kids may notbe familiar with.

• “Key Ideas” Poster Informa-tion—This section presentsthe key ideas explored in eachtheme’s activities. This includesboth the healthy awarenessconcepts and the healthyactions concepts. Whenexploring each theme area withyour group, transfer these keyideas to a poster (or better yet,enlist a couple of children to doit for you) so you can displaythe ideas as your group experi-ences the activities.

• Learning Activities—Eachof the activities includes thefollowing components:

– Objectives—Lists the specificlearning objectives the activityis designed to teach.

– Materials—Lists the materialsyou’ll need for the activity,including any materials thatneed to be photocopied foryour group.

– Time—Gives an estimate ofhow long the activity will take.Keep in mind that the timeslisted are based on a groupsize of five to ten children.

– Procedure—Spells out thespecific steps for carrying outthe activity. Note that mostactivities include steps toaccomplish before your groupmeets and steps for doing theactual activity with the group.

– Talking It Over—Suggestsquestions to ask the groupso that they can reflect onwhat happened and makesome connections to theireveryday lives.

– Adapting the Activity forYounger Children—Suggestsways to adapt the activity ifyour group includes youngerchildren aged 5 to 6.

– Adapting the Activity forOlder Children—Suggestsways to adapt the activity ifyour group includes older chil-dren aged 10 to 12.

– Support Materials—Manyactivities include supportmaterials (such as handoutsor game supplies) that

need to be photocopied forthe group.

• Family Letter—This letteris designed to tell parentsand other family membersabout the Healthy Habitsproject. One letter is providedfor each section of HealthyHabits, and each lists thehealth awareness and healthyactions concepts the childrenare exploring. You can cus-tomize the letter by filling in theblanks and by adding any infor-mation unique to your group inthe “Special Notes” section.

Don’t Forget the Snacks!Taking a snack break during ameeting gives kids the chanceto rest their minds and socializewhile they participate in a positiveand rewarding activity—healthysnacking! Teaching children toprepare healthy snacks is anexcellent way for them to learnmore about nutrition and goodeating habits in a relaxed and funsetting. Several examples ofhealthy snack recipes areincluded on pages 64–70 of thisguide. These recipes, which canbe reproduced and distributed toyour group members, are fromSnackin’ Healthy, a curriculumproduced by Michigan 4-H YouthDevelopment. For more informa-tion on the Snackin’ Healthy

7

Using the

Healthy HabitsMaterials

8

leader’s guide or member’spacket, contact your county MSUExtension office.

Important! Don’t forget to teachchildren about the importance ofhand washing before preparing oreating food!

Using Healthy Habits in aVariety of Youth SettingsWhether you’re a 4-H volunteer,an afterschool program staffmember, a Scout leader or acoach, you’ll find that you caneither use Healthy Habits as a“stand-alone” curriculum, or youcan blend Healthy Habits activi-ties with other kinds of recre-ational and learning activities.Following are some examples thatmay spark other ideas for usingHealthy Habits with your group:

• Using Healthy Habits in arelated 4-H project setting:If you’re a 4-H leader who isworking with a group of chil-dren on a project such as foodsand nutrition, fitness, health orself-awareness, Healthy Habitsis a natural addition to thegroup’s learning topics. Workwith your group to see whereyou could build the four themeareas into the ongoing project.You might also want to enlistthe assistance of two or threeolder 4-H’ers to help coordi-nate the Healthy Habits activi-ties with the group.

• Using Healthy Habits withother 4-H project clubsor 4-H community clubs:If you’re a 4-H leader whoworks with young people onother kinds of projects or aspart of a 4-H community club,look for opportunities to buildin Healthy Habits activitiesas a special addition to thegroup’s meetings. For example,October is Family Health

Month, and you and several ofthe older kids in your groupmay want to use Healthy Habitsto offer a special series ofactivities focusing on health.

• Using Healthy Habits in anafterschool program: If you’rea staff member or a volunteerat an afterschool program,Healthy Habits makes a fineaddition of activities to do withyour group. You could offer aone-week journey into healthyhabits or your group couldexplore this topic one afternoona week for several weeks.

• Using Healthy Habits with arecreation program: The focusof Healthy Habits fits very nicelywith the goals of recreationprograms, which typically usecompetitive sports or organizedgames to enhance the well-being of the youth participants.As a coach or a recreationleader, you could build in someof the Healthy Habits activitiesas a way to extend the healthaspect of your group’s learning.

• Using Healthy Habits as acommunity service projectfor older teens: Having teenstake responsibility for teachingthe activities to younger chil-dren is a great way for teens tolearn about the topic, be rolemodels for younger youth, anddemonstrate and enhance theirown teaching and leadershipskills. They also experience theworld of work by trying out ajob—teaching!

Celebrating theGroup’s LearningAt the end of each meeting,be sure to save some time to askthe children about the learningexperience. Ask questions likethe following:

• Was our meeting fun for you?What parts were the most fun?

• Did you learn new things?Name one.

• Since we started exploringHealthy Habits, have you toldanyone at home about whatwe’ve been doing? Who did youtell? What was their reaction?

• Can you share one healthyhabit you learned this weekthat you’ll try to put into action?Describe how you plan todo this.

Besides getting ongoing feed-back from the children to assesstheir learning, involve them inplanning a Healthy Habits FamilyCelebration Event at the end ofthe project. Besides servinghealthy snacks during this event,you and the children may want todesign posters or displays for thefour Healthy Habits theme areas,or you could have an exhibitionfor posters that show how thechildren are putting the healthyactions into practice:• I eat a variety of fruit and

vegetables every day.• I do a variety of physical activi-

ties at least three times a week.• I do not smoke or use tobacco

products, and I avoid second-hand smoke.

• I protect myself when I am inthe sun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

You could also design a quizgame that the children could takepart in while their family membersserve as the “studio audience.”Following are the types of ques-tions you could include in aquiz game:• What are the most popular

physical activities for the chil-dren in our group?

• Where are the places whereyou would get the mostreflected UV rays?

• What are some ways to protectyour skin from the sun’s UV rays?

• What are four ways to avoidcigarette smoke if someone issmoking in a car?

• What are five ways to avoidcigarette smoke if someone issmoking in your house?

• What specific things doesphysical activity do to helpyour body?

• What are the food groups in ameal with cheese pizza andapple juice?

• What are the five basicfood groups?

Another way to celebrate the endof the Healthy Habits project is todesign a certificate that you can

present to the children to recog-nize them for taking part in theselearning experiences.

9

10

To supplement or extend theHealthy Habits activities, you

may want to contact local healthcare professionals or organiza-tions for additional materials,props or guest speakers. Anotherway to involve the local commu-nity is to invite businesses andcompanies to participate as vol-unteers in an activity or donatematerials for activities. This givesthem an opportunity to advertisetheir business while making a dif-ference in the lives and health ofchildren in their communities. Youmay also want to invite parentsand grandparents, older siblingsand other community membersto help with demonstrations,setup or cleanup.

The following organizations pro-vide valuable information that cansupplement activities in this guide.

American Alliance for Health,Physical Education, Recreationand DanceAAHPERD, 1900 Association Dr.,Reston, VA 20191-1598,phone (800) 213-7193www.aahperd.org/

American Cancer SocietyContact the National CancerInformation Center by phoneat (800) ACS-2345www.cancer.org

American Dietetic AssociationHeadquarters, 216 W. JacksonBlvd., Chicago, IL 60606-6995,phone (312) 899-0040www.eatright.org

FDA Center for Food Safetyand Applied NutritionCFSAN, 200 C Street SW,Washington, DC 20204,phone (888) SAFEFOODhttp://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/

FitnessLink53 Buttermilk Bridge Rd.,Washington, NJ 07882-4300,phone (908) 689-8726www.fitnesslink.com

5-a-Day Programc/o National Cancer Institute,Building 31, Room 10A03,31 Center Drive, MSC 2580,Bethesda, MD 20892-2580,phone (301) 435-3848http://5aday.nci.nih.gov/

Food and NutritionInformation Centerphone (301) 504-5719www.nal.usda.gov/fnic

4-H Youth DevelopmentMichigan State UniversityExtension, 160 Agriculture Hall,East Lansing, MI 48824-1039,phone (517) 432-7575www.msue.msu.edu/msue/cyf/youth/index.html

Michigan Fitness FoundationP.O. Box 27187,Lansing, MI 48909,phone (800) 434-8642www.michiganfitness.org

Michigan Modelfor ComprehensiveSchool Health EducationEducational Materials Center,139 Combined Services Building,Central Michigan University,Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859,phone (800) 214-8961www.emc.cmich.edu/mm

President’s Councilon Physical Fitness and SportsPCPFS, Department W,200 Independence Ave., SW,Room 738-H,Washington, DC, 20201-0004,phone (202) 690-9000www.fitness.gov

U.S. Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention,Division of Adolescentand School Healthwww.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash

USDA’s Team Nutrition3101 Park Center Drive,Room 632,Alexandria, VA 22302,phone (703) 305-1624www.fns.usda.gov/tn

Other Helpful

Resources

The information in this section isdesigned to help the children in

your group improve their awareness ofgood nutrition and give them hintsfor putting good nutrition into practice.The section includes leader backgroundcontent for you to review, information fora “Key Ideas” poster, two activities to use with yourgroup (each of which includes time for a healthysnack), and a “Family Letter” that you can cus-tomize and share with the kids’ families.

Leader Background InformationFollowing are key points for you to review andkeep in mind as you explore healthy nutrition withyour group:

• Fruits and vegetables are low in fat and high invitamins and fiber. Scientists know that peoplewho eat many fruits and vegetables have adecreased chance of developing certain kinds ofcancer. There is some evidence that the vitaminsand fiber in fruits and vegetables play a role incancer prevention. Yet we know many childreneat very few fruits and vegetables and that lifelongeating habits are established during childhood.In fact, the food groups most frequently missedby American children are fruits and vegetables.

• Some studies indicate that children do not eatfruits and vegetables because they do not “like”them. Actually, kids may have never tasted them.Sometimes it’s because they don’t see others intheir family eating these foods. Another reason

is that children are shy of new foodsand if they don’t eat fruits or vegetablesregularly, they may not select them atrestaurants, school or home. This iswhy the fun recipes in this section orsimple samples of fruits and vegetables

are important parts of these activities.The goal of these activities is to introduce childrento new fruits and vegetables and to reinforce theiruse in children’s daily diets.

Nutrition “Key Ideas” PosterFollowing is a listing of the healthy awarenessconcepts and the healthy action conceptsrelated to nutrition that are explored in this section.Transfer these key ideas to a poster (or better yet,enlist a couple of children to do it for you) so youcan display the ideas as your group experiencesthe activities.

Healthy Nutrition Awareness:• Food fuels growth and health.

• People need to eat a variety of foods every dayfrom the different food groups.

• Fruits and vegetables are superstars in thefood world.

• Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, mineralsand fiber that keep people healthy.

Healthy Nutrition Action:To stay healthy, I will eat a variety of fruits andvegetables every day.

11

Healthy Habitsfor Good Nutrition

12

Objectives:This activity is designed to help children:

• Identify the food groups for a variety ofcommon foods.

• Learn about the variety in fruits andvegetables and taste several examples.

• Begin to understand that healthy foodchoices can help reduce the risk of cancerand that fruits and vegetables play a special rolein this.

Materials:� Nutrition “Key Ideas” poster

� Six paper grocery bags

� Food group pictures (see page 15)

� Assortment of plastic food items (about 20 to30 total; these can be found in a store’s chil-dren’s toy section)

� Clean, empty food containers

� Basket or bag large enough to hold plasticfood items

� Snack supplies

� Magazines with food pictures (seed catalogs orfood magazines work well)—one or two per child

� Scissors—one pair per child

� Glue sticks—one per child

� Construction paper—one sheet per child

� Picture of the Food Guide Pyramid(see page 16)—one per child

� Other materials may be needed for adapting theactivity for younger or older children (see direc-tions near the end of the “Procedure” section ofthis activity)

Time:30–40 minutes

Procedure:Before the meeting:1. Make the nutrition “Key Ideas” poster and display

it in your meeting space where the children caneasily see it.

2. Make food group grocery bags by gathering sixpaper grocery bags and gluing a food group pic-ture to each bag.

3. Place the plastic food items in the largebasket or extra grocery bag.

4. Choose a snack that includes fruits orvegetables and gather the ingredientsand any supplies needed. In addition tothe recipes included on pages 64–70 ofthis guide, here are some other ideasto consider:

• Offer an assortment of fresh fruits, includingsome unusual fruits like star fruit or kiwi, alongwith old favorites.

• Layer fruit with pudding in paper cups.

• Provide fruit and yogurt topped with acrunchy cereal.

• Make a fruit dip by mixing two tablespoonsof frozen orange juice concentrate into a cupof vanilla pudding. Serve with fresh fruit orfruit kabobs.

5. Gather the other supplies (magazines, scissors,glue, construction paper and copies of the FoodGuide Pyramid).

During the meeting:1. Have the children sit where they can see the

nutrition “Key Ideas” poster. Ask for a volunteerto read each of the following “Healthy NutritionAwareness” statements and ask the group if theyknow why each statement is important:

• Food fuels growth and health.



• Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, min-erals and fiber that keep people healthy.

Use the children’s responses to gauge what theyalready know about healthy nutrition choices.

2. Give a copy of the Food Guide Pyramid toeach child in your group and ask how manyknow about the food pyramid. Review the foodgroups briefly with some simple statements likethe following:

• Fruits and vegetables help heal cuts, helppeople see in the dark and help preventdiseases such as cancer.

• Bread, cereal, rice and pasta give us energy toplay and fiber to stay healthy.

ACTIVITY: Food Groups Superstars!

• Milk, yogurt and cheese help build strongbones and teeth.

• Meat, eggs and peanut butter help build muscles.

• Sweets and fats provide calories in thefood pyramid.

3. Point out the recommended number of servingslisted on their pyramid and tell the children thateach food group has a number of servings thatare needed each day (for example, we need twoto four servings of fruits each day).

4. Place the empty food group grocery bags on atable where all the children can see them andask how many children go to the grocery storewith their parents. Tell them that they will begoing on a special shopping trip today. Tell themthat each bag represents one of the food groups,and they are going to figure out where differentfoods belong.

5. Select a plastic food item from the bag or basketand ask the children which food group bag itbelongs in. Let each child match at least oneplastic food item to the correct food group bag.Be sure all children have a chance to participate.

6. Next, give each child a pair of scissors, a gluestick and a couple of the magazines. Ask themto find pictures of foods in the magazines, cutthem out and then glue them to the bag thatrepresents the food group to which each picturebelongs. Encourage the children to look for avariety of food pictures and help those whoselect pictures that represent more than onefood group.

7. Have the children clean up their supplies andwash their hands so they can experience ahealthy snack. Provide the snack you’ve pre-pared or enlist the help of the children to helpprepare the snack.

Talking It Over:While the children are eating their snack, ask themthe following questions to complete the experientiallearning cycle. Use the nutrition “Key Ideas” posterto emphasize the key points of this section.

1. What are your favorite fruits and vegetables?How often should you eat these to help youstay healthy?

2. What new fruit or vegetable did you learn about?Can you think of ways you could use this fruit or

vegetable in your daily food choices? (One exam-ple might be to include it in their school lunchesor after-school snacks.)

3. What foods choices did you have for lunch yester-day? Can you match these to the food groups?

4. Can you think of a goal you could have for eatingfruits and vegetables? (Ask the children to look atthe “Healthy Nutrition Action” statement on theposter: To stay healthy, I will eat a variety of fruitsand vegetables every day.)

5. Why is it important for your food choices toinclude fruits and vegetables? (Point out thatscientists know that people who eat many fruitsand vegetable have a decreased chance of get-ting sick with certain kinds of cancer. This isbecause of the vitamins and fiber that are foundin fruits and vegetables.)

Adapting the Activityfor Younger Children:• Instead of using the food items in the shopping

activity, use the plastic food items to play “FoodGroup Hot Potato.” Have the children sit in a circleand have one start by selecting a food item. Havethe group pass the item around the circle whileyou say “Hot potato, hot potato, hot potato, hot.”Repeat this chant three or four times and thensay, “Hot potato, hot potato, hot potato, stop!”At this point, the child holding the food item mustplace it in the correct grocery bag.

• Play “Food Group Bingo.” Make copies of thegame card on page 17 (one copy on card stockfor each player) and a copy of the food pictureson page 18 (again, copy onto card stock if possi-ble). Cut the food pictures apart and place themface down in the center of the playing area. Haveeach child choose a food picture and place it onthe correct food group name on his or her gamecard. Continue this around the circle so that eachchild has several turns until someone has a com-plete row and can declare “Bingo!”

• Play the “Food Groups Memory Game” bymaking a deck of cards using the masters pro-vided on pages 19–24 (copy these pages ontocard stock if possible). Shuffle the cards andplace them face down on the playing area. Havethe children take turns turning over two cards. Ifthose cards are from the same food group (notethat they don’t need to be the exact same foods),

13


14

the player can keep them as a match and con-tinue his or her turn by turning two more cards.Once a player turns over two cards that do notmatch, the next player takes a turn. Continueuntil all the cards are matched. The winner is theplayer with the most matches.

Adapting the Activityfor Older Children:• Play the “Food Group Card Game” with groups of

three to five players. Purchase two decks of cardswith the same pictures on the back. Make twocopies of the food pictures on pages 19–24, cutthem apart and glue the pictures to the numberside of the cards. The object is for a player to winby having a set of cards from each food group.Start by reviewing the minimum and maximumnumber of servings that we should eat each dayfrom each of the food groups. Deal seven cardsto each player. Place the remaining cards in adraw pile in the center of the table. Have the chil-dren arrange the cards in their hand by foodgroups. If they have at least the minimum numberof servings from a food group, they can placethose cards face up on the table in front of them.Take turns by beginning with the player to the leftof the dealer. On each turn, a player can either:– Lay down any completed food groups in his or

her hand.

– Ask another player for any foods from a group.If the player has any food cards from that foodgroup, he or she has to give one to the playerwho asked. If he or she does not have anycards from the food group, the player whoasked draws a card from the extra card pilein the center. If the player draws a card from afood group that he or she has already placedon the table, the player can add it to that foodgroup if he or she has less than the maximumnumber of servings for that group. For example,if a player places two fruit cards on the table, heor she can still add another fruit. However, oncehe or she has four fruits on the table, no morecan be added.

– If a player lays down all of his or her cards,he or she can draw five more cards at the endof the turn.

The next player takes a turn and the play con-tinues until someone has laid down sets of cardsfrom all the food groups.

• Read the verses of the “Food Group MysteryRhyme” (see page 25) to the group to review thefood groups. After each verse have the childrendecide what food group is being referred to. Afterthey’ve determined the food groups, they canpractice the rhyme as a total group (you can dis-tribute copies of the rhyme if desired).


15

FOOD GROUPS

Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group Fruit Group

Vegetable Group

Milk, Yogurt and Cheese Group

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts Group

Fats, Oils and Sweets Group

16

FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID

Source: Food and Nutrition Information Center, National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service,United States Department of Agriculture

KEY

Fat (naturally occurring and added)

Sugars (added)

These symbols show fat and addedsugars in foods.

Fats, Oilsand Sweets Group

Use Sparingly

Milk, Yogurtand Cheese Group

2–3 Servings

Vegetable Group3–5 Servings

Meat, Poultry, Fish,Dry Beans, Eggsand Nuts Group

2–3 Servings

Fruit Group2–4 Servings

Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group6–11 Servings

17

FOOD GROUP BINGO

MilkGroup

VegetableGroup

GrainGroup

MilkGroup

FruitGroup

VegetableGroup

MeatGroup

MilkGroup

MeatGroup

GrainGroup

MilkGroup

VegetableGroup

GrainGroup

FruitGroup

MeatGroup

FruitGroup

MeatGroup

GrainGroup

FruitGroup

VegetableGroup

GrainGroup

FruitGroup

MilkGroup

VegetableGroup

MeatGroup

18

BINGO FOODS

Reproduce this page and cut the pictures apart.FRUIT GROUP VEGETABLE GROUP GRAIN GROUP MEAT GROUP MILK GROUP

APPLE

BANANA

FRUIT COCKTAIL

GRAPES

ORANGE

PEACHES

RAISINS

STRAWBERRIES

WATERMELON

BROCCOLI

CARROT

CELERY

CORN

GREEN BEANS

MUSHROOMS

PEAS

POTATO

LETTUCE SALAD

BREAD

HAMBURGER BUN

CEREAL

CRACKERS

MUFFIN

RICE

SPAGHETTI NOODLES

TACO SHELL

WAFFLE

DRIED BEANS

CHICKEN LEG

PORK CHOP

EGG

HAMBURGER

HOT DOG

PEANUT BUTTER

REFRIED BEANS

TUNA

AMERICAN CHEESE

CHOCOLATE MILK

FROZEN YOGURT

ICE CREAM

WHITE MILK

MILKSHAKE

PUDDING

STRING CHEESE

YOGURT

19

FOOD GROUP MEMORY GAME

Milk Group Cards / Reproduce this page and cut the cards apart.

Whilte Milk Chocolate Milk Yogurt

Ice Cream Pudding String Cheese

American Cheese Milkshake Frozen Yogurt

20


Meat Group Cards / Reproduce this page and cut the cards apart.

Tuna Pork Chop Refried Beans

Dried Beans Peanut Butter Egg

Chicken Leg Hot Dog Hamburger

21


Vegetable Group Cards / Reproduce this page and cut the cards apart.

Lettuce Salad Broccoli Carrot

Corn Green Beans Peas

Potato Celery Mushrooms

22


Fruit Group Cards / Reproduce this page and cut the cards apart.

Peaches Strawberries Apple

Banana Orange Watermelon

Grapes Raisins Fruit Cocktail

23


Grain Group Cards / Reproduce this page and cut the cards apart.

Bread Cereal Muffin

Spaghetti Noodles Waffle Hamburger Bun

Taco Shell Crackers Rice

24


“Others” Group Cards / Reproduce this page and cut the cards apart.

Candy Cookies Potato Chips

Pretzels Doughnut Cake

Soft Drink Mustard Jelly

25

FOOD GROUP MYSTERY RHYME

Now listen kids to what we say,These are the foods we eat every day.We are a food group tried and true.We are the foods that are healthy for you.To get enough energy to work and play,Try 6 to 11 servings every day!

What group am I? (Bread, cereal, rice and pasta group)

Now listen, kids, to what we say,These are the foods we eat every day.We are a food group tried and true.We are the foods that are healthy for you.For nice strong bones and strong teeth, too,Try 3 to 4 servings and don’t say, “moo!”

What group am I? (Milk, yogurt and cheese group)

Now listen kids to what we say,These are the foods we eat every day.We are a food group tried and true.We are the foods that are healthy for you.For muscles strong and growing tall, too,Try 2 to 3 servings. Hurray for you!

What group am I? (Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and nuts group)

Now listen kids to what we say,These are the foods we eat every day.We are a food group tried and true.We are the foods that are healthy for you.To see in the dark and heal cuts, too,Try 2 to 4 servings and don’t be blue!

What group am I? (Fruit group)

Now listen kids to what we say,These are the foods we eat every day.We are a food group tried and true.We are the foods that are healthy for you.To have nice skin and fight colds or flu,Try 3 to 5 servings; it’s the smart thing to do!

What group am I? (Vegetable group)

Now listen kids to what we say,These are the foods we eat every day.We are a food group tried and true.We are the foods that are healthy for you.Eat us sparingly and you’ll be healthy, too!

What group am I? (Fats, oils and sweets group)

26


• List a variety of fruits and vegetables.

• Understand the importance of eatingfruits and vegetables to stay healthy.

• Learn how to make snacks from fruitsand vegetables.

Materials:� Nutrition “Key Ideas” poster

� Assorted fruits and vegetables

� Paring knives

� Bowls

� One “Combo Creator” handout for each child(see page 29)

� 26 pieces of 81⁄2- by 11-inch posterboard or plainpaper for alphabet cards

� Markers

� Napkins or paper towels

� Crayons and pencils

� Newspaper supermarket ads or magazinefood ads

� Scissors—one pair per child

� Glue sticks—one per child


Time:30–45 minutes (this activity may easily be extendedto two meetings)

Procedure:Before the meeting:1. Purchase or get donations of a variety of fruits

and vegetables. Be sure to include some unusualkinds of fruits and vegetables that your groupmight not be familiar with.

2. If your group includes mostly younger children,you will need to cut the fruits and vegetables intopieces before the meeting. Place each kind in adifferent bowl or container. If your group includesmostly older children, you can ask them to help cutup the fruits and vegetables during the meeting.

3. Make a copy of the “Combo Creator”for each child (see page 29).

4. Use the markers and the 26 pieces ofposterboard or plain paper to createlarge alphabet cards. Write each letterof the alphabet clearly at the top ofeach card.

5. Display the nutrition “Key Ideas” posterwhere your group members will be able tosee it during the meeting.

During the meeting:1. Have the children sit where they can see the

nutrition “Key Ideas” poster. Review the conceptsfrom the last meeting by asking for a volunteer toread each of the “Healthy Nutrition Awareness”statements and having the children give their rea-sons why each statement is important:




• Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, miner-als and fiber that keep people healthy.

Remind the group that fruits and vegetables helpheal cuts, help us see in the dark, and help pre-vent diseases such as cancer. Tell them thatfruits and vegetables contain vitamins and miner-als such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A and others, andhave fiber and other chemicals that help theirbodies prevent diseases. Mention that raw fruitsand vegetables have the most of these helpfulchemicals. The problem is that many of us forgetto include fruits and vegetables in our meals!

2. Tell the group that they are going to create waysto add more fruits and vegetables to their dietsby becoming “Combo Creators.” Ask childrenwhat they think a “Combo Creator” does. Drawon their knowledge of what “combo” means atfast food restaurants to help them develop a def-inition. Make sure they recognize that a “ComboCreator” puts two or more foods together thatcomplement each other and that taste good.

3. Ask the children what their favorite fruits andvegetables are. To help them think about differ-ent types of fruits and vegetables, have themsample the various fruits and vegetables you’veprovided. Make sure they wash their hands first!

ACTIVITY: Crazy Combos!

As the children are sampling each kind of fruit orvegetable, encourage them to think about howthey could combine it with other fruits and vege-tables as a snack food.

4. Give each child a copy of the “Combo Creator”handout and have them draw a picture of themost creative healthy snack combination theycan think of (this could be a fruit-fruit combina-tion, a vegetable-vegetable combination or afruit-vegetable combination). Ask them to comeup with a name for their combo. An examplemight be a grape and grapefruit sour bowl. Whenthe children have finished their creations, havethem share them with the whole group.

5. Give the children one, two or three pieces of thealphabet posterboard or paper. Vary the numberof sheets according to the ages of your group orthe number of children in the group. Ask eachchild to list on the poster the names of fruits andvegetables that begin with the letter. (For exam-ple, “A” could include apple and artichoke.) Tellthe children to draw pictures of these fruits andvegetables on their poster or have them cut pic-tures from ads in newspapers or magazines andpaste them to the posters. They can also adddescriptive words next to the fruit or vegetablesuch as “crunchy” for celery or “juicy” for orange.

6. When everyone has finished, display the postersaround the room and have children look at themto think about new ways to put together a snackcombo. Have the children think about taste, tex-ture, color and ease of preparation when creatinga new combo.

7. If you have time, have the children try puttingsome of the combo creations together using realfruits and vegetables. Let others sample theirproducts and see what they think about the newcombo creations.

Talking It Over:While the children are tasting their snack combina-tions, ask them the following questions to completethe experiential learning cycle. Use the nutrition“Key Ideas” poster to emphasize the key points ofthis section.

1. What fruits and vegetables were new to you?What did these new foods taste like? Were yousurprised that you liked some of the new foods?Why or why not?

2. What did you learn about trying new foods?

3. What combos would you like to try at home?How would you describe these combos so thatothers in your family will want to try them as well?

4. Why do you think that some people eat a lot ofvegetables and fruits and others don’t?

5. Do all countries have the same fruits and vege-tables? Why or why not? (Point out that the kindsof fruits and vegetables vary around the world.This is because different kinds of fruits andvegetables grow in different kinds of climates.For example, banana trees grow in areas thathave a very warm climate year-round, whileapple trees are able to flourish in climates thathave harsh winters.)

6. Can you think of a goal you could have for eatingfruits and vegetables? (Ask the children to look atthe “Healthy Nutrition Action” statement on theposter: To stay healthy, I will eat a variety of fruitsand vegetables every day.)

7. Why is it important for your food choices toinclude fruits and vegetables? (Remind the groupthat scientists know that people who eat manyfruits and vegetable have a decreased chance ofgetting sick with certain kinds of cancer. This isbecause of the vitamins and fiber that are foundin fruits and vegetables.)

Adapting the Activityfor Younger Children:• Read Stone Soup: An Old Tale (written and illus-

trated by Marcia Brown, Aladdin Paperbacks,1987) to your group. This classic children’s bookis based on an old French folk tale about threesoldiers who try to convince the members of asmall village to provide them with some food.By making “stone soup” out of stones and water,the soldiers trick the villagers into having a village-wide feast. Use the story to explore the impor-tance of a variety of vegetables in our daily diets.

• Have the children build a city out of cut-up fruitsand vegetables and empty milk cartons. Forexample, a post office could be made frombananas to help “slide” letters along their way,and oranges could be used to make a gas stationbecause juicy oranges “fuel” our bodies.

• Take the group to a grocery store to visit the pro-duce department to look for new kinds of fruitsand vegetables.

27


28

Adapting the Activityfor Older Children:• Have the group create menus for a fruit and veg-

etable fast food restaurant. Have them come upwith a name and logo for the restaurant and drawpictures to use in ads inviting people to try theirnew restaurant.

• Bring in menus from different types of local res-taurants (make sure to include fast food restau-rants). Have the children examine the menus tosee how many vegetables and fruits are includedin the meals. Look at the nutritional value intheir favorite choices. Have the children brain-storm how they could make their favorite meals

healthier. Encourage the children to follow theserules while brainstorming:

Rule 1: Do not judge ideas!

Rule 2: It’s okay to be far-out.

Rule 3: Think of as many ideas as you can.

Rule 4: Piggyback on someone else’s ideas.

• Have the group create a Harvest CalendarTimeline for a year. Have them indicate on thetimeline when various fruits and vegetables areplanted and harvested in the local climate. Helpthe children understand the seasonality of vegeta-bles and fruits and think about how we get fruitsand vegetables that are out of season.


29

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30

Healthy Habits Family Letter

Date:

Dear Families:

During the next few weeks, the children in the

group will be exploring

Healthy Habits, a program designed to help children practice behaviors that will reinforce a healthy

lifestyle and reduce the risk of cancer in their future. We will start learning about “Healthy Habits for

Good Nutrition” by exploring nutrition and the importance of fruits and vegetables in our daily diets.

Studies show that children generally do not have enough fruits and vegetables in their diets. Often

it is because children are shy of new foods and reluctant to try them.

The “Healthy Habits for Good Nutrition” activities are designed to do the following with the group:

Build your child’s understanding and awareness of these concepts:


• People need to eat a variety of foods every day from the different food groups.

• Fruits and vegetables are superstars in the food world.

• Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and fiber that keep people healthy.

Help your child put the concepts into action with the following

action statement:

• To stay healthy, I will eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day.

Through the activities, we hope to reinforce children’s good health habits learned at home and in

school. By starting early, children will have reduced risk of developing various diseases, including

cancer, in the future.

In the next few weeks, we may ask your child to bring supplies to our group meetings. We will

also be contacting people in the community to assist with the project. If you are interested, we

would really appreciate your support. This is an important way for your children to find out they

can make a difference in their own health and the health of others.

If you have any questions or are willing to help, please contact me at this phone number:

Thanks for your support.

Sincerely,

Special Notes:


your group improve their awareness ofthe need for physical fitness and givethem hints for making physical activitypart of their everyday life. This sectionincludes leader background content foryou to review, information for a “Key Ideas” poster,one activity to use with your group (which includestime for a healthy snack), and a “Family Letter” thatyou can customize and share with the kids’ families.

Leader Background InformationFollowing are key points for you to review and keepin mind as you explore good physical activity withyour group:

• Everyone needs to be active every day to stayhealthy. Being physically fit means having theenergy and strength to perform daily activitiesvigorously and alertly without getting run down.When you are physically fit, your heart, lungs andmuscles are strong, and your body is firm andflexible. Your body weight relative to your height(also called Body Mass Index) is within a healthyand desirable range.

• Studies show that 60 percent of the nation’s chil-dren get exercise less than three times per week,and more than 35 percent of our adult populationis overweight. Participation in all types of physicalactivities declines strikingly as age or grade inschool increases. Encouraging a physically activelifestyle at an early age helps set behavior pat-terns for later years.

• Research on reasons why children and adoles-cents participate in physical activity has identifiedthree motives. First, young people want todevelop and demonstrate physical competence.Second, kids want to use their participation in

physical activities to gain social accep-tance and support. This involves friend-ship, peer group acceptance andapproval, reinforcement and encour-agement by significant adults such asleaders, parents or coaches. Finally,

kids care about fun and enjoyment, whichare likely to attract young people to a physicalfitness activity and decrease the appeal of alter-native negative activities. (Source: ResearchDigest: Motivating Kids in Physical Activity,President’s Council on Physical Fitness andSports, September 2000.)

• Different kinds of physical activities build strength,flexibility and endurance.

– Strength is how much force you can exert withyour muscles. This can be measured by seeinghow much weight you can hold in place (this iscalled static strength), how much weight youcan move (dynamic strength), or how fast youcan move a weight (power). This weight canrefer to your own body weight or special equip-ment such as a barbell or strength trainingmachine. Caution: Before using special weightequipment, you should always involve someonewho is knowledgeable about strength training!When you’ve built your strength, you’re lesslikely to injure your muscles. Hard jobs becomeeasier and you’ll do better in sports, games andother activities.

– Flexibility means that you can move your mus-cles and joints through their full range of motion.Stretching exercises increase flexibility. Seeinghow close you can come to touching or reach-ing beyond your toes is one measure of flexibil-ity. When your muscles are flexible, you canreach, bend and stretch more easily. You areless likely to injure your muscles and joints.Stretching helps decrease tension and stress.

31

Healthy Habitsfor Good Physical Activity

32

– Endurance is the ability to keep moving forlong periods of time. There are two types ofendurance. Cardiorespiratory endurance meansthat your heart and lungs are able to supplyyour muscles with lots of oxygen and nutrients.Aerobic exercises like running, walking andcycling build endurance in your heart and lungs.Muscular endurance means that your musclesare strong enough to move for long periods oftime. Exercises such as push-ups, leg raisesand curl-ups build muscular endurance andstrength. A high level of endurance allows you tohave more energy and play harder and longerduring sports and games. When your heart andlungs are in good shape, you’re healthier andless likely to develop some forms of disease.Aerobic exercises can also burn extra caloriesand help keep your weight under control.

• In addition to providing physical benefits, beingphysically active also affects people’s mentalhealth by reducing stress and giving them asense of well-being.

Physical Activity “Key Ideas” PosterFollowing is a listing of the healthy awarenessconcepts and the healthy action concepts relatedto physical fitness that are explored in this section.Transfer these key ideas to a poster (or better yet,enlist a couple of children to do it for you) so youcan display the ideas as your group experiencesthe activities.

Healthy Physical Activity Awareness:• Physical activity keeps people strong and healthy.

• Physical activity builds strength andincreases flexibility.

• Physical activity increases endurance and helpsthe heart and lungs work better.

Healthy Physical Activity Action:To stay healthy, I will do a variety of physical activi-ties at least three times a week.


• Distinguish between behaviors that arephysically active and inactive.

• Identify the benefits of being active.

Materials:� Physical activity “Key Ideas” poster

� Sample pictures of active and inactive people(see page 38)

� Scissors

� Magazines that include lots of people pictures

� Large paper or newsprint

� Markers

� “Sit and Reach Rating Card” (see page 39)—two or three copies on heavy paper

� Masking tape

� Mats (if doing activities indoors)

� Cones or flags (optional)

� Large index cards or paper—one card or sheetper child

� Pencils

� Snack supplies



Procedure:Before the meeting:1. Make the physical activity “Key Ideas” poster

and display it in your meeting space where thechildren can easily see it.

2. Make a copy of page 38, which shows picturesof people being active and inactive. Cut the pageinto two individual pictures.

3. Find additional pictures from magazines thatshow examples of people being active and inac-tive. Cut them out.

4. Prepare for the three fitness stations, which areadapted from fitness assessments used by the

President’s Council on Physical Fitnessand Sports.

• Station 1: Sit and Reach—Make a signfor this station. Make two or three copiesof the “Sit and Reach Rating Card” onpage 39. If possible, copy the card ontoindex or other heavy paper stock. Usemasking tape to affix the cards in onepart of your meeting area. Place themabout 5 feet apart.

• Station 2: Curl-Ups—Make a sign for thisstation. If you’re doing the activity indoors,try to find a couple of mats that the kids canlie on when doing the curl-ups.

• Station 3: Running—Make a sign for thisstation. Locate an area for the station with100 to 150 feet of straight running room. Useitems such as cones or flags to clearly markboth ends of this distance.

5. If you have a large group of children, you mightwant to identify other adults or older teens tohelp at each fitness station.

6. Gather any supplies you need for the meetingsnack, along with any other supplies you need(such as index cards for the kids).

During the meeting:1. Sit in a circle with the children and show them

the pictures of people being active and inactive.Ask them to tell which people are being active.Ask them to share their ideas of how beingphysically active affects people’s health. Pointto the physical activity “Key Ideas” poster. Askfor a volunteer to read each of the following“Healthy Physical Activity Awareness” statementsand ask the group if they know why each state-ment is important:

• Physical activity keeps people strongand healthy.

• Physical activity builds strength andincreases flexibility.

• Physical activity increases endurance andhelps the heart and lungs work better.

Use the children’s responses to gauge what theyalready know about healthy physical activitychoices. If any of the children aren’t familiar withthe terms “strength,” “flexibility” and “endurance,”make sure you define them for the group(strength is how much force you can exert with

33

ACTIVITY: Moving to Action

34

your muscles, flexibility means that you can moveyour muscles and joints through their full rangeof motion, and endurance is your ability to keepmoving for long periods of time).

2. Show the active pictures again and ask thegroup to think of the benefits people get from thedifferent activities. Point out that not all activitiesgive the same benefits. Have the children choosewhich activities increase strength, enduranceand flexibility. Keep in mind that some activitiescan increase one, two or all three of these areasat one time.

3. Ask the children to think about the ways they useto keep active. List their responses on the leftside of a large sheet of paper or newsprint.Examples of their ideas might be running, playingsoccer, roller skating or skating on in-line skates(rollerblading), skate boarding, playing on thejungle gym during recess, swimming, walkingtheir dog, playing basketball or jogging. Afteryou’ve listed all their ideas, go back through thelist and ask the group to identify whether eachactivity builds strength, flexibility or endurance.

4. Invite the children to explore their own physicalfitness by taking part in the three fitness stations.Give each child a pencil and a large index card orsheet of paper to use as a scorecard. Have themwrite their names on the cards, along with theseheadings: Station 1, Station 2, Station 3, Station1. Rotate the children through the three fitnessstations, having everyone start at Station 1: Sitand Reach. Have them repeat the Sit and Reachstation at the end (since they’ll be a little moreflexible at that point). Have them use their indexcards to mark the results at each station. Youmay want to set a time limit on each station tomake sure that everyone rotates through the sta-tions quickly.

• Station 1: Sit and Reach—This station isdesigned to measure the flexibility of the lowerback and hamstrings. Have the children sitwith their heels on the heel line marked in themiddle of the “Sit and Reach Rating Cards” youhave taped to the ground. Have the kids thenreach forward with their hands as far as theycan and record the furthest number where theirfingers reach. Encourage the children to reachslowly rather than to bounce while they stretch.

• Station 2: Curl-Ups—This station is designedto measure abdominal strength and endurance.

Have the children work in pairs and have onechild lie on his or her back with knees bent andfeet flat on the ground or the mat 6 to 8 inchesfrom the buttocks. With the arms crossed andin contact with the chest, the child should curlforward beginning with the head and thenshoulders until the arms touch the thighs.He or she should then return to the mat andrepeat the motion. Meanwhile, the partnershould kneel at the end of the child’s legs andhold down his or her feet. Note: Children whocannot do a curl-up can count the number oftimes they can curl their shoulders off the mat.


Sit and Reach

Curl-Ups

6–8inches

Have the children record the number of curl-ups on their index card.

• Station 3: Running—This station is designedto measure endurance. Have the children runback and forth from the beginning to the endof the distance you’ve marked off. They shouldcontinue until they feel tired. Their score is thenumber of times they’ve gone up and back,and they should record this figure on theirindex card.

• Station 1: Sit and Reach—Have the childrenrepeat this station.

5. Have the children wash their hands so they canexperience a healthy snack. Provide the snackyou’ve prepared or enlist the help of the kids toprepare the snack.

Talking It Over:While the children are eating their snack, ask themthe following questions to complete the experientiallearning cycle. Use the physical activity “Key Ideas”poster to emphasize the key points of this section.

1. Which of the fitness stations measured yourflexibility? Which measured your strength?Which measured your endurance? (Station 1measured flexibility, Station 2 measured abdomi-nal strength and endurance, and Station 3 meas-ured endurance.)

2. Did all of you get the same scores at the sta-tions? (It’s likely that there were some differencesamong the children.) Why were your scores dif-ferent? (Just as people have different bodyshapes and sizes, they also have different abili-ties when it comes to flexibility, strength andendurance. However, people do have one thingin common: everyone can work on improving hisor her flexibility, strength and endurance.)

3. What are some of the fitness activities you did overthe past week? Which of these activities couldimprove your flexibility, strength or endurance?

4. Can you think of a goal you could have forhealthy physical activity? (Ask the children tolook at the “Healthy Physical Activity Action”statement on the poster: To stay healthy, I willdo a variety of physical activities at least threetimes a week.)

5. Why is it important to include physical activity inyour life? (When you are physically fit, your heart,lungs and muscles are strong, and your body is

firm and flexible. Being physically active alsocontributes to good mental health.)

Adapting the Activityfor Younger Children:• Instead of doing the fitness stations, have the

children sing and do the motions for the “Headand Shoulders Song”:

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.Head and shoulders, knees and toes,

knees and toes,And eyes and ears and mouth and nose.Head and shoulders, knees and toes,

knees and toes.

Have the group sing the song through severaltimes, getting faster each time. Then sing itthrough twice, getting slower each time. Finishwith one time through very fast.

• Do a variation on “Follow the Leader” by doing awalking activity where each child gets to lead thegroup on a walk. The leader can vary the walkingby doing things like jumping, putting hands in airwhile walking, taking large steps, taking smallsteps or hopping on one foot.

• Find pictures of a variety of animals from sourceslike National Geographic magazine. Provide thepictures to your group and ask each child tochoose an animal and give it a name. Ask the kidsto think about and demonstrate how each animalstays physically active. For example, “Freddie theFish” swims and keeps his body moving in thewater by wriggling back and forth. “Beatrice theBee” continuously moves her wings as she fliesfrom flower to flower.

• Play movement games such as “Automobiles” or“Back to Back”:

– Automobiles: This game is designed to helpkids control their body movements in responseto visual cues provided by different colors. You’llneed three colored cards (red, yellow and green)that are large enough for the group to see easily.You’ll also need to create a large “traffic circle”by using masking tape or cones. Have thechildren space themselves out on the circle.Explain that the colored cards stand for differentactions: green means go, yellow means moveslowly with caution, and red means stop. Askthe children to pretend to be car drivers and tostop or go in response to the cards. Indicate the

35


36

direction in which they must all go. When thecard is green, they can move swiftly around thecircle and they are allowed to pass each other—on the outside only and without touching. Whenthe card is yellow, they must slow down to acautious walk. When the card is red, they muststop within two steps. If anyone takes morethan two steps to stop or falls down or touchesanother driver, he or she must take his or hercar into the garage in the center of the circle forrepairs (this timeout should last one turn). Tellthe group that the goal is for everyone to stayon the road without being sent to the garage.You can vary the game by changing the drivingdirection or by having the kids use other loco-motion skills such as jumping, skipping or hop-ping on one foot. You can also replace the visualcues with sound cues (such as drum beats,bells or music), and you can have the childrentake turns as the “traffic director.” Continuethe game long enough for the children to get agood workout.

– Back-to-Back: This game is designed to helpthe children use a variety of locomotion skills.The objective is for the kids to find a partnerwhen a command is called (such as “back-to-back”) and assume that position with the part-ner. Tell the children to move freely in the areayou’ve chosen for the game area (this should bea large open area where they can move aboutfreely). On the call “back-to-back,” everyoneshould move quickly to find a partner to standback-to-back with. Continue the game by givinga variety of commands (such as “shoulder-to-shoulder,” “head-to-head” or “toe-to-toe”).Tell the children that they should be sure tolocate a new partner each time until they’vepartnered with everyone. You can vary thisgame by having the children move about indifferent ways (walking, running, skipping,hopping) and by having the children take turnsgiving the commands.

Adapting the Activityfor Older Children:• Have the children set physical activity goals and

keep track of what they accomplish in a week orover several weeks. Encourage them to includewalking as a part of their routine and to keepa journal of how far they walk each day so

they can determine the total distance of theirwalking activity.

• Teach children how to take their pulse when theyare at rest and during exercise. Tell them that thepulse represents the beating of the heart. Doctorsand nurses use a stethoscope to listen to ourhearts during physical examinations to determineour heart rate, but we can use our fingers todetermine our heart or pulse rate. Here are twoways to have the children take their resting pulse.Make sure the children have been resting for sev-eral minutes to identify the resting rate:

– Take your radial pulse. Place your pointer fingerand middle finger of your right or left hand in thegroove in the wrist that lies beneath the thumbof your other hand. Move your fingers backand forth gently until you feel a slight pulsation.This is your radial artery. Don’t press too hard!When I say “go,” keep track of the number ofpulses you feel. (Wait for 30 seconds between“go” and “stop.”) When I say “stop,” rememberthe number of pulses. Now, let’s multiply thatnumber by two to get your heart rate. For exam-ple, if your number was 50, then multiply that bytwo to get a heart rate of 100.

– Take your carotid pulse. The carotid arteriessupply blood to your head and neck. You canfeel the carotid pulse by placing your rightpointer finger and middle finger alongside theright outer edge below your jaw (the left handand side can also be used). Find the slight pul-sation and, again, don’t press too hard. WhenI say “go,” keep track of the number of pulsesyou feel. (Wait for 30 seconds between “go”and “stop.”) When I say “stop,” remember thenumber of pulses. Again, let’s multiply thatnumber by two to get your heart rate.


Taking a radial pulse Taking a carotid pulse

Now have the children do a physical activity forseveral minutes (such as a game or the fitnessstations included in the activity) and then repeatthe two techniques for determining their pulse.The rates they get should be quite a bit higherthan their resting heart rates. Tell the children thattheir heart rates are higher than adults’ heartrates and may run around 100 or so at rest andup to 200 or greater with physical exertion.

• Have the group create plans for a playgroundthat’s designed to help children stay active. Take afield trip to a local playground to explore the kindsof activities available and to spark new ideas.

• Invite local high school or college athletes tospeak to your group about how they stay physi-cally active. Take the group on a visit to thespeakers’ athletic practice sessions or events.

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38

EXAMPLES OF ACTIVE AND INACTIVE PEOPLE

ACTIVE

INACTIVE

39

SIT AND REACH RATING CARD

How Far Can You Reach?Put your heels on the zeros and see how far your fingers can reach.

10987654321

00000000000000–1–2–3

00000000000000

40

Physical Activity Family Letter

Date:

Dear Families:



Healthy Habits, a program designed to help children practice behaviors that will reinforce a

healthy lifestyle and reduce the risk of cancer in their future. We are now learning about “Healthy

Habits for Good Physical Activity” by exploring the importance of building physical activity into

our daily activities. Studies show that 60 percent of the nation’s children get exercise less than

three times per week, and more than 35 percent of our adult population is overweight.

Encouraging a physically active lifestyle at an early age—and one that features activities that build

strength, flexibility and endurance—helps set behavior patterns for later years.

The “Healthy Habits for Good Physical Activity” activities are designed to do the following

with the group:


• Physical activity keeps people strong and healthy.

• Physical activity builds strength and increases flexibility.

• Physical activity increases endurance and helps the heart and lungs work better.


action statement:

• To stay healthy, I will do a variety of physical activities at least three times a week.










Sincerely,

Special Notes:


your group improve their awareness ofthe harm that can be caused by usingtobacco products or by being aroundsecondhand smoke and to give themhints for avoiding tobacco and smoke.This section includes leader background content foryou to review, information for a “Key Ideas” poster,three activities to use with your group (whichinclude time for healthy snacks), and a “FamilyLetter” that you can customize and share with thekids’ families.

Leader Background InformationFollowing are key points for you to review and keepin mind as you explore tobacco use prevention withyour group:

• Smoking causes cancers of the mouth, throat andlungs, and contributes to many other cancers. Italso causes heart disease, harms unborn babiesand can cause premature births. When peoplesmoke, carbon monoxide takes the place ofoxygen in the blood cells, and this can makesmokers feel tired and out-of-breath. Tar from theinhaled smoke clogs the hair-like fibers called ciliathat line the airways (bronchial tubes), reducingtheir ability to move dirt and germs out of thelungs. It also irritates the linings of the nose, throatand lungs. This is why smokers have morecoughs, colds and other lung diseases than non-smokers do. Parts of the respiratory systemtouched by tar often develop abnormal cells,which can become cancer.

• Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a combina-tion of sidestream smoke and secondhand smoke.Sidestream smoke comes from the burning end ofthe tobacco product. Secondhand smoke is

smoke that is exhaled by a smoker.Nonsmokers who breathe the smokefrom other people’s cigarettes breathein most of the same chemicals assmokers. These toxic chemicals include:

– Carbon monoxide (also found incar exhaust)

– Ammonia (also found in household cleaners)

– Arsenic (also found in rat poison)

– Nicotine (also found in some pesticides)

– Benzene chemical solvent (known tocause cancer)

– Formaldehyde (also used to preserve lab animals)

• Nonsmokers who live with smokers have muchhigher rates of lung cancer than other nonsmok-ers. ETS increases the number of childhoodcases of bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, middleear infections and other respiratory infections.It causes coughing, eye irritation, headaches, andsmelly clothes and hair.

• To understand the effects of smoking and ETS,it’s helpful to have a good understanding of thebreathing process. The diaphragm, a muscle justbelow the lungs, expands and contracts. Thischanges the size of the chest cavity and allows airin or pushes air out of the lungs. When we inhaleor breathe in, air enters the body through thenose and mouth and travels down the throat andnasal passage to the windpipe or trachea. Littlehairs in the throat and nose trap particles of dustin the air before they enter the trachea. The insidewalls of the trachea are lined with little hair-likecells called cilia. The membranes of the cilia trapdirt and germs in mucus. The cilia move themucus out of the trachea.

Lungs are like an upside-down tree. The windpipeor trachea is the trunk, which divides into branches

41

Healthy Habitsfor Tobacco Use Prevention

42

and twigs. The two branches are called bronchi.These are also lined with mucus and cilia, whichcontinue to clean the air. These divide into thetwigs or bronchioles. At the end of the twigsare tiny balloon-like air sacs called alveoli. Theamount of air that alveoli balloons can contain iscalled lung capacity.

Oxygen in the air passes through the thin wallsof the air sacs and through the thin walls of tinyblood vessels into the blood stream. Blood cellscarry the oxygen from the lungs to the heart.The heart pumps the oxygen-rich blood to allbody cells, which need it to do their jobs and tomultiply. Then these same blood cells carry wasteand carbon dioxide away from body cells back tothe heart, which pumps them back through thelungs. Carbon dioxide passes back through thewalls of the blood vessels and through the wallsof the alveoli into the lungs. Air with carbon diox-ide is pushed out of the lungs by the diaphragm.It passes up through the windpipe, through themouth and nose and out of the body when weexhale or breathe out.

(Adapted from Do It Yourself, Making HealthChoices, American Cancer Society, 1994.)

• Smokeless tobacco, or spit tobacco, comes intwo forms. One is chewing tobacco, a loose-leaf tobacco that the user puts in a wad insidethe cheek. The person chewing the tobacco willusually spit out the tobacco juices and saliva

when they build up in the mouth. The secondform of smokeless tobacco is snuff. This is afinely ground tobacco that is generally placedbetween the cheek and gum. Snuff also causesjuices and saliva that are spit out after they buildup in the mouth. In smokeless tobacco, theamount of nicotine absorbed in the body is twoto three times the amount delivered by a ciga-rette, and it stays in the bloodstream for a longerperiod of time. Smokeless tobacco contains atleast 28 cancer-causing chemicals.

• Sooner or later most children will be offered acigarette or asked to do something else theyknow they shouldn’t do and don’t want to do.Many times children agree to the harmful behav-iors because they don’t want to lose their friendsor don’t know how to comfortably say “no.”Research tells us that people who practice saying“no” are better able to stand up for themselvesand say “no” when confronted in a real situation.Use the activities in this section to help childrendevelop a way to say “no” that is comfortable forthem and allows them to keep their friends.Children need to realize that saying “no” is aneveryday communication skill that both childrenand adults need.

• It’s very important to be sensitive to the factthat some of the children’s parents or otherfamily members might be smokers or useother tobacco products. You should use the“Healthy Habits Tobacco Use Prevention FamilyLetter” (see page 53) to inform parents ahead oftime that you are going to be working with thechildren on understanding the risks of tobaccouse and on exposure to secondhand smoke.Explain to the children that many people startedsmoking before they knew all the harmful effectsof tobacco. It is very hard for people to quit andthat’s why many people are still smoking or usingother tobacco products even though they wouldlike to stop. That is also why the best idea isnever to start.

• Some helpful vocabulary words for thissection include:

– Trachea: The passageway that allows air intothe lungs

– Bronchi/bronchioles: The smaller passage-ways that allow air into the alveoli

– Alveoli: The small air sacs where oxygen entersthe blood stream and carbon dioxide leavesthe bloodRespiratory System

Nose

Mouth

Windpipeor Trachea

TwoLobesof theLeftLung

PulmonaryArtery

Capillaries

PulmonaryVein

Alveolus(Air Sac)

Bronchiole

ThreeLobesof theRightLung

Left MainBronchial

Tube

Throat

Right MainBronchial

Tube

Diaphragm

– Diaphragm: An involuntary muscle thatcontrols breathing

– Nasal passage: The passage that allows airinto the body beginning at the nose

– Cilia: The small moveable hairlike structuresthat sweep dust and dirt back out of the lungs

– Oxygen: The part of air that is needed by thebody to change food into energy

– Carbon dioxide: A waste product that leavesthe blood through the air sacs and is exhaledout the lungs

Tobacco Use Prevention“Key Ideas” PosterFollowing is a listing of the healthy awarenessconcepts and the healthy action concepts related

to tobacco use prevention that are explored in thissection. Transfer these key ideas to a poster (orbetter yet, enlist a couple of children to do it for you)so you can display the ideas as your group experi-ences the activities.

Healthy Tobacco Use Prevention Awareness:• Tobacco products contain tars and other sub-

stances that are harmful to lungs.

• People can say “no” when someone offers them acigarette or other tobacco product.

• People can take steps to avoid secondhand smoke.

Healthy Tobacco Use Prevention Action:To stay healthy, I will not smoke or use tobaccoproducts, and I will avoid secondhand smoke.

43

44


• Identify the main parts of the respira-tory system.

• Begin to understand how their lungs work.

Materials:� Tobacco use prevention “Key Ideas” poster

� Masking tape

� “Respiratory System” coloring handout(see page 47)—one per child

� Poster of respiratory system (use the “RespiratorySystem Handout” as a model to draw a largeversion or enlarge it on a photocopy machine;you can also check with a teacher supply storeto see if they have a poster of this system)

� Lung model materials—gather enough for onemodel per child; following are the materialsneeded for one model:

• Clear 24 oz. (or larger) plastic bottle withtwist-off cap

• Two straws that bend near one end

• 15 inches of electrical tape

• Modeling clay (about the size of aPing-Pong® ball)

• Three balloons (two small-sized and onemedium-sized)

• One rubber band

• Gallon-sized food storage plastic bag

� Scissors

� Red, blue and yellow crayons—so each child hasall three colors

� Snack supplies

� Other materials may be needed foradapting the activity for younger orolder children (see directions nearthe end of the “Procedure” section ofthis activity)


Procedure:Before the meeting:1. Make the tobacco use prevention “Key Ideas”

poster and display it in your meeting spacewhere the children can easily see it.

2. Duplicate the “Respiratory System” coloringhandout and prepare the “Respiratory System”poster.

3. Gather and prepare the materials for the lungmodels and make one model following the direc-tions listed below:• Step 1. Use scissors to cut the bottom of the

plastic bottle. Discard the twist-off cap and thebottom piece of the bottle.

• Step 2. Use a piece of electrical tape to tapeone of the small balloons to the flexible end ofone of the straws. Repeat with the secondsmall balloon and straw.

• Step 3. Tape the two straws together aboutthree inches down from their open ends andblow into the straws (both at the same time) tomake sure the balloons inflate.

• Step 4. Place the straws into the bottom endof the bottle so that the straw ends go upthrough the bottle neck. Wrap the clay aroundthe top of the bottle where the straws protrudeto make an air-tight seal.

ACTIVITY: Going with the (Air) Flow!

Step One Step Two Step Three Step Four

• Step 5. Cut open thelarger balloon andstretch it tightly over theopen bottom ofthe bottle. Wrap therubber band around it tosecure it to the bottle.Leave a little slack in theballoon so it can bepushed up and pulleddown to imitate theaction of the diaphragm.

Use the scissors to cutthe bottoms off all the plastic bottles that thekids will be using, then separate the clay intoballs and package all the materials for individ-ual models into the plastic bags.

During the meeting:1. Sit in a circle with the children and point to the

tobacco use prevention “Key Ideas” poster. Askfor a volunteer to read each of the following“Healthy Tobacco Use Prevention Awareness”statements and ask the group if they know whyeach statement is important:

• Tobacco products contain tars and other sub-stances that are harmful to lungs.

• People can say “no” when someone offersthem a cigarette or other tobacco product.

• People can take steps to avoid second-hand smoke.

Use the children’s responses to gauge what theyalready know about tobacco use prevention.

2. Ask the children to take several deep breaths.Ask them what happens inside their body whenthey take a deep breath. Ask them what happensto their breathing when they are playing hard.They will probably say things like they breathehard or faster. Explain that breathing is whatkeeps us alive because the air we breathe bringsoxygen into our bodies, and oxygen is needed toturn the food we eat into energy. In addition, oneof the waste products from that breathing proc-ess is carbon dioxide, which is exhaled from thebody when we breathe out. Tell them that they’regoing to explore how our lungs work.

3. Show the lung poster to the group and point outthe parts of the respiratory system. Distribute the“Respiratory System” coloring sheet and the

crayons, and ask the kids to color the differentparts as indicated. (It’s helpful to have a colored-insample available to show younger children.) Whenthe group is finished coloring, review the parts ofthe respiratory system that they have colored.

4. Show the sample lung model to the group anddemonstrate how it works:

When you blow up a balloon, you blow air intothe rubber balloon. (Demonstrate by blowing intoa balloon.) There are little air sacs in your lungsthat are like balloons. However, you don’t havesomeone to blow into your lungs—or bring it intoyour lungs—each time you breathe. Instead, withyour lungs, you blow the air in by inhaling. Thetwo balloons in this model are like the air sacsin your lungs. Instead of blowing through thestraws to make the balloons expand, we can pulldown on this rubber at the bottom of the bottle.Watch what happens to the balloons. (Pull downon the rubber. The two balloons in the bottleshould “inhale” or expand. Then release therubber and the balloons should “exhale” or con-tract.) Look at your picture of the respiratorysystem. The straws are like your throat and thetubes going into your lungs. The balloons are likethe little air sacks in your lungs. The rubber at thebottom is like the diaphragm muscle right underyour lungs. That muscle is what helps your lungstake in air.

5. Distribute the lung model supplies to the childrenand help them build their lung models.

6. After the children have finished and tried out theirmodels, ask them to find the parts of the modelthat represent the trachea, the airways orbronchi, and the air sacs or alveoli. Explain thatthere are other parts of the respiratory system,but they’ve just constructed the main parts.

7. If you have time, adapt the “Head and ShouldersSong” by having the kids add “lungs” to thewords and motions:

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,knees and toes.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,knees and toes,

And eyes and ears and mouthand nose and lungs.

(Take a big breath here.)

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,knees and toes.

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Step Five

46

Have the group sing the song through severaltimes, getting faster each time. Then sing itthrough twice, getting slower each time. Finishwith one time through very fast.


Talking It Over:While the children are eating their snack, ask themthe following questions to complete the experientiallearning cycle. Use the tobacco use prevention“Key Ideas” poster to emphasize the key points ofthis section.

1. Why are your lungs important? (Through inhaling,lungs take oxygen into our bodies. Oxygen is the“fuel” that our bodies need to function. Throughexhaling, lungs remove carbon dioxide from ourbodies, which helps relieve our bodies of waste.)

2. What are the main parts of our respiratorysystem? (The main parts include the nose, mouth,trachea, bronchi, alveoli, lungs and diaphragm.)

3. Can you think of anything that’s harmful to ourlungs? (Answers might include smoking ciga-rettes, inhaling secondhand smoke, air pollutionand certain chemicals.)

Adapting the Activityfor Younger Children:• Instead of having the children make lung models,

provide several sample models that they canplay with.

Adapting the Activityfor Older Children:• Eliminate the “Head and Shoulders Song.”

• Arrange for children to demonstrate their lungmodels to another group of children or to a groupof adults. Have them also demonstrate themodels at a science or health fair.


AMAZING FACT!If the lungs of an adult werespread out with a steamroller

to a super thin one-cellthickness, they would cover

a tennis court!

47

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM HANDOUT

Color the diagram as follows:Bronchi—Blue (B)Alveoli—Yellow (Y)

Heart—Red (R)

Label these parts of the respiratory system: nose, mouth, trachea, diaphragm, alveoli, bronchi

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

YY

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

YY

Y

BB

B

B

R

48


• Understand that smoking tobacco andsmokeless tobacco contain chemicalsthat are harmful to the body.

• Recognize secondhand smoke assomething harmful to lungs.

• Identify ways to protect lungs from second-hand smoke.


� Respiratory poster from the “Going With the (Air)Flow” activity

� Masking tape

� Lung model from the “Going With the (Air)Flow” activity

� Clear glass or plastic jar (with at least a 24-ouncecapacity) with cover

� Measuring cup

� Water

� Two cigarettes

� Newsprint or other large paper

� Marker

� Two-story dollhouse (use an actual dollhouseor create a model of a house using a card-board box)

� Toy car

� Paper

� Crayons

� Snack supplies

� Other materials may be needed for adapting theactivity for younger and older children (see direc-tions near the end of the “Procedure” section ofthis activity)


Procedure:Before the meeting:1. Put three cups of water in the jar. Unwrap two

cigarettes and put the tobacco in the water.Cover and shake the jar, and let it sit overnightbefore your meeting.

2. Make sure the tobacco use prevention“Key Ideas” poster is displayed in themeeting space where the children caneasily see it. Also display the poster ofthe respiratory system that was used inthe “Going With the (Air) Flow” activity.

3. Gather the other materials needed.

During the meeting:1. Sit in a circle with the children and introduce the

activity by showing one of the lung models fromthe “Going With the (Air) Flow” activity. Ask thechildren if they remember what they learnedfrom that activity. If they don’t bring it up, remindthem about the importance of the lungs and theother parts of the respiratory system. Ask thekids if they remember some of the things theythought of that are harmful to the respiratorysystem. One of the things they’ll mention issmoking. Tell the group that just being aroundsmoke can hurt your lungs and that they’re goingto do an activity that explores ways they cankeep their lungs safe when they’re around peoplewho smoke.

2. Show the children the jar you prepared and askthem what they think is in the water. (The chil-dren may want to handle the jar, so be sure totell them to keep the lid on it.) Explain that chem-icals contained in cigarettes are coming out inthe water. If a person were smoking cigarettesor using smokeless tobacco, these chemicalswould be coming out in their body. (Do a stop-action with your group here and be sure thatall the kids are familiar with smokeless tobacco.Use the information from the “LeaderBackground Information” section to give thema quick explanation of both spit and snufftobacco.) Explain that the chemicals are harmfulto the body because they cause diseases suchas cancer and can clog the trachea, bronchiand alveoli.

3. Ask the kids to brainstorm a list of all the placeswhere people cannot smoke. Remind them ofthe rules of brainstorming:

Rule 1: Do not judge ideas!

Rule 2: It’s okay to be far-out.

Rule 3: Think of as many ideas as you can.

Rule 4: Piggyback on someone else’s ideas.

Record the group’s answers on newsprint.

ACTIVITY: Don’t Let Your Health Go Up in Smoke!

4. Ask the group to brainstorm a list of the placeswhere people can smoke. Record the answerson the newsprint.

5. Show the model of the dollhouse and ask thekids to imagine that they’re in a room on thefirst floor where someone is smoking. Ask themto come up with ideas for ways they could pro-tect their lungs from the secondhand smoke.Possible responses might include going outside,leaving the room, opening a window, turning on afan or asking the person to stop smoking.

6. Show the toy car to the group and ask them toimagine that they are riding in the car with some-one who is smoking. Ask them to come up withideas for ways they could protect their lungs fromthe secondhand smoke. Possible responsesmight include rolling down the window, turningon the car’s ventilation system or asking theperson to stop smoking.

7. Have children practice politely asking people notto smoke around them. Ask them to find a part-ner and practice asking one another out loud.Remind them to include the word “please” and topolitely tell the other person why they are askinghim or her not to smoke (“I would appreciate it ifyou would please not smoke because it hurts mylungs” or “Would you please not smoke becauseit makes me cough?”) Have the children sharetheir best requests with the entire group.

8. Ask the children to design a clean air sign thatthey could display in a room or car. They mightinclude something like the following on their sign:

My lungs have to last a lifetime—clean aironly, please!

Living zone—no smoking, please!

Have the kids share their signs with the group.



1. Why is smoking tobacco and using spit tobaccoharmful to our bodies? (Tobacco contains chemi-cals that are harmful to the body because theycause diseases such as cancer and can clog thetrachea, bronchi and alveoli.)

2. What are some ways you can use to avoidsecondhand smoke in a building or in a car?(Possible responses might include going outside,leaving the room, opening a window, turning ona fan or ventilation system, or politely asking theperson to stop smoking.)

3. Many places like schools and office buildingsban smoking. Can you think of other placeswhere smoking should be banned?

4. What might you say to a friend who is thinkingabout smoking or chewing tobacco? (Possibleresponses might include “I would appreciate it ifyou would please not smoke because the smokecan not only hurt your lungs, it can hurt mine aswell” or “Please don’t use chewing tobaccobecause it can be really harmful to your body.”)

49


REMINDER!Be sensitive to the fact that

some of the children’s parentsor other family members might

be smokers or use othertobacco products. Explain tothe children that many peoplestarted smoking or using othertobacco products before theyknew all the harmful effects.It is very hard for people toquit and that’s why manypeople are still smoking or

using other tobacco productseven though they would like tostop. That is also why the best

idea is never to start.

50

Adapting the Activityfor Younger Children:• Focus on either the house or car setting for the

brainstorming activity.• Instead of having the children make individual

signs, have the group work together to create alarge poster of reasons why secondhand smokeis harmful.

Adapting the Activityfor Older Children:• Compare the lung model from the “Going With

the (Air) Flow” activity with a lung model madeusing waxed paper at the end of the strawsinstead of balloons. Tell the children that thismodel represents the respiratory system of asmoker because the waxed paper doesn’t

expand and contract as easily as the balloon.The elasticity is gone and the diaphragm is noteasily able to pull air into the lungs.

• For a more graphic demonstration using thecigarette water, pour the water from one jar intoanother using several layers of cheeseclothover the opening of the first jar. Ask the kids todescribe what is happening. Note that thecheesecloth will retain some of the discoloration,but some will remain in the water and run throughto the second jar. Point out that this is what hap-pens with tobacco in the body. Some of it stays inthe body and causes damage, and some of itcontaminates the air around the smoker.

• Invite a local legislator, city official or healthdepartment worker to the meeting to talk aboutthe smoke-free policies in your area.



• Practice saying “no” in comfortablewords when they are offered a cigaretteor anything harmful.

• Learn a four-step process for saying “no.”


� Respiratory poster from the “Going With the (Air)Flow” activity

� Masking tape

� Newsprint or other large paper

� Markers

� 3- by 5-inch index cards in different colors—provide several cards per child

� Crayons

� String

� Paper punch

� Stapler

� Snack supplies

� Other materials may be needed for adapting theactivities for younger or older children (see direc-tions near the end of the “Procedure” section ofthis activity)


Procedure:Before the meeting:1. Make sure the tobacco use prevention “Key

Ideas” poster is displayed in the meeting spacewhere the children can easily see it. Also displaythe poster of the respiratory system that wasused in the “Going With the (Air) Flow” activity.

2. Create the four-step “NOPE” poster by writingthe following on a sheet of newsprint or otherlarge paper:

NOPE:No—Say “No.”Outcome—Tell why.Plan—Plan another idea.Exit—Leave the area.

3. Create the helpful hints poster bywriting the following on a sheet ofnewsprint or other large paper:

Hints for saying NOPE:Be firm!Be friendly!Be factual!Be final!

4. Gather the other materials needed.

During the meeting:1. Sit in a circle with the children and point to the

poster of the respiratory system. Ask if they canremember how tobacco affects our health. Ifthey don’t bring it up, remind them that tobaccocontains chemicals that are harmful to the bodybecause they cause diseases such as cancerand can clog the trachea, bronchi and alveoli.Also remind them that the smoke from tobaccocan harm both the person who is using it andpeople who are nearby.

2. Ask the children what they have learned abouttobacco from their parents, friends and others.Accept all the children’s answers as long as theyare factual. Ask them why they think peoplesmoke if there are so many harmful things aboutit. Why do people think it’s cool?

3. Ask the group how they say “no” when someoneasks them to try something they think is harmful.After they’ve shared their examples, tell themthey’re going to learn a four-step way to say “no.”Point to the poster you’ve created and explainthe four NOPE steps:

NOPE:No—Say “No.” (Tell the kids to say “no” politely,firmly and clearly.)Outcome—Tell why. (Tell the kids to give anexample like “it’s bad for my health and it smells.”)Plan—Plan another idea. (Think of somethingelse to do like riding bikes or watching videos.)Exit—Leave the area. (Don’t stay where theactivity is taking place.)

4. Use the other poster you made to give thechildren some tips for putting “NOPE”into action.

Hints for saying NOPE:Be firm! (Tell the kids to say “no” and mean it.)Be friendly! (Tell the kids they can say “no” andstill keep their friends.)

51

ACTIVITY: Say NOPE to Smoke

52

Be factual! (Tell the kids they should give areason for their “no.”)Be final! (Tell the kids not to argue with peopleand to walk away if needed.)

5. Have the children work in pairs and have onepretend to offer the other a cookie so the othercan practice using the NOPE response. Thenhave them switch roles so the other one canpractice NOPE. (Note that the children shouldoffer a pretend cookie rather than a pretendcigarette. This avoids putting them in the positionof role-playing someone who is trying to getsomeone else to smoke.)

6. Distribute the index cards and crayons to thechildren and ask them to create their own NOPEbooklet or NOPE necklace. Staple the bookletstogether and punch the necklace cards andstring them into a necklace. Ask the children toshare their creations with the group.



1. Is it hard to say “no”? Why or why not? (Oneresponse might be that we are sometimes afraidto say “no” to our friends because of what theymight think of us.)

2. Can you think of other situations you might be inwhere you would want to use the NOPE steps?(Examples might be when someone asks you togo someplace that’s not safe or when someoneoffers you food that’s not healthy for you.)

3. Can you think of situations where you’ve heardadults saying “no”?

4. Who are people you could talk to for adviceabout situations where you need to say “no”?(The children might mention parents, older broth-ers or sisters, friends, a teacher or a 4-H leader.)

5. Can you think of a goal you could have for avoid-ing tobacco? (Ask the children to look at the“Healthy Tobacco Use Prevention Action” state-ment on the poster: To stay healthy, I will notsmoke or use tobacco products, and I will avoidsecondhand smoke.)

Adapting the Activityfor Younger Children:• Teach the group the following rap adapted from

the Smoke-Free Class of 2000 (a joint project ofthe American Lung Association and the AmericanCancer Society).

When you choose to smokeHere’s what you doYour teeth turn yellowAnd you smell like a zooAnd sooner or later, you’re gonna get sick.You’ll cough a lot and your heart won’t tick!So you can choose to smokeOr choose to be free,It’s up to you and it’s up to me.

Adapting the Activityfor Older Children:• Have the children design a poster showing ways

to say “no” or create a storybook for preschoolerson when they should say “no.”

• Have the group interview adults to find out waysthey use to say “no.”

• Invite teens to talk to the group to share waysthey use to say “no.”

ACTIVITY: Say NOPE to Smoke

53

Tobacco Use Prevention Family Letter

Date:

Dear Families:





Habits for Tobacco Use Prevention” by exploring the harm that can be caused by using tobacco

products or by being around secondhand smoke and by practicing ways to avoid tobacco and

smoke. By learning why they should avoid smoking and smokeless tobacco and by learning ways

to say “no” to these products, children can learn healthy behavior patterns that they can use

throughout their lives.

The “Healthy Habits for Tobacco Use Prevention” activities are designed to do the following with

the group:


• Tobacco products contain tars and other substances that are harmful to lungs.

• People can say “no” when someone offers them a cigarette or other tobacco product.

• People can take steps to avoid secondhand smoke.


action statement:

• To stay healthy, I will not smoke or use tobacco products, and I will avoid secondhand smoke.










Sincerely,

Special Notes:

54


your group improve their awareness ofthe harm that can be caused by exces-sive sun exposure and to give themhints for protecting themselves from toomuch exposure. This section includesleader background content for you to review, infor-mation for a “Key Ideas” poster, two activities touse with your group (which include time for healthysnacks), and a “Family Letter” that you can cus-tomize and share with the kids’ families.

Leader Background InformationFollowing are key points for you to review andkeep in mind as you explore sun protection withyour group:

• The sun provides light and warms the earth,which is necessary for living things. The sun givesout many kinds of radiation, which can be seenas light or felt as heat. Ultraviolet (UV) light isinvisible to humans and has a very strong effecton the body. When UV rays reach the earth,they put people at risk. The amount of UV lightthat reaches the earth changes with the season,altitude, time of day and other factors. All thisexposure can cause serious problems such asearly wrinkling of the skin, skin cancer and otherskin disorders, cataracts and breaking downof the immune system. Currently, one in fiveAmericans develop skin cancer during theirlifetime, and cataracts cause 58 percent of blind-ness worldwide.

• Since UV exposure builds throughout a lifetime,it is important to protect and educate children atan early age. Children spend lots of time outdoorsplaying. While some exposure to sunlight can beenjoyable and healthy, too much can be danger-

ous. Children are particularly at risksince most of an average person’s life-time sun overexposure occurs beforethe age of 18. The good news is thatUV-related health effects are largelypreventable by starting sun protection

practices early and using them consis-tently. Adults can play a major role in protectingchildren by teaching sun safety behaviors.

• A simple way to explain skin cancer to childrenis that it begins when cells in the upper layers ofskin are damaged by the sun’s UV rays and beginto grow too quickly. These cells may start spread-ing and can cause serious health problems if notdetected early.

• Some key strategies are recommended for pre-venting overexposure by the sun. These includeincreasing people’s awareness of the damagethat can be caused by overexposure and buildinghealthy habits of protecting skin, especially duringthe sun’s peak hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thisprotection can be accomplished by encouragingpeople to stay in shaded areas; to wear sun-glasses, wide-brim hats and clothing that coversskin; and to use sunscreen with an SPF (SunProtection Factor) of 15 or more.

• Some helpful vocabulary words for this sec-tion include:

– Melanoma: Melanoma, the most serious formof skin cancer, is also one of the fastest growingtypes of cancer in the United States. Many der-matologists believe there may be a link betweenchildhood sunburns and melanoma later in life.Melanoma cases in this country have more thandoubled in the past two decades, and the rise isexpected to continue.

– Nonmelanoma skin cancers: Nonmelanomaskin cancers are less deadly than melanomas.

Healthy Habitsfor Sun Protection

Nevertheless, if left untreated, they can spreadand cause disfigurement and more serioushealth problems. More than 1.2 millionAmericans developed nonmelanoma skincancer in 2000, and more than 1,900 died fromthe disease. There are two primary types ofnonmelanoma skin cancers:

• Basal cell carcinomas are the most commontype of skin cancer tumors. They usuallyappear as small, fleshy bumps or nodules onthe head and neck, but they can occur onother skin areas. Basal cell carcinoma growsslowly and rarely spreads to other parts of thebody. It can, however, penetrate to the boneand cause considerable damage.

• Squamous cell carcinomas are tumorsthat may appear as nodules or as red, scalypatches. This cancer can develop into largemasses and spread to other parts of the body.

These two cancers have a cure rate as high as95 percent if detected and treated early. The keyis to watch for signs and seek medical treatment.

Taken from the EPA Sunwise web site:www.epa.gov/sunwise/

Sun Protection “Key Ideas” PosterFollowing is a listing of the healthy awarenessconcepts and the healthy action concepts relatedto sun protection that are explored in this section.Transfer these key ideas to a poster (or better yet,enlist a couple of children to do it for you) so youcan display the ideas as your group experiencesthe activities.

Healthy Sun Protection Awareness:• Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun has a strong

effect on the body.

• During the sun’s peak hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,people can protect their skin by:

– Playing in shaded areas.

– Wearing sunglasses and wide-brim hats andcovering up with clothing.

– Using sunscreen with an SPF (Sun ProtectionFactor) of 15 or more.

Healthy Sun Protection Action:To stay healthy, I will protect myself when I am inthe sun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by wearing sun-screen, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat and sunglasses.

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• Gain an understanding of ultraviolet(UV) light.

• Understand the dangers of exposure toexcess UV light.

• Know the time and places of highestUV exposure.

Materials:� Sun protection “Key Ideas” poster

� Posterboard or large paper

� Marker

� Masking tape

� UV index cards—see ordering information below

� “UV Record Sheet” (see page 59)—one per child

� Pencils—one per child

� Snack supplies



Procedure:Before the meeting:1. Make the sun protection “Key Ideas” poster and

display it in your meeting space where the chil-dren can easily see it.

2. Order UV index cards. These small reusablecards measure UV light and may be available atscience education supply stores. Another sourcefor ordering is the South Seas Trading Company(www.maui.net/~southskyuvcard2.html). If pos-sible, get one card for each child in your group.If this is too expensive, try to get enough cardsfor your kids to use in small groups (one cardper group).

3. Gather the other supplies needed.

During the meeting:1. Have the children sit where they can see the sun

protection “Key Ideas” poster. Ask for a volunteerto read each of the following “Healthy Sun

Protection Awareness” statements andask the group if they know why eachstatement is important:

• Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun has astrong effect on the body.

• During the sun’s peak hours of 10 a.m.to 3 p.m., people can protect theirskin by:


– Wearing sunglasses and wide-brim hats andcovering up with clothing.

– Using sunscreen with an SPF (Sun ProtectionFactor) of 15 or more.

Use the children’s responses to gauge what theyalready know about healthy sun protection choices.

2. Draw a simple poster that shows a personstanding in the sunlight. Indicate that some of thelight rays (visible light) bounces off the skin, whileother rays (UV rays) are absorbed into the skin.

ACTIVITY: The Case of the Invisible Rays

Sample Poster

Explain to the group that ultraviolet (UV) light isinvisible rays from the sun that are very powerfuland that can be very harmful to humans. Askif anyone has ever had a sunburn. Explain thatUV light causes sunburn and that it can also

result in wrinkles and skin cancer. Skin cancerbegins when cells in the upper layers of skinare damaged by the sun’s UV rays and begin togrow too quickly. These cells may start spread-ing and can cause serious health problems if notdetected early. Melanoma is one kind of skincancer. Point out that even if people don’t get asunburn, their skin can still be damaged by UVlight, and mention that UV rays can damage allskin colors.

3. Tell the group that they’re going to try to solve“The Case of the Invisible Rays.” Give each childa UV index card, a copy of the “UV RecordSheet” and a pencil. (If you were only able to geta few copies of the UV index cards, divide thechildren into small groups and have them worktogether.) Demonstrate the way to use the indexcard by following the manufacturer’s directionsfor timing the card exposure. Have the childrenmeasure the UV index in your meeting room.Unless you are near a window that receivesdirect sunlight, the color strip on the card shouldnot change color under the indoor lights andshould show an index of zero.

4. Take the group outdoors and have them identifythree places where they can measure the UVindex. Encourage them to identify a variety ofplaces including a sunny spot, a partly sunnyspot and a shady area. Have them measure theUV index in the three places and record the indexlevel on their “UV Record Sheet.” Keep in mindthat it may take a few minutes between eachreading so the card re-measures accurately.

5. Have the group return to the meeting roomand wash their hands so they can experiencea healthy snack. Provide the snack you’ve pre-pared or enlist the help of the kids to preparethe snack.

Talking It Over:While the children are eating their snack, ask themthe following questions to complete the experientiallearning cycle. Use the sun protection “Key Ideas”poster to emphasize the key points of this section.

1. Do you remember what “UV” stands for? (UVstands for ultraviolet rays. Another ways to thinkabout UV rays is “invisible rays.”) How can UVrays affect people? (Exposure to UV rays cancause sunburn, wrinkling and other skin damageincluding skin cancer.) Does a person need

to be sunburned in order for UV rays to causedamage? (No, repeated and long-term exposureto UV rays can cause damage as well.)

2. Which of the places we visited outdoors hadthe highest UV rating? Why was this? Whichplace showed the lowest UV rating? Why wasthis? (The highest UV rating should haveoccurred at the place with the most direct sun-light. Point out, however, that UV rays can bemeasured even in shady locations.) Why did theindoor rating show zero UV rays? (There’s noindoor source of sunlight.)

3. Where are other places you would expect to findUV rays? (Examples might include their back-yards, a local park, the beach, a parking lot, theschool playground and the bus stop.) Do we findUV rays only in the summer? (No, UV rays arepresent year-round.)

4. What time of day is it most important to protectyourself against the harmful rays of the sun?(People should take extra efforts to protectthemselves between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., whenthe rays are the strongest.)

5. What are some ways you can protect yourselvesfrom UV rays? (You can cover up with clothing,wear hats and sunglasses, play in shaded areasand wear sunscreen.)

Adapting the Activityfor Younger Children:• Have the group work together to read the UV

index cards and record their readings on agroup poster.

• Have the group measure only three sites: indoors,a sunny location and a shady location.

• Have the group use dark color construction paperto demonstrate the power of the sun. Leavepieces of paper in the sun for varying times to seehow it affects the color of paper.

Adapting the Activityfor Older Children:• Have the group measure the rays in the four

locations and then have them measure UV raysthat are reflected off of sand, water, pavementand grass. If you don’t have a nearby location ofsand and water, you can put some sand on aStyrofoam plate and some water on a second

57


58

plate. Use a ruler to hold the UV card six inchesfrom the surfaces. Hold the UV card face downand measure the UV index over each surface.Compare the results of sand, water, pavementand grass. Point out that sand and water typicallyreflect more UV rays and this is why it’s so easy toget badly sunburned at the beach.

• Have the group measure UV rays at differenttimes of the day. On a sunny day for example,they could record UV rays early in the morningand at noon and in the evening. Have themcompare the results. Stress to the group that thesun is most harmful during the time from 10 a.m.to 3 p.m.


59

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60


• Learn ways to protect their skin fromthe sun.

• Understand the meaning of SPF num-bers on sunscreen lotions.

Materials:� Sun protection “Key Ideas” poster

� Masking tape

� Posterboard or other large paper—one sheetper child

� Markers, crayons, stamps, stickers, etc.

� Hats

� Long-sleeved shirts

� Examples of sunscreen (with an SPF of 15and higher)

� Snack supplies



Procedure:Before the meeting:1. Make the sun protection “Key Ideas” poster and

display it in your meeting space where the chil-dren can easily see it.

2. Gather the supplies needed, including any propsto help you explain the concepts.

During the meeting:1. Have the children sit in a circle and ask them to list

some of the positive effects of the sun. Examplesof answers include that it warms the earth, allowsplants to grow, and provides a source of light andheat. Have the children look at the sun protection“Key Ideas” poster. Ask for a volunteer to readeach of the following “Healthy Sun ProtectionAwareness” statements and ask the group if theyknow why each statement is important:

• Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun has a strongeffect on the body.

• During the sun’s peak hours of 10 a.m.to 3 p.m., people can protect theirskin by:


– Wearing sunglasses and wide-brimhats and covering up with clothing.

– Using sunscreen with an SPF (SunProtection Factor) of 15 or more.

Use the children’s responses to gauge whatthey already know about healthy sun protec-tion choices.

2. Remind the group that too much of anythingcan be a problem. Ask them what happenswhen they are in the sun too long. Childrenunderstand sunburn and may want to talk abouta time that they or a family member had a sun-burn. Tell them that their skin protects theirbodies from lots of things, including too muchsun. Sometimes, however, the sun’s rays are toopowerful and can cause skin cancer. Explain thatskin cancer begins when cells in the upper layersof your skin are damaged by the sun’s UV raysand begin to grow too quickly. These cells maystart spreading and can cause serious healthproblems if not detected early.

3. Invite the group to explore ways to protect theirskin from UV rays. Begin by explaining the “Slip,Slap, Slop” process advocated by the AmericanCancer Society. Use a shirt, hat and bottle ofsunscreen to illustrate the process:

Slip on a shirt!

Slap on a hat!

Slop on sun protection!

4. Ask the children how they think each of the itemswould protect their bodies from harmful rays. Askfor volunteers to use the props as they explain.

5. Show two sunscreens with different sun protec-tion factors. Ask if anyone knows what “SPF”stands for and why one SPF number is higherthan the other. Explain that an SPF of 15 is theminimum rating for sun safety.

6. Distribute poster-making supplies and ask eachchild to make a poster that shows the “Slip,Slap, Slop” message and tells why people wouldwant to follow this advice.

7. Have the children share their completed posterswith the group.

ACTIVITY: Slip, Slap, Slop!

8. Have the group wash their hands so they canexperience a healthy snack. Provide the snackyou’ve prepared or enlist the help of the kids toprepare the snack.

Talking It Over:While the children are eating their snack, ask themthe following questions to complete the experientiallearning cycle. Use the sun protection “Key Ideas”poster to emphasize the key points of this section.

1. How can too much exposure to the sun beharmful? (Overexposure can cause sunburn,wrinkling and other skin damage includingskin cancer.)

2. What can you do to protect your skin from toomuch exposure? (You can remember that thesun’s peak hours are between 10 a.m. and3 p.m. During this time, you can cover up withclothing, wear hats and sunglasses, play inshaded areas and wear sunscreen.)

3. Can you think of jobs where people work inthe sun? (Examples include farmers, constructionworkers, lifeguards, postal workers and parkrangers.) What are some ways these people useto protect their skin from too much sun expo-sure? (They cover up with clothing and wear hatsand sunglasses. They also drink plenty of fluids.)

4. Can you think of a goal you could have forhealthy sun protection? (Ask the children to lookat the “Healthy Sun Protection Action” statementon the poster: To stay healthy, I will protectmyself when I am in the sun from 10 a.m. to3 p.m. by wearing sunscreen, a long-sleevedshirt, a hat and sunglasses.)

Adapting the Activityfor Younger Children:• Instead of doing posters, have the children make

sun protection hats that “advertise” ways theycan protect themselves from the sun. Do this byusing a pattern similar to the one at the bottomleft of the page on cardboard stock or usedmanila folders.

Have the children cut out the hats and usecrayons and markers to decorate them with theirideas for sun protection. Then use a stapler to putthe hats together by stapling the “A’s” togetherand the “B’s” together. Have the group modeltheir creations.

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Sun Hat Pattern Decorated Hat

62

• Have the group work together to create a groupmural showing ways people can protect them-selves from harmful rays.

Adapting the Activityfor Older Children:• Have the group compare the protection provided

by sunscreens of different SPF levels. To do this,use UV index cards (for information on obtainingthese cards, refer to “The Case of the InvisibleRays” activity on page 56). Place the UV cardsinside a stiff piece of clear plastic (such as a plas-tic badge holder) and spread one of the sun-screens over the plastic. Place the card in the sun

and measure the UV index. Repeat with a sun-screen having a different SPF and have the groupcompare the results.

• Have the group compare the protection effective-ness of an old bottle of sunscreen and a newbottle. Note that it’s best to use the same brandof sunscreen and that you should use an “old”bottle that’s at least two years old since the effec-tiveness of sunscreen drops significantly at thatpoint. Follow the procedures outlined above forthe UV index card, using the old sunscreen on thecard first and the new sunscreen second. Havethe group compare the results.


63

Sun Protection Family Letter

Date:

Dear Families:





Habits for Sun Protection” by exploring the harm that can be caused by sun exposure and ways

they can protect themselves from too much exposure. Overexposure to harmful rays can cause

serious problems such as early wrinkling of the skin, skin cancer and other skin disorders,

cataracts, and breaking down of the immune system. Currently, one in five Americans develop

skin cancer during their lifetime, and cataracts cause 58 percent of blindness worldwide. Since

UV exposure builds throughout a lifetime, it is important to protect and educate children at an

early age. Children are particularly at risk since most of an average person’s lifetime sun

overexposure occurs before the age of 18. The good news is that UV-related health effects are

largely preventable by starting sun protection practices early and using them consistently. Using

these practices early can help set behavior patterns that will last throughout life!

The “Healthy Habits for Sun Protection Prevention” activities are designed to do the following with

the group:


• Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun has a strong effect on the body.

• During the sun’s peak hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., people can protect their skin by:


– Wearing sunglasses and wide-brim hats and covering up with clothing.

– Using sunscreen with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15 or more.


action statement:

• To stay healthy, I will protect myself when I am in the sun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by wearing

sunscreen, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat and sunglasses.










Sincerely,

Special Notes:

healthy habits! · this guide focuses on four theme areas designed to build and enhance the health...

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