The human body is an incredible instrument, enabling one to explore the world and experience life to its fullest. It walks one through many places, allows one to dance for self-expression, and supports one to create a unique life experience. Taking care of the body through positive actions is an act of love and appreciation for all it does and is so important for maintaining physical health and well-being.
One of the most crucial steps in achieving physical health is learning to eat healthy and make it a habit. In this evidence-based health education lesson, kindergarten students learn the importance of healthy eating habits in loving their bodies and keeping them strong. Using a puppet play and an illustrative short story, they learn that eating well gives them enough energy to take on the day and think clearly.
Picks-It Raccoon and Nix-It Panda kick off the lesson with an engaging puppet play to introduce the Goodbody family from the Land of Physical. The Goodbodys are healthy and strong people who live in a shoe and practice positive actions for good health. In the first part of the unit, kindergarten students meet each member of the Goodbodys and learn physical positive actions from them.
"One of the most crucial steps in achieving physical health is learning to eat healthy and make it a habit."
In this lesson, they meet Ellen Eat-Right, the main character in the following short story. Ellen likes to skip important meals of the day to watch cartoons or hang out with friends. One day, she spends her day with family and friends feeling sick and weak because she misses her breakfast and replaces it instead with unhealthy snacks. This experience teaches Ellen to eat healthily.
One’s physical health and strength are only as strong as the fuel they provide their body with. As the story of Ellen demonstrates, poor eating habits can weaken the body and cause health problems. Meanwhile, eating healthy meals at the right time can improve health and daily functioning. To emphasize this point, kindergartners engage in a class discussion and differentiate between healthy and unhealthy food. The teacher then reiterates the value of nutritious food in growth and development.
As a retention strategy, the lesson ends with a fun activity where the young students cut out healthy food varieties and paste them on the shelves of the Goodbody Shoehouse cupboard.
Educating young students about good and bad eating habits can help them make healthy choices. This lesson aims to encourage kindergarten students to lead a healthy lifestyle free of health problems and full of future opportunities. With thriving physical health, young students set themselves up for future success.
Pasela is a digital product presented by Positive Action.
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