Middle School
Nutrition education is an important way to encourage healthy eating, build good lifelong habits, and combat our State, and our country’s, childhood obesity epidemic. Ideally, Nutrition Education should link what children are eating at school and in out-of-school time programming, with what they are learning about in the classroom.
Best practice Nutrition Education links research, theory and practice; and focuses on behavior change. Below is a list of high quality nutrition education resources that have been reviewed and recommended by a State team of experts. This is not an all-inclusive list, but includes many of the best free and low-cost Nutrition Education resources offered in Michigan and nationally. Use these resources to provide and improve Nutrition Education and to create an implementation plan for the Nutrition Education portion of your local Wellness Policy.
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Catch (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) After School/Summer Program
Format: Hard copy
Audience: PreK-8th grade
Cost: $225
A physical activity and nutrition education program designed for elementary and middle school aged children in an after-school/summer setting. It is composed of nutrition education materials (including snack activities) and a physical activity component. The program offers an easy-to-use format that both children and staff enjoy and is ready to implement in the after-school and summer settings.Available at: http://catchinfo.org
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Dig In! Standards based Nutrition Education from the Ground Up
Format: PDF
Audience: 5th-6th Grades
Cost: Free
CHFFF is a nutrition and physical activity curriculum that is experiential and research-based, and is intended for use by Cooperative Extension educators and others with a background in nutrition and experience working with youth. A unique and exciting characteristic of CHFFF is that it was also designed to be co-taught, after in-depth training, by teens participating in the partner program Choose Health Action Teens (CHAT).Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/dig-standards-based-nutrition-education-ground
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Fuel Up to Play 60
Format: Multiple formats
Audience: Kindergarten - 12th Grade
Cost: Free
Fuel Up to Play 60 is a program founded by the National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with USDA, that empowers students to take charge in making small, everyday changes at school. Students can win cool prizes, like an NFL player visit or Super Bowl tickets, for choosing good-for-you foods and getting active for at least 60 minutes every day. There are six steps to be active in FUTP 60: Join, gather a team, hold a kick off, conduct a School Wellness Investigation, engage in Nutrition and physical activity “plays” and share your story. Learn more about each component at www.fueluptoplay60.com and check out the online playbook to get ideas for fun nutrition and physical activity promoting initiatives that will improve students’ food choices and increase movement at your school! Available at: www.fueluptoplay60.com
Access the FUTP 60 Playbook at: https://school.fueluptoplay60.com/playbook/
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Game On!
Format: Online
Audience: K-12 School Health/Wellness Teams- Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators, Foodservice Workers, Community Members, Coaches
Cost: Free
Game On challenges America’s schools, staff, students, and the families they serve to get healthy, inside and out. Game On provides all the information and resources you need to host a successful school wellness program in your school, including an interactive school blueprint that allows you to search for fun Eat Better and Move More Challenges for every aspect of your school building. Explore the Game On website and the 6 steps they offer to help you improve student health, while reaching your schools needs. Don't forget to check out step 4: Find Activities to engage everyone on the team, including students!
Available at: http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/tools-for-schools/game-on
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Healthy Eating Posters
Format: PDF
Audience: Middle and High School
Cost: Free
Four downloadable posters from Team Nutrition Iowa.Strong, Fast, The Best I Can Be- Milk
Milk: Choose Fat-free or Low-fat
Make Half Your Plate Fruit and Vegetables
Drink Water Instead of Sugary DrinksTags:
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Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active!
Format: PDF and/or hard copy
Audience: 6th-8th Grades
Cost: Free
Interactive after-school education program for youth ages 11 to 13. The curriculum is designed to empower young people to be aware of and think critically about media’s role in influencing their nutrition and physical activity choices.Available at: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/msy/Pages/index.aspx
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Michigan Model for Health
Format: Print Copies
Audience: Kindergarten - 12th Grade
Cost: $$- Prices are indicated on website order form
The Michigan Model for Health®, also used in 32 other states, is a nationally acclaimed sequential K-12 health curriculum that has provided comprehensive school health education for school-aged children since 1984. The program facilitates skills-based learning through lessons that include a variety of teaching and learning techniques, skill development and practice, and building positive lifestyle behaviors in students and families. Classroom instruction using the Michigan Model addresses the most serious health challenges students face, including social and emotional health; nutrition and physical activity; alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; and safety. The major goal of this program is to motivate and assist students to maintain and improve their health, prevent disease, and reduce health-related risk behaviors while creating a partnership between homes, schools, community groups and government. Available at: http://www.emc.cmich.edu/EMC_Orchard/michigan-model-for-health
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MyPlate Materials
Format: Multiple formats
Audience: Middle and High School
Cost: Free
Find information specifically geared toward teens about healthy eating and physical activity. Free resourcese include handouts, fact sheets, activity sheets, games, songs, online guidance and more. Available at: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/teens
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Nutrition Voyage: The Quest To Be Our Best
Format: PDF
Audience: 7th-8th Grade
Cost: Free
Lessons for grades 7 and 8 about making healthy food and physical activity choices using a theme of exploration. Includes standards-aligned activities for Math, Science, and English Language Arts.Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/nutrition-voyage-quest-be-our-best
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Power Up! Curriculum
Format: PDF
Audience: Middle School
Cost: Free
Power Up is an 8-week health education program for middle school students in grades 6-8. This program encourages students to make healthier food choices, be physically active and to take an active role in their schools’ wellness policies. It also provides students with an opportunity to taste new, healthy foods and encourage positive self-esteem.Available at: http://www.kansasteamnutrition.org/TN_Menus/TN_Power_Up.htm
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Steps to a Healthy Teen
Format: Print Copies
Audience: High School
Cost: Facilitator Guide $10.95, Youth Notebook $8.95
The National 4-H Curriculum, STEPS to a Healthy Teen: Segments To Emphasize Physical activity and nutrition Steps, consists of 10 activities that target youth ages 14 to 19.The purpose of the curriculum is to help youth develop skills and knowledge in physical education and nutrition. Participants experience a variety of learning methods and tools such as games, case scenarios, computer software programs, cooking demonstrations, and fitness challenges. Most activities range from 45 to 60 minutes and include accompanying handouts. Each activity includes a Teen Research (TR) Challenge take-home task. The TR Challenge encourages healthier lifestyles through thought-provoking activities for teens to solve themselves or with their families.
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SuperTracker Nutrition Lesson Plans for High School Students
Format: PDF
Audience: High School
Cost: Free
Help students in grades 9-12 learn how to build a healthy diet using SuperTracker. The lesson plans include a variety of topics such as selecting healthy snacks, finding personal recommendations for what and how much to eat, evaluating food selections, and building healthy meals.Available at: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/sites/default/files/printablematerials/SuperTrackerHSLessonPlans1.pdf
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Show Me Nutrition
Format: Direct Education Program
Audience: PreK-8th grade
Cost: Free to schools with at least 50% participation in free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program
Show Me Nutrition (SMN) is a six-week program for youth from Pre-K through eighth grade. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in age appropriate, interactive, hands-on activities that promote good eating habits, positive body image, physical activity and food safety. Through each interesting and fun nutrition class, students will gain the skills necessary to make healthy lifestyle choices. This six series program covers eight different lessons throughout the school year, and is taught in your schools classroom.This program is offered for free in the classroom from Michigan State University Extension. For more information, find your local MSU Extension office at http://msue.anr.msu.edu/county.