To develop and evaluate a plan that promotes children’s healthy lifestyle behaviors.
You are a recently hired teacher in a new early childhood center that serves a diverse population. During the first month on the job, you observe that a number of the children are overweight. You decide to initiate a program that focuses on healthy eating and physical activity with your class of 5-year-olds. You prepare a chart on which you record each of the children’s height and weight. In order to be more informed about their current food preferences, you create a game by posting pictures of nutritious and unhealthy foods and snack items on a wall. You ask all the children in your class to tape a “smiley face” on two of their favorite foods. The following day you extend the game, and your data collection, by asking each child to name five healthy foods. On the third day, you have the children name their favorite indoor and outdoor activity. Each day you record the children’s responses along with their height and weight information and then analyze the data.
Focus assignment
1. Describe the typical patterns that you would expect to find in the children’s food choices. Use this information to prepare a list of 20 nutritious food items that you would introduce during the week’s lessons to promote healthy eating. Next, develop a two-column list of developmentally appropriate physical activities for preschool-age children: list 10 high-energy, aerobic activities in one column, and 10 moderate intensity activities in the other column.
2. Be sure to read the REFLECTION section below to guide your thinking. Write your reflection response after you have completed your plan.
Self-evaluation
1. For each item in your lesson plan:
a. Explain how this item addresses the issues in the scenario.
2. Describe and justify how your plan would improve teaching and learning in the scenario.
