Media Smarts
Violence and Video Games
Widespread video gaming makes this content relevant and high interest. Developing youth awareness about the impact of violence in games is important to promote literacy, critical thinking, health, and consumer awareness. After reading...
Curated OER
Favorite Sports and Athletes: an Introduction to Sports Media
Even young children watch sports and like team logos and products. It's never too early to think critically about what's onscreen. This exercise develops awareness that media communicate values (i.e. who participates in sports and who...
Media Smarts
First Person
High schoolers explore the relationship between video games and actual population. Example: A 2005 study showed Latino youth play at higher rates than other groups, but there are no Latino playable characters. They watch a brief video...
Curated OER
Full Circle Advertising: A Look at Teen Alcohol Use and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
High schoolers analyze ads and learn about the effects of alcohol. Note that the PowerPoint mentioned in the procedure is not included, so you will need to prepare your own presentation. After the lecture, segue into fetal alcohol...
Curated OER
Energy Plus!
"Energy Plus!" from Together Counts is three days worth of lessons, discussions, and activities about nutrition. The materials help you teach youngsters about eating healthy and burning calories. Energy in and energy out. Included are...
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Pop Up Smiling!
Students research information on how to maintain oral health. They create informational pop-up books with instructions on proper dental health care. Afterward, they draw and construct relevant pop-up illustrations to demonstrate...
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Nutrition Label Scavenger Hunt
Students discover how to read nutrition labels. In this nutrition lesson, students review important vocabulary words, such as "sodium" and "calories." Students practice reading labels from various containers of food and participate in a...
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You Are What You Eat
Students identify healthy food choices from the food groups on the USDA food pyramid. In this nutrition and health lesson, students identify and name examples of each food group displayed on the food pyramid. Students cut out healthy...
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Food Pyramid Relay Race
Students explore healthy eating habits by conducting a physical food challenge. In this food pyramid lesson, students identify the main concepts behind the food pyramid and what choices they should be making with their food intake....
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Benefits of Indoor Plants
Young scholars diagram a plant. In this Science lesson, students explore the concept of photosynthesis focusing on the oxygen production. Young scholars calculate the amount of plants needed to filter the air in their classroom.
Green Education Foundation
How Loud is Too Loud?
Ever wonder how loud a sound has to be to cause damage? Young scientists explore sound properties by researching decibel levels. They discuss how sound is perceived by our ears and our brains and why it can cause negative health effects...
Curated OER
Little Red Hen Bakes Bread
Students investigate the bread baking process through the use of literature. For this reading comprehension lesson, students read the book, The Little Red Hen and discuss the steps the hen followed to bake bread. Students bake the bread...
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Growing a Native American "Three Sisters" Garden
Students explore plant life by creating their own gardens in class. In this food growing instructional activity, students discuss the types of gardening methods Native Americans used in order to keep healthy. Students plant corn seeds in...
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I Can Balance. You Can Balance.
It's disturbing to think that one third of children born after the year 2000 will suffer from diabetes and perhaps be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents! Too many youngsters are not eating properly and are not...
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Health Concerns Lecture
This lesson on health concerns includes a ton of information. There is a PowerPoint presentation that walks through the entire lesson. If you want a quick introduction to these topics then run through this slide presentation quickly, but...
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Your Energy In
Help your youngsters make considerations about what they eat. Use this lesson as a jumping-off point to discuss dietary guidelines, the food pyramid, and major food groups. This creative lesson grabs youngsters by talking about what they...
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Effective Coping Strategies through Multiple Intelligences
Help your pupils develop coping strategies to get them through the most stressful part of the school year.
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Healthy Eating
A short, yet very informative, presentation on the basics of healthy eating. Young dieticians view slides which have colorful photos and graphics of foods that are healthy (and not so healthy), along with information on the basic food...
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Lesson 3 - Marijuana
It's never too early to talk to your young grade schoolers about the dangers of marijuana. Here's a short instructional activity to discuss some basic information about what happens to the body and the brain when someone smokes...
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Purposes of Dating
So many options are included here for you to help your class explore dating, relationships, and types of love. These lessons are becoming more and more important due to media influences, so choose one of the 10 options to guide your...
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Snack and Drink Preparation Skills
Who doesn't love a good snack? Provide practice with basic snack preparation skill for your special education class. They follow each step-by-step procedure to make and serve a hot drink and a sandwich. These skills are taught using...
Curated OER
Home Living / Daily Living: Dental Care
Don't forget to brush! Help your special education class excel at taking care of their wonderful smiles. They'll discuss proper brushing and flossing techniques, watch a video on dental hygiene, and then brush their teeth.
Curated OER
Red Stoplight Personal Space Game
I really like this activity. Learners with special needs play a stoplight game to practice giving and responding to the need for personal space. Each child is given a green light and red light card, when you say, "Go" they walk around...
Curated OER
Recycling: Responsible Behaviors
Take the time to teach learners with moderate disabilities how to identify recyclable materials. They learn how to recycle as a mode of social responsibility and community involvement. They practice identifying and sorting recyclable...