This Week's Mini-Lesson
TEACHING THE COVER STORY: Eat Up!
STANDARD
HEALTH—Students should learn to identify responsible health behaviors and personal-health needs.
SUMMARY
First Lady Michelle Obama uses the White House Kitchen Garden to encourage kids (and adults as well) to make healthier eating choices. Scholastic News explores how kids can follow the food pyramid and use proper serving sizes to make healthy food choices.
PRE-READING DISCUSSION
- What are your favorite fruits and vegetables? How often do you eat them?
BACKGROUND
In March, First Lady Michelle Obama, with the help of a group of fifth-graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington, D.C., broke ground for the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House.
The First Lady has been encouraging Americans, especially young people, to make healthier eating choices. She says she hopes to persuade Americans to increase their consumption of fresh—especially locally grown—produce.
Over the summer, students helped collect the produce grown in the White House Kitchen Garden. After the summer harvest, they got to cook the food they picked. Then they had lunch with the First Lady outside the White House. Students have continued to work in the garden throughout the fall.
The White House garden has 55 varieties of fruits and vegetables, including peas, broccoli, eggplant, raspberries, and tomatoes.
POST-READING DISCUSSION:
What are some other healthy decisions you can make besides eating more fruits and vegetables?
RESOURCES
- For classroom gardening resources and lesson plans, visit www.kidsgardening.com
- For lesson plans using the MyPyramid for Kids, visit http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/resources/mypyramidclassroom.html
- Kids can calculate the amount of fruits and vegetables that is right for them based on their age, gender, and level of physical activity at www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/index.html
