Reaching Kids in the Classroom
Elementary (K-4)
Kindergarten 5-A-Day Power Play
All Kindergarten classes in the Fort Dodge Community School District and St. Edmond's are visited by a Thrive educator 4 times a semester. Each visit consists of a fun, educational activity that exposes students to knowledge of how to live a healthy, active lifestyle.
Lessons and activities for the Kindergarten visits were created using the Healthy Hops program, research-based curriculum. Healthy Hops is an adapted version of the evidence-based comprehensive Healthy Start curriculum.
3RD Grade 5-A-Day Power Play
All third grade classes in the Fort Dodge Community School District and St. Edmond's are visited by a THRIVE educator 4 times each semester. The 3rd grade curriculum was developed to introduce students to the USDA's MyPlate and to teach students how to use MyPlate to help them make better nutrition choices. Students at this stage of life are exposed to a variety of subjects in school so this curriculum's lessons were designed to integrate nutrition with science, math, language arts, music, and art. Physical activity is also emphasized.
The lessons communicate nutrition concepts through age-appropriate, fun activities. Other objectives include identifying the food groups and learning how much from each food group to eat, discussing the importance of eating all the food groups and learning nutritional qualities of different food groups.
Middle School (5-8):
5TH Grade 5-A-Day Power Play
The 5th grade health class is visited by a THRIVE educator 3 times each semester. Each visit consists of a fun, educational activity on healthy snacks, beverages and dining out. The activities expose students to knowledge of how to live a healthy, active lifestyle. The visits supplement units already covered in 5th grade health class and mainly focus on nutritional choices.
8th Grade 5-A-Day Power Play
The 8th grade fitness class is visited by a Thrive educator 2 times each quarter. Class discussions range from cardiovascular fitness to healthy eating habits of teenagers and athletes. The activities expose students to the knowledge of correct eating and how to live a healthy lifestyle to avoid future problems with eating disorders and heart health.