Teaching Maryland SNAP-Ed’s

What is SNAP-Ed?

• Maryland SNAP-Ed program relies on a multi-level approach: nutrition education, social marketing and policy, system and environmental-level changes (PSEs) to improve health behavior and create a healthier environment for low income individuals to live, work and learn. 
• A program of University of Maryland Extension

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What is SNAP-Ed?

• SNAP-Ed focuses the multi-level approach on 5 programmatic themes:
• Accessing Healthy Foods
• Choosing Healthy Foods
• Preparing and Tasting Healthy Foods
• Promoting Physical Activity
• Drinking Water

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Target Audience

• Maryland SNAP-Ed reaches low income individuals where they live, work and learn.
• Sites include locations such as preschools, schools, farmers’ markets, and food pantries, as well as other income eligible locations that have the capacity to reach participants with both education and PSE program efforts.

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Target Audience

• Youth site eligibility
• Schools with at least 50% free and reduced meals
• Schools participating in Community Eligibility Provision (CEP Schools—all students receive free meals)
• Community centers located close to eligible schools
• 50% of audience at 185% of poverty

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Gardening and Nutrition

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Growing Healthy Habits teaches where food comes from, encourages healthy food choices, and engages participants in growing.

Benefits of Garden-Based Learning

• Provides interdisciplinary education
• Can lead in improved achievement test scores
• Addresses different learning styles and intelligences
• Improves interpersonal skills and team work
• Provides an atmosphere that is calming and a change of pace from a traditional indoor classroom

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“Gardening activities improve science achievement test scores”

L. Smith and C. Motsenbocker, 2003

Klemmer, Waliczek, and Zajicek, 2006

Introducing Growing Healthy Habits

Growing Healthy Habits

• Concepts behind the curriculum
• Engages youth in nutrition through gardening
• Encourages healthy eating and physical activity
• Audience: grades 3-5
• Can be used with or without a physical garden
• Includes tastings, growing experiments, and hands-on learning activities

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Growing Healthy Habits

A Nutrition through Gardening Curriculum:

• Maryland Career and College-ready Standards
• Links to Math, Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Health standards
• Aligns to the Next Generation Science Standards
• Promotes Environmental Literacy

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Growing Healthy Habits

• Engages students in an exploration of where food healthy food comes from
• Introduces students to new food prep skills and tasting activities
• Encourages students to try new foods together

Introduction

• GHH Lesson Outline
• Curriculum Description
• Supplies and Funding
• Maryland SNAP-Ed Partnerships
• Linking to the Curriculum
• The Scientific Method
• Linking to the Garden
• Cooking in the Classroom
• Gardening with Youth

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Curriculum Components

• Nine units, each introduces a new gardening and nutrition concept, cooking skills, tasting, and reinforcement activities

1. What's So Great About Gardening?

2. Parts of the Plant that We Eat

3. Feed the Soil, and the Soil Will Feed You!

4. Variety: The Spice of Life!

5. Plan your Planting

6. Seed Magic

7. Garden Maintenance

8. Healthy Harve$t

9. Garden Fitness

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Lesson Guide

Curriculum Layout

Unit Contents:

• Intro materials
• Background information
• Linking to the garden
• State curriculum links
• One introductory lesson
• Two reinforcement lessons
• Healthy tasting/recipe
• Reinforcement journal prompt

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Linking to the Garden

What’s So Great About Gardening?

Lesson Layout

Each lesson includes:

1. Time requirements
2. Lesson overview and objectives
3. Materials needed to conduct lesson
4. How to set-up for lesson activities
5. A step-by-step lesson process
• Including questions and key points for students
• Student handouts
• Teacher handouts
6. Tasting or recipe

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Student Journal

• Journal Contents
• Journal Prompt (reinforcement activity)
• Student Vocabulary

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Appendices

• Gardening Resources
• Sample Garden Budget Worksheet for Both Container and Indoor Gardens
• Things to Consider in Planning your Gardening Program
• Food Safety in the School Garden
• Youth Gardening Program Planning Document
• Building a Youth Garden Team
• Defining Your Program
• The Garden Design
• Physical Resources
• Educational Resources

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Access Growing Healthy Habits Online

Mdteachertoolkit.org/lessons-and-resources/curricula

Curriculum Quick Reference Guide

Link to full curriculum

Links to each unit

Links to Quick Reference Guides for each unit

Quick Reference Guide

• Link to lesson plan for the entire unit
• PowerPoint slides that can be used to teach
• Lesson Video that can be used to introduce the lesson
• Introductory Lesson and Reinforcement Lessons
• Lesson Supplies
• Tasting Supplies
• Family Engagement

Getting Started

• Select lessons that complement subjects that are being covered in class
• Engage students in exploration of gardening and food through hands-on activities
• Introduce gardening with small container gardens or individual growing experiments
• Visit the MD Teacher Toolkit for additional ideas for incorporating gardens into your curriculum: https://mdteachertoolkit.org/

What are your questions?