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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Introducing Exploring Maryland Food

• Online Farm to School curriculum
• Follows the Food Systems Model
• Aligned to MD Next Generation Science Standards, Environmental Literacy Standards, and Ag Literacy Outcomes
• Grades 3-5

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Exploring Maryland Food

• Five units following the food systems model: 
• Digging into Production
• How Our Food is Processed
• Farm to Shopping Bag – Food Distribution and Marketing
• Healthy Food Access and Consumption
• Food Waste Recovery

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Curriculum Layout

• Teacher’s Guide
• Lesson overview, Lesson Objectives, Key Points, Vocabulary, and National Standards
• Lesson Components
• Engage – Introductory video, discussion, and video script
• Explore – Students work in teams and individually to investigate and find answers to questions
• Explain – Students use what they have learned share/explain a concept
• Extend – Compare what they new before with what they know now and apply

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Lesson Layout

• Each lesson component has the following:
• Summary
• Process 
• Materials List 
• Links to Teacher Handouts and Student Worksheets 
• Supplementary Activities 
• Parent Connections

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Engage

• Discussion to evaluate what students already know about the topic
• Show the video and stop to highlight points that were brought up in the discussion
• Continue discussion to review what they learned

Explore

• Interactive discussion
• Students work individually or in small groups
• Use materials provided to investigate and answer questions

Note: Handouts can be printed for student use, if technology use is not an option

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Explain

• Students use what they have learned to share their knowledge with others
• Using trivia-like games
• Examining menus, recipes, sales flyers and explaining what they find

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Extend

• Apply what they have learned in a real scenario
• Creative writing using what they have learned
• Compare what they knew before with what they have learned

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Links to the Cafeteria

• Students learn about seasonality and local food
• Students are encouraged to review their school menus and ask questions, request local food, when it is in season, as well as healthier food
• Students are encouraged to explore how food is wasted in the cafeteria and brainstorm solutions to reduce waste

Links to Home

• Students are introduced to seasonal foods and different ways to access healthy, fresh food
• Students learn to identify heavily processed and less processed foods
• Students are empowered to ask for healthy options and share what they have learned with families
• Students are encouraged to explore ways to reduce food waste at home

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Links to the Community

• Students learn where they can get healthy food
• Students are introduced to food production in Maryland and seasonality
• Students learn how food is marketed and different ways that it is sold
• Students learn what happens to food after it leaves the farm and why some foods that are not grown in Maryland are available for sale in Maryland

Teaching the Curriculum

• Curriculum is available online: https://mdteachertoolkit.org/maryland-farm-to-school-curricula/
• Videos are on our YouTube channel and linked in the lessons
• Can be displayed on a Smart Board
• Lesson files can be downloaded and put into slides or other teaching platforms, as needed
• Students can complete lesson activities using electronic devices or handouts can be printed

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What are your questions?