Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

While Avian Influenza currently presents no credible threat to humans in North America, this planning guide for school and health professionals outlines steps that might be required should such a threat turn into an actual pandemic. As such, it might be useful reference to bookmark for possible future use. The various links to facts about avian influenza and its current spread should be of more immediate interest.

This site bravely tackles some of the serious issues faced by teens who engage in inappropriate, risk-taking behavior. Click videos for a series of interactive videos that involve students in real-life decision making and allow them to see the consequences of their choices. The this program focuses on some common problems experienced by young people and provides suggestions for coping withthem. Warning: Some linka contain some graphic images, so use with caution.

tag(s): adolescence (12), difficult conversations (57)

Trying to convince your students that healthy eating is the way to go? Turn the job over to Cuke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Cannoli. In a supermarket, far, far, way, organic foods join forces to wage war against Darth Tater and rescue Princess Lettuce. Enjoy this Star Wars take-off, and may the farm be with you.

tag(s): nutrition (140), satire (6)

Students can learn about various foods and tips for eating healthy with this month-by-month collection of recipes, wellness articles, and nutritional links. Some months' information is organized around a theme (May is National Salad month) that could form the basis for food preparation activities in a family and consumer sciences class.

tag(s): nutrition (140)

Should school districts partner with soft drink companies to promote soda sales in schools? This lesson plan provides a great opportunity for students to discover the complex relationship between the financial demands of public school districts and the need to promote healthy eating habits. Downloadable handouts are provided.

Access this site to download the government's dietary guidelines. Also includes a printable brochure summarizing the Guidelines, a consolidated list of key nutritional recommendations, and related links that could be useful for health class research projects.

tag(s): myplate (18), nutrition (140)

Supplement a secondary health class lesson on the dangers of drugs and alcohol with this impressive site designed for kids by a professor of anesthesiology. Charts, graphs, and illustrations add to the kid-friendly tone and create an easy-to-understand resource that would be a great starting point for a research project or Web hunt.

Use this animated site to help students visualize how blood circulates through the heart. Younger students can easily follow the well-labeled animation, and older students may be interested in the tutorials, which explain the various stages of the cardiac cycle in much greater detail.

tag(s): heart (27)

Use this site to help students understand how smoking can irreparably damage every organ in the body. Images, actual photographs of healthy and diseased organs, and descriptive text combine to form an honest, but chilling account of what cigarettes are capable of doing. Consider taking your classes to the computer lab so that each student may explore this resource independently.

tag(s): red ribbon week (9)

Introduce your students to the microbial worlds of bacteria, fungi, and viruses with this site that provides entertaining background information, ideas for classroom experiments, and a collection of "Microbes in the News" articles. Find out when hands should be washed and what happens when they are not! Interested students can even explore a "Careers" link that offers interviews with experts in the field, advice on finding a mentor, and tips on how to become a microbiologist. Available in English and Spanish.

tag(s): microorganisms (10)

This site celebrates the contributions and achievements of some of America's most extraordinary women physicians. Lesson plans (organized by grade and aligned to national standards) and interactive activities explore a wide range of topics on health, medicine, and related careers. Visit the "Circulation Station" where students can guide a red blood cell through the body and then learn about a woman physician who helped infants with congenital heart problems. You do not have to download Flash, as those activities also come in text only format.

tag(s): heart (27), medicine (57), women (151)

How do today's portion sizes compare with those from twenty years ago? Students can find out through an interactive quiz that tests their awareness of "super-sizing." The quiz displays photos of specific food items from "then" and "now" and provides specific caloric information about the older and current versions. Students are asked to guess how long it will take to burn off those extra calories given every-day exercise. A BMI calculator and menu planner are also provided on the site. Created by the National Institutes of Health.

The simple hamburger has been in the news quite frequently as the safety of our meat supply is debated. This site takes visitors inside the American meat industry and presents riveting information regarding food borne illnesses, industrial meat, meat safety, the meat inspection process, and politics. As eye-opening as it is troubling, the information presented in this site can serve as the focus of a class discussion, a comprehensive resource for a student research project, or a lesson on consumer activism. Links to consumer resources are provided.

tag(s): agriculture (51)

Why do adolescents behave the way they do? It is a puzzling mystery that continues to frustrate parents, teachers AND teens! This site delves into the recesses of the teenage brain to provide scientific explanations for many exasperating behaviors. Interactive maps of the brain are supplemented with clear and informative explanations. Advice and online activities can help adults interact more successfully with this very unique population! Refer parents to this site, use in class to help teens better understand themselves, or explore it yourself for some enlightening ideas on improving teen communication in the classroom! Shockwave required for some features of the site. Developed by Frontline (PBS)

tag(s): adolescence (12), brain (56)

Help students make good food choices and develop healthy lifestyles with this site developed by the American Dietetic Association. View food labeling fact sheets, a selection of healthy recipes, and useful tips for making smart food choices. The true/false nutrition quiz provided on the site is not interactive but can be used as a review activity, or to assess prior knowledge. Project the quiz and ask students to record their responses before scrolling to view the correct answers.

tag(s): nutrition (140)

National Public Radio's coverage of the legal and ethical issues surrounding "right to die" cases examines the rights of patients and the responsibilities of relatives, the state, and health care providers. Grappling with the, "Who decides?" question may be troubling for some students, but can be a thought-provoking process.

tag(s): civil rights (209), medicine (57)

The aging American population increases the probability that a student will have a family member or acquaintance suffering from Alzheimer's. Because it affects the personality, this disease can be frightening or confusing to young people. These pages help teens and children better understand what this disease is and why its victims behave in the way they do. Preview before using.

The National Institutes of Health offers this site containing lots of resources to encourage folks to eat vegetables in appropriate quantities. While the subject may not be popular with young people, health and nutrition teachers will find a number of resources that can be used to help students make more intelligent choices about the foods they eat.

tag(s): nutrition (140)

Tired of the old food groups pyramid? Here's a nutrition site that ties nutrient information to students' real world. Want the low-down on that sugary cereal you had for breakfast this morning? How about a nice orange instead? This site's tools let you build your own healthy diets from hundreds of listings. This one's well worth a look for health and nutrition classes.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): myplate (18), nutrition (140)

This US Department of Agriculture site provides valuable information for parents interested in teaching their children healthy eating habits. The site has a seasonal guide for healthy eating, ten tips for planning healthy school lunches, activities that parents and children can do together, and a list of health conscious reading resources sorted by age-group.

tag(s): nutrition (140)