Runninghead:CURRICULUMMAP

Curriculum Map
Maria de Jesus Rocha
Arizona State University

PPE 310: Health Literacy for Schools

Professor Dr. Hesse
Curriculum Map
November 21, 2016

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Holistic Approach

As a future educator, I plan for my students to be in an environment where they can

develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. My goal is to find ways I can provide and
create a safe and protective environment for them. I will focus on how to teach them how to
improve their health and diet. According to Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education, it
discusses four primary areas in the Holistic Approach which are physical, social and emotional,
cultural, and economic. It states that the holistic approach allows teachers to look at all the
environmental factors that may affect children (Robertson). I will make certain to have the
proper training in child development, health, and safety. As a parent, it is crucial to be aware of
organizations that help provide wellbeing and prevent any harm for every child. I will look into
the National Health and Safety Performance Standards for Child Care, as well as the Early
Childhood Environment Rating Scales to help parents learn what their students are learning.
Social
There are numerous ways I can teach social skills to my future students. One efficient
way is to learn something special about each other. This activity will help students learn more
about each other and recognize that although they come from different backgrounds, they are
alike in many ways. They will gain social communication skills and become more socially
aware. The first thing I will do is to ask the students to look around the room and look at how
they are all so different and how they are alike.
The class will discuss what they saw. I will make sure to explain how each of them is
totally unique, even though they have things in common and they are special in their own way. I
will then distribute paper and writing materials to the class. The students will be instructed to
write down a few sentences focusing in something they think is either special or unique about

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themselves. It could be a talent, favorite hobby, or even a special experience they had. At the
bottom of their paper they must also write down three of their physical traits, such as the length
of their hair or color of their eyes/skin. This will make it easier for the class to guess whose paper
their reading. I will then collect all of the papers and put them in a box and we will take turns
choosing a paper and reading it aloud. The class will try to guess whose it is. When we guess it
right, that special person will explain more about what they wrote. The class will also have the
opportunity to add their own experiences or questions to the conversation.
Emotional
Positive emotional development is supported through consistent relationships among
teachers and their students. Teachers can do this by crafting positive emotionally supportive
climate in the classroom that skillfully connects new experiences with childrens unique home
experiences. I will make sure to position the chairs to form a circle, making sure that there is one
less than the number of players. According to the National Scientific Council on the Developing
Child, Children who develop warm, positive relationships with their teachers are more excited
about learning, more positive about coming to school, more self-confident, and achieve more in
the classroom One game we can use in class is called I love my neighbor. By making sure
that everyone understands how to play will make playing more fun and everyone joining in. I
will make time for the students playing to think about they want to say when its their turn to be
in the middle. I will then discuss awareness and explain how to play one last time. This is how
you play: the person who is standing in the center of the circle begins the game by saying I love
my neighbor especially my neighbor who They complete the sentence by adding something
that is true about them such as where they were born, if they have a pet or has any siblings, etc.
When the student is finished with their statement, any of the other players who this applies to

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move from their chair to an empty chair that is not right next to them. The person who is still in
the middle begins a second round of the game. The purpose of this game is to recognize
commonalties within their class and to identify personal characteristics with each other.
Physical
Our goal as physical educational educators is to provide our students with the knowledge
and experiences to adopt a more physically active lifestyle. It is essential for students to be able
to both personal and social responsibility for their own behavior during class and in their
everyday lives. Educators may encounter challenges from disengaged and inactive students. The
best way to face these challenges is to ask ourselves how can we change their attitude towards
the class and make it fun for them. The Sport Education Model is a popular approach that
provides motivational support for students. It was developed to move away from teaching
repetitive and monotonous skills in physical activities that may contribute to students
disengagement. The SE model is the best wat to set cooperative and social goals in a P.E. class
because of the teamwork and fair play emphasized in the activities.
Spiritual
Holistic spirituality means our own personal search for the inner knowing of spirit.
Spirituality can be found within as well as without religion. I have chosen to enter the teaching
profession to make a difference in a childs life. I wish and plan to motivate them to succeed in
not only their education, but also in life. Once I become an elementary school teacher, I will
engage effectively with my students, their parents and the community. According to the article
Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union on Key
Competences for Lifelong Learning, it states that by demonstrating a sense of responsibility, as
well as showing understanding of and respect for the shared values will help me ensure

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community cohesion (2006). This way we can all positively work together and help our children
succeed in their education and life. Working with parents will ensure child success. Learning
how to teach and work with young students is what I am ecstatic to learn. To be successful in my
career, I will have the motivation to learn new material/skills to be able and make a positive
difference in a childs life. Learning to learn is directed to my career goal and it states that the
individual should have knowledge of the competences, knowledge, skills and qualifications
required (2006). It requires me to know and understand my own preferred learning strategies, the
strengths and weaknesses of skills and qualifications, and to be able to search for the education
and training opportunities and guidance and/or support available. This will in return guide me to
find creative ways to help my future students learn and stay motivated to learn in class.
Nutritional
Children are uneducated and unaware of how unhealthy foods can have detrimental
effects on their bodies. Parents and educators must be educated and teach our young the foods
they need to consume to grow strong and healthy. As mentioned in the article On the Ideology
of Nutriotionism, it discusses how we must explicitly encourage us to think about foods in
terms of their nutrient composition, to make the connection between particular nutrients and
bodily health, and to construct nutritionally balanced diets (Scrinis, 2008). Instead of just
telling children what foods they should or should not eat, children will undeniably avoid those
foods if we teach them how they are unhealthy. Fresh fruits and vegetables are important in a
childs diet because they provide essential vitamins and micronutrients that are required for
development of the brain, bones and in general. Many families are unaware of the importance of
having a balanced diet. Families should be supported with informational materials about good
dietary practices and help them locate useful resources. By teaching children about the

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importance of nutrition will help them make healthier eating choices.

A healthy nutritional practice sets your child up for a healthy future of healthy habits,
routines, and promotes growth. Having a healthy diet will help your child's brain develop and
grow healthy. The child will become more alert in school and learn more effectively.
Intellectual
Children are curious learners and a teachers main priority is to nurture their love of
learning. A childs learning process can be a bit of a challenge for some which can be very
frustrating for the child. Luckily for them, there are different styles of teaching and learning
methods teachers can implement in their classroom to support every type of learning styles.
These learning theories were created with our children in mind and to help them enhance their
learning.
The learning theory that caught my attention and plan to use in my future classroom is
active learning. This method of teaching will ensure each student to have a better understanding
of the material being taught in class. In our readings it explains how active learning helps
students discover rules and principles themselves rather than imitate adult performance.
(Vousden, Wood, and Holliman, 2014). If I look back onto my high school years, I remember
disliking this type of teaching method only because I was a very shy student growing up. I never
raised my hand to ask or answer questions, and it was rare for me to volunteer for anything. Now
that I am older I regret not being more involved in class. This theory can potentially be a
challenge to implement in any classroom. Initially, students will not want to participate for a
number of reasons. Either they are too shy or stubborn to participate, or for whatever reason it
should not stop teachers from trying it out. I know I was never a huge fan of active learning, but
if my teachers were pushier and made it fun, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. It is all about

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how teachers present it to the class and push students to do it.

Conclusion
By practicing healthy nutritional and physical activities in the classroom will set students
up for a future of healthy habits, routines, and promotes motor development. Having a healthy
diet and being active will help your child's brain develop and grow healthy. The child will
become more alert in school and learn more effectively. Every student, no matter their disability
should be included in the classroom. Teachers must use their creativity to modify the classroom
activity and use alternative movements to give them the opportunity to develop physical abilities
and to feel included. Students will gain confidence, become more social and work well with
others. Exercising improves a childs mood and while their working out with others they develop
better social skills. This will lead to them taking their acquired knowledge home and getting the
family physically active.

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References:

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Scrinis, Gyorgy. (2008) "On the Ideology of Nutritionism." Gastronomica 8, no. 1: 3948.
Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/gfc.2008.8.1.39?
seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Social-Emotional Teaching Strategies.TK California. Retrieved from:
http://www.tkcalifornia.org/teaching-tools/social-emotional/teaching-strategies/?
referrer=https://www.google.com/
Vousden, J. & Wood, C. & Holliman, J. (2014). Theories of Teaching and Learning In A.
Holliman (Ed.), The Routledge International Companion to Educational Psychology (p.
43-51). Oxon: Routledge.