Diet and Exercise Make You Healthy and Wise

FCCLA Health Class: Sheridan School students enjoy healthy food that they prepared in a FCCLA nutrition and fitness class at the school. (Photo submitted by Roxanne Shammel)

SHERIDAN -- Using the national program “Student Body,” Family, Career and Community Leaders of America member Jenna Nate recently did a project involving the 5th grade at Sheridan Elementary School.

Nate taught three sessions about fitness and nutrition. During the first session, she taught them about the importance of fitness and how to stay fit. Jenna used a presentation to teach the importance of 60 minutes of physical activity every day, the benefits of being physically fit, and the risks of not being physically fit. Jenna wanted to make sure the students knew some exercises they could do, so she created a fitness bingo for them to participate in. The students had to complete the exercise named on the card in order to get a bingo.

The second session was about the importance of nutrition. Jenna used MyPlate, a U.S. Department of Agriculture educational program, to teach about the five food groups, which include dairy, protein, fruits, vegetables, and grains. Next, she gave the students two recipes, orange banana smoothie and cream cheese veggies roll-ups, which the students made in the kitchen. They learned that healthy food isn’t hard to cook and is very good, and the class enjoyed the food collectively.

The third and final session was a review of all that the students learned. They played fitness and nutrition Jeopardy in pairs and had a lot of fun.

FCCLA is a career and technical student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through family and consumer sciences education. Participation in national FCCLA programs and chapter activities helps members become strong leaders in their families, careers, and communities.