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Students in upper elementary grades are at a pivotal developmental stage where they begin to develop attitudes and behaviors they carry into adulthood. This is an optimal time to teach nutritional subject matter that fosters healthy eating behaviors. Nutrition Jam™ is an innovative, computer-based curriculum that integrates nutrition topics into the core curriculum in upper elementary grades for math, science, language arts and social studies lessons. Every Nutrition Jam™ lesson meets national subject-matter and nutrition standards. In response to teacher requests, lessons are presented in either of three different instructional modalities: CD-ROM simulations and games, Internet lesson lessons and conventional worksheet-based exercises. Nutrition Jam™ lessons are engaging and instructive, and are designed to meet a range of student abilities and learning styles. Lesson plans follow a familiar and consistent format, structure and progression. Click on each of the subject icons to view a list of lessons, as well as a description, standards and instructional modality for each lesson.
 
View A Sample Lesson (PDF in a new window) >>    View Ordering Information >>  
 

 
Explore the Nutrition Jam™ Curriculum
 

 
Nutrition Jam Standards

Nutrition Jam™ lessons meet national standards for upper elementary grades in math, science, language arts and social studies. Below is a list of referenced standards:

 

Language Arts Standards:

NCTE              National Council of Teachers of English

CSLAS           California State Language Arts Standards

 

Mathematics Standards:

NCTM             National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

CSMS             California State Mathematics Standards

 

Science Standards:

NAS                National Academies of Science

CSS                California State Science Standards

 

Social Studies Standards:

NCSS              National Council for the Social Studies

NCSS-US       National Council for the Social Studies – US History

NCSS-EC       National Council for the Social Studies – Economics

NAS-EC          National Academies of Science – Economics

CSSS              California State Social Studies Standards

 

 

 
Nutrition Jam Evaluation

Nutrition Jam™ was tested in actual classrooms and was well received by teachers and students alike.  An evaluation of the 50 lessons and related instructional resources, was conducted with a sample of 222 students in 8 classrooms in 6 different schools.  The study employed a pre/post-test design to determine the extent to which this nutrition education curriculum increased students’ nutritional knowledge and improved their food choices toward a healthier diet. The evaluation found that Nutrition Jam™ significantly increased students’ nutrition knowledge and improved their subsequent food choices.

 

 

 
Nutrition Jam Development Team

Nutrition Jam™ was developed with the guidance of education and nutrition subject-matter experts, curriculum developers, classroom teachers, school nutrition specialists, and a creative team of graphic designers and multimedia programmers at a cost in excess of $350, 000 over a period of three years.  View photo of the development team in a new window

 

 

Project Management

Armando Valdez, PhD, Principal Investigator/Executive Producer

Cathy Wu, Project Associate

 

Subject-Matter Experts

Della Peretti, Teacher Education, UC Berkeley

Joanne Ikeda, Nutritional Science, UC Berkeley

Amy Block Joy, Nutrition Education, UC Davis

 

Curriculum Development

Stephanie Lee, Nutritionist

Christy Boardman, Nutrition Education Design

Bill Morgan, Classroom Teacher, Lesson Design

Janine Walker, Classroom Teacher, Lesson Design

Sharon Phillips, Former Director of Instruction, Curriculum Editor

Stacy Dailey, Classroom Teacher, Curriculum Review

Lynette Nishikawa, Classroom Teacher, Curriculum Review

Sonia Valdez, Editor, Document Manager

Angie Fischetti, Editor, Document Review

 

Production

Damon Seeley, Multimedia Authoring

Matt Sullivan, Document Design

Christine Chiang, Graphic Design

Jhoane Garcia, Graphic Design

Elsa Pulido. Voice-over Recording

Catherine Enos, Voice-over Recording

Scott Paulsen, Recording Engineer

 

Classroom Evaluation

Anne Madsen, Teacher, Eucalyptus School, Hawthorne, CA

Stacy Dailey, Teacher, Ramona Elementary, Hawthorne, CA

Michelle Prostrollo, Teacher, York School, Hawthorne, CA

Robin McLaren, Teacher, Santa Rita School, Los Altos, CA

Jean Benedict, Teacher, Santa Rita School, Los Altos, CA

John Turmes, Teacher, Marshall Elementary, San Gabriel, CA

Collen Felix, Teacher, Kornblum School, San Gabriel, CA

Martha Salzman, Teacher, Prospect Sierra School, El Cerrito, CA

Lucia Blakeslee, Teacher, Prospect Sierra School, El Cerrito, CA

Patricio Duk, Teacher, Cleveland School, San Francisco, CA

Lynette Nishikawa, Teacher, Seven Trees Elementary, San Jose, CA

Kristi Billings, Teacher, Seven Trees Elementary School, San Jose, CA

 

Research and Analysis

Monica Valdez, Research Assistant

Ou Liu, Statistical Analyst