Quick Start Guide + Links

STEP 1. Confirm that you have all materials

Educator materials include:

• Educator Guide
• Dairy Council of California’s website DairyCouncilofCA.org

Student materials include: 

• Nutrition Workbooks in English and Spanish 
• Family letter and Family Connections, included in workbooks to extend nutrition education at home.

STEP 2. Review the additional resources in the educator guide

In addition to the lesson plans, the educator guide contains:

• The introduction and lesson Fast Facts include answers to commonly asked nutrition questions and links to the Nutrition Primer. The Miscategorized Foods tips can help you when teaching using the food grouping tool, MyPlate. 

Inside the Let’s Eat Healthy Educator Guide, you will find five lesson plans and a pre- and post-assessment. Review each lesson plan prior to teaching. Visit Dairy Council of California’s website at DairyCouncilofCA.org to access more grade level content. 

Educator Tips

• Plan for 20-40 minutes of class time for each activity. Preparation time for each activity ranges from 10 to 20 minutes.
• Use the family letter on the first day you teach the program and the family connection included in each lesson. Involving parents reinforces what is being taught in the classroom and may encourage parents to become classroom volunteers.
• Model the workbook activities for your students before they begin to work on their own.
• Encourage your students to share their personal or home experiences with food, eating, and physical activities whenever possible. It will help children relate to one another and personalize the activities.
• Be a healthy role model. Students closely watch your words and actions. Making healthy food choices and talking about healthy eating outside the classroom will send students the right message and reinforce classroom lessons. It may also encourage healthy eating behaviors and attitudes in your students.
• Talk with other teachers at your school who use the program for other ideas.

Jump ahead to your intended lesson

• Lesson 1: The Five Fabulous Food Groups
• Lesson 2: Food-Group Explorers
• Lesson 3: From Farm to Me!
• Lesson 4: Better With Breakfast
• Lesson 5: Exploring Foods
• Going Deeper

Begin with the Program Pre-Assessment

Brain Break

• Reach for the Sky Song with  Lyrics

Activity 1

• Healthy Eating Made Easier With Food Groups Video
• Food Group Posters

Activity 2

• Food Group Friends Pictures 
  • Page 9-18 Ed Guide
• Sentence bubble statements
  • Page 19

Family Connection

• Kindergarten Family Connection

Brain Break

• Banana Banana Meatball

Activity 1

• Food Picture Cards

Activity 3

• Food Group Chart

Family Connection

• Kindergarten Family Connection

Brain Break

• Old Mac Donald Had a Farm

Activity 2

• The Journey of Milk

Teacher Suggestion

• On The Farm
  • Look up farmers markets in your local area here
  • California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom

Activity 3

Teacher Suggestion

• Seed Germination Experiment

Family Connection

• Kindergarten Family Connection

Knowledge Check

• Farm to You

Complementary Resources

• Free Mobile Dairy Classroom Assembly
• Complete Mobile Dairy Classroom Program: Learn About Nutrition, Milk and Healthy Eating

Brain Break

• Freeze Dance

Fast Facts

• MyPlate Guide to School Breakfast

Activity 2

• Milk Math
• Food Picture Cards

Family Connection

• Kindergarten Family Connection

Activity 1

• Food Picture Cards
• Food List A to Z
• Food Alphabet Lists

Family Connection

• Kindergarten Family Connection

Going Deeper 

Group Project

• Soil Lab

End with the Program Post-Assessment