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Showing posts with tag nutrition Show all posts >
School Gardens: Sowing the Seeds of Experiential Learning
- December 15, 2011 by Norene Wiesen
Many children’s songs and rhymes reference gardens and the vegetable world, but when I was a student we stayed indoors singing rather than experiencing that world firsthand. But in the last two decades, schools have introduced gardening into the curriculum as a way for students to learn lessons only nature can provide. Allowing students to research, design, and build a garden gives a teacher an opportunity to demonstrate the practical application of classroom subjects in a real world scenario.
Activities such as composting, selecting appropriate plants for a climate zone, and profiling soils are directly related to science and ecology. Building trellises, measuring wood for fences, and solving garden equations such as “If a row is 10 feet long and we plant our corn 12 inches apart how many corn stalks can we grow in one row?” all contribute towards mathematical problem solving. Having students keep a handwritten and illustrated journal is a great way for them to develop handwriting and written communication skills, and to scientifically observe and chronicle the seed-to-plant life cycle. The opportunities for learning go on and on, from collecting bugs and insects in a terrarium and observing their habitat and behavior, to researching the nutritional composition of vegetables grown, to learning safe kitchen procedures and following a recipe in preparation for cooking the harvest later in the school year.
When I was a child I detested most vegetables, even ones I had yet to taste! Because students are often willing to taste vegetables they have helped to grow, school gardens can improve a child’s eating habits, giving them nutrient rich foods that may be lacking in their diet. It’s also fun for children to participate in the preparation of meals, adding a sense of accomplishment in seeing their harvest from seed to plate. Students can opt to sell their vegetables and flowers to raise money for their school or a class field trip to a local garden. Introducing a business plan and how to handle money is a great hands-on math assignment that can be rewarding for students.
Just as important as the practical, hands-on skills that the garden teaches, are the aspects of self-regulation required to bring plants to maturity. A student who wishes to eat a carrot must leave the carrot in the ground until it is grown rather than pulling it up as soon as it sprouts. This lesson is quickly learned, as is the lesson that the carrot plant must receive proper care and nurturing in the form of sun and water and protection from frost and pests so it can fully develop. For many students, a garden provides a rare opportunity to experience first hand the importance of patience and nurturance as life skills. There are no short cuts, and pulling a big orange carrot out of the ground is an irrefutable reward for a job well done.
School gardens provide a highly practical and direct form of education, where children can see the results of their decisions and actions. Learning how to grow good food not only gives students a chance to apply classroom learning in a practical setting, but can also improve health, provide a livelihood, and increase self-sufficiency.
So find out how you can get involved in your school’s garden, or start to build one with your students. What a difference it can make.
Related Reading:
Modeling Healthy Choices: Three Habits for Optimal Brain Health
Individualizing Instruction Through Understanding Different Types of Learners
Attend one of our popular webinars with thought leaders in learning. Live and pre-recorded webinars are available. Register today!
Categories: Education Trends, Reading & Learning
Modeling Healthy Choices: Three Habits for Optimal Brain Health
- November 10, 2011 by Bill Jenkins, Ph.D.
Isaac Asimov said, “The human brain…is the most complicated organization of matter that we know.”[i] And it’s true. Our amazing brains are both a product of biological evolution and a reflection of the world around us.
First, the stuff of the brain – grey matter, white matter, fluids, blood vessels – is made up of nutrients from the plants and animals we consume from the world around us.
Second, in terms of brain function, our interaction with our environment has a major impact on both brain structure and brain health. Extensive and ongoing research into “brain plasticity” has proven that everything we experience, everything we see or touch or hear, creates a perception that changes the wiring of the brain itself.
Given that our brains are a product of evolution (which is outside of our control) and environment (which is only partially under our control, and often less than ideal), how can we keep our brains as healthy as possible, from birth all the way through old age?
The pathway to optimal brain health comes from the small choices we make every day. By making healthy choices on a regular basis, and particularly by turning those choices into habits, we can help our brains stay healthy while also helping the young people in our lives learn positive self-care skills that can last a lifetime.
Here are three important steps everyone can take toward optimal brain health:
- Eating more healthy foods and minimizing unhealthy foods. Eating foods that provide nutrients to build healthy brain tissues is essential. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, avocados and nuts, along with foods high in potassium like bananas promote brain function. Also, lowering our intake of sodium can reduce blood pressure, a factor that can, if left unchecked, lead to stroke.
- Engaging in regular physical exercise. Like every other organ and tissue in the body, the brain needs healthy blood flow to function at its highest possible levels. Physical exercise helps improve and maintain cardio vascular health, allowing the body to efficiently and effectively deliver oxygen and nutrients to the brain. But it can do more for us. In students, educators have reported physical exercise resulting in less disruptive behavior, higher self esteem, less anxiety and greater attentiveness. Dr. John Ratey of Harvard University describes exercise as “food for the brain.”
- Giving your brain practice in the activities you want it to be good at. The neural pathways that our brains create over time, as we have said, are a direct result of the stimuli that we receive. That’s why through practice and training, a child can work to shape their brain into that of a great musician or mathematician or martial artist. At the same time, we must remember that negative input also affects our wiring. For example, excessive amounts of watching television and playing video games has been shown to have concerning chemical and biological effects, such as the suppression of melatonin release, elevated blood cholesterol and an increased chance of coronary heart disease – and these effects should be taken into consideration as we make decisions about how we spend our time.
The brain might be the most complicated organization of matter we know of, but that doesn’t make it difficult to keep healthy. By learning to choose the right foods, the right activities, and the right input, we can each take control – at any age – of building the brains we want.
Children can begin learning to make good choices from the earliest ages, but it is up to parents and teachers to model these healthy habits of mind.
Yes, that means you.
References:
[i] J. Hooper and D. Teresi. The Three-Pound Universe. Macmillan Publishing Company. 1st edition 1986.
Related Reading:
Lifelong Learning and the Plastic Brain
5 Paths to Brain Health: Tips from Dr. Paul Nussbaum
Attend one of our popular webinars with thought leaders in learning. Live and pre-recorded webinars are available. Register today!
Categories: Brain Fitness, Brain Research, Family Focus, Reading & Learning
Increasing Our Alertness to Caffeine Use in Ourselves and Our Children
- March 18, 2011 by Bill Jenkins, Ph.D.
Whatever your personal opinion of that daily coffee or diet soda might be, we as a society—not just as individuals, but as a whole society—have made the use of caffeine into a daily ritual. For some it is an approved indulgence. For others, it represents an absolute need.
While this is obviously a problem amongst adults, it represents adverse example-setting when practiced in the presence of children. Every time we pull through the drive-thru for that daily double-mocha, every time our children hear us say, “I need a diet soda,” we send a message to our charges in the back seat that this is a necessary part of our daily, adult lives.
That stage is being set, so let’s take a step back and look objectively at this habit of caffeine, both in ourselves and our children.
Make no mistake: caffeine is a drug. As a psychoactive compound, this stimulant blocks the action of adenosine and adenosine receptors. Essentially, caffeine binds to adenosine receptors in nerve cells, but it doesn’t slow down the cell’s activity; instead, it speeds it up. Also, while adenosine opens blood vessels, caffeine causes them to constrict.
On the “positive” side, the immediate effects in humans range from enhanced cognitive performance (Smit and Rogers, 2000) to auditory vigilance (Lieberman et al., 1987) to improved reaction time (Durlach, 1998; Lieberman et al., 1987).[i]
But on the “negative” end of the spectrum, it causes high blood pressure, increases heart rate, disrupts sleep cycles, and negatively impacts attention spans.
As the body becomes habituated to the drug, it compensates for these effects, and begins to require more caffeine to function at normal levels. One study showed that children aged 9-10 who regularly drank two or fewer cans of cola a day were less alert than their non-indulging counterparts.[ii] In short, the more caffeine we take in, the less of its effects we experience, and the less we are able to function at normal levels of alertness.
Aside from the stimulant nature of caffeine, we cannot ignore how it is delivered: children and adolescents primarily get caffeine doses through drinking soda and energy drinks. During their most formative years, they are repeatedly exposed to and conditioned to the paring of sugar and caffeine. Interestingly, Robinson and Berridge refer to sugar as a “natural reward” that “activates similar reward pathways as drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, amphetamine, and nicotine.”[iii]
So along with decreased brain function, these habits can potentially contribute to life-long afflictions like diabetes and obesity.
Lastly, let’s add to this the fact that childhood and adolescence is the fastest stage of brain development. At this time, proper sleep and nutrition are critical elements in laying the foundation for future brain health and fitness. The consumption of caffeine and sugar undermines both.
We know the habits that contribute to a healthy life. Maintaining good nutrition, getting the right amount of sleep and staying away from drugs are all key lessons that we want our younger generations to internalize. How can we help make that happen?
As challenging as it might be, might we consider starting with ourselves, ditching the daily double-mocha and diet soda, and taking the first step toward leading by example? By becoming more aware of our own habits, maybe we can begin to help our children take positive control of their own.
References:
[i] Temple, Jennifer L. (2010) Caffeine Use in Children: What we know, what we have left to learn, and why we should worry. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 2009 June; 33(6): 793–806. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699625/
[ii] Heartherley, S.V., Hancock, K.M.F. and Rogers, P.J. (2006) Psychostimulant and other effects of caffeine in 9-11-year-old children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 47-2, 135-142.
[iii] Robinson TE, Berridge KC . The psychology and neurobiology of addiction: an incentive-sensitization view.
Addiction. 2000 Aug;95 Suppl 2:S91-117. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11002906
Related Reading:
What Every Parent Should Know about Their Baby’s Developing Brain (Part 2)
Adolescence: What’s the Brain Got to Do with It?
Attend one of our popular webinars with thought leaders in learning. Live and pre-recorded webinars are available. Register today!
Categories: Brain Fitness, Brain Research, Family Focus
4 Ways to Celebrate Brain Awareness Week 2011
- March 14, 2011 by Carrie Gajowski
It’s Brain Awareness Week! Join us every day from March 14-20 as we share information about the brain, how the brain learns, and how educators can address some of the challenges in education today.
Need some ideas for how to celebrate Brain Awareness Week and honor this most important of organs?
- Incorporate “Brain Awareness” Into Your Classroom
Need some ideas on this one? For starters, download some of our educational Classroom Resources for Teachers, a variety of fun and informative worksheets and experiments on topics related to the brain. (My favorite is the Grocery Store Game, which tests memory span and mnemonic strategies.) Then have your students try our free Scientific Learning® BrainApps™ games for a brain fitness challenge!
- Catch Up On the Best Blog Posts About the Brain
Whether you’re new to this blog or a long time reader, there are sure to be some great posts you haven’t yet explored. In celebration of Brain Awareness Week, here are some of the most popular brain-related posts: Educating Kids about Nutrition and the Brain – learn how you can create the ultimate brain-health meal, the "Brainiac Blue Plate Combo!” The Adolescent Brain –find out what your adolescent is really thinking and how his or her developing brain works. Benefits of Music in Schools: The Effects of Music on the Brain – check out what the latest research says regarding the importance of music education and its benefits for learning. Dr. Norman Doidge on Brain Plasticity – discover the truth…old dogs can learn new tricks, all lifelong.
- Tweet the Brain, Learn, and Win
This week on Twitter, we will be testing your knowledge of the brain. Play with us for a chance to win one of our “brain” goody bags each day! Follow @brainfitness and join in the fun!
- Subscribe to Receive All of Our Brain Awareness Week Posts
Subscribe to this blog (below) to have our blog posts show up in your inbox during Brain Awareness Week and beyond. Thanks for joining us for Brain Awareness Week! All of The Science of Learning bloggers look forward to sharing it with you!
Attend one of our popular webinars with thought leaders in learning. Live and pre-recorded webinars are available. Register today!
Categories: Brain Fitness, Education Trends, Family Focus, Reading & Learning
Food and the Brain
- February 19, 2010 by Bill Jenkins, Ph.D.
While practically every child above age seven may understand the phrase "you are what you eat," we rarely think about this phrase in terms of the brain. When it comes to what we eat, we need to talk about the brain as well, for what goes into the system affects everything from our cognitive functions to our emotions.
At the Utah State University Center for Advanced Nutrition (CAN), researchers are looking into the workings of how diet affects brain function. Their research has demonstrated a number of interesting facts as well as points of debate:
Food cravings: Food cravings are more common in women than men and appear to decrease with age. Cravings often correspond to negative moods such as depression, anxiety or mood swings. Cravings for sweets can be intense and irresistible. As to whether such cravings for carbohydrates can be classified as "addictions," CAN states that they do not meet the definition laid out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Food and mood: While it has long been believed that intake of carbohydrates can independently affect mood and appetite, other variables such as the initial psychological/emotional state of the person as well as the meal setting can also play important roles in the mood/appetite equation. Interestingly, depression has been shown to be related to a low intake of certain essential vitamins and minerals, and increasing the intake of omega 3 fatty acids and folic acid has been shown to reduce such symptoms.
The good vs. evil caffeine debate: Some studies show that caffeine consumption does not boost performance above normal levels, although as it wears off, one does feel less alert and awake—which stimulates the intake of more caffeine to get back to normal levels. But other studies have shown that drinking coffee is associated with lower age-related cognitive decline and a lessened risk of Parkinson’s disease in older people. (The way I see it, the jury is still out on caffeine.)
Brain-boosting diets: The jury is out on these, too. Many supplements and diets are purported to boost mood, increase energy and improve memory. The problem is that these claims have yet to be demonstrated through solid research and testing. From a purely scientific perspective, the proof will be in the pudding of double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
Attend one of our popular webinars with thought leaders in learning. Live and pre-recorded webinars are available. Register today!
Categories: Brain Fitness
Educating Kids about Nutrition and the Brain
- February 2, 2010 by Bill Jenkins, Ph.D.
Whether you’re a parent or an educator, you know that getting kids to eat well is a challenge. Getting them to truly understand enough to care about what they eat can be even harder. But did you know that the subject of "health literacy" is an important element of the national education conversation? While the debate continues as to the extent of the role of education in teaching nutrition, there is little argument that we as educators truly do have a responsibility in helping our nation’s young people understand and take charge of their well-being.
Focusing the story on nutrition and the brain, here is a fun way to talk about "brain foods" with your young folks—that may give you a little insight, too.
What if students were challenged to formulate meals to affect specific systems of the body? Here’s an example: The "Brainiac Blue Plate Combo"—the ultimate brain-health meal.
Start with two slices of whole-grain bread for carbohydrates; these will get converted into glucose to power the brain’s electrical activity. (Did you know that the brain uses about 20% of our total energy every day?) To that, we might add some lean turkey, roast beef and tuna fish (mmmm!) to supply the proteins and fats that make up the basic building blocks of our neural tissues. Then, we could top it all off with a light smattering of cheese and serve it with a side of roasted potatoes and a banana to give it the perfect zinging balance of neurotransmitters, from aspartic acid to tyrosine.
Now, whether this meal might not appeal to a youngster’s gastric sensibilities, the activity of creating such a menu would be an engaging application of knowledge to a practical task, as well as a way to have some fun in the process. Let them offer their ideas in a "cooking class" setting with all the supporting scientific explanations, and you’ve introduced presentation skills into the lesson. (It goes without saying that kids would not be able to resist the "gross-out" potential of such an activity—especially if you allow them to actually make and serve such a meal.)
For more great facts and information on neuroscience and nutrition for kids, check out Dr. Eric H. Chudler’s site, Nutrition and the Brain.
Attend one of our popular webinars with thought leaders in learning. Live and pre-recorded webinars are available. Register today!
Categories: Brain Fitness, Education Trends, Reading & Learning
