- Author: Chris M. Webb
UC ANR’s new after-school curriculum is designed to help 9 to 12 year olds good health skills that will last a lifetime. The six week hands-on program promotes preparing and eating healthy meals as well as encouraging plenty of physical activity.
In addition to the introduction these free, downloadable lessons include:
- Let’s Make It Clean: Wash Up!
- Make It Healthy: Eat Balanced Meals
- Make It Crunchy: Go for Whole Grains!
- Make It Colorful: Choose Fruits and Veggies by Color
- Make it Delicious: Plan and Balance
- Make It Fun: Eat and Share
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Environmental Health Perspective (EHP), a peer-reviewed open access journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has a wonderful collection of science education materials designed for youth.
From their site:
“The Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) Science Education Program promotes environmental health literacy, using the scientific literature to teach students the principles of environmental health science.
EHP resources enable teachers to provide students with current and credible environmental health information. The lessons published through the EHP Science Education Program encourage students to learn about their health and their environment through cooperative hands-on and critical thinking activities and real-world examples. Students also learn their behavior can have significant effects on the environment.”
All lessons can be downloaded free of charge. Many are available in Spanish.
Current topics include:
- Air – topics related to air quality monitoring, air pollution and impact of air pollution on human health.
- Water – issues of water resources, pollution, routes of exposure, sources of pollution, health effects and policy.
- Land – land use hazards, built environments, perils of impervious surfaces.
- Climate – energy issues, environmental and human impacts of climate change, alternative fuels, disaster and emergency preparedness.
- Food – includes topics such as genetically modified and organic foods, presence of pesticides and additives in foods, obesity and food deserts.
- Health – genetic basis of disease, disease risk factors, environmental toxicants and their effects on human health.
Previous lesson topics can be found on the lesson archive page. To learn more, please visit their website.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
On Tuesday, March 6 UC Hansen Agricultural Center (UC HAC) will hold a preschool open house from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Preschoolers and their grown-ups are invited to participate in the following activities:
- Story time in the garden
- Herbie the Seed Puppet
- Worms
- Plant a seed
- Zoo garden hunt
Attendees are invited to enjoy snacks or lunch from home at on-site picnic tables. No food or drink will be available for purchase.
There is no cost to attend, but reservations are required. To register or for more information, please see the UC HAC website .
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Developed by UC Berkeley’s Geospatial Innovation Facility, the Cal-adapt website provides viewers with a wealth of data on California’s climate, tools to visualize projected changes, and the ability to contribute your knowledge to Cal-adapt’s online community.
The site’s main categories are:
- View local profiles: quickly explore climate projections for your local area
- Explore climate tools: interactive maps & charts
- Access data: access the raw data used in Cal-adapt
- Resources: information, articles & links
- Community: participate in community based tools and activities
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The American Farm Bureau Federation encourages consumers to learn more about the business of farming. They remind us that our farmers provide food security for our nation and much of the rest of the world. Plus in addition to food U.S. agricultural producers provide us with fiber, fuel and materials for shelter.
Their 2007 Farm Facts pocket guide provides the following statistics:
- U.S. consumers spend less of their disposable income on food each year compared to others around the world.
- American farmers are the most productive globally. On average each U.S. farmer produces food and fiber for 143 people. The number has been rising for decades. In 1940 each farmer produced enough for 19 people.
- U.S. agricultural producers participate in conservation programs designed to prevent soil erosion, preserve and restore wetlands, clean the air and water, and enhance wildlife habitat. In just five years (1997-2003) Farmers and ranchers produced a net increase of 263,000 acres of wetlands.
To learn more about farming in the U.S, visit the American Farm Bureau Federation website. The Farm Facts pocket guide and other educational resources can be found on this page of their site.