CITIZENSHIP The Police Community Clubs
The Health Issue
magazine for schools
FOOD AND NUTRITION PSHE lesson plans
HEALTHY BODY, HEALTHY MIND An expert’s view of child stress
LONDON 2012 AND URBAN FITNESS
KIDS COOKING
SCHOOL DINNERS Know the facts
Select Education Liverpool 0151 227 3725 / Preston 01772 259 966 Warrington 01925 575975 / Manchester 0161 839 5687
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Contents NEWS
Welcome 4
FEATURES Parent role models
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School cookery workshops
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City fitness
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Healthy mind, healthy body
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REGULAR ITEMS
I am very excited to welcome you to the third issue of Citizenship and the launch of the new online version of the magazine available at www.thecitizenshipmagazine.co.uk. Using the latest web publishing technology we can now offer you the magazine in its entirety, just as it would appear in print, but with a host of new features. We have an up-to-the-minute news feed that covers the entire UK, a growing archive of themed issues available at the touch of a button and an e-subscription service designed to bring news and resources straight to you. To kick off this exciting new stage in the life of Citizenship Magazine we have chosen to tackle one of the most pressing PSHE issues; child health. Barely a day passes without the press reporting on childhood obesity, kids’ lack of exercise and poor diets. So we’ve put our heads together and come up with a mixture of features and lesson plans that should ensure you have some solutions. With World Health Day fast approaching, I have decided to tackle this year’s special theme of urban health and looked into what new opportunities there are for UK kids living in built up areas to get active. Building on this theme, Christina Fenlon has also looked into how the 2012 London Olympics can be used as a starting point for a number of cross-curricular ideas that will get kids interested in sports.
Recipe – Cous cous salad
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Pupils’ corner – Health
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Know the rules – School dinners
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Pam Kirk, meanwhile, has put together a lesson plan that introduces kids to food issues they might not have come across before such as organic farming, local produce and Fairtrade. And we also have a feature that examines the increasingly popular cookery teams that bring practical workshops into primary schools.
Food and nutrition
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Please also take a moment to check out my new blog, follow our Twitter updates (@Citizenship_mag) and apply for our free subscription service. And if you can think of any other ways that we can help citizenship and PSHE teachers, just drop me a line at luke@thecitizenshipmagazine.org.
Alcohol awareness
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London 2012 cross-curricular ideas
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Editorial
Pamela Kirk Christina Fenlon Dale Rockell
Design
Joanne Hewitt
Advertising
Chris Parry Tel: 01244 316629 support@thecitizenshipmagazine.org
Publisher
Community Initiatives Associates 0800 783 5805
Special Thanks Munchkins Kids Cooking Reckless New Media Printed in the UK by Custom Print
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Police Community Clubs of Great Britain Barry Jones MBE PO BOX 715 Lightwater Surrey GU18 5HH Tel: 01276 489776 www.thepolicecommunityclubs.org The Citizenship Magazine For Schools 2a High Street Bromborough Wirral CH62 7HA Tel: 01244 316629 www.thecitizenshipmagazine.org © All rights reserved. No part of The Citizenship Magazine for Schools may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the editor. Copyright2009 ISSN Applied For.
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The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain NEWS Barry Jones MBE Founder of The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
School visit to promote internet safety
To mark Safer Internet Day representatives of the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain (PCCGB) hosted workshops and discussions at a primary school in the north-west. Children from Woodlands Primary School in Birkenhead took part in a range of activities based on the latest book in the PCCGB’s Barney & Echo series. Entitled Caught In the Web, it addresses some of the potential dangers associated with children’s use of mobile phones and the internet to communicate. The day saw around 200 pupils aged eight to 11 listen to a radio play adaptation of the book recorded by students at fellow Wirral school Woodchurch High School. Pupils were then invited to discuss issues ranging from mobile phone and email use to how to stay safe in internet chatrooms and social networking sites. The children then used Who Wants to Be a Millionaire-style voting pads to have their say on the topics and made posters for the school hall highlighting what they had learned. Headteacher Gill Lindfield said stories based on the woodland creatures were a great tool as “the children could really identify with the characters”. She added: “Although children are not supposed to use Facebook until they are 13 many do and many pupils may think they know how to keep themselves safe but they will not.” Will Beedles of The PCCGB said the scheme could now be rolled out to other Wirral and Merseyside schools and added: “The local authority and the Police Community Clubs’ aim is to make e-safety everyone’s responsibility – children, schools, parents and every Wirral resident.”
New Barney & Echo plays released
The Barney & Echo range of books has expanded into drama with the release of a new anthology of play scripts. Barney & Echo: The Plays contains four adaptations of the stories contained in the popular range of interactive work books and examines issues such as bullying, vandalism and weapon crime. Aimed at children at key stage 1-2, they can be performed in
class, in assembly or for parents, either as an introduction to topics or as a way of reinforcing messages delivered during previous class work. Editor of the new anthology Luke Davis said: “It has been designed to help PSHE teachers benefit from the educational value of drama. The plays address important topics, encourage children to think about difficult issues and help them to retain key information. “I’m confident that young thespians up and down the country will relish the chance to bring the stories to life.” The new title is available for purchase at www.barneyecho.co.uk.
Tackling social problems
The Stolen Lives project, which addresses gun, knife and gang crime, has been delivered to 10 London boroughs with two more set for delivery before April 2010. Further interest has also been shown in many other areas with West Midlands Police commissioning two abridged versions. Projects commissioned under the Home Office’s Prevent programme which are designed to engage with youngsters who are in danger of radicalization have also been delivered to six areas in London. While the Contender Am-Box programme, which is now accredited by the national governing body of amateur boxing, the ABA of England Limited, is being used to tackle social problems. Commenting on the innovative boxing project, founder of the PCCGB Barry Jones MBE said: “The programme has been extremely well received by schools, colleges and the police service as it provides the basic boxing programme together with modules addressing local issues such as graffiti, bullying and truancy. In this way, the delivery is ‘bespoke’ to the area, project or establishment.” For more information about the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain please visit www.policecommunityclubs.org And to find out more about the Barney & Echo series of resources please go to www.barneyecho.co.uk
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Kids told to get online to help their communities Primary school children are being asked to use new technology to help get their communities online as part of a national competition. The Make IT Happy 2010 competition is open to 9- to11-year-olds across the country, with cash prizes available to those who can make the best use of tools such as podcasts, websites and videos to present their ideas. Judges will be looking for imaginative, pupil-led initiatives from schools showing communities how to make the most of the web. Each of the regional competition finalists will be awarded £1,200 and will be invited to attend an awards ceremony at the Houses of Parliament in London in October. The overall winners will then be awarded an additional £4,000. The competition, organised by the Parliamentary Information Technology Committee, aims to address research that
Stephen Fry for Prime Minister
shows that 10 million people in the UK have never used the internet. Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley said: “Having grown up in a world of constantly changing technology, young people are perfectly placed to pass on their knowledge to those who lack experience using the internet.” The closing date for entries is 31st July, 2010. For further information visit www.makeithappy.cc4g.net.
Children have their say on legal rights Children should be allowed to determine their own legal rights, says the children’s rights director. Roger Morgan, who is responsible for protecting the rights of children in England, said that future legislation should reflect a new report in which young people gave their own views on rights and responsibilities. The right not to be bullied and the right to stay in touch with family members should both be considered ahead of any future act, bill or charter, he said. Both appeared in the top 10 compiled by 1,888 children, yet neither feature in the UK’s Human Rights Act or the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. He added that children recognise that they also have responsibilities which they believe should sit alongside legal rights.
The survey of children who do not live at home found that the responsibility for one’s own actions and making use of education were the most popularly supported. He said: “A clear view of children’s rights and responsibilities is important to the Department of Children, Schools and Families as underlying good practice for the welfare of children, and to the Ministry of Justice for any future bill, charter or act setting out people’s rights and responsibilities.” Welcoming the report, Justice Minister Rt Hon Michael Wills MP said the government was committed to finding out the opinions of citizens. He said: “This report is a valuable contribution which we will consider as part of our consultation responses.”
Huge PSHE survey launched by government UK schools are being quizzed on how they deliver personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) as part of a comprehensive government survey. The research project has been commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) as part of a study into the effectiveness of teaching methods employed by primary and secondary schools. Results will then be used to inform the DCSF’s preparations for 2011 when the subject is due to become mandatory. More than 6,000 schools will receive surveys designed to find out about the support that teachers receive, the materials they use and how children are assessed. Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University will also create case studies of 15 schools and five local authorities before publishing their final report in November.
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Young people would elect Stephen Fry as prime minister according to a survey which found that fewer than one in 10 respondents think politicians can be trusted. The Children’s Society poll of more than 1,000 11- to 25-year-olds found 30 per cent believed Fry would be the best prime minister, compared to 21 per cent who chose one of the current party leaders. Sixteen percent felt that Simon Cowell was the best candidate. The poll also found that just 14 per cent believed that the new government elected in the general election would make a positive difference to their lives while fewer than one in 10 believed that the government cares about the area where they live. Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of The Children’s Society, said: “The next Government clearly has a lot of work to do to restore young people’s confidence in politicians. “We must all work to create a political system which is relevant and responsive to the interests of the generation who will ultimately be relied upon to carry it forward”. Young people were also asked about the next government’s priorities. Six out of 10 agreed that tackling negative attitudes towards young people should be a priority and seven out of 10 said the government should give precedence to ensuring that children were not discriminated against because of their age.
Glee-style anti-homophobic bullying film sent to UK schools
Meanwhile writer/director of FIT Rikki Beadle-Blair said that responses to the original play show how much impact the film will have on students. He said: “When on tour I would ask the kids how many people thought homosexuality was wrong. In every single school the vast majority, about 80%, would put their hands up. But kids would come up after the performance and say quite openly ‘I walked into this room homophobic and will leave it a changed person.’” FIT was produced with the support of a consortium of funders and has been sent out to every UK secondary school with the support of the teachers’ union NASUWT and schools minister Vernon Coaker.
The first feature film produced to fight homophobic bullying in schools has been distributed to secondary teachers across the UK. Made by gay equality charity Stonewall and entitled FIT, the film was adapted from a play that toured schools in 2008-9 and has been likened to popular TV shows Skins and Glee. It was released after research found that nine in 10 secondary school teachers reported homophobic bullying taking place in their schools and that the same amount had never had any specific training on how to tackle the problem. Stonewall’s senior education officer Chris Gibbons said that teachers are ill-equipped to deal with gay issues in their classrooms and that Stonewall’s film will help fill this gap.
Schools should do more to fight sexualisation of children Schools are not doing enough to combat the sexualisation of children, warns a new report commissioned by the Home Office. It highlights the impact that pop videos, pornography and computer games have on children’s attitudes and states that primary schools should do more to address the media’s influence. The review, by psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos, also reveals that that there are high levels of sexist bullying in schools and that staff aren’t confident in tackling the discriminatory attitudes that underpin violence to women and girls. It was commissioned to examine how sexual images impact child development, and gave backing to personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) becoming a compulsory part of the curriculum – a move which is currently being debated in parliament. Children’s minister Delyth Morgan said statutory PSHE lessons will teach all children how to resist the inappropriate pressures of a complex world. She said: “PSHE already includes teaching about advertising and body image, and from 2011 will include issues around violence against women and girls. “We are supporting schools with new guidance to help raise awareness among teachers about violence against women and girls, so that they can prevent and respond to these issues, and to show them how to address it in the curriculum.” Further recommendations include primary schools adopting a new Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) module that looks into gender inequality, certain pop videos only being broadcast after the watershed and games consoles being sold with parental controls switched on.
NEWS
New exercise programme for kids at risk of obesity
Primary school children will take part in cheerleading and breakdancing as part of a new government scheme to tackle childhood obesity. The programme will see parents and school staff trained to encourage less active children to exercise for an extra hour per week, with yoga and martial arts also among the recommended activities. It is expected that 20,000 children from the ages of four to 11 will take part in the £1million programme, which will see an active lifestyle coach working in 1,100 schools. Public health minister Gillian Merron said that although childhood obesity is “levelling off”, the new initiative will ensure that the
children most at risk will be guided toward a more active lifestyle. The scheme was unveiled as the government published Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: Two Years On, a report into the impact of the obesity strategy. It found that nearly one in seven two to 10-year-olds are obese and re-stated the target of getting childhood obesity back to 2000 levels by 2020. Children’s minister Dawn Primarolo said: “We know that it’s not always easy to motivate children to do exercise. “The new Active Lifestyle programme will help schools target children that are less physically active through fun, innovative and engaging activities.”
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This great cous cous recipe provided by Munchkins Kids Cooking solves three problems at once; as well as providing a nutritious main meal, it can also be served as a snack or stored in the fridge for packed lunches.
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s u Co Ingredients 500g cous cous Boiling water 2 vegetable stock cubes 1 red, green or yellow pepper 200g Cheddar cheese
(or a small tin of sweetcorn if dairy-free)
1 box cherry tomatoes 1 stick celery ½ cucumber 2 carrots 2 teaspoons olive oil + Any other cheese, meats or vegetables of your choice
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HEALTHY EATING
Equipment Kettle Mixing bowl 2 small bowls Fork Chopping knife Chopping board Grater
Method 1. Pour the cous cous into a large mixing bowl. Crumble the stock cube into the cous cous and mix well. 2. Carefully boil water in a kettle and pour boiling water over the cous cous so that it is just covered. Stir once and then leave for ďŹ ve minutes to absorb the water.
Skills Chopping vegetables Using the kettle Using stock
3. Break the cous cous up with a fork. If it is very dry add a bit more water. Sprinkle with the olive oil and stir with the fork. 4. Meanwhile you need to chop the cucumber, pepper, celery and tomatoes into small pieces and put them into a small bowl. 5. Grate the carrot and cheese, and put them into a small bowl. 6. Finally stir all the ingredients in the small bowls into the warm cous cous. Serve this salad on its own for a healthy, delicious snack, or eat it as part of a meal.
Š Joy Neal 2006
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PSHE
Are sporty parents better role models? Parents play a vital role in shaping their children’s attitude to exercise, but do their habits rub off on their kids? Christina Fenlon finds the answer.
In order to help children develop a more active lifestyle surely it is important that they have some good role models. But who? Having asked a number of parents, teachers and primary school pupils, it seems that most people tend to think of well-known sports personalities like David Beckham, Paula Radcliffe and Amir Khan. But where do parents fit in? The impact that a parent’s behaviour has on their child has been well-documented. Children of smokers will be more likely to take up the habit, kids whose parents have a degree will be more likely to go to university and children who have been abused are statistically more likely to be abusive. Each of these examples, both positive and negative, seems to show a clear link between a parent’s actions and those of their young. Caroline, who has two children that attend primary school, agrees and says that it’s the good example that she and her husband set which has determined how active their children are. Just as she regularly goes to a local gym and her husband plays badminton and football, so her two children have become keen swimmers and joined a number of school sports teams. She worries about the other parents she knows who don’t share her enthusiasm for sport and how that might impact on their children. But perhaps it isn’t that simple. A new study suggests that, in terms of exercise, a parent’s habits have little effect on their child. After studying 268 children and 156 parents and carers, a team of researchers found that “there is no statistical evidence that a child is active simply because they see that
their parents exercise.” The link was far more subtle and relied on parent’s attitudes rather than behaviours. They found that the children who exercised most were those that had parents who provided them with the “instrumental and emotional support” required for young children to be physically active. This is a big shift in how many people understand the parent-child dynamic and could be an important issue in the fight to tackle child obesity levels. The government has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in a bid to make UK children healthier, but the results have been underwhelming. While a lot of effort has been put into improving the health education and sport activities provided by schools, projects like Change 4 Life rely on a whole-family approach and the power that parents have to influence their children. But what are parents doing as role models and, in their experience, does it have an impact? Alison is trying to get her two-year old girl off on the right foot by making the most of her local Sure Start centre – the product of a government initiative to integrate early years services. “The facilities are amazing,” she says. “My daughter and I have taken part in ‘rhythm and rhyme’ and ‘baby massage’, which have been enjoyable for us both.” However, she is often surprised to find that she is one of the only mothers making use of the health activity rooms and feels that it is mostly the middle class families that take advantage of new fitness opportunities.
television commercials, she has done little to change the lifestyle of her family. She is a single mother with a full-time job which, she says, leaves her with little time to exercise and prepare healthy meals. Her girls aren’t overweight, but neither of them shows any interest in sport or does any exercise outside of school PE classes. Steve, a father of a 10-year-old boy, is similar to Gail in that he has a full-time job and doesn’t take part in any sports. However, his son is a keen footballer who trains at least twice a week with his school team and with a local club. Perhaps, as indicated by the role model study, the difference lies in Steve’s attitude to sport and the support he gives to his son’s activities. He goes along to watch matches, buys boots and kit and says that he gets his son to training even on those days when his son’s enthusiasm begins to wane. He is in no doubt that his support has been integral to his son’s active lifestyle. So, do children tend to do as their parents do? Or do they do as they say? This imperfect mix of empirical study and anecdotal evidence suggests that it is more a case of the latter. With nothing more than encouragement, children are far more likely to develop an active lifestyle and enjoy regular exercise. And that’s good news for busy parents. Rather than become their household’s answer to Kelly Holmes or Steve Redgrave, all they need to do is offer loving support and a positive attitude.
Gail, who has two daughters in primary school, admits that although she has seen the
“Do children tend to do as their parents do? Or do they do as they say?”
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POLICE COMM Barney & Echo Cyber Bullying Project
Caught in the Web, Barney Says Let’s Talk About How to Stay Safe on the Internet is the newest title in the range of Barney and Echo educational resources for schools. This book has been released to help meet demand for an educational programme surrounding cyber bullying and internet safety. It has already sold out of its first print run of 20,000 copies and is available for delivery now. The book was developed to support teachers and parents in addressing the important issues of internet safety and text bullying and sets out easy-to-follow rules for pupils and adults alike. The government resource, www.thinkuknow.com, has been heavily relied upon for sourcing content and helps make this book a comprehensive educational resource for any school or parent. The website and its resources have been developed by The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, an organisation dedicated to eradicating the sexual abuse of children. CEOP is part of UK policing and aims to track offenders and bring them to account either directly or in partnership with local and international forces. Within any one team at the CEOP Centre you will find police officers working with professionals from the wider child protection community and industry. You will find seconded staff from organisations such as the NSPCC, teams sponsored by the likes of VISA and SERCO and experts from government and corporations such as Microsoft offering specialist advice and guidance. That approach is dedicated to building up intelligence that in turn drives the business, informs their operational deployments, steers their CEOP Academy programmes to law enforcement, child protection and educational sectors and drives their dedicated thinkuknow programme for children and parents of all ages. Aimed at pupils in key stage 1-2, Caught in the Web is set in Treetop Forest and follows the adventures of Barney Eagle, Echo Squirrel and their friends Tom, Digsby, Spike and Dizzy. The friends get a valuable lesson from Barney and Tom Stoat about how to use the internet and the dangers that it can represent in the areas of identification, personal information and bullying. In addition to the resource itself, all schools will benefit from the Caught in the Web schools programme pack including four colourful and informative posters, sets of lapel stickers to be worn by pupils, a dramatisation of the book and extra lesson plans to be found online on our dedicated website www.barneyecho.co.uk. 14 The Citizenship Magazine for Schools
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There are three other books in the series. The Magic Mirror addresses the dangers of drugs, tobacco and alcohol in a fun but informative way by looking at how a group of friends cope with harmful substances. The second title, A Friendship Made, tackles issues relating to bullying and vandalism, and examines what life would be like in a society where people had no respect for each other or the environment. The third book, Echo’s New Watch, approaches the dangers of knife crime within the social environment of children. These stories are intended to not only warn children about the dangers that they might be confronted by in everyday life, but also to educate children and their carers on numerous subjects relating to the promotion of life skills. Included with each title is a play based upon the narrative of the book which pupils can use as part of their lesson plan, and posters which convey the message of each resource booklet. As part of promoting the citizenship programme, The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain and Community Initiatives Associates hold instructive conferences whereby schools and organisations involved in sponsorship and support of the programme
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can come together and share ideas. The latest conferences, which were held at venues across the north-west including Chester’s Guildhall and Liverpool Football Club, were a huge success with guest speakers from the police, the ambulance service, fire service and interest groups, and a healthy schools co-ordinator. For more information please go to www.barneyecho.co.uk To see additional projects which The Police Community Clubs Great Britain are involved in visit www.policecommunityclubs.org
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Barney & Echo Website Launch The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain will offer a new level of support to teachers with the launch of its new Barney & Echo website at www.barneyecho.co.uk The site will contain various resources designed to help teachers prepare PSHE classes for children at key stage 1-2 including a range of lesson plans available for download and a ďŹ lm based on Barney and the Magic Mirror. Teachers will be able to view examples of books in the Barney & Echo series and use the simple online ordering tool to purchase three Barney & Echo books and get two copies free. As part of the offer schools will also receive a range of free support materials including posters, masks, stickers and lesson plans as well as play books that will allow children to act out the stories. The Barney & Echo project has been designed to support teachers and parents in addressing various issues that form part of the PSHE subject area. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are tackled in Barney and the Magic Mirror, the issues of bullying and vandalism are addressed in A Friendship Made and Echo’s New Watch can be used to educate children about the dangers of gangs and knife crime. The latest in the series is Caught in the Web; a fun and informative look at internet safety and the problem of cyber bullying. The story is punctuated by numerous activities designed to get children thinking about the issues and help them retain the valuable lessons.
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Food, glori
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FEATURE
ious food The food education that children receive in their early years is vital to developing a healthy lifestyle. But Pam Kirk finds that there’s more to it than vitamins and minerals. The right choice
As teachers and parents, we want to provide our children with all of the information they need to make good choices. And when it comes to the topic of food, there are a lot of choices to make. As well as deciding which food to eat and how to prepare it, there are issues such as where the food comes from and where to buy it. So to help boost their knowledge, we have put together a fun interactive learning plan that charts the journey of food right from the source to the kitchen table.
Miles and miles
Food plays a huge role in today’s society and we have more choice than ever before. But do we consider where the food comes from? Very little food in the UK comes from truly local sources as even British food may have travelled hundreds of miles by road. And as demand for low cost and year-round produce is at an all-time high, the majority of our food is sourced from further a field. It is therefore important to look into the effects that our demand for food has on our health and environment. Food miles describe the distance that food is transported as it travels from producer to consumer. In the UK, our food travels an amazing 30 billion kilometres each year. This includes imports by boat and air as well as internal transport by lorries and cars. In total, food transport is responsible for the UK adding nearly 19m tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year, with more than 2m tonnes being produced simply by cars travelling to and from shops. Choosing food that is local and in season means it does not have to travel so far. This reduction in food miles can then have a dramatic effect on reducing carbon dioxide emissions while providing the consumer with fresher home-grown produce that requires less preservatives and which also supports our local economy.
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This section is designed as an easy reference guide for skills, products and services that can be available to your school. Please do not hesitate to call us on 01244 316629 or e-mail sales@thecitizenshipmagazine.co.uk with any suggestions that you might have for which services that you would like to see highlighted. If you would like to advertise in this section please call 01244 316629 and ask for Chris Parry who will be happy to help. The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain, 2A High Street, Bromborough, Wirral CH62 7HA Telephone: 01244 316629 Facsimile 01244 314054 www.thecitizenshipmagazine.org
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LESSON PLANS Food miles lesson plan The first lesson has been designed to get pupils thinking about where their food comes from and the implications for our environment. Objective J To raise awareness of the global food trade J To appreciate the distance that our food has travelled J To understand that there are environmental costs associated with the transportation of food What you will need Carrier bags that contain foods from around the world including processed foods and labelled fresh produce. Try to provide items from every continent and some fresh foods that could have been grown in the UK, but which have been imported from other continents (for example, apples and lettuces). Each group of four children will need a bag. Try and put different foods in each one so that pupils can report different information back to each other.
What next? Each team of pupils will work together to investigate the contents of their shopping bag and record their findings. They can use the map of the world to locate where each food is from and draw a line from the country of origin to the edge of the map where they can draw the food. They can then work out how far it has travelled. Each team can discuss their findings with the other groups and talk about why food is transported so far. What do children think of the fact that we import foods that we can produce ourselves? For example, for every pint of milk we export, we import approximately two pints. Pupils need to understand that transporting food over large distances creates a great deal of pollution, and that this is one of the key problems in the global trade in food.
Brainstorm what could be done to reduce food miles: For example: J Eating food that is in season J Buying from markets, local butchers and farm shops J Growing your own fruit and vegetables in a garden J Asking supermarkets to stock more local produce
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LESSON PLANS Food Issues
Once children are aware of where their food comes from, they can look at some important ideas and concerns.
Fairtrade Most supermarkets offer Fairtrade tea, coffee and chocolate, which you can identify by the Fairtrade logo featured on the packaging. The scheme was launched in response to buyers taking advantage of small farmers in poor countries by not paying them a fair and proper price for the food they produced. The Fairtrade organisation was set up to promote the idea of giving the person who produced the food a fair price for his work. That may seem obvious and the right thing to do, but even today many farmers overseas are obliged to sell their goods at low prices. Local Produce Although many supermarkets now stock regional goods, greengrocers and other small shops are often the best places to find locally-grown produce. While some goods can only be grown in warmer foreign climates, most staple ingredients can be grown or produced in this country. But what are the benefits of using local produce? J Local food is fresher. A cabbage from a farm just a few miles away can be harvested, transported to the shop, sold to you, cooked and on your table in far less time than a cabbage from Spain. J Local farmers often grow more varieties, some of which are very old, and which have more flavour than the mass-produced standard sized and shaped goods that are in the supermarket. J You know exactly where the food comes from and you can choose to use a farmer you know, or one who is organic or free-range. J You are supporting the local economy. Many small farms in particular are finding it a struggle to make profits. Buying from them helps them stay in business. J Environmentally, buying locally makes sense too. Carbon dioxide emissions are reduced as the food doesn’t need to travel so far and less packaging is also needed.
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Organic Organic foods are produced without the aid of pesticides or chemical growth stimulants. While all the chemicals used in UK food production have been approved by government scientists, some people prefer not to eat food that has been chemically treated in any way. As a result, more and more producers are now turning to an organic way of farming, and you will see foods clearly marked in ever-growing sections in the supermarkets, giving those who want organic produce more choice.
Free Range Free range eggs come from chickens that are allowed to roam freely during the day. At night they return to a hen house which meets clearly defined minimum standards. One in three hens in Britain are now free range and some supermarkets only stock free range eggs.
Messy fingers After tackling the theory it is important to get children hands on with food. Here are 10 reasons why it’s worth getting a little messy. 1. Practical activities are a great way of teaching children about nutrition and healthy eating. The skills they learn will last them a life-time and provide them with an alternative to fast food and processed goods. 2. By getting hands on with food and creating meals from scratch, children are accomplishing a task and learning something important. Practical activities can therefore boost self-esteem. 3. Cooking at home is a great family activity. It’s an opportunity for parents to spend time interacting with their children and, although it may take a little longer to prepare the meal, it is great fun. 4. Kids will be more likely to eat what they make. Since they have spent time and effort preparing the food, they will be only too eager to sample their creations. 5. Kids can learn real lessons in related subjects such as science, maths and creativity. Practical applications of the theories they may already be familiar with will also help ideas to stick. 6. It is a great way to learn life skills. Cookery introduces consumer choice, budgeting and responsibility. 7. They will learn where food actually comes from and become aware of all different types of food. By choosing what goes in and stays out of their food, they will become healthier. 8. They are working together as a team, whether it is with a teacher, parent or with a sibling. 9. Cooking teaches them the importance of preparation. 10. Cooking is a creative outlet as well as a science. They can express themselves artistically, improvise and come up with new ideas.
Kids
Come Dine With Us
To help make cookery fun, we have produced a lesson idea based on the popular Channel 4 home cooking series Come Dine with Me.
The concept is simple; divide the class into teams of four and then help each team to cook meals that will feed another team of four. Once they have all ďŹ nished, share the food around and let them evaluate the other teams using the score cards provided. You might also want to give them the opportunity to discuss their meals and talk about where they went right and where they went wrong. Important points to remember when teaching practical cookery lessons: J Good cooks of all ages always wash their hands before cooking J Tell children to wait until the dish is cooked before sampling as this will help prevent illness J Expect spills and messes J Children have short attention spans so give them quick, simple jobs, and give instructions one at a time J Children get excited and forget so repeat directions as often as needed J Young cooks need constant supervision and help J Give children jobs to help clean up J Always have an adult on hand to help cut up food and use the cooker On the next page is an example menu that could be used in this exercise. However, pupils may wish to come up with their own menu and ingredients.
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Menu Serves 4 Starter Dizzy’s Strawberry Banana Smoothie 1 cup frozen strawberries 2 cups orange juice 1 banana, cut in pieces ½ cup milk 2 tablespoons sugar Add ingredients together in blender and blend until smooth. Smoothies are easy to put together and serve as a great source of vitamins and calcium. Use whatever fruit you have available and add a little milk, some yogurt and some ice cubes. Main Course Vegetable Skewers What you need:
For Skewers: � 2 medium courgettes � 2 red peppers � 12 small mushrooms � 2 medium onions
For marinade: � 3 tablespoons olive oil � 1 tablespoon vinegar � 2 cloves garlic � 1 tablespoon coriander � A little salt and pepper
Preparation: Wash and dry each courgette and cut into eight chunks. Core and de-seed peppers and cut each one into eight pieces. Peel and cut each onion into eight pieces Take four wooden skewers and soak them in water while you prepare the kebabs. Make the marinade: Peel and crush the garlic and ask an adult to help finely chop the coriander. Mix with the oil and vinegar and season well. Thread all the vegetables onto skewers, and lay them in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over them, turning the kebabs to make sure they’re well-coated. Cook under the grill for 5-10 minutes, turning occasionally Dessert Square Krisps
� � � �
4 tablespoons golden syrup 1 tablespoon caster sugar 1 tablespoon margarine 3 oz popped rice cereal
Melt the syrup, sugar and margarine gently in a pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for about a minute. Put the popped rice in a large bowl and stir the syrup mixture through it, mixing well. Put in a greased tin and press down to level. Leave in the fridge for about 30 minutes and then cut into squares. 24 The Citizenship Magazine for Schools
Score Board
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LESSON PLANS School Lunch Box
My lunch box activity
As many as 99 per cent of packed lunches are said to fall short of recommended standards. But how do you get it right? The choice between school meals and packed lunches can be a tricky one. Many children like to choose exactly what they eat and so prefer to have their meals brought from home. But while schools have been set new standards for nutrition and are required to offer a variety of food types, it can be difficult for parents to come up with new ideas for nutritious lunch boxes. Children need a healthy, balanced diet, which is rich in fruit, vegetables and starchy foods. So to help you ensure that they obtain the wide range of nutrients they need to stay healthy, here is a break down of the different types of food that should be included. Milk, cheese, yoghurt, soya beans, tofu and nuts are rich in calcium, which is needed for healthy bones and teeth. Margarine and oily fish are good sources of vitamin D, which helps ensure a good supply of calcium in the blood and therefore healthy bones. Meat, particularly red meat and fish are rich sources of iron. Pulses (beans and lentils), green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals are also good sources. Iron is needed for healthy blood. Children should have at least two portions of fish a week as fish are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals and they are low in saturated fat. Oily fish, such as mackerel, salmon and sardines, also contain omega 3 fatty acids. You can give boys up to four portions of oily fish a week, but it’s best to give girls no more than two portions. Citrus fruit (such as oranges and lemons), tomatoes and potatoes, are all good sources of vitamin C which is essential for health. Vitamin C may help the absorption of iron, so having fruit juice with an iron-rich meal could increase iron absorption. Milk, margarine with added vitamins, green vegetables and carrots are all good sources of vitamin A which is important for good vision and healthy skin. But avoid giving children shark, swordfish and marlin. This is because these fish contain relatively high levels of mercury, which might affect a child’s developing nervous system. Watch out for salt: The maximum amount of salt that children should have varies by age: 4 to 6 years - 3g a day 7 to 10 years - 5g a day 11 years and upwards - 6 g a day
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The best way of ensuring that children get the most from their packed lunches is by getting them involved. So why not ask them to plan a menu of foods to be eaten during a week. Each one should include; Portions of fruit and vegetables A balance of foods from each of the four main food groups The four main food groups are: • Bread and cereals: serve at each meal and also give as snacks • Fruit and vegetables: five servings a day • Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt: three servings a day • Meat, fish, lentils and protein rich foods: two servings a day, three for vegetarians Encourage your child to choose a variety of foods to help ensure that they obtain the wide range of nutrients they need to stay healthy. Monday Lunch Box I would like... A sandwich Pasta Cous Cous Other
® ® ® ® ......................................................
List the ingredients you would like included in the main section of the meal ........................................................................................................................................... What piece of fruit would you like with your lunch? ...................................................... What about a treat? What would you like that is also good for you? .......................................................................................................................................... Don’t forget a drink. But remember to watch out for sugar and artificial colours. .......................................................................................................................................... Repeat for the rest of the school week.
Five a day activity
Any of the following forms of fruit and vegetables can count towards your 5 A DAY: • Fresh fruit and vegetables • Frozen fruit and vegetables • Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables – but buy the ones tinned in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt • Dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs • Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta dishes • A glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice – juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, however much you drink, mainly because juice contains less fibre than whole fruits and vegetables • Smoothies – those containing all of the edible pulped fruit and/or vegetable may count as more than one portion (maximum of two) but this depends on how it is made • Beans and pulses – they only count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat as they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables • Fruit and vegetables in convenience foods, such as ready meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings – but some ready-made foods are high in salt, sugar and fat, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts
List your five favourite types of fruit and vegetables below and write some of the different meals you can find them in: 1._________________________ which you can find in_________________________ 2._________________________ which you can find in __________________________ 3._________________________ which you can find in ___________________________ 4._________________________ which you can find in ___________________________ 5._________________________ which you can find in ___________________________
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LESSON PLANS
Aims Discover what the children already know about alcohol and its effects.
1
To inform children of what makes a drink alcoholic, the varied strengths of different drinks and appropriate drink levels.
Learning Outcomes
Activities
Pupils will have assessed Tell the children that they will be carrying out their own knowledge and a series of lessons about alcohol. This lesson is designed to ďŹ nd out what they already know. shared it with others. Discuss with the children what words they associate with the word alcohol. Create a brainstorm (this could be added to each week or at the end of the topic).
Plenary Display a big bottle in the classroom. Children are to use post-it-notes to add things they want to learn during the course of lessons, or questions that they want answered.
In pairs, ask the children to work though a collection of questions about alcohol (see example questions on page 30). Children complete as many questions as they can. Share responses and discuss answers. Pupils will have increased their knowledge and understanding of the content of alcoholic drinks and worked co-operatively as a group to analyse information.
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Show the children a range of empty bottles, cans and cartons and place some on each table for the children to physically sort. In small groups, ask the children to come up with as many ways as they can of sorting them (e.g. hot/cold drinks, cheap/expensive drinks, recyclable/non-recyclable containers). Feedback the different ways of sorting that the children came up with. Discuss grouping them as alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks. Can the children sort them into these groups? What do they notice about the two groups? Tell the children that alcohol in drinks is called ethanol or ethyl alcohol. It is made by the process of fermenting. Ask the children how alcohol affects a person’s behaviour. Tell the children that different alcoholic drinks are made from fruits and plants. Tell them that by law the strength of the drink has to be displayed on the container. Ask the children to identify where this is and then order a collection of empty drink containers according to strength.
Ask the children what they have learned during the lesson. Can they add anything to their initial brainstorm?
Aims Explain how the digestive system works, show how alcohol travels through the body and look into its impact on the brain.
3 To show that drinking a lot of alcohol at one time, or excessive amounts over a long period of time, carries risks to the drinker and to others.
4 5
To provide an opportunity for pupils to consider why people have chosen to drink or not to drink.
Learning Outcomes Pupils will have increased their knowledge of how the body digests food and drink and understood the effects of alcohol.
Activities Show the class a picture of the digestive system. Point out the different organs. Talk through the process of how food and drink is taken in and used by the body. Key vocabulary: mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine. Focus on the role of the liver and kidneys in particular. Tell the children that alcohol follows the same process, however, when it passes through the small intestine, it enters into the blood stream. Also emphasise the effects on the brain. Give the children a collection of effect words (on page 30). Ask the children to place them in order of how harmful they are. Discuss the order in which the children placed the cards.
Pupils will have increased their understanding of the effects of alcohol on an individual and on others.
Put the children into small teams. Give the teams two different coloured pieces of A3 paper. On one of the pieces of paper children are to write ‘short-term effects’ and on the other ‘long-term effects’. Set the teams a challenge. In 10 minutes they have to come up with as many different effects as they can.
Plenary Tell the children that while alcohol affects everyone, the effects can be different in different people. Ask children to come up with some of these factors. Add to the list if necessary. Examples: Age, size and weight of person drinking. Strength and amount of alcohol drunk. Speed at which it is drunk. Whether the person has eaten before and during drinking. Whether the person is using other drugs or medicine.
Show the children some pictures of young people that have been affected by alcohol. Ask the children to comment on what they think has happened to the young person, how old they are, why they are drinking and short and long-term effects this could have on this person.
Once the 10 minutes are up, children are to feed back their answers. Ask the children to comment on the views of others. Do they agree? Why?
Pupils will have thought further about the choices that can be made regarding drinking alcohol.
Re-cap with the children and check wall chart for what they already know about alcohol. Ask the children to think of some reasons why people might choose to drink and why some others do not.
Share some of the children’s posters and critically evaluate them, commenting on effectiveness and the messages that they highlight. Ask the children to think of alternatives to drinking alcohol.
Children are to design an anonymous questionnaire that asks adults about their choices regarding alcohol. Ask the children to create a poster, making other young people aware of their findings and the pressures surrounding alcohol.
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LESSON PLANS Aims
Learning Outcomes
To encourage pupils to find out more information about alcohol and its affects. 1-2 lessons.
Pupils will have enhanced their reference skills, worked co-operatively on a presentation and increased their knowledge of e-safety issues.
6
Activities
Plenary
Show the children a range of information texts on alcohol, including books, leaflets and posters. Tell the children that today they are going to use the internet as a resource for finding out more information.
Children are to show each other their presentations. Ask the other children, after each presentation, to comment on what new information they have learned.
Discuss with the children what they need to remember when using the internet. Remind children of lessons on e-safety. In pairs, give the children an issue relating to alcohol to research. The children are to make a PowerPoint presentation of their findings to present to the rest of the class. Issues could include: The advertising of alcohol The history of drinking alcohol The use of alcohol in other parts of the world The laws surrounding alcohol The cost of alcohol
USEFUL WEBSITES: www.drinkaware.co.uk
www.units.nhs.uk
www.alcoholissues.co.uk
www.hopeuk.org
www.talkaboutalcohol.com
www.talktofrank.com
Example questions: Can you name some alcoholic drinks? What are some of the effects of drinking alcohol? Why do people choose to drink alcohol? Where can you purchase alcohol from? How old do you have to be to drink alcohol? Where can people drink alcohol?
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Sleepy Slurred Accidents speech Violent Relaxed
Giggles
Vomiting
Effect Words
Dizzy
Blurred Loss of vision consciousness Argumentative Lack of co-ordination
The 2012 London Olympics offers a host of opportunities for cross-curricular learning. Here are a few ideas: Science Numeracy To help pupils to understand measurements, look at track distances and field event records. They can measure them out in the playground or create scale drawings in class. You can also use race times to introduce speed calculations, plot out events on a calendar and look at seasons.
Athletes have to be in peak physical condition if they want to win a medal. How do they manage to get so fit? Look at exercise, nutrition and the different muscles they each have to develop depending on their sport. And how do their bodies work when they are competing? Joints, muscles and the respiratory system are each vital.
The medal table could be a great way of introducing data collection and graphs.
Geography More than 200 countries compete in the summer games while cities in 19 different countries have hosted them. Transport and the environment are always key issues, as are climate, altitude and economics.
Music From the opening ceremony to the presentation of medals, music has an important role to play in the Olympics. Do the children know all the words to their national anthem and can they recognise the anthems of other countries?
History When and why did the Olympics start? Look into the ancient Greeks and the evolution of the modern games. And when has history been made at the games? Consider Hitler in 1936, terrorism in 1972 and black power in 1968.
Citizenship/Global Issues Look at the three Olympic values: Friendship – How can we accept people from other cultures, understand differences and learn from each other? Excellence – Look at the importance of objectives and the ways we can achieve them.
Literacy Millions of words will be written about the 2012 Olympics. Why not ask pupils to write about what they think of the games? They could write a fictional account of winning a medal or a factual piece that looks at Olympic history or values.
Respect – How do we gain respect? And why should we respect others? Also, in the context of sport, look into the nature of patriotism and how it differs from xenophobia and racism. And recognise the different ethnicities found on the British team and discuss identity.
ICT Organising and broadcasting the games requires a huge amount of technology. Look into the different ways the media covers the Olympics, via TV, radio and the internet. Use the internet as a tool to research the games and use paint and graphic programs to design a new logo. PowerPoint could be a good way of making a presentation for the rest of the class.
PE Organise a mini Olympics with pupils representing different countries. Introduce them to different sports and new techniques.
Art/D&T Redesign the Olympic logo, or print out logo outlines and ask children to fill them in according to a theme. Imagine that the school was going to enter – what would the flag look like?
For more information visit www.getset.london2012.com
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COOKERY WORKSHOP
Put down your pens and start chopping – enterprising cookery coaches talk to Luke Davis about teaching kids in UK schools.
Left to right: Paul Cooper, Sue Cooper and Gary Rhodes
I
’ve met children who are eleven who can’t spread butter on their bread,” says former primary school teacher Joy Neal. “It is quite shocking and shows that there’s a lack of basic skills out there.” Perhaps this assessment offers a clue as to why childhood obesity has become one of the UK’s most pressing health issues. The latest figures show that more than a quarter of kids are overweight while around seven per cent are classed as obese. And the figures look set to rise with some health experts predicting that this generation may be the first to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. But how do primary schools set about turning the tide? Although every school has to offer some form of food education, there is no requirement to teach practical cookery lessons. And yet if children are to adopt a balanced diet it is vital that they have an alternative to takeaways, tinned foods and ready meals. The professionals To fill this gap more and more schools are turning to the experts – companies that run practical workshops designed to get children interested in cooking. Joy Neal, who had
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worked as a teacher in Deptford, south London, is just one of those who saw the need for more cookery in schools. She left teaching in 2005 to set up Munchkins Kids Cooking and now employs nine members of staff. She says that she had always used cookery in her classes – using fruit segments to teach fractions and boxes of raisins to explain division – but noticed that many teachers were afraid to let children loose with ingredients. “They often think that it’s going to be very time consuming, messy and expensive to cook with children. But actually it’s none of things.” During one and a half hour sessions the Munchkins team gives kids the chance to get hands on with food. Through practical activities the kids get to learn about food preparation, nutrition and health and safety with the result that kids develop an interest in food and get excited about trying new things. And it’s not just the kids that become converts. “You get teachers that are very nervous at first and say, ‘Oh gosh, I can’t believe you are letting them use graters and peelers.’ But at the end of the session they say they are amazed by what the kids can do.” That’s the pupils and teachers covered, but Joy also has to worry about encroaching on
the territory of the parents. To avoid children running home from Munchkins sessions to rubbish mum and dad’s cooking, Joy is very careful about being critical of specific foods. “We never say that some foods are good and some foods are bad”, she says. “And we are very careful about the terminology we use because I know that sometimes parents can feel quite attacked and can get quite defensive with schools. So we try and manage that really carefully and get the parents on board.” Michelin stars Another team have found that getting a celebrity on board can also help. Paul Cooper, who runs Junior Chefs’ Academy alongside his wife, Sue, says that having Gary Rhodes attend sessions has been a great opportunity to encourage kids to think creatively. “I have always said that food is 90% science and 10% art. But in the hands of great chefs like Gary, it’s the artistic side which really shines through. And if young kids associate new foods with fun, and they become more open minded – all the learning about nutrition and the smarter dietary choices will follow.” The involvement of the Michelin star chef is the latest step in the development of the
Junior Chefs’ Academy programme which Paul delivers to schools across the north-west. Like Joy Neal of Munchkins, former catering lecturer Paul got the idea for his company after realising how little many young people knew about food and cooking. “On one occasion, I remember teaching a group of girls and we were discussing how to properly prepare and cook vegetables. But, as I was leading them through the session, it became apparent to me that the girls didn’t – and I mean genuinely didn’t – know what a piece of broccoli was. To me, that was deeply sad.” Business Growth His business partner Sue – who is a mother of two young children herself and has previously worked with young adults with learning difficulties – deals with much of the organisational work. She reveals that in 2009 they worked with more than 45,000 children, a 50 per cent increase on the previous year, which equates to more than 250 schools across the region. They were also runners up in the Liverpool Echo Kickstart Business Awards. “The levels of repeat business have been absolutely fantastic. We have built up some
really strong relationships with headteachers. And we have received some superb feedback. I’m delighted that we are proving a helpful resource.” Maura Williams, headteacher at William Stockton Primary School in Ellesmere Port, is one of those who has been convinced of the merits of such workshops. She notes that, in light of budgeting considerations, Junior Chefs’ Academy has been indispensable in enabling the school to meet its obligations. “From a headteacher’s perspective, it is a very cost effective form of outsourcing. It meets all the objectives of Every Child Matters (ECM). And it also brings together a multitude of different elements from across the curriculum, including science, art and drama. “But, most importantly, it’s also great fun for the kids and the messages are communicated brilliantly. Across all of our year groups the children have loved it.” The future Paul agrees that ECM has filtered through everything they have tried to achieve and he is happy that this comes across. But, moving forward, he predicts that the Government’s early years programme, Sure Start, is going to
become a key part of developing the health agenda. “I believe that the Sure Start initiative – along with the aims and objectives of ECM – is going to have a really big impact in our communities. And it has to. I don’t think that we can sit back and condemn a generation of kids to problems like diabetes and heart disease. We need to break the cycle now. “Increasingly, we have been doing sessions with parents and children, young mothers and the deaf society. We have also been doing sessions in specialist schools, including to children with autism.” However, Paul says that primary schools will remain at the heart of The Junior Chefs’ Academy. And the reason is simple: fun – his own, as much as that of the kids. “I have worked in lecturing for a number of years, but I’ve never gotten as much enjoyment from working with an age group as I do now. And the sense that we are positively affecting their lives through food gives me genuine job satisfaction. I think I’d start to feel old without it!” Joy Neal of Munchkins is just as enthusiastic about the role she created for herself and has no regrets about the career change. “I love my work”, she says, “I feel very lucky.”
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FEATURE
I
t can sometimes seem like cities were specifically designed to impede good health. Overcrowded streets that are bereft of safe open spaces are filled with traffic, smothered in fumes and clogged up with takeaway and fast food restaurants. And that’s not to mention the crime, social deprivation and stress. But projects are being launched to help change the landscape. To mark this year’s World Health Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is inviting city dwellers to take to the streets and “join a global movement to make cities healthier”. The aim is that over the course of a week beginning on 7 April, public spaces in 1,000 cities will be opened up to health activities and 1,000 stories of urban health champions will be collected. It’s an ambitious project launched to counter a serious problem. Across the world more and more children are growing up in urban areas and facing the inevitable health dangers found in cities. And while developing nations are experiencing the most rapid growth in urban populations, the majority of UK children already live in built up areas. One of the main problems they face is lack of exercise. In Britain, only 16 per cent of
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urban journeys are walked or cycled, lass than half as many as in the rest of Europe. And as land becomes an ever more precious commodity, the number of play areas is also dropping with more than 200 school fields having been sold off since 1997. Many parents are turning to organised activities hosted in leisure centres, but for low income families with more than one child this can be costly. The cumulative effect is that child obesity figures are going up and related health problems like hypertension and type 2 diabetes are emerging at ever younger ages. Take action The 1000 Cities – 1000 Lives project aims to help tackle this problem by getting children back out into the open air and enjoying exercise – free of charge. Local authorities are being invited to close a portion of their streets to traffic and so allow people to join in events and activities with suggestions ranging from cycling and walking to tai chi and football matches. Sportswear giant Adidas, on the other hand, has come up with a longer-lasting solution. The German company has set about repurposing urban areas by constructing what they call adiZones in five London boroughs.
Built as part of the company’s £100m investment in the London 2012 Oympic games, the permanent installations feature facilities designed for basketball, football and tennis, a climbing wall, an outdoor gym and an open area to encourage dance, aerobics and gymnastics. To design and construct the sports zones, Adidas have worked with The Great Outdoor Gym Company, a London-based firm that has been building free fitness installations since 2007. Communications manager Charlotte Tarrant explained that government funding is being used to extend Adidas’ project across the country creating a network of 40 sites – many of them in urban areas. The aim of each adiZone is to bring together what are called co-located services – schools, community and health centres that are already found in a particular area. “If there’s a hospital nearby we try to get them
Cities pose a number of health problems to the children who call them home, not least the lack of opportunities for exercise. But a couple of innovative projects are being launched to get urban kids active. By Luke Davis
involved”, she says, “perhaps doing some community health awareness sessions at the site. For school children it can tie in to offering high quality opportunities to participate in sport outside of school hours. And also inside – we do have zones that, as part of the London pilot scheme, have been used in PE lessons.” Lifestyle change To maximise the benefit to children, Charlotte explains that all equipment is easy to use and available to everyone free of charge. However, use of the facilities should just be the starting point. “The AdiZone really functions as a gateway to channel young people into more structured activity,” says Charlotte. “What they offer in an urban area is the first opportunity for a lot of people to get involved and come and try out many different sports.” By inviting club
representatives to put on coaching sessions and by sign-posting children to local groups the idea is that children will go on to make exercise a part of their lifestyle. Research commissioned by the Great Outdoor Gym Company shows that people of all ages are using the equipment – including young children. And there is great demand from local authorities who want to join the growing number of partners and have adiZones built in their area. In fact, what both the adiZone and 1000 Cities – 100 Lives projects have in common is their reliance on partnership work. While World Health Day requires the commitment of governments and the participation of individuals, the AdiZone project has a wide range of collaborators. As well as receiving funding from the Department for School, Children and Families, the project has received input from Sport England and the
Youth Sport Trust, forged with links with elite UK athletes and linked up with youth magazine RWD to help with publicity. Experts predicted that collaboration would be vital back in 2005. The Royal College of Physicians said that the imperative to make cities healthier should lead to “multisectoral” collaboration between the different groups and organisations involved. The World Health Organisation agrees that this is the way forward and gives that imperative a name; the right to health shared by all. Of course, in spite of increased awareness and positive early steps, there is still a long way to go. Not every area will have its own purpose-built facility and children will continue to have to deal with many of the problems inherent in cities. But on the bright side, for one week in April the traffic that fills city streets might just get a run for its money.
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Pupils’ Corner
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PUPILS’ CORNER
What do children know about health? To find out whether children are taking health education on board, primary school teacher Christina Fenlon lets her class do the talking.
T
o get a real understanding of my class’s thoughts about health I decided to get them started on the topic with a visual cue and then see where it took them. So in front of 20 year 1 pupils I held up what is probably the most reproduced of all health symbols – the no smoking sign. They instantly recognised what it was and were quick to explain the message it was meant to convey. Many of them also recalled that they had seen the signs around school and had been told that smoking was bad for you. I was surprised at how much they knew as smoking is something we generally spend more time on when children are a little older, but it soon became clear that they had gained a lot of information from their families. One child, whose parents both smoke, said, “Mums and dads can’t help smoking, you know.” I asked her why she thought this was but she simply shrugged and noted that her parents couldn’t. One of the boys in the group, whose parents don’t smoke, knew a lot of information about the effects. He said that his uncle smoked, and that when he was having a cigarette black smoke would come out of his nose. He knew about the effects that smoke has on people’s lungs, but seemed to think that the risk of suffocating was also a danger. One of the other children, who had been fairly quiet, said, “You don’t live as long if you smoke. My mum’s having a baby so she doesn’t smoke anymore, because the baby could die or get poorly”. A girl agreed and said that if you smoke you can become ill because all of the things in cigarettes go into your body. She added that if you smoke all the time you can die. At this point I gave the children a little nudge forward by asking whether they thought smoking was healthy. All of the children were keen to point out that it was not and one added that to be healthy we have to eat fruit and vegetables. This led to a two minute interlude in which the children competed to reel off the longest list of healthy foods; tuna, milk, water, chicken, sandwiches... One of the girls then explained which foods she ate and why. “I always have ham butties in my lunchbox because they are healthy. My favourite food though is chicken nuggets and chips, but I don’t have those all
“My mum’s having a baby so she doesn’t smoke anymore, because the baby could die or get poorly” ------------------------------------“I have a hot dinner on a Friday, because there’s chips. I love them” ------------------------------------“If you do lots of exercise, you get strong muscles and you can run really fast” ------------------------------------“I always have ham butties in my lunchbox because they are healthy.”
the time. That’s why I have a hot dinner on a Friday, because there’s chips. I love them”. The other children were quick to share their own diets, with many of them extolling the delights of their packed lunches. As a class, a lot of the children order hot dinners, but the majority of the group said that they didn’t like them. And, although the school offers a wide range of healthy school meals, the children said they would rather have a packed lunch, consisting mostly of sandwiches, fruit, yoghurts and cheese. A little later on a girl said that, as her mother was pregnant, she needs to do yoga to keep healthy. This prompted a lot of confused expressions and cries of “what’s that?” The girl then explained that it was a form of exercise and demonstrated a meditation position. The other children didn’t seem to think that this looked very much like exercise at all. I asked the children what other types of exercise people could participate in and they listed several of the sports that they do in school and watch on the television, the first being football. One of the boys said, “If you do lots of exercise, you get strong muscles and you can run really fast”. Another added, “Yeah, I can run really fast because I play football”. All this talk of exercise was a little too much for some of the children and it was time to let them out for some fresh air. But the discussion had been very enlightening. It had demonstrated that families were playing an important role in educating children about health, but that occasional misunderstandings had also crept in which schools have a duty to address. And while, in terms of diet, there is still a lot of room for improvement, their understanding of the importance of exercise and nutrition was encouraging. In order to develop their understanding, we are currently working to implement the Healthy Schools initiative and also hope to make use of a new project called Small Steps 4 Life that has been launched in connection with the London 2012 games. Given the children’s interest in professional sports, it should provide a fun way of helping them to learn even more about health. For more information visit: www.smallsteps4life.direct.gov.uk www.home.healthyschools.gov.uk
The Citizenship Magazine for Schools 39
FEATURE
Healthy body, healthy mind...
40 The Citizenship Magazine for Schools
... it’s a well-worn phrase, but Dale Rockell believes that encouraging children to be healthy really can help them to deal with childhood stress. And vice versa. for teachers to help students deal with stress and encourage health. Personal development initiatives such as PSHE, SEAL, ECM and PeLTS offer a good starting point, but it is important that they become part of the culture of a school rather than isolated lessons. The relationship between student and teacher is also a critical factor. Research on teacherchild relationships has revealed that early negative relationships with primary school teachers can set a trajectory for children which has a long-lasting impact on their future. To create a healthy relationship it is important that teachers should set realistic expectations for their pupils and then commend them for their achievements. And when they don’t meet the standards that are expected, they should invite children to discuss the reasons why. In fact, the opportunity to discuss any issues that children are facing is vital as it provides an opportunity to impart key coping mechanisms.
I
t is a recognised fact that we only get out of our bodies what we put in. But it is less well-known that this principle extends beyond our diets – our minds can also be receptacles for harmful content that impact how our bodies work. And this is especially true for children. It is easy to under-estimate the harm that stress can cause young people. After all, when compared to all of the pressures and demands that adults face, how can a child possibly feel stress? But it may be helpful to use the following image: imagine that the stresses felt by an adult equate to a large bucket of water and those of a child are just a small cup full. The small cup may seem trivial, but then try and pour that cup of water into a thimble. This is how overpowering childhood stress can be to the developing mind. Such stress can then deplete the body’s natural defences and weaken the immune system making children more vulnerable to playground bugs and viruses. It can also affect their attitude to learning and their ability to concentrate, negatively impacting
their academic studies and engagement in class. It is not hard to see how stress can then become a cycle that traps children into poor physical and mental health. Common causes of childhood stress tend to fall into two categories; relationships and demands. The first covers the child’s interaction with others with key issues including family break ups, peer bullying and the forming of role models. The second covers the tasks that children are set, expectations people have of them and the pressure they can feel as a result, with school work and exams often being cited by children as being particularly difficult to cope with. And in 2010, children have more to deal with than ever before. As well as academic demands and playground relationships, they may also be part of online communities and be accessible via mobile phone and email. Their world is becoming increasingly more complex and more difficult for teachers and parents to control. However, there are also more and more ways
My experience of three years developing and delivering sessions to support PSHE has demonstrated this last point. I have seen that when young people are encouraged to discuss issues, they retain the information and want to discuss more. One reason for this is that children need to identify the relevance of instructions. As many teachers will agree, the default response of a child to new information is often “why?” By discussing why and providing answers, children are more likely to apply the lessons that are taught. One such lesson involves naming the emotions that they feel. This helps children to be less confused by new experiences and aids their ability to articulate stress. Also, it is important to encourage them to become problem solvers by offering advice, rather than simply trying to fix the problems they face. Finally, just as unhappiness can cause poor health, physical well-being can stave off unhappiness. By educating children about food and encouraging them to exercise and maintain a nutritious diet, teachers can play an important roll in instilling good habits that will enable children to better concentrate in class, achieve their potential and enjoy their primary school years. Dale Rockell MA is a life coach, motivational speaker and founder of the Stress-Free coaching programme. He works with schools to deliver personal development initiatives including PSHE, SEAL, ECM and PeLTS.
The Citizenship Magazine for Schools 41
Know the Rules: School meals Ever since the notorious turkey twizzler was served up for televisual consumption, the food prepared in school canteens has been a hot topic of debate. Few disagreed that school meals could be improved or that nutrition impacted on learning, but there was still the issue of cost, resources and, perhaps even more complex, the question of how to enforce change. In 2005 though, the government created the School Food Trust and set out a plan to issue strict rules. The first stage was the creation of an interim food-based standard that told schools how often they should serve different foods – burgers no more than once a fortnight, bread every day. But the ultimate plan was to combine the food-based standards with a new set that defined mandatory levels of different nutrients. By doing so they could positively encourage the serving of fruit and vegetables while also ensuring that certain substances such as salt, fat and sugar could be carefully controlled.
The final standards are now law for all primary schools, but there is still some confusion. To help dispel any myths the School Food Trust has provided us with the official answers to a set of common misconceptions. Schools cannot serve cheese Yes they can serve cheese, at any time of the school day. It is good practice to use low fat varieties of cheese. Schools cannot use salt in cooking Salt is permitted in the cooking process but should not be provided at lunch tables or at service counters. It is good practice to reduce the amount of salt used in cooking, add herbs and spices to flavour dishes. Schools cannot serve cakes and biscuits Cakes and biscuits can be served at lunchtimes as long as they contain no confectionery. Children should only be encouraged to eat these as part of a meal following, but not instead of, a main course. Schools cannot put butter on jacket potatoes Butter is permitted on jacket potatoes. This does not count as a starchy food cooked in fat or oil as the butter is added after the cooking process. It is good practice to restrict the amount of butter added to a jacket potato. Schools cannot serve chips Deep-fried foods (e.g. chips) can be served up to twice a week across the school day. Schools cannot provide jam or honey to spread on bread or toast Jam and honey are not restricted by the standards. It is good practice to limit servings of jam and honey which are high in sugar. Schools cannot dilute fruit juice with water Fruit juice can be diluted with water provided that the fruit juice component in the final drink is at least 50% by volume. You cannot serve bacon at breakfast Bacon is not restricted by the standards. It is good practice to grill rather than fry bacon and vary the types of foods served at breakfast. The standards are only guidelines, they are not law Schools are required to meet the standards by law. For the full set of school standards and more information about school meals please visit www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk
42 The Citizenship Magazine for Schools
CITIZENSHIP The Police Community Clubs
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ONLINE WWW.THECITIZENSHIPMAGAZINE.CO.UK Citizenship Magazine is now available to PSHE and citizenship teachers as an online magazine. The magazine will be available free of charge at our new website together with a host of new features: Page-flip technology – The online version of the magazine will appear just as it does in printed form, but will also be searchable, downloadable and easily reproduced e-subscription service – We now offer a free monthly subscription service that enables readers to receive a round-up of the latest news as well as links to new features and resources News feed – The immediacy of the web means that we can now provide a constantly updated news stream from our own dedicated site Twitter account – Social media enthusiasts can follow the @Citizenship_Mag account and have updates sent straight to their own home page Nationwide coverage – Citizenship Magazine online will cover subject developments and teacher news from across the UK Blog – Our editor, Luke Davis, and a host of guest writers will be offering their advice, reflections and insights on the subjects of PSHE and citizenship
The launch of the new site and online magazine also makes it even easier for you to get in touch and contribute to Citizenship. We welcome anyone who wishes to provide feedback, suggestions or resource contributions. All methods of contact can be found at our website.