CHAPTER 11: PLANNING FOR CHILDREN’S
HEALTH AND SAFETY EDUCATION
Answers to Review Questions
ANSWERS TO CASE STUDY
1. Some of the activities Eduardo has planned are developmentally appropriate for four-yearolds, including the “grocery store” for dramatic play and reading books about food. However,
his plan to have children sort foods according to the Food Guide Pyramid is much too
advanced for children of this age.
2. Although Eduardo’s choice of activities may increase children’s awareness of food items,
they are unlikely to teach children anything about healthy eating habits. Young children have
difficulty understanding abstract concepts and generalizing or applying such concepts to their
own lives.
3. Objectives related to naming foods, identifying where foods are purchased, learning about
where foods are grown, and reading about foods and health would be attainable with
Eduardo’s planned activities.
4. Eduardo could ask the children questions to assess their ability to make a connection between
consuming a nutritious diet and health. He could also observe children during mealtime to
see if the lesson had any effect on their eating habits.
5. There are several changes Eduardo could make to improve the success of his lesson. Instead
of cutting out pictures and sorting them, children could help to prepare a simple fresh fruit
salad that can be eaten for snack. Weighing and measuring children is another activity that
can be used to reinforce the importance of eating nutritious foods. Perhaps a field trip to an
actual grocery store would increase children’s awareness of real food and its sensory
qualities (e.g., color, smell, texture); discussing the nutrient contribution of various food
groups would also be useful.
ANSWERS TO CHAPTER REVIEW
A. By Yourself
1. Matching exercise:
1. h
2. c
3. a
4. e
5. f
6. d
7. g
8. b
2. Appropriate(A)/not appropriate (NA) health/safety topics
A
dental health
A
feelings and how to get along with others
NA
primary causes of suicide
NA
consumer health, e.g., understanding advertisements, choosing a doctor, medical
quackery
A
eye safety
NA
the hazards of smoking
NA
how to safely light matches
A
physical fitness for health
NA
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
A
the values of rest and sleep
A
A
safety at home
animal families
B. As a Group
1. Health and safety education is an essential part of children’s early education because it is
during this stage that children are forming lifelong habits, attitudes, and values. It is also a
time when children are curious and more receptive to new ideas.
2. Evaluation helps the teacher to determine if children have learned what was intended, if the
instructional process was effective, and if the objectives were achievable. Teachers can use
this information to retain or make changes in future lessons.
3. Families are children’s most important teachers. Including families in children’s health and
safety education enhances their understanding about what children are learning. This
connection also improves the consistency of information and expectations between home and
school. Some teachers may believe that family involvement requires too much additional
time and effort to be worthwhile, but the benefits for children and their families far outweigh
the extra effort.
4. Teachers benefit from participation in inservice training opportunities by staying current with
new developments, learning new teaching strategies, being exposed to new ideas, and reenergizing their teaching interests.
5. Several criteria can be used for evaluating the reliability of resource materials, including its
source and currency, if it is free of advertising and bias, and if it supports the learning
objective.