Curriculum helps students learn math, healthy foods
October 24, 2007
by FoodBusinessNews.net Staff
NEWARK, DEL. — A new program sponsored by the Produce Marketing Association is designed to help third and fourth grade students improve their math skills and learn to eat more fruits and vegetables.
The curriculum, called Crunch the Numbers, has both a print and on-line aspect and includes activities such as snack time addition and subtraction and a rainbow fruits and vegetables pie chart that will help children sharpen their math skills and understand that eating fruits and vegetables is important. There are also age-appropriate food safety messages, and the program will be updated every year.
"This curriculum helps teachers teach critical math skills, while encouraging students to develop healthy fruit and vegetable eating habits for a lifetime," said Kathy Means, P.M.A. vice-president of government and public affairs. "It encourages children to experience firsthand how much fun great-tasting fruits and vegetables are to eat, so that they gain life-long healthy eating habits."
During the next four years, the print program will reach 70,000 teachers, 2 million students and 3 million family members, with even more people being able to access the materials on-line.
To make the program possible, the Produce Marketing Association is giving a contribution to the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s Campaign for Children’s Health, and the curriculum is being distributed by Scholastic.