EDU 211: Health and Wellness for School-Age Children

Course Description

Children must be safe and healthy in mind, body, and spirit to thrive. This course explores a holistic approach to health, nutrition, and safety topics including the physical and mental well-being of school-age children. All topics are explored through the lenses of prevention as well as Connecticut’s “Code of Responsibility for Teachers” and NAEYC’s (National Association for the Education of Young Children) “Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment.” Students promote inclusion and honor diversity while recognizing and demonstrating their sensitivity to the cultural, linguistic, and individual needs of children and their families. (3 credits)

Prerequisite

ECE 101: Introduction to Early Childhood Education OR EDU 115: Foundations in Education

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

Describe the interrelatedness among children’s development, health, safety, and nutrition.
Investigate health equity topics and write a blog about the disparities related to one.
Explain the effects of stress and other life experiences on children’s physical, behavioral, cognitive, and psychological development.
Identify symptoms, possible treatments, and possible prevention strategies of communicable and acute illnesses, diseases, illnesses, injuries, mental health, and other health-related health topics and how they are built into the curricula.
Differentiate between abuse and neglect, as well as an educator’s role as a mandated reporter, including the process to follow to secure support for the child and family involved.
Evaluate (observe and assess) the safety and security protocols of your building inside and out including the role of parents and community agencies.
Compare your school’s Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) to the A.L.I.C.E. protocols.
Formulate a cyber-safety PSA (public service announcement) for parents/caregivers.
Select and research a current “hot topic” related to health, safety, or nutrition.
Construct a week-long, age-appropriate, nutritionally balanced meal plan that includes three meals and two snacks following federal guidelines.
Evaluate the nutritional quality of a food item from its package label.

Course Activities and Grading

Assignments	Weight
Discussions (Weeks 1-8)	31%
Written Assignments (Weeks 1-8)	56%
Final Exam (Week 8)	13%
Total	100%

Required Textbooks

This course uses Open Educational Resources (OER). OER are openly licensed, educational resources that can be used for teaching, learning and research. OER may consist of a variety of resources such as textbooks, videos and software that are no cost for students.

Course Schedule

Week	SLOs	Readings and Exercises	Assignments
1	1,9	Topic: Interrelatedness Among Health, Safety, Nutrition, and Child Development Reading: CT Healthy and Balanced Living Curriculum Framework – Health and Safety Education CT Guidelines for a Coordinated Approach to School Health CT Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child	Review course syllabus Review course policies Review lecture and reading materials Participate in Discussion Board Submit Week 1 Assignment - Children’s Health Topic Investigated
2	2	Topics: Healthy Living Affects All of Us Reading: THE STATE OF AMERICA’S CHILDREN® 2021 Report How Can We Make Child Health Equitable? Understanding Social Determinants of Health Health Equity: Inequitable Access to Healthcare's Racist Roots	Review lecture and reading materials Participate in Discussion Board Submit Week 2 Assignment - Create a Health Equity Blog Article
3	3,4	Topic: Conditions Affecting Children’s Health Reading: Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Health & Mental Health Literacy in Child Welfare CT State Dept. of Education “Position Statement on Social, Emotional and Intellectual Habits for All Students K-3” CT State Dept. of Education "Learning and Diabetes" CT State Dept. of Education "Mental Health Wellness Days" CT State Dept. of Education "Act 21-46 Resources for Families and Students	Review lecture and reading materials Participate in Discussion Board Submit Week 3 Assignment - Mental Health Disorders in Children
4	4,6	Topic: Safety in Our Environments Reading: Childhood Ingestions of Environmental Toxins: What Are the Risks? SchoolSafety.gov Child Injury What causes pediatric injury? 12 First-Aid Tips for Common Kid Injuries	Review lecture and reading materials Participate in Discussion Board Submit Week 4 Assignment - School Safety and Security (Part 1)
5	5,6,7,8	Topics: Security and Safety of Our Children Reading: Child Abuse and Neglect Fast Facts: Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect FEMA’s Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans Educators & Organizations ? Stop. Think. Connect. National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign for Kids	Review lecture and reading materials Participate in Discussion Board Submit Week 5 Assignment - School Safety and Security (Part 2)
6	1,9,11	Topics: Introduction to Nutrition and Nutrients Reading: Healthy Living Guide 2020-2021 Dietary Guidelines for Americans How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label	Review lecture and reading materials Participate in Discussion Board Submit Week 6 Assignment - Nutrition Research
7	1,9,11	Topics: Meal Planning Reading: Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 in School Nutrition Programs The Nutrition Source: Vegetables and Fruits The Nutrition Source: Whole Grains The Nutrition Source: Protein The Nutrition Source: Fiber Dairy: Health food or health risk?	Review lecture and reading materials Participate in Discussion Board Submit Week 7 Assignment - Food Equity
8	1,9,10,11	Topics: Meal Planning and Food Safety Reading: No assigned reading this week. Review lecture material.	Review lecture and reading materials Participate in Discussion Board Submit Week 8 Assignment - Five-Days Nutritious Menu Submit Final Exam Complete Course Evaluation
8	1,9,10,11	Final Exam SLOs 1, 4, 5, 6, 10

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.