Health Quests

Overview
In the activity, students visit Web sites intended for younger users. Each of these sites provides information on a different health topic. Among these topics--which are presented using a variety of interactive approaches and media--are food safety, weather safety, nutrition, healthy body systems, and eye care. Students use the information at a chosen site to create a lesson plan to teach to a class at a local elementary school or preschool. If possible, students may invite the younger students to visit the site and participate in some of the hands-on activities.

Objectives

• To use information, images, and hands-on activities at one of several sites on the World Wide Web to develop a lesson plan that emphasizes some aspect of health for young learners.
• To prepare and execute an educational health lesson plan.

Getting Started
Ask for a show of hands of students in the class who have ever taught something to a younger child, perhaps a brother or sister. Note that teaching can range from something as basic as tying a shoe to something as high level as explaining a mathematical concept. Explain that this activity gives students with an interest in teaching a chance to sharpen their skills. Have students visit the various Web sites. Work with them in analyzing the age group each site is best suited to and in identifying other materials (such as fact sheets) that they might need to create their lesson plans.

Encourage students to spend some time at the site they choose for their lesson, exploring options that might add a new dimension to the lesson. For example, the Food Safety site includes a link that allows the user to print out a Certificate of Participation, a copy of which could be given to each child at the end of the lesson. If the elementary school is hooked up to the Internet, another option would be to have the younger students visit some of the sites and take part themselves in some of the hands-on activities. NOTE: In carrying out this activity, participants will require permission from the classroom teacher and/or the school where the lesson is to be taught. You may wish to help students gain the necessary clearance.

Classroom Follow-up
Set aside class time for participants to share their experiences. Encourage other members of the class to be an attentive audience and to ask questions. Using the insights they have gained, interested volunteers might work collaboratively to create a booklet on the classroom computer titled A Guide to Teaching Health on the Internet. Copies can be made available to faculty members and other students who are planning to pursue teaching careers.